Speaker
Description
Planning liveable cities involves acknowledging that experiences in the public space are shaped by oppressions and privileges, such as those associated with gender and sexuality. By adopting a feminist and queer perspective, we investigate how sexual diversity affects mobility and, consequently, the access to the city and the well-being of LGBTIQ+ people. Central to this work is the participatory process involving 22 non-binary people and lesbian and bisexual women living in Barcelona.
Through in-depth interviews with people from the LGBTIQ+ community, we asked participants how they feel when walking through the city and what should change for them to feel better. In addition, interviewees drew a ReliefMap, a tool that captures their emotions in different routes and how these feelings intertwine with their unique combination of identities (gender, sexuality, racialisation and age).
Results reveal the emotional journeys of navigating the city as queer, shaped by intersecting oppressions -misogyny, lesbophobia, transphobia or racism- that influence their sense of safety and belonging. Despite experiences of disorientation and fear, participants also identified moments of joy and liberation, particularly when ‘straight’ paths were disregarded. Their insights suggest concrete pathways to ‘queer’ cities in order to build places of greater comfort, visibility and care.
This study, focused on queer wayfinding and place-making, emphasizes the importance of participatory decision-making processes in urban planning. We contribute to the field by understanding of how LGBTIQ+ people navigate cities, often by uncovering new paths and senses of belonging, and propose directions to make their lives more liveable.
| Keywords | Active mobility; LGTBIQ+; intersectionality; urban planning |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
