University of Sheffield School of Architecture
ARC6982 Urban Design Project 3: Thesis
Academic Year 2021/22
Module leader: Dr Iulia Statica
QIRU ZHONG Registration number: 210112009
Supervisor: Iulia Statica
Thesis submitted to the University of Sheffield in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA in Urban Design
Sheffield, 2 September 2022
An alternative future for women to access the public space in modern world
Chapter1- Introduction
Chapter2- Research context
2.1 General context
2.2 Theoratical research
2.3 Research question
2.4 Methodology
Chapter3- Site analysis
3.1 Location analysis
3.2 Social investigaton
3.3 Social context
3.4 Problem statement
Chapter4- Design proposal
4.1 Design proposal
4.2 Case study
4.3 Scenario building
4.4 Design presenting
Chapter5- Conclusion
Chapter6- Bibliography
11 20 44 68 72
1 9 15 17 21 27 31 37 45 51 57 65
AbstractThe accessibility to public spaces and the sense of belongingness in the city have been important topics in the feminist discourse around the world these years. However, based on the series of research and the situation of the worldwide urbanism process, the inequity of gender accessibility still exit. The main factor of it is the long-term labour division of society under the hundred years of man-ruled society.
In China, due to its specific social background and the influence of thousands of years of feudal domination, feminism here has different requirements and developmental features of the times to western society. However, the basic contradiction is still the bondage of domestic duty and their appeal to access public life. This research is focused on the city of Shanghai, which is one of the most representative modern city in China, and discuss the social relationships and activities inside and around the central public space - The People's Square, to define the localised concept of feminist space and the request of it under the specific modern context.
This is a propositional project with the theory of urban imaginaries and the research of urban infrastructure and public space. In the process, I will focus on the visible and invisible factors in the space which affect the construction of social relationships, such as the urban trajectories of feminist spatial practice and the power change in the city. The actors, actions and relationships would be an important part of my research, which will be developed with the feminist approach to situate and map the current problems of feminist space in the city and propose an alternative future of inclusiveness.
Keywords: Urban design, Femisit city, Urban imaginaries, Urban infrastructure, Public space, Chinses feminism, Urbanism
Thank you to my supervisor Dr Iulia Statica. You are the preciously best mentor and friend in this short year. Your encouragement and support are always my motivation to finish my work better.
And also thank you to all the supervisors and staff of Urban Design to provide us with such a good environment and opportunity.
Thank you to my family, my mom and dad, without your unstinting support and understanding for 24 years, I wouldn't be able to have what I have today. And my brother, You are the motivation for me to go on as well.
Thank you to my dearest friends in China who supported me all the way. Your remote companion and support have accompanied me through countless days and nights in a foreign country.
Thank you to two Misses Yeung who walked through the site under extreme heat for my thesis.
Thanks to every important people who have supported me, accompanied me and helped me, to finish this meaningful trip.
As far as I have been researching urban feminism, and trying to combine it with the studio theme of urban imaginaries, I realize that urban imaginaries could be understood as an assemblage of the vision and the needs of society, and an exploration of an alternative possibility for the future of humanity(A. Cinar and T. Bender,2007). In my research, I would discuss inclusive urban imaginaries from a gender perspective, analyse the role urban infrastructure plays to improve urban inclusivity in a modern city and apply this theoretical research to the design practice in the given society, China.
The causes of urban inequality of gender are always complicated. Including the division of production and reproduction, the specific social contexts and the processes of urbanism, etc(J. Winders and B. E. Smith,2019). However, overall, the current society we are living in is a man-made world, as the priority of access is always for the users and designers— men themselves, and women always disappear in the processes of urban design and construction(J. Boys,1984). In the first chapter, I would analyse the general theoretical background and western discussion about the feminist perspective and the connection between the urban inclusiveness and the infrastructure in urban design, as well as their specificity under Chinese social background, to construct the basis of my research and design practice.
To address the urban issues on a particular scale, I choose Shanghai as my site for further research and practice. In general understanding, the more rapid the urban development, the more intense the conflicts in a given social context will be. Shanghai as one of the biggest international modern cities in the world(World urbanisation prospects 2021), is historically affected by western culture and is more open to new thoughts, but feminism is still constrained by the traditional limit. And for my research, based on the core conflict of urban gender inequality, urban inclusivity requires discovering the female space in the public zone. The people's square is the political and economic city centre of Shanghai(Y. Xiaowen, 2017), as well as the representative public space for citizen's life. The second chapter would analyse the site of People's Square in Shanghai that how is its current situation, what is it visible and invisible issues, and why is it important for feminist space in the city, as well as its social pattern for the further practice.
Through the series of studies about the feminist space and urban imaginaries in China and Shanghai, the design proposal would be carried on as an experimental spatial intervention in the first place at the People's Square. Moreover, the design would develop in different stages, to build an alternative urban future. The design development would be from physical to emotional, from visible to invisible, and from the point to the whole urban plan. And during the design practice, I would rethink the role of the urban designer to improve urban inclusiveness and gender equality, as well as the meaning of the feminist space and the female perspective of a city.
Space is a sociological concept shaped by various processes of social production and reproduction(Wegner 2002: 181). Somehow, under the sociological division of gender in society, the man is always the dominant who built the city. For a long time, men have held the world's voice, while women have been second-class in society as subordinate to men and women's activities are restricted and ignored in the process when men make the world.(Kern, L. 2001)
In the man-made society, the ideal separation is women being inside of the family and men dominating the public world which causes sociological gender division(Pluto, 1984). However, this distinction has become a problem in modern society due to the mixing of classes and roles(Kern, L.2001.). Women have become aware of their inconvenience and inequality in society and are demanding the rights and freedoms to go out of the domestic zone and use public spaces like men.
However, it is still difficult for women to access the public space equally as their needs have been neglected by the creators of the city for a long time(Greed, 2006). The issues of accessibility include public transportation, the public open area and the working space as such. Those public spaces are made by males and used by males (Pluto, 1984). The need for women not only using them but making them designed for women and men equally(Greed, 2006).
