Observing the reality of our built environment allows us to recognize that certain identities are not represented by existing models and scales. Unsurprisingly, these voices have been conspicuously absent from the planning and construction processes of cities and their architecture. Their desires, ways of being, and modes of inhabiting the world have been excluded and rendered invisible. This prompts us to rethink: Which voices are legitimized in urban debates, and for whom is the city designed?
Valuing and making visible the multiple and diverse experiences of women and gender-diverse people in how they use cities and their spaces will undoubtedly allow us to raise new questions that will influence decision-making when planning our environments. As Zaida Muxí states in Mujeres, Casas y Ciudades, “different lived realities yield different experiences, and therefore, different starting points for approaching the technical resolution of any project. (…) Recognizing these differences does not mean reaffirming inequality, but rather recognizing that different experiences lead to different ways of knowing and being in the world, and we must learn to give equal value to differences.”
Is it possible to design collective territories where all voices and desires find a place? What does a feminist perspective contribute to this issue?
