Worun: Feeling Safer by Design. Reflections on Gender Inequalities in Female Urban Running
The Worun: Feeling Safer by Design project addresses gender-based disparities in urban running among women in Chile, presenting a design-led solution to improve safety and reduce perceived vulnerability. This mixed-method study involved 177 participants and combined in-depth interviews, autoethnogra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics and Innovation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405872625000231 |
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| author | Denise Montt-Blanchard Yafza Reyes-Muñoz Sofía González Fabiola Irrazabal Karen Dubois-Camacho |
| author_facet | Denise Montt-Blanchard Yafza Reyes-Muñoz Sofía González Fabiola Irrazabal Karen Dubois-Camacho |
| author_sort | Denise Montt-Blanchard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Worun: Feeling Safer by Design project addresses gender-based disparities in urban running among women in Chile, presenting a design-led solution to improve safety and reduce perceived vulnerability. This mixed-method study involved 177 participants and combined in-depth interviews, autoethnographic observation, narrative cartography, and journey mapping to identify the barriers female runners face and their unmet needs. Drawing on these insights, the team co-created process a mobile application—Worun—that connects female runners based on shared preferences. Worun leverages community-building and connection to address safety concerns, highlighting the potential of human-centered design to advance gender equity and empowerment. The app was evaluated through a survey that incorporated a promotional video to simulate its use. Results suggest that the proposed solution may help reduce perceived vulnerability. The study found that all female runners experienced some level of vulnerability regardless of age, running pace, or distance. Participants reported a range of urban and social barriers, including inadequate lighting and harassment. By facilitating safer running experiences through connection and community, Worun demonstrates how design can operate as a tactical intervention to improve well-being and autonomy in public spaces. This research contributes to broader conversations on feminist and socially responsive design, emphasizing the need for context-specific solutions that address complex societal issues and support women’s active engagement in urban life. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0f8e270ea5fe470893314e28801063f6 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2405-8726 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics and Innovation |
| spelling | doaj-art-0f8e270ea5fe470893314e28801063f62025-06-28T05:30:29ZengElsevierShe Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics and Innovation2405-87262025-01-01112182216Worun: Feeling Safer by Design. Reflections on Gender Inequalities in Female Urban RunningDenise Montt-Blanchard0Yafza Reyes-Muñoz1Sofía González2Fabiola Irrazabal3Karen Dubois-Camacho4School of Design, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile; School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile; Corresponding author.School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Universidad Santo Tomás, Talca, ChileSchool of Design, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, ChileUrban Studies Institute, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, ChileGastroentorology and Hepatology Department, University Medical Center Groningen, The NetherlandsThe Worun: Feeling Safer by Design project addresses gender-based disparities in urban running among women in Chile, presenting a design-led solution to improve safety and reduce perceived vulnerability. This mixed-method study involved 177 participants and combined in-depth interviews, autoethnographic observation, narrative cartography, and journey mapping to identify the barriers female runners face and their unmet needs. Drawing on these insights, the team co-created process a mobile application—Worun—that connects female runners based on shared preferences. Worun leverages community-building and connection to address safety concerns, highlighting the potential of human-centered design to advance gender equity and empowerment. The app was evaluated through a survey that incorporated a promotional video to simulate its use. Results suggest that the proposed solution may help reduce perceived vulnerability. The study found that all female runners experienced some level of vulnerability regardless of age, running pace, or distance. Participants reported a range of urban and social barriers, including inadequate lighting and harassment. By facilitating safer running experiences through connection and community, Worun demonstrates how design can operate as a tactical intervention to improve well-being and autonomy in public spaces. This research contributes to broader conversations on feminist and socially responsive design, emphasizing the need for context-specific solutions that address complex societal issues and support women’s active engagement in urban life.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405872625000231urban feminismfemale runninggender inequalitiesvulnerabilitydesign solutionsdesign perspective |
| spellingShingle | Denise Montt-Blanchard Yafza Reyes-Muñoz Sofía González Fabiola Irrazabal Karen Dubois-Camacho Worun: Feeling Safer by Design. Reflections on Gender Inequalities in Female Urban Running She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics and Innovation urban feminism female running gender inequalities vulnerability design solutions design perspective |
| title | Worun: Feeling Safer by Design. Reflections on Gender Inequalities in Female Urban Running |
| title_full | Worun: Feeling Safer by Design. Reflections on Gender Inequalities in Female Urban Running |
| title_fullStr | Worun: Feeling Safer by Design. Reflections on Gender Inequalities in Female Urban Running |
| title_full_unstemmed | Worun: Feeling Safer by Design. Reflections on Gender Inequalities in Female Urban Running |
| title_short | Worun: Feeling Safer by Design. Reflections on Gender Inequalities in Female Urban Running |
| title_sort | worun feeling safer by design reflections on gender inequalities in female urban running |
| topic | urban feminism female running gender inequalities vulnerability design solutions design perspective |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405872625000231 |
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