Fig 1.1- worldwide background
1/2
According to recent research, over 74% of cycling journeys are undertaken by men in London, and 71%in San Francisco(figure1-1). And the most reason for fewer women chose not to cycle is that they are more concerned about safety issues in public areas than men.
Also, Men tend to be the majority in other travel choices. For example, the amounts of people who have a driving license are about 80% of men and 71% of women according to the National Travel Survey 2019 for England.
Data resource
4/5
1/2
Fig 1.2- General problems
2/3 women experienced one form of harassment in the previous 12 months; with 44% of women having experienced catcalls, whistles, unwanted sexual comments or jokes, and 29% having felt like they were being followed.
"Gender is continuously being remade at different scales, through national legislation, and changing life circumstances, thereby presenting different layers of complexity for coherent analysis. The city is gendered through multiple actions and experiences of its inhabitants."(Beebeejaun, 2016)10
Therefore, for our landing site, China has its own special background which has affected feminism and urbanism in different ways to the western world. Taking the western theories as a reference and the general context, I subdivided the development and relationship of Chinese feminism and the public space into cultural, historical and political lenses.
China has a thousand-year history of feudal rule and Confucianism has been the main philosophical and cultural trend in China since the Han Dynasty. According to the patriarchal culture derived from feudual cultural, the hierarchical distinction between the superior and the inferior(S. Tang, J. Zhou, S. Lin and X. Li), which also includes a division of labour based on agricultural production in which the male dominates the outside and the female dominates the inside.
From historical perspective, Chinese feminism have been through a very tough development. During the thousand years of feudal period, the status of Chinese women had been really low. And after the establishment of the The People's Republic of China, the president Mao Zedong claimed that women have the totally equal right as men(S. Wesoky,2013). But with the changing needs of society, women's rights are still not equally guaranteed today.
China has implemented gender equality in the policies. And in some specific aspects it does not pay much attention to some of the actual needs of women. For example, the conflict between the maternity policy and the demands of the workplace has forced many women to return to domestic zone, and the policy on women's security and marriage still does not provide women with a sense of security.
From the historic perspective, agricultural activities build the Chinese cultural foundation for thousands of years. In many ways, it still affected Chinese society, even in a modern city. The agricultural society requires stable and regular labour division and activities to keep stable production. For this purpose, the basic social unit is the family or association instead of individual because it is easier to organise and more productive. (X. Fei,1992).
Under this rural social structure, women are more difficult to leave their given zone to live. Because no one wants to be judged if they are not doing the same as others, which might hurt their parentsor their own reputations, and that could make them unfilial (Y. Shen,2016). After women got married, they are resiponsible to be a submissive wife and a virtuous mother to take care of the family as it is the important factor of social stability, and it is the role they have to play.
1.4- Chinese cultural basement of feminist studies
In recent 30 years, China had a significant social change which hit the traditional perception of society. Women started getting rid of the confinement of feudalism and participating in the labour market and social production(Z. Li and Y.-W. Chen,2020). Especially after the reform and opening up(1978), more and more rural women havechose to move to cities to have better opportunities, and meanwhile, more rural places are developing into cities. It can be said that, modern China is built on the rural foundation, which causes the rural perception to be still the subconscious in society.
Even the strong influence of rural foundation on the urban society, globalisation and urbanisation irreversibly awaken the individualism in cities. But on the other hand, it also brings up the contradiction between remaining convention and de-conventionalisation. And this kind of contradiction somehow declines women's sense of belongingness in the city because they are still stressed by domestic duty and social judgment when they are trying to access the public society(S. Tang et al., 2022). In other words, women in the city are now facing a hard period of transition.
Fig 1.5- Localised and globalised issues of Chinese female public space
As the latecomer of feminist studies in the world, the female perception and the related urban concerns in China are mostly affected by western theories and practices, and actually, Chinese feminist studies are encounering the globalisation(N. Spakowski,2011). Therefore, taking western urban feminist studies and practice as the general theories could help me to make pointed references to issues in China.
To localise the general feminist issue to the landing background, I consider the local political, cultural and economic factors, as well as the current social situation which would affect women getting access to the public space(Fig 1.5). Compared with the western context, women in Chinese urban society are facing the multi-stress in the social transition as the society asks women to "hold up the half sky” in social production, and meanwhile, they still take the most responsibility as caregivers(P. Stoltz et al., 2010).
Resource
1. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/ articles/2019-01-25/being-a-woman-inchina-means-working-a-sixth-of-your-lifeunpaid#xj4y7vzkg
2. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ a/201907/14/WS5d2adab3a3105895c2e7d521. html
3. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/04/23/ only-men-need-apply/gender-discriminationjob-advertisements-china
4.https://www.catalyst.org/research/womenin-the-workforce-china/#:~:text=China%20
Has%20One%20of%20Asia,Force%20
Participation%20Rates%20for%20 Women&text=However%2C%20women's%20
labor%20force%20participation,total%20 labor%20force%20in%202019.
Bender, T. and Cinar, A. (2007) Urban imaginaries [electronic resource] : locating the modern city. Minneapolis, Minn. : Bristol: University of Minnesota Press ; University Presses Marketing [distributor].
This book is about the definition and the elements of the concept of urban imaginary by discussing the alternative future of city and its physical and invisible boundaries, also practice in a wide range of urban dwellers.
According to this book, a city emerges in the process of social change and development and social production and reproduction. And the conception of gender under the sociological discourse is shaped by the transformation of social relationships and the social structure, therefore, there is the understanding that gender is one of the constitutions of the urban imaginaries. Also, gender shapes the invisible boundaries in the city as it is one of the dominant hierarchies in the specific society. it mentions the social dynamics for a city always derives from its special context as well.
For my research of an alternative future of a city for females, this book could help me to understand the imagined boundaries and the comtested concept of urban inclusiveness.. Overall, this research provides the perspectives and methods for me to think about the city and its boundaries in a comprehensive way and the method of how to specialise our social practice.
