Gender and Urban Research: The interplay between digital and physical geographies

The interplay between digital and physical geographies for improved safe public spaces for women in South Africa.

State of the Art: Gender and Urban Research NGUR colloquium 30 August 2019 GCRO Khensani de Klerk | Matri-Archi(tecture) | www.matri-archi.com | in: @matri_archi

The interplay between digital and physical geographies for improved safe public spaces for women in South Africa the way in which two or more things have an effect on each other. synonyms: interaction, interchange, teamwork, cooperation, reciprocation, reciprocity, give and take, compromises, concessions; flexibility, adaptability Tool.

The interplay between digital and physical geographies for improved safe public spaces for women in South Africa late 15th century: from Latin digitalis, from digitus ‘finger, toe’.

Detailing. Personalizing.

The interplay between digital and physical geographies for improved safe public spaces for women in South Africa 2. relating to things perceived through the senses as opposed to the mind; tangible or concrete.

The Built Environment

The interplay between digital and physical geographies for improved safe public spaces for women in South Africa late 15th century: from French géographie or Latin geographia, from Greek geōgraphia, from gē ‘earth’ + -graphia ‘writing’.

Writing. Landscape.

The interplay between digital and physical geographies for improved safe public spaces for women in South Africa As strategies, safe spaces rely on exclusionary practices, but their overall purpose most certainly aims for a more inclusionary, just society (pg 121), (Collins, 2000)

Mutual.

The interplay between digital and physical geographies for improved safe public spaces for women in South Africa The Right to the City (Lefebvre, 1968)

Shared stages?

Tool; (for) Detailing, Personalizing; The Built Environment (by) Writing, Landscape; (for) mutual; shared stages?

CONTEXTUAL CHALLENGE: 1. The physical geography: Public safety for womxn 2. The digital geography: Access to the Internet of Things

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The physical geography: public safety for womxn

10 figure :

nsafe on the Streets by PLA

nternational

figure 1: llegal abortion advertisements on SA streets

2 930 women murdered in 2017/2018 110 rapes a day (reported) 56 murders a day 19.3% of victims are women and children Stats SA 2017/2018

The physical geography: public safety for womxn

rime against Women in South Africa eport figure : statistics from

figure : Women’s day marches in ape Town,

1

Percentage of households prevented from partaking in activities due to fear of:

Mobility and public participation, what is constituted as the (one of many) Rights to the City (Lefebvre, 1968), reduce. The space in which civil society engages in these events either becomes vestigial or hosts new and potentially undesirable events. In the case of South Africa, these spaces become hotspots for crime with less passive surveillance sustaining the problem.

The physical geography: public safety for womxn 12

1 figure 5: Women’s march Against iolence, ape Town,

Stats context: image

xxx

The physical geography: public safety for womxn 13

1 figure : Women’s march , ape Town ,

The physical geography: public safety for womxn 14

15 ame demonstration in San rancisco figure : Say Her

15 ame demonstration in San rancisco figure : Say Her

The response of an intangible/in flux social issue manifests into a perfomative pressure on public space. The street becomes a stage for confrontation, and the most impactful space for demanding change from relevant stakeholders due to disrupted movement and services.

The physical geography: public safety for womxn 15

figure 1 : Woman demonstration on gender violence, ape Town

figure : Woman demonstration on gender violence, ape Town

The news is spread qucikly - locally and globally by social media through the digital landscape. Hashtags act as a keyword search in the endless repository which capitlizes on the trend of the moment. Critical mass grows, forming a parallel protest in the digital landscape, often greater in size than the physical.

The physical geography: public safety for womxn 16

1 arch to parliament, ape Town, figure 1 :

march, ape Town figure 11: Langa 1

On the occasion that the physical disruption gains more critical mass, the physical landscape is transformed in its use. The infrastructure of the built environment is challenged, with unforeseen pressures temporarily redesigning the physical landscape.

The physical geography: public safety for womxn 17

Number of smartphone users in SA

figure 15

figure 1

figure 1

Data affordability challenges in SA

With an overall population of 58,6 million people (world population review, 2019), the estimated 22 million people who have access to smartphones shows that only half of the population has access to participating in the Internet of Things. Children, and other non-smart phone users should be taken in account for future accuracy.

The digital geography: access to the Internet of Things 18

CONCERN: 1. How to catalyse impact from existing digital tools?

2. How to catalyse impact through tactical intervention?

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figure 1 : Safetipin app

figure 1 : Safetipin app

The current features of Safetipin allow for a geo-location of unsafe hotspots giving quantitative data to urban and city planning stakeholders which can direct improved safe space prioritization in terms of infrastructure development.

How to catalyse impact from existing digital tools?

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figure 1 : Safetipin app

Precedent data standards: image/text/ quote

Safetipin etc

How to catalyse impact from existing digital tools?

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figure 1 : Safetipin app

The app allows users to use their smartphone camera function to capture spots that are unsafe or feel unsafe. However, the qualittiave aspect as to how and why these spaces feel or appear to feel unsafe is not captured in apps to date.

How to catalyse impact from existing digital tools?

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figure 1: Phone booths in West Africa

: Spati shop in erlin figure

Utilizing existing infrastructures as a means of giving those without smartphones access to participating in digital tool to enter and be included in digital geography.

