Sex & the City: Milan Gender Atlas and the Fight for Inclusive Urbanism

Florencia Andreola and Azzurra Muzzonigro, founders of the association Sex & the City, are pioneering gender-sensitive urban planning in Italy. Their volume Milan Gender Atlas / Milano Atlante di genere, published by LetteraVentidue in December 2021, was recognized in December 2024 by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) as a Best Practice for Gender Mainstreaming. The project originated from a winning bid for the Urban Factor call by the Urban Center of the Municipality of Milan. The atlas maps services such as safe breastfeeding spaces, public toilets, metro elevators, playgrounds, and open squares, based on participatory practices and data. The duo emphasizes building alliances and dialogue, not pitting men against women, citing that 36% of women fear going out at night. They are now preparing to participate in the XXIV Triennale Milano International Exhibition, Inequalities, reviving Mónica Mayer's 1978 installation El Tendedero in a Milanese version. Their work also includes the volume Libere, non coraggiose, addressing women's perception of insecurity in public space, funded by the Municipality of Milan. The association conducts exploratory walks and participatory processes to give women a voice in urban transformation.