Literature review - Thesis topic
Matrix (1984) Making space : women and the man-made environment. London: Pluto.
femi- nist spa- ce
This book brings up the thoughts of "gender space" and discusses what is exactly the need for feminism in the modern city. Based on the definition of a concept of "Man made environment", the author tries to locate its cause and its appearance in many aspects and also criticises the current phenomenon of the man domain professional area.
The interesting discussion is about how women are confined at home and how men build the cage called "Home" for women which brings up the thinking of how to bring women outside of the home. It puts forward the theory of the boundary between the domestic zone and the public area is a production of the man domain society, and this causes difficulties for women to actually access public life. Also, instead of trying to address the issues in the public zone, author tries to figure it out by analysing the private housing area. The methodology is from the design motivation of housings to the application in public area.
This book inspires me of my focus on the feminist need for the city, and brings up my awareness of the underlying cause of the women situation in public place. And the methodology of critical thinking of this book firms my research base as well.
This book discusses about gender problems and citizenship in the cosmopolitan and compares the theories and practices, as well as the general contextual issues between China and Nordic countries.
Wu, K., 2021. The Pink Flaneur: Feminist Public Citizenship and Urban Infrastructure in China. Feminist Studies, 47(3), pp.813-841.
Citizenship
Globalised feminist studies litanismCosmopo-
In general understanding, Nordic countries have the leading position of gender equality in the world, and China is even the latecomer in Asia, but there are common points as it is still controversial in both societies, and the remained old perception. Through the comparison and analysis, I get a more comprehensive and specific view of Chinese gender equality issues in the globalist background.
This article discusses the relation between the genealogy in the capitalist context and feminism’s development by refining the concept of social imaginary and reproduction.
Gender and sense of identity
SPAKOWSKI, N. 2011. “Gender” trouble: Feminism in China under the impact of western theory and the spatialization of identity. positions: east asia cultures critique, 19, 31-54.
For my research topic, the concept of this book of Citizenship and its relationship with gender discourse could relate to my research concept of the sense of identity in the city. And the case and analysis of western society also help me to get the general ideas to address the issues specific issues.
“Gender” Trouble: Feminism in China under the Impact of Western Theory and the Spatialization of Identity
This article focuses on Chinese feminism and its development and position in the global context by defining and discussing the terminologies about gender and localisation under Chinese feminist discourse.
As my discussion is about the power of social imaginary for feminism in a specific social context, this article provides a comprehensive perspective and a methodology to locate the problem on a particular scale. And it also helps my research to apply this concept of feminist imaginaries to a bigger use and to define the imaginary from spatial to the cognitive. However, the limitation is this article doesn’t discuss the social problem with a real territory and context, so it remains on the theoretical and conceptual level. Overall, the article relates gender spatialisation to a social function, which could help me further confirm my concrete topic and build the theoretical foundation and methodology for my further research.
Keywords: Social reproduction, Feminist urban imaginaries
Wu, K., 2021. The Pink Flaneur: Feminist Public Citizenship and Urban Infrastructure in China. Feminist Studies, 47(3), pp.813-841.
Local and global
SPAKOWSKI, N. 2011. “Gender” trouble: Feminism in China under the impact of western theory and the spatialization of identity. positions: east asia cultures critique, 19, 31-54.
The writer summarises that current Chinese feminism has three main characteristics"westernized", “troubled" and “unidentical". From the viewpoint of the article, even though the Chinese feminist response has a long-term impact from western studies, the western theories are not always fit the Chinese context. By defining the terminologies' translation of local versions and its explainations, the writer found the contextuality and historicity of the gender discourse and its complexity and irreducibility in a specific context.
To apply the research to the practice in my thesis, I need to spatialised the theoratical concept and land it in Chinese context, this artical not only provides me the multi-perspective discussion about the gender topics, but also put forward a methodology to embody the invisible issues.
The article analyses the feminist situation in the Chinese contemporary context and discusses the relationship between feminist action and the public infrastructure in a modern city through a case of the feminist spatial practice taken by a Chinese girl.
From this article, I have a comprehensive understanding of the situation of Chinese feminist actions and how they relate to the urban infrastructure in the city. Also, the theory of the impact of the urban landmark on feminist actions is inspiring and makes me rethink the connection between the women's needs and the visible physical spatial elements, as well as the invisible public resource, such as the sounds on social media and the political influence.
Keywords: Chinese feminist action, Urban landmark, Visible and invisible public resource
The fact of the gender space
Basically, the concept of gender is the embodiment of the social relationship which shows the need of urban construction. Recently, the scholars have defined the roles of genders as the process of social production and reproduction. And this division waws also shaped by the male-dominated society, the result of which was that women were confined to domestic life and their productive value became more invisible and private.
Literature reference - Literature reference - Social reproduction and capitalist production: A genealogy of dominant imaginaries
Infrastructure and urban imaginary
"Instead of being viewed as a stable network, however, infrastructure is increasingly understood as 'dynamic relational forms' or 'sociotechnical assemblages” that enable 'material articulations of imaginations, ideology and social life.'"(Wu, 2021)
Literature reference - The Pink Flaneur: Feminist Public Citizenship and Urban Infrastructure in China
Basically, the concept of gender is the embodiment of the social relationship which shows the need of urban construction. Recently, the scholars have defined the roles of genders as the process of social production and reproduction. And this division waws also shaped by the male-dominated society, the result of which was that women
Literature reference - The Pink Flaneur: Feminist Public Citizenship and Urban Infrastructure in China
Research concern Fig 1.6- theoretical structure
the alternative gender space in modern city
"The research questions of a study are intimately related to external factors motivating the study (contextual purposes) as well as the theoretical framework and hoped-for applications (research purposes) of the study. Both domains are in turn framed by the researcher’s commitment to a school of thought and a system of inquiry. "(Groat, Linda N.,2013)
In the theory of the urban imaginary, urban space is in fact a product of urban social relations. Based on the study of the current social relations, how could we define the real need of feminist space and build the sense of belongingness of women?
Based on research into the historical, cultural and political specifics of China, how can we build new urban spaces and social relations on this basis to make women more integrated into modern urban life?
