The presence of women in the public space 

For several years, the Frédéric Sévène specialised prevention association in Talence (FR) has noted that girls are less and less present in public spaces in its area of action: Thouars, Raba, Crespy and Médoquine.

In 2019, in collaboration with the Passages laboratory of Ensap Bordeaux directed by Bernard Davasse and Alexandre Moisset, the architect-urban planner Anne Labroille and Bruit du frigo, it is developing a research-action project on the occupation of public spaces in Talence from a gender perspective.

It is within this framework that in January 2020, the partners conceived and led a seminar “Landscape and space of specialised prevention from a gender perspective. The case of 4 Talençais districts”, which is part of the Passages laboratory programme.

This seminar combines learning and the implementation of a participatory methodology that consists of interviewing residents on the subject of the (non)presence and (non)use of public space by women in each of the districts concerned.

This action research was awarded the 2021 Gender Equality Prize by the Ministry of Equality between Women and Men and Diversity and Equal Opportunities as part of 8 March, International Women’s Rights Day, and received funding of 5000 euros.

An inclusive layout to encourage the presence of women in the neighbourhood 

After this initial study phase, the Frédéric Sévène association wanted to give the project a stronger and more experimental dimension by taking on a trainee from the Passage laboratory so that it could continue in the Raba neighbourhood.

Thus, under the supervision and with the know-how of Bruit du frigo, a layout was designed to respond to different types of use favouring the presence of women in the neighbourhood.

The project takes the form of two large communal deckchairs facing each other to meet the demand of young women in the neighbourhood for a quiet place to meet. The comfortable seats are protected from view and sun by sunshades, while in the centre of the project is a planting pit for growing herbs.

The project was built in a participatory way by the Bruit du frigo team with the young people of the Raba neighbourhood, the educators and the trainee from the Frédéric Sévène Association.

It was inaugurated on 7 June 2022.