Using MethodKit (as a part of Her City Toolbox)

MethodKit is used as a methodology in the Her City Toolbox, a toolkit developed by UN-Habitat and the Shared City Foundation. The toolbox supports inclusive urban planning with a focus on girls and young women. MethodKit helps structure participatory workshops and decision-making processes, making it easier to visualize ideas, prioritize actions, and involve diverse voices in shaping cities.

Read more about MethodKit’s work here: Architecture and cities.

/Ola Möller and Jordan Lane,
co-authors of MethodKit for Places

Setting up & preparation

A. Physical workshop

Prepare workspace

You will need a long rectangular table and 2-3 smaller tables depending on the number of participants. Each table should have 6-10 participants.

To set up the long rectangular table

• Cover the table with roll-out paper.
• Divide into four lateral sections with coloured sticky tape.
• Spread out MethodKit for Places cards along the middle line.
• Distribute pens in four different colours.

To set up the smaller tables

• Provide all small tables with pens and printed material
• Print one Place Exclusion Canvas on each table
• Print one Generating Ideas board on each table
• Print worksheets for idea description for each table

B. Digital workshop

Set up a Miro or Mural boards

Import the materials and set up frames for each activity. For activity 1 and 3, set up one frame for professionals and one for participants to work on separatly.

C. Get the material

MethodKit for Places (physical workshop)

Worksheets (physical workshop)

Digital templates (digital workshop)

Activity 1. Define current situation

On-site workshop: Long table with current situation
(MethodKit for Places)

Digital workshop: Current situation (exploring )

Step 1. Introduce workshop

Welcome participants and tick off the registration list as they join the workshop. Introduce the workshop agenda. Divide the participants into two groups, professionals in one and participants in the other. Before starting with step 2, let all participants take a 2-3 minute walk around the table and get familiar with the cards.

Step 2. Reflect on the place today

To start defining the place today, participants move from one MethodKit-card to another alone. Commenting on each before moving on to the next. Each card highlighting a different way to look at the place. Participants note their reflections on the table. They either share something new, expand on an idea, or comment on someone else’s opinion. Put a time limit for the step, approximately. 20 minutes, and tell people to move along if they get stuck. MethodKit – The place today

Step 3. Defining the place today

Turn to the person beside you and move around the table again. Reflect on the cards together and write it down.

Activity 2. Understand challenges

Digital workshop: Place exclusion canvas

Step 1. Group reflection

Participants are divided into smaller groups – participants and professionals work separately – on smaller square tables (6-10 people at each table).

Step 2. Exclusion analysis

Participants brainstorm together to understand if the place is inclusive or how the place is inaccessible. By evaluating the space from the perspectives of gender, age, religion, class and economic situation, ethnicity, physical function, skin colour, gender identity and sexual orientation, the participants better understand how discrimination takes place. MethodKit – Exclusion canvas

Step 3. Summarise discussions

Let all groups share their reflections shortly to get an overview of the place today.

Activity 3. Define joint vision

On-site workshop: Long table with joint vision.
(MethodKit for Places)

Digital workshop: Miro board with joint vision

Step 1. Imagining the place tomorrow

Participants move a third round from card to card on the big table, with professionals on one side and participants on the other. Based on the earlier reflections they brainstorm around their ideas for the place in the future. What should the place look like tomorrow? Use different colour pens from previous activity to differentiate when commenting on each card.

Step 2. Summarise joint vision

Summarise the reflections on the table by reading some out loud and let the participants comment on them. A short reflection all together will clarify that joint vision. Make sure to document the summary.

Step 3. Document tables

Save the result from activity 1-3 as a pdf (if online) or a series of photos (if on-site). AI Transcription of handwriting can easily be used to collect a dataset with the result from both the table/boards and the worksheets.

Activity 4. Generate ideas

Digital workshop: Ideation grid

Step 1. Generate ideas

The participants go back to the smaller groups for a last group session. Based on the earlier reflections, participants start brainstorming ideas. To get the ideas flowing, explore the topics on the board. MethodKit – Generating ideas

Step 2. Next level

Ideas are noted on the board. They should vary between crazy to realistic and should not be too detailed. Take the idea to the next level by flipping, combining and improving it.

Digital workshop: Idea description

Step 3. Idea description

Each group summarises the best idea on the description sheet. Name and describe your solutions and the intended target group. Make a sketch like drawing to remember any specific features that are important in the coming design process. MethodKit – Idea description.

Step 4. Present ideas

Present the ideas to the group at large before ending the workshop.

Download

Get the files to be able to run your MethodKit session as a part of Her City toolbox.

Download

Questions

Any questions about MethodKit or need help to run a MethodKit workshop in your city, send us an e-mail.
Ola Möller ([email protected]) and Jordan Lane [email protected]