UN Habitat Her city toolbox aims for involving girls in city planning, to make the city better for all.
Fittja, a vulnerable suburb south of Stockholm, hosted the first pilot project building that box, where girls aged 16-24 tested tool for analysing and tools for visualisation (Minecraft) together with stakeholders, professionals, and academics. They choose to focus on the grey worn down central square with open drug dealing, dominated by men. As many girls come from overcrowded homes public space is where they and friends spend their time, a place they wish to be safe, special and local, with lots of colour colour colour..,designed for doing as well as relaxing.
At the last lab working on how to implement the ideas, the girls came up with advice and ideas for lighting so we added a lighting lab, to listen and explore.
Fittja is known for its music and observing stage lighting was a source of knowledge and inspiration. They wished to use coloured light, focus on lighting up spaces and surfaces, appreciated a balance of light and darkness, and wished to create a welcoming atmosphere, avoiding the sense of surveillance!!!
At the lab the girls explored colour and mood and played with mixing coloured light and coloured surfaces and shadow play.
A year later their work was translated into a wintertime temporary light installation, for kids to experience, pressing a button the installation could work as a pedagogic tool. The scene is also used for smaller events.
The installation is part of a larger refurbishment project, the square is used as a testbed with a summer popup park. During spring and summer neighbours took over the square from drug dealers, but with colder weather, the kids enjoy the installation in company of their parents or when it’s used for music and dance gathering since some dealers now and then are back.