How is the theoretical study of feminist urban space to be applied practically in the city in this study? What kinds of infrastructural interventions can influence or structure urban relations to achieve our vision of the city?
This thesis is a research-based design project. Based on the theories of Urban Imaginaries and Feminist City, and developed through the research of worldwide contextual problems, grounded in Chinese social context. Therefore, the methodology mapping shows this developing processes and the relations and the tools I will use.
Background research: The first step is the research of the general problems for female life in the modern city. It defines the main concept, makes the theoretical structure and lands the theory in a specific social context. Relating the theories and the context, summarising the major research questions and the sub-questions of the research.
Site analysis : Due to the restriction of travelling, the site analysis will be taken place by remote methods. The main methods I will use are Surveying and Mapping. The social investigation collects the information of current urban situation, and maps the actors and relations of the city.
Design proposal: The urban imaginary is the method to precast the future image of the city. The design strategy is the way to redefine and re-mapping the social situation. Through this method, I will make the urban scenario building with spatial and emotional intervention, and get the participants and my peers involved in the urban imaginaries modelling.
When we are talking about"Feminist Space", the concept of Space is very important to consider. According to Henri Lefebvre, space could be a very ambiguous term as it could be physical or emotional, concrete or abstract, micro or macro, but anyway, the social space could be understood as the production of social relationships.(H. Lefebvre,1974)
Shanghai is one of the most modern city and the commercial centre in China, also one of the largest cities in the world, with a leading level of urbanisation(World urbanisation prospects 2021). However, resulting from the situation of the overloaded population and heavy pressure of this city in decades, urban renewal might be vital in the next step of urban development.
From my previous research, the main difficulties for women in the city is their accessibility to the public space and resource. Therefore, the distinct concept of "space" here is divided into public and private(domestic). As the topic of this thesis is "go out from home", then the current situation of women in public and how to make them feel the sense of belongingness in public is the key part of my study to learn the real social need of a "space".
Huangpu District is one of the most central and prosperous commercial centres in Shanghai. The People square is not only in the centre of the Huangpu District, but also at the commercial and cultural centre of Shanghai City.
As the urban central square, the People's square plays the role of the urban landmark and represents the identity and the sense of belongingness of Shanghai citizens. From all aspects, the People's Square is the important urban public common in the city.
Fig 3.1- The site location
Fig 3.2- Theoretical map of location choosing
On this basis, my choice of site is based on its public and comprehensive nature. In the sense of the square itself, under China's urban planning system, it tends to have a strong integrated function as a political, economic and social public space and often serves as a representative of the city's identity (J. Zhong,2014). Hence, as the literal city centre and the comprehensive public plaza, People's Square somehow represents Shanghai's citizenship, and it would be the entry point and experimental site for my research of an alternative future of feminist space and build up the sense of belongingness and identity for women in public space.
N
3-3. District analysis
Commercial working area
Commercial area
Working area
Living area
Educational area
Historical buildings
Residential units
Shopping malls
Companies
Cultural buildings
Main road
Through my research of the women's situation in urban life, the difference between the public and domestic zone is an important criterion to view a site. This map(Figure 2-2.) analyses the urban functions around the site based on this criterion.
From this map, it is clear that the most surrounding urban areas of the site are commercial and working areas which are always understood as the public space. The residential places are out of the central circle of the site.
Figure3-5. District trait
Figure3-4. The proportion of the urban funcitons
Figure3-6. Centre of city
In order to further analyse the function of the site, I have made these diagrams showing the general character of the surroundings. It is clear that the public function areas make up more than 70% of the district(Figure2-3.and 2-4). Also, the area plays an important economical, political and cultural functioning role in the city(Figure2-5).
For the better understanding of the inner situation of the site, I use the remote research methods of Digital mapping and Making models to analyse the inside functions and the transportation system.
The greenland and the civil activities spots are mostly at the north part of site, and this area is called the People's Park. The south part is more political and more open spatialy. There are mainly squares attached to functional public buildings.
Also, the buildings inside of the site are all representative functioning venues as the government office, the urban museum and gallery, as well as the city’s theatre.
Then I analyse the social relationship and the main activities that happen at the site as it is the basic element to build a social space. From the map, we could see the citizen's daily activities here are comprehensive including work, amusement and family activities, and the users include people of all ages, genders and identities who are users of this venue.
In every sense, People's Square should not only be a locational and functional centre, but also a centre of daily activity and spirituality for the neighbouring residents, and indeed for the people of Shanghai.
Fig3-8 Social relationship
Due to the pandemic restriction, I could not do the on site investigation by myself, so I ask for help from my friend who live in Shanghai for 2years. She walked through the site and recorded her feeling and experience, and described her thoughts and understanding of public space and site in an open interview.
Miss Yeung
Age: 26 Occupation: Game designer Length of residence in Shanghai： 2years
""I have lived in Shanghai for 2 years, and the places I have stayed are always close to the city centre because of work. I know how important People's Square is for the city, but to be honest, I don't usually go there, except I need to go shopping or dine out with my friends around the square, I have barely been there alone and deliberately.” ”
"I don't like to be in a very open and public space usually, the news of women being hurt in public always makes me feel unsafe when I am outside alone."
"People's Square is more of a landmark for me and my female friends than a public space to do activities, we only say 'what to do near People's Square' rather than 'what to do inside People's Square'"
Having gained a basic understanding of the current situation of the site, I moved on to the next stage of my research, starting with the causes of gender issues in a particular context to conduct social research on the site.
According to Pat Burnett, the status of women in the city is closely related to the social form and the changes in power(Burnett, 1973). From historic perspective, the site of People's Square has had a long history of colonisation, he toughly intervention of colonists on the one hand destroyed the former Chinese social relations, but on the other hand, it opened the society up and re-constructed the social structure and relations at the time(Bai.Y, 2014).
