After centuries in charge, men have made a mess of our cities!
Gender bias is present in almost every element of urban planning and design, from mobility networks right down to the way we build houses. So what does it take to dislodge gendered microaggressions from the built environment? How can we reimagine municipal processes so that women are fairly represented? And what does infrastructure that benefits everyone actually look like? With a focus on Umeå in Sweden, we eek out the often-surprising answers.
Featuring: Nourhan Bassam and Linda Gustafsson.
Produced & narrated by Karl Dickinson.
Useful Links
To learn more about Nourhan’s research and book, head to The Gendered City website, where it’s also possible for to sign up for the FEM. DESign network and join a movement of experts promoting gender equity and inclusivity in urban spaces.
You can read more about Umeå’s LEV tunnel on the Gendered Landscape website or via Linda’s own article published by Smart City Sweden.
We particularly recommend you check out this CityChangers article – a companion piece to this episode – in which Nourhan and Linda explain the consequences that gendered design has for safety in the city – especially at night – and present examples of change.
CityChangers also offers a range of other content on the theme of feminist and inclusive cities worth viewing.
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