Recontextualizing Virginia Woolf’s 1929 published essay “A Room of One’s Own”, this thesis explores the use of creative-artistic methods in the planning of urban public spaces, aiming to give girls agency to actively shape spaces of their own. The work draws upon Lefebvre's concept of living spaces (1991) and emphasises the crucial role of urban public spaces as arenas of social transformation and identity formation. Given the perpetuating gendered inequalities that are embedded in the urban sphere, the thesis suggests to challenge existing paradigms by promoting girls’ perspectives and active participation through the transformative power of art.

Grounded in a feminist research approach, the applied methodology embraces the situated knowledge of experts in relevant fields and a multi-case study to facilitate knowledge sharing as well as an action research project, involving girls as experts exploring and expressing their unique perspectives and visions on urban public spaces.

The research underscores how stepping into a state of not-knowing, continuously reflecting on employing creative-artistic methods in urban planning, engaging in interdisciplinary approaches and considering social dimensions are essential to foster a collective learning process. This ultimately contributes to the empowerment of girls and helps to unlock the potential of urban public spaces for social equity and resilience.