Product siting guide for your park

This guide is for those in charge of schools, municipalities, and any other place intended for the public.

WHY O-ASIS ?
45 % drop in park attendance among teenage girls at the end of childhood, compared to 17% among boys*

PRODUCTS DESIGNED FOR TEENAGE GIRLS
Public parks should belong to everyone. Yet, one reality remains: as they grow up, teenage girls leave these spaces. The reason: a lack of installations that fit their needs, particularly in  terms of privacy, comfort, and social interaction.

Jambette addresses this challenge in a creative and concrete way with O-Asis. More than just simple equipment, O-Asis represents a new way of thinking about public space: welcoming places that are conducive to interaction and that give teenage girls a legitimate place in our parks.

This siting guide will assist you in this process. It provides clear principles for integrating O-Asis products strategically and coherently, taking the environment and existing uses into account. The goal: to create spaces where teenage girls want to be, stay… and return to.

* Report on gender inequalities, Observatoire des inégalités, France, 2020

HOW SHOULD BE SITED?
10 SITING PRINCIPLES
1.             Prioritize public spaces located near landmarks that are important to teenage girls: youth centres, favourite stores, and high schools.
2.             Make sure the equipment is accessible via transportation modes used by teenage girls: walking, cycling, and public transit.
3.             Promote proximity to essential amenities: public restrooms, drinking fountains, and trash cans.
4.             Install equipment in a quiet area, away from children’s playgrounds and pathways.
5.             Create an environment with a cocoon-like effect to protect users’ privacy: some shade, trees, and diffuse lighting (neither too dim nor too bright).
6.             Orient seating towards visual points of interest that teenage girls appreciate, especially those associated with nature: trees, flowers, water, topography, and unobstructed sunset views.
7.             Focus on configurations that foster interaction, whether in pairs or in small groups.
8.             Keep open spaces around the equipment to facilitate access, movement, and related uses (setting bikes down, standing on the side).
9.             Prioritize public spaces where seating is already limited.
10.          Ideally, consult with youths and/or youth organizations from the municipality or neighbourhood to determine the most appropriate siting based on local needs.

3 QUESTIONS FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT LOCATION
An optimal O-Asis location meets the following criteria:
•               Can teenage girls reach it by crossing a space perceived as well-designed, lively, well-lit, maintained, accessible, and comfortable?
•               Does the space allow for prolonged use that teenage girls consider legitimate?
•               Is the proximity of equipment intended for other users (children’s playgrounds, sports facilities, site furniture, etc.) likely to compromise the privacy of teenage girls, even briefly?

4 PITFALLS TO AVOID
•               Areas that are completely isolated and devoid of lighting.
•               Direct exposure to constant adult observation.
•               Locations that offer no interesting views, such as facing fences, solid walls, etc.
•               Installing only a single O-Asis structure when the available space, the broader environment, and the overall usage allow for a richer configuration.

O-ASIS, AN INVESTMENT THAT PAYS OFF!
RETURNS THAT FAR EXCEED THE ACQUISITION COST.

1-YOU REGAIN A LOST CUSTOMER BASE
Teenage girls are abandoning parks. O-Asis brings them back and helps them enjoy for the long term.
2-YOU INCREASE ATTENDANCE
A more inclusive space attracts more people and has them stay longer.
3-YOU MAKE A STRONG AND NOTICEABLE GESTURE
You concretely demonstrate  your commitment to inclusion and equity.
4-YOU ENHANCE THE VALUE OF YOUR INSTALLATIONS
A better-thought-out park becomes more attractive, more frequented…and more appreciated.

Increase your public parks accessibility and enjoy a significant return on investment!

PROJECT ORIGINS
O-ASIS was born from the collaboration between Respire and Jambette, and is based on a research, listening, and observation process conducted with teenage girls, researchers, and designers. This process highlighted a clear need among teenage girls: the need for spaces where they can wind down, share, observe, and simply exist, in an environment that protects their privacy and where they feel welcome, accepted, and legitimate.

O-ASIS A LEVER TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF YOUR PUBLIC SPACES.