In spring 2025, girls aged 10-18 shared their thoughts and experiences of Rowntree Park in York, and other public parks more broadly. Their voices highlight what makes these spaces feel welcoming - and what could be improved. Part of a local project to raise awareness and improve things.

Girls’ voices are too often missing from decisions about where they live & play. At Lancaster West Estate, we worked with Social Place and young women to share views for a more inclusive space. Their ideas show why girls must be heard. Read more: www.makespaceforgirls.co.uk/blog/lancast...

We're excited to launch a major #SaferParks: #StandUpAgainstStreetHarassment campaign in partnership with @suzylamplughtrust.bsky.social @keepbritaintidy.bsky.social #GreenFlagAward to build a community of active bystanders and make our parks safer, more inclusive spaces for all

In spring 2025, girls aged 10-18 shared their thoughts and experiences of Rowntree Park in York, and other public parks more broadly. Their voices highlight what makes these spaces feel welcoming - and what could be improved. Part of a local project to raise awareness and improve things.

Fantastic to see Erect Architecture & Waltham Forest council putting girls at the heart of park design in Memorial Park, Waltham Forest with a co-design process inspired by our work at Make Space for Girls! erectarchitecture.co.uk/what-do-teen...

Great to see the conversation in the US around how gender-blind design leaves girls out of parks. Also great to see Brickfield Park in Bath mentioned – co-created with teenage girls, alongside inspiring examples from Vienna. Awareness is growing! nextcity.org/urbanist-new...

The positive impact of involving young people in designing their own play spaces. Bradford's JU:MP programme, significantly increased children's physical activity. Part of the project included co designing a park area with teenage girls in Fagley in 2023. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

A brand new space built around what girls’, young women & gender diverse young people want - more social seating, better lighting and natural surroundings. Great to work alongside @chelmsfordcityfc.bsky.social Social Place & Boswell School on this project. citylife.chelmsford.gov.uk/posts/studen...

And why work by organisations such as @makespaceforgirls.bsky.social is so important.

A pioneering initiative in Stockholm involved teenage girls in redesigning parks led to a park that focused on spontaneous dance, play and free sports. A response to the fact that the site had been dominated by a football pitch used mainly by boys and men for organised sports.

If your company/organisation is interested in CPD sessions with Make Space for Girls, get in touch. In person or online- drop us a line for more info: [email protected]

Super evening. Using evidence on @makespaceforgirls.bsky.social brilliant website I pitched an alternative to the planned £200k spend on a fenced in football pitch (somehow referred to as a multi use games area).

Teenage girls are overlooked in planning. There isn’t enough data on how they use, or don’t use, existing parks. Our ParkWatch Report in 2023 set out to start to change this, but more data is still needed.

Councils and developers must consult with Sport England for new developments - ensuring space is allocated for sports. But there is no equivalent statutory body for ‘play’. The result - a quick tick-box approach to teenage provision which can exclude girls.

Teenage Play matters The facilities provided in parks ‘for teenagers’ are often linked to sport and ‘play’ is ignored. 90% of current users of these facilities are boys & men. Teenage ‘play’ is different to that of younger children but equally important. Play could mean more girls in parks.

Designing inclusive cities for women and girls was the topic of panel discussions in Copenhagen. We joined a panel that included architects to discuss issues and solutions at this event by RIBA Europe.

Great times running a workshop with 30 teenage girls in Copenhagen on Friday, where we explored their thoughts on parks and urban play spaces. In the evening we shared the views and ideas of the girls with a range of architects, developers and designers. An event organised by RIBA Europe.

To mark International Women’s Day we were thrilled to run a workshop at a school in Copenhagen and join a panel in the evening to discuss gender inclusive parks & cities Organised by RIBA Europe with the British Embassy and including architects from Kobe, Henning Larsen, Ramboll, Echo.

We were honoured yesterday to be one of ten charities invited by The Speaker of the House of Commons to attend a special event to mark Women’s History Month. Great to meet so many dynamic and like-minded women. #womenshistorymonth #internationalwomensday

An amazing group from Chelmer Valley High School who gave a presentation of their ideas for a park in the Chelmsford Council Chamber last week. This is part of Chelmsford council’s project with us and SocialPlace to create more inclusive parks for teenage girls.

Can Multi Use Games Areas be more inclusive? Our ParkWatch research highlighted that 92% of MUGA users in parks are male. Multi Use Games Areas are often seen as a good sports facilities for teenagers, but currently the use is far from equal. Got any examples that challenge the norm? Please share!

We are looking forward to being involved in this event on creating gender inclusive public spaces in Copenhagen. Organised by RIBA Europe, and supported by the British Embassy. Eventbrite: lnkd.in/dJ8kBiSU

Cracking piece on women running in parks and other spaces by Hannah Skelley. It starts when women were girls. It happens now. @makespaceforgirls.bsky.social

Hackney Council have been installing some social swings in their refurbished play area on Hackney Downs. Swings, such as these, are one of things that teenage girls tell us they want in parks to make them feel more welcome.

🍍Our @annabarker.bsky.social has been shortlisted for the Pineapple Awards!! Read more about the awards and her project below👇 tinyurl.com/yfky2vze @westyorkshireca.bsky.social @mayorofwy.bsky.social @makespaceforgirls.bsky.social @keepbritaintidy.bsky.social @greenflagaward.bsky.social #LawSky

We are a finalist! ‘Safer Parks - Improving Access For Women and Girls' has been shortlisted for The Developer and Festival of Place Pineapple Awards! A collaborative project led by Dr Anna Barker with us at Make Space for Girls, Mayor of West Yorkshire, Green Flag Awards, Keep Britain Tidy.

