In May, I was the protagonist of two intense and well-attended days discussing gender-responsive urban planning in Turin. On Tuesday the 20th at the Circolo dei Lettori and Wednesday the 21st at the Metropolitan City Hall, we focused on a fundamental theme: rethinking the city based on needs, experiences, and differences.
The response was clear: great participation, lively dialogue, and intense attention. A strong signal that encourages us to move forward with even greater determination.
Gender-responsive urban planning doesn’t add anything to the city: it changes the perspective on those who live there and how they live there.
On Tuesday, I contributed to two areas that are particularly close to my heart:
- the digital gender gap,
- experimenting with civic technologies such as FirstLife, a collaborative platform that connects territories, communities, and public administrations, developed by the Territories and Digital Communities Group of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Turin, of which I am a member.
My presentation was part of a conversation with experts and administrators, starting with the virtuous case of the Municipality of Castenaso, with Councilor Lauriana Sapienza, who spoke alongside Silvia Botti and Sarah Elizabeth Gainsforth.
A central theme: cities can truly transform only if they listen to all the bodies and voices that inhabit them.
We then met again on Wednesday at the Metropolitan City, along with Councilors Sonia Cambursano and Rossana Schillaci, for a new event dedicated to rethinking urban space in an inclusive and collaborative way, drawing on concrete local experiences.
It was a dialogue between public administrations, civic activism, and digital planning, with the participation of organizations such as SPI CGIL with Lucia Centillo, Torino Urban Lab with Chiara Lucchini, the Municipality of Settimo Torinese with Councilor Umberto Salvi, and the LaQUP association.
In this context, we experimented with the use of FirstLife, a platform designed to support processes of urban co-design, participatory mapping, and public feedback.
A civic technology that enhances relationships, local practices, and collective narratives, with a focus on digital inclusion.
The initiative was included in the ASVIS Sustainable Development Festival program, in line with Goal 5 (gender equality) and Goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities) of the 2030 Agenda.
Home
