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In collaboration with Women in Planning professional network, Professor of City Making, Silvia Gullino, and Professor in Environmental Governance and Planning, Claudia Carter, organised a participatory event on International Women's Day, walking from Parkside Building to Digbeth and back, exploring alternative visions for city making and planning.
"We aimed to walk around Digbeth and its canal towpaths to discuss what is important to us and envision alternatives that foster enjoyable living, working, and a sense of belonging and safety." - Silvia Gullino.
This walk was grounded in the participatory ‘walking interview’ research method. Spaces and buildings were used as prompts, encouraging participants to engage in spontaneous conversations more than if we were statically in one place.
"As we walked, we used a digital board on our phones to quickly record our thoughts and discussions. A final debriefing followed this in Parkside." - Silvia Gullino.
The successful event was attended by various external participants, giving their thoughts on city spaces, how they interact with them and visions for the future. It was actively supported by staff within the Department for the Built Environment, Planning and Real Estate Alumni and participants from the public, private and third sector industries across the West Midlands.