Proceedings of The 5th Global Conference on Women’s Studies
Year: 2023
DOI:
[PDF]
The Feminist City Is Solarpunk Redefining the Concept Of ‘Safe Space’ Through Feminism and Solarpunk Theory
Bianca Bellucci and Leda Bartolucci
ABSTRACT:
The concept of safe space has been explored extensively in feminist and queer literature as a crucial aspect of creating inclusive and welcoming environments for marginalized individuals. However, safe spaces have rarely been understood as actual places in the city where ‘safeness’ is effectually endorsed, thus more often relegating the concept of safe space to a mere theoretical metaphor. Through the lens of feminist and queer sociology, this paper will firstly highlight the ways in which urban design can be shaped by social, political, and economic factors that historically excluded marginalized groups. Then, we will explore the intersection of feminist and queer theories with “solarpunk theory” as means of creating actually safe spaces in urban environments. Solarpunk is a relatively new theoretical framework that envisions a positive, sustainable, and equitable future through the use of renewable energy sources, community organization, and re-indigenization of practices in everyday life. Having a distinct feminist, queer and decolonial lens, solarpunk principles can be used to overcome the marginalization implemented by traditional urban planning which is set to intrinsically perpetuate the white heteropatriarchal organization of public space. Through a fieldwork carried out in Turin, Italy, the paper puts forward examples of informed urban planning which prioritize the needs and experiences of marginalized communities. In these examples, collaborative and participatory approaches to urban planning are given core importance according to the solarpunk framework, with the environment engaged as an active agent instead of a setting, combined with a holistic understanding of the intersectional factors that make a space safe for everyone.
keywords: urban planning, Turin, queer theory, decolonial city, intersectionality