Intersectionality in the design of landscape

Preventing one dominant voice dictating design approaches and listening to a variety of users often gets a better result for everyone.

Naomi Maguire

University of Greenwich

Naomi Maguire studied Horticulture at Threave Garden and RHS Wisley, and is currently in her final year of BA Landscape Architecture at the University of Greenwich. She also works as a writer and voice artist, specialising in mindfulness content.

Although landscape architecture as an industry appears to have a fairly equal distribution of men and women, numbers alone are not enough to ensure equality. The crossover into many industries including construction and architecture, which can be difficult for women (many of the decisionmakers and policy-makers in our world are men), means that the voices of women are not being heard when making good design decisions.

It is apparent that the single most effective way to create a world that is safe and equal for women is to fully embrace intersectionality. By taking many voices and experiences into account, including those of different ages, abilities, genders, sexualities and ethnicities, the experience of landscapes and public spaces will be made better for everyone.

97% of women have experienced sexual harassment, and many incidents happen in public. Women do not have the same experience of landscape as men do, and the inequality is apparent. While a man may experience a park as ‘peaceful’ and ‘quiet’, many women will avoid landscapes like this, particularly after dark, because they feel unsafe. Even in the street, lone women feel unsafe after dark. Much of the discomfort of women in public spaces is to do with a feeling of safety – but a perception. or a fear, is very hard to measure. The effect on women of being harassed in public spaces cannot be overstated and any woman out after dark knows that much of the space around her has not been designed with her in mind. Women often feel excluded from parts of the world they inhabit – and feel restricted even more outside of daylight hours: dark parks, dimly lit streets, hidden doorways, being invisible behind large shrubs, no obvious exit routes, far from any other person, isolated underpasses – are all design elements that contribute to feeling afraid. Their voices are not often being heard in the design process.

Intersectionality brings about the most significant change in our designed spaces. When prams are accounted for, suddenly the space becomes more accessible for wheelchair users. When lighting improves to make women feel safe, elderly people are less susceptible to falls. The most important factor for equality within landscapes is to hear the voices of all the people who use the spaces, not just the dominant, default one.

It is apparent that just focusing on ‘women’, is not enough – there are so many groups who experience inequality. People of colour, the trans community, those with disabilities, and many other groups have experienced layers of inequality that I have not.

Levelling the field for one group should also level the field for all groups. Widening the access to equality, not narrowing or restricting it, is the answer.

To celebrate Transgender Awareness Week 2021, Camden Council has unveiled a four-way crossing at the junction of Tavistock Place and Marchmont Street.

Vienna uses a strategy called ‘gender mainstreaming’ – a crosssectional approach that ensures every part of government considers gender equality. Most of the city, and the whole of their public transport system, is accessible by wheelchair. Main pathways are straight, if possible, and well lit, and even shrubbery is planted spaced apart to improve visibility. “When it is done well, it is invisible. A well-functioning public space, where no group is missing or struggling to use it, doesn’t stand out.” 1 The importance of cross-party political support has been proven in Vienna in order to achieve equality: the gender mainstreaming strategy had political backing, from all political parties, and therefore the budget to make it happen. In the Seestadt Aspern development, most of the public spaces and streets are named after women. They found that raising the profile of women increases receptibility to gender equality by making a clear statement that women and their needs are being taken into account. They also have a ‘trans crosswalk’ (a street crosswalk in the Trans flag colours) which again has proven to raise awareness and therefore tolerance.

When Aspern was building new spaces, not a single woman was invited to pitch. Female-only designers were then invited, and in doing so it was discovered that taking gender into consideration makes things better for everyone. They conducted surveys on which areas were anxiety-inducing and responded by improving street lighting, adding crossings to prioritise pedestrians, installing extra seating, widening pavements and making some areas without barriers. Doing all of this made life suddenly more accessible for prams, wheelchair users, elderly people, and women. A huge cross-section of society was now able to go out and participate, instead of staying at home. Sometimes certain groups feel safer being at home, than venturing out – for example maybe an elderly person can’t face the thought of navigating difficult paving, or a wheelchair-user knows a certain tube station won’t allow them access, or a woman can’t face the dark walk home from the bus stop. Perhaps they do go out, but leave early. What would it look like if these things didn’t even have to be considered? Groups who can often be especially targeted in public include ethnic and religious minorities, those with disabilities, and those who are queer and gender non-conforming.

In Barcelona, Collective Point 6 is a collaboration of feminist designers of urban spaces, whose aim is to make Barcelona’s streets a place of equality. One of their strategies is ‘eyes on the street’ – being able to see and be seen, not just with lighting, but the amount and context of people present. They have recommendations for design elements including the height of vegetation (1 metre max), and avoiding different ‘levels’ – which makes a place more inviting to women, and more accessible for prams and wheelchairs. By having a lively city centre, women, and other groups, feel safer. For example, measures could include visible windows, tables and seating in the street. Careful consideration of SuDS can also help, so that there are never flooded areas which make it difficult for pedestrians to access. Vienna also applies gender mainstreaming to their parks – in 1990 they noticed the number of girls in the park had decreased in the 10-13 year old bracket. They included girls in the design process, and with their participation they were able to reimagine parks in a way that made everyone feel safer and more included. Research shows that girls respond better to smaller sub-areas, so that they are not marginalised in a large communal area, where the boys often dominate. Sub-areas can be built in ways that don’t lead to isolation – rather than be surrounded by high walls, it could be surrounded by low planted beds, so there is always a clear line of sight. Benches can be placed facing each other to create small areas that encourage social contact.

Smart design elements can also include:

– Signposts so the user always knows where they are and in which direction they are going

– Places should invite all types of people to linger, not rush

– More benches and seating, shaded rest spots, interesting things to look at – plants or sculptures, drinking fountains

– Increase footfall – create an “active sidewalk ballet” (Jane Jacobs, 1961)

– Spaces should be clean and welcoming. They should have obvious escape routes, no hidden dark alleys which cause fear, be well lit, be near public transport

Landscape scheme at Canary Wharf

© Naomi Maguire

If landscape architecture, and our culture as a whole, truly embraced intersectional equality, our landscapes would be more creative, innovative, forward-thinking and safe.