Therefore, the established division of roles between men and women in the family changed as the, In turn, the established division of roles between men and women in society changed as the social structure of society changed, with women gradually showing up. Through the processes of Shanghai being an international modern city, women have started being out of the domestic zone, but in the visible history, women have not yet fully moved away from being subordinate to men and serving the family.
3.10- Map of the social change and relations
Since women started presenting themselves in public zone, the urban development history has also left their footprints. I conduct further research on women's narratives through cultural, historic and political lenses in the city in order to relate them to women's sense of identity and belonging in public space.
The research approach I used accords to the theory of situated knowledge from Dona Haraway, (D. Haraway)which let me rethink the urban form and history by jumping out from the given structure.
Longtang, which is the alleyway, is a kind of dwelling with local characteristics of Shanghai. From the end of the 19th century onwards, the alleyway became the main living place for women as a family unit. The women in the alleyway is a kind of classic role in the literature and art creation at the moment, in order to illustrate the real life station of Shanghai people(Jie Y, 2016).
With the infiltration of colonial culture, Shanghai's social environment gradually moved away from feudal rituals under the Westernised influence. Women also began to act outside the confines of the home and make their presence felt in the public space. But the public spaces were still limited to the theatre, shopping centre or ballroom (most are entertainment venues), and their identities were basically still subordinate to man.
After the establishment of the PRC, women's status improved rapidly for 30 years. At the time, women were encouraged to get involved in social production and had equal rights and status as men. During the time, women went out from their domestic zone and enjoyed the public resource and space with men equally for the first time. According to the 1982 census, women accounted for 47.8% of the city's working age population and 47.2% of the total employed population in Shanghai(JianMin L, 2015).
After the reform and opening up, the public space for women that had been 'vacated' at a particular time shrank again due to socio-economic stability and the consolidation of production patterns(JianMin L, 2015). During this period of rapid social change, there was a call for women to "return to the family" in order to "maintain social stability".
In the 21st century, with the gradual improvement of urban infrastructure, modern world in China is basically the man-made environment. But the awakening of women's consciousness and the increase in the average level of education of women has led to a stronger and more widespread demand for equal access to and use of public space. At this stage there is the stronger demand for the alternative future city of inclusiveness.
Through the development of Shanghai literature, women writers occupied a major part during the 2030s-2070s. They used a female perspective to experience and portray Shanghai sensually and built feminist imaginaries of Shanghai. Hence, their influence also makes a general impression of Shanghai which is soft, delicate, romantic and feminist. Following the trajectory of Literature, we could find out a feminist perspective on urban space, and how they access it in different historical periods (Li L, 2008).
The three novels I show here represent the specific style and development of Shanghai literature, and they are all narrated from women's perspectives. Those masterpieces of literature have built up the feminist perspective of view and the imaginaries of the city. Also, we could view the relations between the public and domestic zone for women in different backgrounds.
A seminal work of female narrative in Shanghai literature. The story of the city is described from the perspective of prostitutes, a typical female identity in the public space of Shanghai during the late Qing Dynasty(EnTong G, 2015).
In that period, women were still confined inside domestic zone, all the public activities were "untraditional" and "undecent". In some way, women with the obscure identities such as prostitutes, could experience the public life more free than others.
The story of a Shanghai woman's whole life in alleyway. The story is told from the woman's perspective of view and shows how the city of Shanghai changed from the 1840s to the 1870s. It shows the exclusion of women from public space and how the modern city was actually a trap that preys on women rather than a true equality of accessibility. (Jie Y, 2006)
This novel provides a female perspective on the supremacy of money in the modern Shanghai and the impact of this social climate on the lives of women in the city. On the other hand, it shows the lasting influence on women's urban life of the old thought that women's public activities were limited to consumption and entertainment(Li L, 2008).
From these literatures, the culture of the city of Shanghai is sensual and poetic, but it is still a modern city built by male dominance and it is from this that much of the female tragedy in literature originates. The feminist narratives of a city are often full of struggle and suffering as they drift through the earthly world without a place to settle(physical or mental). This actually covers the main problems of women in the city are lack of security, no belongingness and no sense of identity.
“If city has gender, Shanghai is undoubtfully a woman - a sensual face with a rational skeleton."Fig3-12. Female narratives of Shanghai
After a series of research and investigation of the site, we have gained an understanding of the current state of the site and its cultural context. But the results of these studies are rather scattered. In response, I have recontextualised my learning about the site and linked it to my thesis topic of feminist space in public, locating specific issues in feminist discourse and exploring solutions.
In this part of the problem statement, I would discuss the specific issues of the site including the invisible(emotional) factors and visible(physical) factors.
Fig3-13. Restructuring and reflecting map
The original concept of People's Square and the invisible gender oppression
Circulation effect
Matchmaking corner is an original concept in China which derives from People Square. It was originally a public space in People’s park and taken used by the mid-age citizens who want to make the marriage match for their children. This is a typically initiative activity of citizens with the traditional features which has brought up the invisible issues in urban life of the contradiction between tradition and modern.
People Square located in the cenre of the city where is the most modern and international place, the matchmaking corner somehow shows the gap between the main urban actors. And such traditional remains also is one of the issues of the man-made environment with the traditonal family concept. A similar concept is that of "Leftover Women”shows this thought as well that "a women doesn't marry before 30(even younger) would be regarded as the Leftover."
Fig 3-17 The contridiction of traditional concept and feminist request in public space
Fig, 3-16. The map of invisible threshold
Open upground square
Citizen's park
Functional square Commercial area Green land
Lack of care
Insufficient lights
Insufficient toilets
Coverd/quite spaces
ISSUE OF CARE
From the remote on-site research and investigation, I conclude the contemporary visible issues from female use and perspective.
The site's issues could be divided into two parts of infrastructure and care, which are the emotional issue and physical care. These two perspectives are highly relevant and build up the sense of belongingness of citizens in space.
