Free To Be is a digital civic engagement platform designed to capture and visualise young women’s perceptions of safety in urban environments.
The initiative originated from insights gathered through Plan International Australia’s youth ambassador network, which highlighted persistent safety concerns in Melbourne’s CBD. In response, I led the co-design and development of a scalable digital solution to transform these lived experiences into actionable, location-based data.
As Project Lead, I facilitated cross-functional design workshops and directed the end-to-end delivery of the platform, enabling users to map and share places where they felt unsafe, uncomfortable, or safe. The platform was designed to support both community voice and evidence-based advocacy.
Launched as a pilot in Melbourne in 2016, the platform gained rapid traction and demonstrated strong engagement within a short timeframe.
Impact
- 1,300+ mapped data points generated within six weeks
- 15,000+ unique users during the pilot phase
- National media coverage across major outlets including ABC, Channel 9, and Mashable
- Scaled internationally to Sydney, Delhi, Kampala, Lima, and Madrid
- Enabled young women to contribute to urban safety conversations and inform policy and planning discussions
Media
