Echo Architects

Last Friday, for International Women’s Day - albeit one day early - I had the privilege of hosting a panel discussion on behalf of RIBA EUROPE, exploring how we can design more inclusive urban spaces for young women and teenage girls. The panel was not just an opportunity to discuss the problem—that urban spaces are often not designed with women and girls in mind—but also to explore tangible solutions. We spoke about how designers can be more inclusive by actively engaging with users, recognising that 'play' often happens outside the traditional setting of a park, and about designing spaces that allow for unstructured activities rather than prescriptive layouts. Following the panel, we reviewed work from the incredible workshop that myself and Abigail Gaines from Make Space for Girls led earlier in the day with 30 teenage girls. This was a powerful opportunity for their voices to be heard and seen by architects, urban designers, and city planners. As we closed the morning workshop, the girls had one pressing question: What will happen with our work? Will people actually see what we have designed and talked about? I cannot wait to share images with them and show them Yes! Designers, planners, and urban practitioners were all looking at and discussing your ideas. Even in a small way, your voices were heard. A huge thank you to Waldemar Koehler, Fatima Grand RIBA ARB SAR/MSA and the RIBA EUROPE team for their support in bringing this event to life; to René Kural for his invaluable support in managing the event on the day; and to Andrea Pražienková for capturing the event. Special thanks to the British Embassy Copenhagen for sponsoring the evening. And of course, a big thank you to our panelists: Abigail Gaines from Make Space for Girls, Yalda Pilehchian from Ramboll, and Mads Birgens from Cobe! Workshops like this reinforce the importance of listening to young people in urban design. By actively incorporating their voices, we can create parks and public spaces that feel welcoming and safe for everyone. Let’s keep the conversation going! Images taken by Andrea Pražienková

Teenage Girls in Urban Play Spaces: A Copenhagen Workshop This morning, on behalf of RIBA EUROPE and Echo Architects I had the privilege of undertaking an incredible workshop with the amazing Abigail Gaines from Make Space for Girls this session brought together 30 teenage girls to share their experiences and ideas about parks and urban play spaces. The discussions were open, honest, and full of energy—these girls were eager to voice their needs and aspirations for public spaces that truly work for them. Key takeaways from the session: Safety: Parks generally felt safe during the day but not at night. Lighting: A preference for soft, natural lighting—not overly bright artificial lights. Socialising: A place to sit, hang, socialise with friends Nature: A desire for greenery, soft colors, and natural materials (definitely not metal!). Swings, swings, swings: A clear favorite among all play elements! Toilets: More public toilets are needed, but they must be clean and gendered. Workshops like this highlight the importance of listening to young people in urban design. By actively incorporating their voices, we can create parks and public spaces that feel welcoming and safe for everyone. A huge thank you to Make Space for Girls for their brilliant advocacy and to the British Embassy Copenhagen and RIBA EUROPE for sponsoring this initiative. Let’s keep the conversation going! #UrbanDesign #InclusiveCities #MakeSpaceForGirls #PublicSpaces #CommunityEngagement #EchoArchitects #RIBAEurope #BritishEmbassyCopenhagen

We are so excited to be involved in this!

Our founder Rebecca Halstead talking about founding Urban Community Lab with Even Founders Our mission: to amplify the voice of communities in city design. #urbanplanning #citiesforpeople #designforall

Our founder Rebecca Halstead talking about founding Urban Community Lab with Even Founders Our mission: to amplify the voice of communities in city design. #urbanplanning #citiesforpeople #designforall

📢 Introducing Urban Community Lab! 🌍 We’re excited to launch Urban Community Lab, a new initiative based in Copenhagen, focused on creating safer and more inclusive cities for everyone. Our goal? To listen to the experiences of citizens and turn that into actionable change. From mapping areas where safety can be improved to developing solutions for equitable urban planning, we believe cities should work for everyone, at every time of day. 💬 Join us in rethinking our urban spaces by sharing your thoughts and experiences. Whether it’s safety concerns or ideas for improvement, we want to hear from you! Click the link in bio to learn more or take part in our survey. Together, let’s build cities that feel like home. 🏡💡 #UrbanCommunityLab #InclusiveDesign #SaferCities #UrbanPlanning #Copenhagen #UrbanDesign #WomenInCities #PublicSpaces