ISSUE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
Functional seperation
Seperation of group of people
Ambiguity of the physical boundaries
Lack of recognisability
A mix of spatial styles
No distinction of the space
Infrastrucure are not very interactive
Trivial space planning
Ambiguity of the physical boundaries
Fragmentation of blocks
Inadequate transport planning
Unclear guidance
Too many small and winding paths
Site is enclosed by urban main road
Urban threshold
The surrounding commercial space is too dense making the site a blind spot
Through the theoretical research, I have realised the major feminist urban concerns are the sense of belongingness, identity and security, those factors are closely related to the specific issues which make women isolated and far away from the urban public space and resources. In the next step of proposal design, I need to deepen my understanding of those issues and figure out the way to address them on my chosen site.
This design project would be an experimental proposal design, aiming to provide an alternative possibility of an inclusive and equal urban space. Therefore, the design would start with dealing with the specific spatial problem on the small scale and develop into a long-term conception of the city.
This diagram reconstructs and reconnects the factors of concern and the urban issues and ground them on the spatial and social levels. In the progress, I would re-discuss the actors and their actions which are related with my research, and use the feminist approach to reflect on and sort the problem.
fig4-1. Design direction map
French philosopher Michel Foucault pointed out that social power is always not about the large scale like global or national, it is rather the social relationship on a definitive territorial scale(M. Keith and S. Pile,2013). According to Foucault, power is implemented by the netlike organisation and practised in society by the simultaneous daily activities of individuals.
Based on the micro-strategies theory, I developed a design strategy for both site and theme. Throughout the design research project, my research is structured in a macroto-micro logic, from the general and global theoretical background to the landing society to have a general view of the situation. Turning to the design strategy stage, I start with the conceptual design proposal as a specific but experimental spatial intervention, then develop to the social level, to the bigger scale that this concept could influence and plan for future city.
As society is produced by the shift and temporal daily activities and empowered by the power network and social relationship, there is no universal answer for the urban feminist issues(C. T. Mohanty, et cetera,1991). Therefore, to sort the particular problem in an urban space, we should realise the multiplicity of the urban and feminist issues and find their specificity in our research site.
Also, Individual differences are often the key factor in building urban diversity, and this is an important part of building individual urban identity(D. Petrescu,2007). From my research about the site, there is a distinct contradiction between tradition and the global trend which causes the major feminist issues in the area. Another perspective to defining it is that the site is now an intersection of many different cultures.
Hence, my design strategy to tackle the urban issues in this thesis would be to embrace the difference and construct a diversified and inclusive urban space which is equal and accessible for the minority and vulnerable groups. It also would make the vulnerable(as women in this thesis) feel respected and approved. For this purpose, multipliCITY is my main concept to develop the design and the imaginary for the future city shaped by everyone’s daily life. Fig4-2. Design framwork
Under Chinses politic structure, People's Congress is equal with the policy advisor, and Women's Association is an official organisation of women's right and walfare.
According to the micro-strategies theory, subjectivity as a social phenomenon is constituted by the basic unit of humans and their repeat daily activities, instead of the non-human concept of “society”,” culture” or “environment” etc(F. Guattari,1995). Hence, the first stage of design development would address the current issues which are closely related to the actors and their actual request with the certain care.
As a social network is formed by micro-molecules, on the basis of which political intervention takes place. In the mapping of the design process, the second step of social intervention actually involves political intervention, where politics intervenes so that women are truly visible and cared for in the city. Subsequently, in the foreseeable future, cities are no longer shaped solely by men, but can be imagined by women to be inclusive, diverse, sensual and caring.
The first case is a spatial research and practice project on the experience of gender in urban space. Its main concern is the perception of women walking daily in the city and addresses the issues by spatially micro-adjusting and microupgrading.
its major addressing mean is urban treatment, the main tool is the micro intervention bases on the debate of a series of urban perception theories. Such measures are more perceptual and do not interfere with the urban landscape on a large scale, but in fact they enhance the care of women in the city and are an important starting point for the construction of a feminist city.
These images show the current condition of the city streets and the processed spatial images. Not all of these treatments are based on theoretical refinements, some are the other way around. By presenting these images it allows participants to gauge the practicality of the spatial theory.
Fig4-4- Relation map
Then I try to relate it to my thesis, this project provides me with a perspective of point-to-point spatial treatment. As I have analysed, the researcher started the practice with the current physical issues of the urban area and address them in a targeted manner. On one level, this intervention is one-sided and does not directly address the issue of social justice, but for the long-term concern, this kind of specific intervention would be a good start to building a safe and inclusive community and city, because it starts caring and considering, and getting women’s perception involved.
Moreover, the spatial concerns, in this case, focus on the daily life in the city and locate the gender problem in some obscure and slight but indeed affective details in our daily scenes. Those result from the man-made society without the care of women, and it offered me a view to find and tackle those issues from the normal and daily life in the city.
Fig4-5- Street treatment
The second case I found is an urban furniture design at Vienna Park in New York which involves a concern for inclusiveness and sensitivity of gender.
From the study of the gender issue, women are always concerned more about privacy and security in daily space, especially when they still hold the responsibility of domestic care.
But in current public space, the facilities are fixed and open and always consider less about women’s need for privacy. However, too many hidden spaces would potentially increase the rate of women getting hurt which makes them feel unsafe.
Fig4-5.
These operable fences make the space more flexible. This simple urban strategy shows the concern for gender-inclusive and the sense of coexistence. Women could feel safe and respected when they could adjust the space as they need.
Fig4-8. relation map
Fig4-7.
The operable and flexible infrastructure design also make more posibilities to the space. Spontaneous adjustments by users can make the venue more user-friendly and take care of the feelings of more vulnerable groups. This interactive installation also enhances the social atmosphere of the venue, allowing users with different needs to connect within this inclusive venue.
The urban concern in this project is the diverse sensibility of visible or invisible groups of society. For my topic of the feminist city, such care for diversity is necessary, and the sensibility of the city is another perspective of the female urban narrative.
The adjustable strategy for public facilities improves the interactivity and public participation of the space, and in my project, enhancing the spatial participation of women is an important part of enhancing their sense of belonging and identity in the city.
