A multidisciplinary approach to design active, safe and inclusive parks in the Andean region of Ecuador

Providing safe, accessible and appealing parks can overcome gender differences in physical activity. In this project, we will collaborate actively with the Cuenca city council departments in charge of Social and Gender Equity programs and of developing the Public Spaces Master Plan. Several actors, including female adolescents living in the periurban areas of the city and those from lower socioeconomic strata, will be actively involved. By the end of the project, culturally relevant data will be generated on how parks are currently used and should be designed to stimulate usage of adolescents across different socioeconomic strata, ethnicities and genders. The methodologies and results will be used to update bachelor's and postgraduate programmes' curricula to ensure research is adapted to society's needs. Finally, the project will develop science communication strategies using participatory action research to enhance effective science communication. These milestones will enable achieving the desired impact: "Parks in Cuenca-Ecuador, are safe, appealing, accessible and promote health and wellbeing among all adolescents, regardless of gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status".