The typical spati shop in Berlin, phone booths in West African cities and mini markets in South Africa are prime examples of places of service and opportunity across 24 hours and accessible by all civil society How to catalyse impact from existing digital tools?

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“Tactical urbanism is a type of low-cost, temporary changes to the built environment, usually in cities, intended to improve local neighbourhoods and city gathering places.�

(Pfeifer, 2013)

How to catalyse impact through tactical impact?

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figure

: ree Street parking pavement, ape Town

reenmarket S uare, ape Town : figure

Forms of tactical urbanism exist in South African cities (images above showing Cape Town) on an ephemeral basis describing either an event or a ritual that happen but remain impermanent. In order to make impactful safe space, how might the value of these transient spaces be upheld but made permanent through design?

How to catalyse impact through tactical impact?

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How to catalyse impact through tactical impact?

26 figure

figure

:

:

ew ork after

ew ork before

reenlight for

reenlight for

idtown

idtown

27 figure 5:

reenlight for

idtown,

ew ork

How to catalyse impact through tactical impact?

28 figure

figure

e Waterkant, ape Town

: Parklet ion ree Street, ape Town

: Parklet in

The Interplay:

State of the Art

Particpation | crowd-sourced | knowledge validated

Stickers are distributed for free at common grocery stores (to replace current small toy freebies, for example). These stickers have a barcode which links to the InterPlay app or website. These stickers should be scanned to describe where they are eventually placed in space.

The proposal 30

The stickers are placed anywhere in public space - they remain anonymous. The stickers are small enough to allow particpatns to partake without being convicted of vandalism. The stickers, when accumulated, will reveal to those who are not in the digital landscape that more spots are unsafe. The stickers become a growing installation The proposal 31

The current billboard on Skyways building, for example, is owned by a private developer who has consent for advertising on the facade. An opportunity in making the issue of gender based violence priority can be displayed here The proposal

Architecturally, or spatially, the barcode is incorporated into the facade as a new patterning that can be scanned by urban goers in cars and by foot from a far and close distance.

The proposal

The only route to the next public toilet is through the alley, and its always dark there

“cat called by security guards”

“My phone was stolen on this corner at night.

There are no lights on this corner and so non one could witness.

Behind this harsh corner is always someone waiting to sell me drugs, or ask for my number. I increase my walking when I walk past here

“I was date raped in this alley” “My wheelchair got jammed on the pavement” “I was mugged by gun point whilst calling my uber on that corner”

This column has been under renovation for months now!

The construction workers always whistle

Scan the code.

To arrive at the app/website which will prompt a question on what gender the user is. Thereafter, the user is able to identify which spot they placed their sticker, and give reasons why. These can be written, audio and photographed. Incorporated into a collaged visual that is accessible to the masses.

The proposal

RESEARCH CHALLENGES: What visual language best represents mixed media in an accessible manner?

Who owns the data?

Where is it stored and how is it stored?

Who funds the project?

REFERENCES:

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PRESENTATION (VERBAL): Collins, P, H., (2008) Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment, 1st edn, Abingdon: Routledge.

Hanson, M & Abdulsamad, M (2016) From Pop-Up to Permanent: Five lessons in tactical urbanism, New York: Global Designing Cities Initiative [available at: https://globaldesigningcities.org/2018/04/18/from-pop-up-to-permanent-five-lessons-in-tactical-urbanism/ ] accessed on 4 August 2019 Lefebvre, H (1968) Le Droit à la ville, 1st ed., Paris: Points Publishers.

Mathebula, T (2019) SAPS data on gender-based violence falls short of illustrating the real problem, News24 [Available at: https:// www.news24.com/Columnists/GuestColumn/saps-data-on-gender-based-violence-falls-short-of-illustrating-the-real-problem-20190326] Accessed on 4 August 2019 Pfiefer, L (2013) The Planner’s Guide to Tactial Urbanism, Montréal: McGill School of Urban Planning [Available at https:// reginaurbanecology.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/tuguide1.pdf ] accessed on 4 August 2019 South African Government News Agency (2018) Gender based violence on the rise Tuesday, [Available at: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/gender-based-violence-rise ] Accessed on 4 August 2019 Statistics South Africa (2018) Crime against Women in South Africa, Report 03-40-05, vol 5, Pretoria: Statistics South Africa [PDF Available at: http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/Report-03-40-05/Report-03-40-05June2018.pdf] Accessed on 4 August 2019 StatsSA (2017) AND THE STREETS FELL SILENT: HOW CRIME IMPACTS THE EVERYDAY, Republic of SA Stats [Available at: http:// www.statssa.gov.za/?p=9553 ] Accessed on 4 August 2019

GRAPHS: Holst, A. (2019) Number of smartphone users in South Africa from 2014 to 2023 (in millions)*, Statista, [Available at: https://www. statista.com/statistics/488376/forecast-of-smartphone-users-in-south-africa/ ] Accessed on 4 August 2019 Pay, B. (2019) Data costs still too high in South Africa, IOL, [Available at: https://www.iol.co.za/weekend-argus/news/data-costs-still-toohigh-in-south-africa-19606374 ] Accessed on 4 August 2019 Xala, N (2018) The current state of free public WiFi in South Africa, Hypertext, [Available at: https://www.htxt.co.za/2018/09/11/thecurrent-state-of-free-public-wifi-in-south-africa/ ] accessed on 4 August 2019

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