This case is a regional design project with a specific scale and intervention, but in long term, it would affect the neighbourhood's relationship and offer a public venue for the inclusive group. Hence, the self-operating social network would affect further urban development, to build the city's future scenario with belongingness and inclusiveness.
Fig4-11.Urban plan toolbox of collective design Fig4-9. The HerCity process using the MethodKit tool in GoDown, Nairobi, Kenya.
This is a research programme conducted by urban designer scholar Naomi Hoogervorst who claimed that the city should be made for everyone. As she mentioned, our society is facing multiple crises, and the better way to address them is to gather the wisdom of the people rather than relying solely on the experience and ideas of professionals, to build an inclusive, equally accessible and cared city.
In her project, she used an urban participatory approach which is planning stems from neighbourhood to city level and then the global concern. The project may initially be a smallscale resident engagement exercise, but at a later stage the initial citizen engagement design will rise to a political, economic and social level, and its scope of care will expand to cover a wider range of issues such as public housing, climate and social inclusion.
Fig4-12.Urban plan toolbox of collective design
This urban participation subject offers an approach of public involved planning, and as mentioned, civic participation is the essential way to achieve social justice and gender equality. As my thesis is about bringing women out of the family and accessing the public zone, their actual needs in an urban area would be a vital factor in many ways.
At the same time, according to my previous research, creating an urban image for women in the city and promoting a sense of identity is also a major concern of my design. According to the methodology of urban participation offered by this project, the actual participation of women in the urban planning process and the construction of social networks is a way to fundamentally integrate them into the public life of the city.
Fig4-10. Map of concern and strategy
Based on the case study and previous theoretical learning , my design will start with solving spatially specific problems.The methodology of this stage is the spatial treatment which I develop into three parts of spatial enhancement, spatial operation and spatial connection.
In this step, I propose a multifunctional, systematic lighting and safety device that addresses the public unease of women caused by light and guidance problems. At the same time, this device can be used as an entertainment and monitoring device for public spaces, and the spatial signalling network it creates can also serve to enhance spatial integration.
Then, the next spatial concern is the fixed man-made environment without enough care. Therefore, my major tool is the operabliy spatial insertation. I will propose an movable and flexible infrastructure which could work as safe space, care space and relax or entertainment space.
According to the micro-strategy, rather than re-arranging the whole space directly in the first place, I proposed some urban facilities and installations to address the spatial problems point to point. This operable methodology is not only more flexible to the built space, but also leave more room for the invisible group to express their need. Fig4-12.Sand boxes of scenario buildings
As mentioned in the previous part of research, the lack of participation in urban planning is the important factors caused women hardly access to the public zone. The cultural workshopt would get women involved to create their imagined world. And their work will be presented to public to show their idea and speak their voice.
The operable mocular in People's Square could be completely closed as a safe room when women feel unsafe in public. The installation inside include the alarm and telephone function for them to ask for help.
Another major function of the closed mode is as a lactation room . Baby caring is always the main confine for women who go out from home because they need more privacy. This insertion in public would concern the various need of women and their domestic duty.
Dating and matchmaking as the main activities in Public Square, they need more relatively covered and private places. The semi-unfolding mode of the unit could adjust its form to make the most suitable space for people to use, like dating and matchmaking hub.
For the purpose of alternative caring, the movable hub also could work as a caring station in semi-unfolding mode. This pattern could adjust the form of combining to suite the need of wheelchair and pram, also the rest place for mother and carer.
Moreover, the semi-open patterm also could address the issues of public mobility inside of site. The transportation station is one of the main functions of the unit. It also works as a guide system and presenting board
as well as the communication hub.
The total-unfoulding mode works as the presenting and exhibition board for women's work. This is the action to improve the level of participation of women in urban planning and grow up their sense of identity. Also, parts of the board could work as commercial ads board to make the ecnomic circulation.
Fig4-13. Scenario simulations for operable Mocular
Fig4-14. Scenario simulations for people's daily life
As mentioned by the micro-politic theory, the macro power relationship always derives from daily life on a micro-scale. Complex and repetitive human relationships build a network of rights in society.
In the firs stage of spatial intervention, I proposed a way to address the environmental issues and was concerned about people's daily footprint. On this basis, I map the social power change after the promotional intervention. Back to the studio's theme, the urban imaginary defines as the speculation of the potential future, this map also imagines the future urban inclusiveness based on the developing flow I proposed.
In general, the development direction of this design is from the neighbourhood to the whole city, and then the concept we got could be applied to a larger scale.
Social level CultureEcnomic chain
Urban level Political intervention
In conclusion, this thesis is from my long interest in the feminist topic. I have always wondered how, as an urban designer, could combine feminist concern with the actual urban spatial practice. Somehow, I don’t agree that feminist space is a space only for women which is somehow pointless. Through the research of feminist theory and urban imaginaries theory for this thesis, I have finally started to have a vague answer in my mind.
My research began with a western theory of "Man-made environment "by Pluto Press. This book provide me with a general view of the point of the causes of female dilemmas in the public zone, which pointed to my confusion for a long time. After that, I realised my design intention is to talk about how to make women equal and included, to be included (that is, like men) in accessing and using public spaces and resources, rather than keeping them captive.
For the specific research, I chose China as my landing background, which is not only because it is my home country, but also because its society is facing a severe situation about feminist subsistence. That was anyway made me some difficulties in the beginning, as its special social background makes Chinese feminists can not simply be understood under western theoretical background. Then for the theoretical part, I focused much on the Chinese social context, as the cultural, historic and political background to understand the root of Chinese feminist issues in urban society.
Along with a series of research about feminist concerns and Chinese background, I summarised that one of the major factors causing the female plight in China is the traditional remain and the new liberal request of women, and the characteristic of the traditional remain is rural-based culture. On this basis, I chose Shanghai as my landing city, because it is the most international and open city in the country, therefore the conflict in the city would be more distinct. The People Square is the city centre and the representative public area in Shanghai, and it is important for not only citizen’s life but also for cultural and political activities. This is the one reason I chose it as my study site, another reason is as a propositional design project, I would like to put forward a practical and influential proposal which could affect the general urban concern so that Shanghai is not only my design site but also my experiment site. In other words, People's Square is an urban sample which is one of the most typical, representative slices of the city for me to analyse the visible and invisible issues for women in modern cities.