Multi Use Games Areas (MUGAs) are often seen as a great way to help teenagers get ‘active’ - but 92% of users are male. Understanding why teenage girls don’t currently use MUGAs it’s important. Can MUGAs be made more inclusive? 🧵 🪡

We won! Our collaborative project with Social Place and Chelmsford City Council looked a gender inclusive parks and empowering young people. Thornton Educational Trust ‘Inspiring Future Generations’ awards 2025.

Let's play and connect! Here is a starter pack for knowledge exchange between everyone interested in children's #outdoorplay in #publicspaces. Including @alisonstenning.bsky.social, @aplayfulcity.bsky.social, @makespaceforgirls.bsky.social, etc Let me know if I'm missing anyone. go.bsky.app/QY6MWe8

We are thrilled that our partnership project with Social Space and Chelmsford City Council on inclusive parks has been listed as a finalist for the Thornton Educational Trust’s Inspire Future Generations Awards 2024.

MPs have been discussing the provision of playgrounds. Lots of valuable points raised, including MP Deirdre Costigan, Ealing Southall, suggesting Make Space for Girls guidance is used by developers/LAs.

Teenage girls are leading the way in Cardiff by actively co-designing spaces that meets their needs and wants. The HerParks project is run by Cardiff University, supported by Cardiff Council. We provided a little support at the start of this journey and look forward to seeing how things evolve.

We have been working with Chelmsford City on a project focused on making Central Park more welcoming to girls, young women, and gender diverse young people. The project has included a range of engagement. We can’t know what young people value and want unless we involve them.

After talking to us, Wigan Council have revised proposals for their planned enhancement of Leigh Civic Square. Designs consider safety and creating a welcoming space for women and girls- including clear sight-lines, lighting, zones for activities/play, and a variety of social seating.

Great to see engagement work leading to designs in Hexthorpe Park, Doncaster, to help create a more welcoming space for teenagers. The project by Get Doncaster Moving was in the Green Flag Awards 2024 for the category 'Best Initiative to Engage and Increase use of Parks by Women and Girls'.

A new report on childhood vulnerability, crime and justice includes 12 innovative approaches trialled in the real world including the ‘Safer Parks: Improving Access for Women and Girls’ guidance that we were involved with. @annabarker.bsky.social ⬇️ vulnerabilitypolicing.org.uk/news/new-rep...

We often highlight how swings mean a lot to teenage girls, and are a hit with most people of all ages and backgrounds. But they are mainly only located in playground areas assigned to smaller children. It’d be great to have more swings that encourage people to get outside, socialise and have fun.

Such important project that is making a difference - and deserves celebration! It was great to be involved in this project and can’t wait to see further impact and change. Amazing work @annabarker.bsky.social

French council raising awareness that girls are ‘marginalised’ in school playgrounds and wanting to create more inclusive playgrounds… www.thetimes.com/world/europe...

Hello to all our new followers on here! Just reintroducing ourselves. More info at www.makespaceforgirls.co.uk

As well as specific equipment and facilities, when we talk to teenage girls, lighting is a key feature of what they say would make parks feel more welcoming. However, the type of lighting matters - types and tones can have a different impact. More info on our website.

Fantastic to be in a room yesterday with all these amazing people working on gender equity, better urban design and proper engagement with women and girls. Sharing experience and best practice and finding out what's happening across the sector.

Brilliant to be at the #safespaces24 conference in Cardiff today with so many wonderful speakers covering the many ways in which we can do better for girls and women. Also, biggest presentation screen ever...

On the blog today, find out more about the brilliant Girls Make the City project in Cape Town, empowering teenage girls to create urban spaces which work for them. makespaceforgirls.co.uk/blog/girls-m...

Stolen from Architektoniczk on LinkedIn but just 👀 at these graphs. The movement patterns of boys and girls in a Spanish school playground. Boys take up the centre, girls are literally marginalised. And what they learn in school they take into public space. What a surprise.

A reminder that swings are great, and even more so when they are using the spare space on top of a multi-storey carpark. Konditaget Lüders in Copenhagen, by @JAJA_Architects. More of this kind of thing.

Creating places which work for girls isn't just about facilities, activation is a really important tool as well. Which is why we're so pleased that Zee is telling this story about how the MUGA at @StMatthewsBL ended up changing her life. www.makespaceforgirls.co.uk/blog/activat...

So we were tagged into this recently. It's a different approach to a MUGA, by a French company, Playgones. It definitely feels safer - no big fence, no narrow entrances and lots of difference spaces. What do you reckon?

Our newsletter is out today, and this time we are mostly celebrating what other people are doing up and down the country. Also featuring a game - as played at the Midlands Park Forum - of what is wrong with this picture? Do feel free to join in below. sh1.sendinblue.com/ade3g8goslpf...

Exciting awards news - we're a finalist in the Thornton Trust Inspire Future Generations award for best emerging non-profit. Hurrah for us and well done to all the other finalists across the categories - there's some inspiring stuff being done. thorntoneducationtrust.org/ifg-awards-2...