Feminist Neighborhood Analysis: Agios Dimitrios

Within the framework of the action "Women Visible in the City", we worked in the city of Agios Dimitrios, where we facilitated 3 participatory workshops on experiential mapping together with residents and members of the municipality. Putting on our gender lenses, we walked through neighbourhoods, observed recent changes in public space, and documented what is still needed to make the city safer and more accessible for all.

Across the walks and workshops, the sense of safety and the possibility of accessibility emerged as two of the most critical challenges shaping women’s everyday mobility. Participants highlighted how women and femininities move differently through the city, often adapting their routes, schedules, and behaviours. As a result, their needs remain largely invisible, even within their own neighbourhoods.

The exploratory walks revealed shared experiences and common concerns, creating a collective understanding of how public space is lived and felt. This process led to the mapping and re evaluation of key areas of Agios Dimitrios, allowing participants to identify precarious spaces and imagine ways to improve them so that public space becomes more welcoming to women, girls, and femininities.

Throughout the action, we adapted our participatory mapping methodology to a gender perspective, drawing on participatory research approaches where participants take on the role of researchers. The process included three experiential workshops, during which participants became familiar with concepts and tools for evaluating public space through a gender lens, followed by two exploratory walks, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

Together, participants created a collective map documenting the problems identified across the neighbourhoods of Agios Dimitrios, alongside concrete suggestions for improvement. These insights were compiled into a report that brings together observations, reflections, and proposals. The report was shared with participants and collaborators and forwarded to the Municipality of Agios Dimitrios to support further action in the areas studied.

The cycle of the pilot implementation of Women Visible in the City concluded with a final public event in March 2023 at the Agios Dimitrios Town Hall. During the event, we presented the outcomes of the project and opened a dialogue with municipal representatives, residents of Agios Dimitrios, and neighbouring municipalities on how the needs of femininities can be meaningfully integrated into more inclusive approaches to urban planning.

Our aim is to continue implementing similar actions in more neighbourhoods, municipalities, and cities across Greece. By foregrounding lived experience and working collaboratively with local communities and stakeholders, we seek to highlight the needs, desires, and barriers faced by women and other vulnerable groups, and to co design urban interventions that foster cities which are more inclusive, welcoming, and just for all.