"I Have Made the Streets Mine". Women’s Perception of the Public Space of the Old Quarter of Manresa

Abstract

The article aims to demonstrate how the needs and experiences of women in the public space as a single collective are not real but depend on their identification within knowledge and social categories. Likewise, it also wants to show how the physical and social characteristics of the Old Quarter of Manresa impact the experiences of women. The study is structured around five key concepts: knowledge, use, identification, perception and  commitment. By conducting walking interviews and  creating social maps with ten women in the city from diverse social categories, the study reveals that each woman experiences public space differently. It also detects that knowledge and the relationships established in public spaces are important factors in determining their perception.