In the design part, I proposed to make an operable and interactive urban public space by point-to-point addressing and insertion of functional units based on the background investigation. But somehow, I regret most about the part of the design, as I stopped on the spatial level. For long-term concerns about feminist issues should consider the long-term care system and social participation as the theory I followed in this part called micro-strategies. Also, as I experienced confusion at the beginning, which resulted in the early part of the theoretical research and site analysis narrative incoherently.
All in all, the research on this topic has extended my interests and doubts, and the research process has been arduous but also fun, and has allowed me to discover the problems I have in conducting academic research. In the future, if I have the opportunity to extend this design, I would like to explore the impact of female-dominated social relations on the construction of the city and explore an alternative society.
1.WINDERS, J. & SMITH, B. E. 2019. Social reproduction and capitalist production: A genealogy of dominant imaginaries. Progress in Human Geography, 43, 871-889.
2.KERN, L. 2021. Feminist city: claiming space in a man-made world, Verso Books.
3.Matrix (1984) Making space : women and the man-made environment. London: Pluto.
4.GREED, C. 2006. Making the divided city whole: Mainstreaming gender into planning in the United Kingdom. Tijdschrift voor Economische en sociale geografie, 97, 267-280.
5.MCDOWELL, L. 1983. Towards an understanding of the gender division of urban space. Environment and planning D: Society and Space, 1, 59-72.
6.BEEBEEJAUN, Y. 2017. Gender, urban space, and the right to everyday life. Journal of Urban Affairs, 39, 323-334.
7.WU, K.-M. 2021. The Pink Flaneur: Feminist Public Citizenship and Urban Infrastructure in China. Feminist Studies, 47, 813-841.
8.Çınar, A. and Bender, T., 2007. Urban imaginaries. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
9.GROAT, L. N. & WANG, D. 2013. Architectural research methods, John Wiley & Sons.
10.Sun, S. and Chen, F., 2015. Reprivatized Womanhood: Changes in Mainstream Media's Framing of Urban Women's Issues in China, 1995-2012. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77(5), pp.1091-1107.
11.Hudson, C. and Rönnblom, M., 2020. Is an ‘other’ city possible? Using feminist utopias in creating a more inclusive vision of the future city. Futures, 121, p.102583.
12.Haraway, D., 1988. Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective. Feminist Studies, 14(3), p.575.
13.Chee, L., 2012. The domestic residue: feminist mobility and space in Simryn Gill's art. Gender, Place & Culture, 19(6), pp.750-770.
14.Jokela-Pansini, M., 2016. Spatial imaginaries and collective identity in women’s human rights struggles in Honduras. Gender, Place & Culture, 23(10), pp.1465-1479.
15.Hong Fincher, L. (2014) Leftover women : the resurgence of gender inequality in China. London, England: Zed Books.
16.Bao, H. (2020) ‘'We Are Here': the politics of memory in narrating China's queer feminist history’, Continuum (Mount Lawley, W.A.), 34(4), pp. 514–529. doi:10.1080/10304312.2020.1785079.
17.Infrastructural Lives : Urban Infrastructure in Context, edited by Stephen Graham, and Colin McFarlane, Taylor & Francis Group, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/sheffield/detail. action?docID=1813165.
18.Nichols, T. and Coleman, J., 2020. Feeling Worlds: Affective Imaginaries and the Making of Democratic Literacy Classrooms. Reading Research Quarterly, 56(2), pp.315-335.
19.Fenster, T., 2005. The Right to the Gendered City: Different Formations of Belonging in Everyday Life. Journal of Gender Studies, 14(3), pp.217-231.
20.Burnett, P., 1973. SOCIAL CHANGE, THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND MODELS OF CITY FORM AND DEVELOPMENT. Antipode, 5(3), pp.57-62.
21.Zhong, J. (2014). Space, Power and the Transmutation of Culture: the cultural studies of shanghai people's square, East China Normal University. PhD.
23.Bai, Y.Q.(2014). "Historical Changes in Public Space - The Evolution of "People's Square" in Shanghai as an Example." Public Art (6): 5-13.
24.YANG, J. 2006. City of Female ——On Notional Relation between Shanghai and Female. Journal of Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences (Social Sciences Edition), 36-39.
25.LU, J. 2015. Shanghai Women's Social Status Changes As Society Transforms. East China University of Science and Technology.
26.LI, L. 2008. On the Femininity of Urban Writing in Shanghai since the 1990s. Shandong University.
27.YANG, J. 2006. City of Female ——On Notional Relation between Shanghai and Female. Journal of Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences (Social Sciences Edition), 36-39.
28. LEFEBVRE, H. 2012. From the production of space. Theatre and Performance Design. Routledge.
29.GUATTARI, F. 1995. Chaosmosis: An ethico-aesthetic paradigm, Indiana University Press.
30. KEITH, M. & PILE, S. 2013. Geographies of resistance, Routledge.
31. MOHANTY, C. T., RUSSO, A. & TORRES, L. 1991. Third world women and the politics of feminism, Indiana University Press.
32. PETRESCU, D. 2007. Altering practices: Feminist politics and poetics of space, Routledge.
31.GOODCHILD, P. 1996. Deleuze and Guattari: An introduction to the politics of desire. Deleuze and Guattari, 1-240.
1.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNkB7afesco&t=4s
2.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBMcoJWo92Y&t=1102s
3.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pliH5suoibE&t=36s
4.https://www.safetydetectives.com/blog/womens-safety-research/
5.https://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/new-data-women-feel-unsafeat-night/
6.https://carleasespecialoffers.co.uk/blog/men-or-women-whos-the-safestdrivers/
7.https://www.sohu.com/a/451072537_99958624
8.https://www.interboropartners.com/projects/lentspace
9. https://bppblog.com/2021/09/17/on-the-design-of-everyday-space-closingthe-gender-gap/