The result is a gender gap that sidelines girls. Concerns about safety, lack of comfort, uninspiring design and absence of belonging mean teenage girls are far less likely to use public facilities. In fact, 91 percent of girls in Australia are inactive compared with 87 percent of boys; a small gap that reflects a much bigger story about how spaces welcome or exclude.

Advocacy groups such as Make Space for Girls are driving global awareness of this imbalance and calling for public spaces that reflect the needs of girls as much as boys. And the solution is clear: inviting teenage girls into the design process.

The Hangout Heart in Kitchener, Canada, is one of the best examples of this. Created by Earthscape Play, the Heart is a bold pink landmark co-designed through workshops and storyboarding with teenage girls. It isn’t a playground or a sports court. Instead, it offers what girls said they wanted most: a place for connection, conversation and play.

Every detail of the heart reflects consultation and reflection:

• Cup holders and storage nooks for bubble tea and backpacks.
• Semi-enclosed spaces that balance privacy with visibility for safety.
• High vantage points that invite perching, observing, and feeling empowered.
• Face-to-face seating that encourages conversation and connection.

This is what inclusion looks like in practice – places shaped by the people who will use them.

WHY IT MATTERS IN AUSTRALIA

When teenage girls are pushed out of public space, they lose far more than a place to hang. They lose opportunities for independence, community, and the lifelong benefits of play – all vital for building confidence and resilience.

The same patterns we see overseas exist here too. Urban Play works with leading local and global partners to bring research-led solutions into every project. Its role is to connect global innovation with local needs, helping councils and landscape architects design spaces that reflect their communities and the people who use them.

The Hangout Heart shouldn’t be an exception to the rule, it should be the standard. Imagine parks and plazas where teenage girls see themselves reflected, where play is shared rather than dominated, and where connection is designed in from the start.

Because if girls don’t belong, it’s not public space.

Urban Play believes play is for everyone. That means creating places where people of all ages and identities feel welcome, safe and seen. The UP team listens, co-designs, and pushes boundaries, because the future of public space should ignite creativity and connection across generations.

If girls don't belong, it's not public space. Let's change that together. Work with Urban Play to co-design inclusive places where communities can thrive.

Visit Urban Play via the links below