Eskilstuna co-creation workshop

The Her City Fröslunda workshop on 28 August 2025 gathered about 30 participants, mostly girls aged 17–18 from Jensen Gymnasium, to co-create safer, more inclusive public space in Fröslunda. Eskilstuna Municipality and the Shared City Foundation led the day with partners including Imottesjo and Dalarna University, within the SET-PED project. After short inputs (UN-Habitat on the 2030 Agenda; Imottesjo on urban space; Dalarna on solar), teams mapped the site using Urban Girls Walk and Kobo Collect, then synthesized needs with MethodKit. Ideas and evidence are being forwarded to the project architect to develop a solar-integrated design for later validation.

Findings showed a strong gap between amenities and lived experience. Although close to school, library, health center, shops and transit, the area lacks places to stay and socialize, especially for girls and older residents. Lighting is uneven: paths are lit but the large field is very dark; bushes create blind spots; wayfinding is weak; there’s little seating, no toilets, and poor accessibility for strollers and wheelchairs. Girls are underrepresented and report feeling unsafe in the evenings, with drug dealing cited as a deterrent.

Co-design translated these insights into clear priorities: better (including decorative) lighting, more seating with roofs, flowers and color for identity, toilets, a proper walkway across the field, and small-scale commerce. Flagship ideas included an Inclusion Zone playground, a solar-powered “Sun Stage,” “Her Place” (a flower-lined, well-lit promenade with benches and a drinking/ornamental fountain), an outdoor cinema, and a fenced artificial-grass pitch that can convert to an ice rink. These emphasize solar energy, visibility, and year-round use. Next, the architect will consolidate proposals into a buildable design; the overarching conclusion is to pair targeted physical upgrades with programming that increases positive presence—so safety grows from people using the space.