Hack the City
Qué es
A hands-on method for reading public space through a gender and inclusion lens. A group walks a chosen area, then maps what they saw — coding places by how safe, accessible and representative they feel.
The result is a qualitative map and diagnosis that makes invisible bias visible, and gives a community the evidence to ask for more inclusive, representative public spaces.
Cuándo usarla
- The built environment — streets, lighting, monuments, campus — shapes who feels safe and seen.
- You want first-hand, embodied evidence, not just a survey.
- You want a shareable map the community can rally around.
Cómo implementarla
Walk the space, map what you see, then read the pattern together.
- Prepare
Frame the walk
Choose the area and the lens (safety, accessibility, representation). Brief participants and form small, mixed teams.
Qué produces- A route and a shared observation lens
- Walk
Explore on foot
Walk the area and record perceptions — photos, notes, feelings — of safety, access and who is represented.
Qué produces- First-hand observations from the ground
- Map
Map it together
Bring observations onto a shared map, colour-coding places by how they feel.
Qué produces- A qualitative map of the area
- Reflect
Read the diagnosis
Discuss the patterns: where is bias built into the space, and what would make it more inclusive?
Qué produces- A shared diagnosis & findings to act on
A vivid way to explore place and safety. Its map and findings feed dialogue, prototyping and advocacy.
- World Café — to discuss what the map reveals
- Social Innovation Hackathon — to prototype responses to what you found
- Action & Sustainability Plans — to turn findings into action
Hack the City Canvas
Use this canvas to plan a walk-and-map of public space through a gender and inclusion lens. Print it at A3, or fill it in together.
Area & lens
Which place will you walk, and through which lens — safety, accessibility, representation?
Route
The path you will take and the key stops.
Teams & roles
Small mixed teams; who photographs, notes and keeps time.
What feels safe
Where do people feel safe or unsafe — and why?
What’s accessible
Where is the space easy or hard to move through and use?
Who is represented
Whose names, images and needs are visible in the space — and whose are missing?
On the map
How you will code and cluster observations on a shared map.
The diagnosis
What pattern of bias does the space reveal?
Ask & act
What would make it more inclusive — and who can you ask?
Cómo facilitar una sesión
A guide to running a Hack the City walk-and-map session that ends with a shared spatial diagnosis.
1 Prepara
- Invite 5–15 people and choose a safe, walkable area and a clear lens.
- Allow 2–3 hours including the walk. Bring phones/cameras, notebooks, a large printed map and coloured stickers.
- Check the route in advance, and consider accessibility for all participants.
- Agree a facilitator, and a photographer and note-taker per team.
2 Dirige la sesión
- 15 minBrief — the lens, the route, safety, and how to record observations.
- 45 minWalk — small teams explore, photographing and noting how places feel.
- 20 minMap — teams place their observations on the shared map and colour-code them.
- 25 minRead it — discuss the patterns: where is inclusion designed in, or out?
- 15 minFindings & asks — agree the key findings and who could act on them.
3 Después
- Turn the coded map into a short visual diagnosis with photos and findings.
- Share it with participants, the community and relevant authorities.
- Feed the findings into a prototyping session or an action plan.
- Invite feedback and note routes for a future walk.
4 En formato virtual
- Participants can walk their own local area and upload photos to a shared map.
- Use a collaborative map or whiteboard to place and cluster observations together.
- Meet by video to read the patterns and agree findings.
- Prefer privacy-respecting tools, and be mindful of photographing people.
Ejemplo de implementación del proyecto Labs4Change
We applied the Hack the City methodology in Volos with a group of students to analyse public spaces through a gender lens. The dynamic was structured into an exploratory walk and a collective mapping session where participants visually coded their perceptions of safety and accessibility. The data underscored the importance of integrating a gender perspective into urbanism and the need for multidisciplinary teams when designing public spaces. The spatial analysis revealed a stark lack of representation in the city's symbolic landscape: virtually no monuments or statues dedicated to women, and the only existing one strictly depicted a theme of maternal reproduction. The main outcome was a qualitative map and diagnosis concluding that the city's current urbanism perpetuates a gender bias, giving the community key findings to demand more inclusive and representative public spaces.
Impact can be read on three tiers. Immediate impact: the heightened awareness of participants and the quality and diversity of the resulting map. Community impact: how local residents appropriate the map to build support networks and safe routes. Urban impact: the tangible transformation of the city (better lighting or green spaces) carried out by local authorities. Within a conference we deliberately focus on the first tier — shared learning, collective reflection and a shift in perspective — measured through a comprehensive form.
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Tus primeras impresiones nos ayudarán a mejorar la plataforma, el Toolkit y otros resultados del proyecto, y a hacerlos más útiles y accesibles para futuras personas usuarias.
Recursos y referencias
- Reference Her City — a guide to inclusive urban planning (UN-Habitat) A toolkit for seeing public space through a gender lens.