Tjejtrappan Helsingborg
More equality with VR and girls
How can the urban planning process become more inclusive? And how can the architect’s methods be adapted to encompass the experiences, ambitions and ideas of more groups? With Tjejtrappan, we explored how VR can be used to co-create the city together with a group of girls. Unaccustomed to development plans and sectional drawings.
A public place dominated by one group of people, while others feel frightened, excluded or unsafe there, is neither fair nor sustainable. Yet through architecture and transformed design processes, inclusive environments can be created. In the project “Where are the girls”, we worked together with the City of Helsingborg and fifteen girls from year eight to examine how equality can be embedded in the urban fabric. But designing a new urban space is no simple task, even for an experienced planner – so how could we develop more inclusive processes?
Imagine your favourite public place. Who do you think feels uncertain or excluded there?
Perceived design through VR
During a prototyping process together with the girls, we selected three places they wished to transform. They analysed the sites and devised their own proposals for how the areas could become more inclusive and equitable. Together, we built the girls’ ideas in 3D and enabled the group to experience their own design in Virtual Reality (VR). In this way, they could take part in an iterative, rapid and exploratory workflow to adjust and refine the proposals and narratives they developed. The project resulted in one of the proposals – Tjejtrappan – being realised at one of the chosen locations.
Excluded group gained influence
The project gave an excluded group the chance to influence parts of the city they had hardly dared to visit. To create more inclusive and equitable spaces, we must challenge established patterns of thought already at the planning stage. With the help of VR, we established a quicker dialogue and a co-creative process within the project. Understanding of the proposals increased when participants were able to experience them both as designers and as users. Through our VR method, we also clarified communication within the project. Both within the design team and for the users of the stair. This built engagement and saved time throughout the process. The Tjejtrappan project is part of JämtJämlikt – a certification for equitable public environments.
