Can we Influence Inclusivity?

Caroline Criado-Perez’s Invisible Women provided the stimulus for our event to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day. We spent time considering Criado-Perez’s account of how the lack of sex-aggregated data is responsible for poorer outcomes in urban planning and transport planning, and we looked at what is happening in cities where gender planning is taken seriously. We explored how our own projects might produce different types of places if the distinct needs of men and women were more explicitly considered, and we shared our own experiences, both good and bad, of moving around cities and spaces from a gender perspective. Our discussions evolved with references to Danish examples and their mindful building for end users, as well as Vienna’s focused planning policies and Aspern neighbourhood. These examples spurred conversations on how thoughtful planning and investment in urban environments positively impact overall quality of life. When thinking about our role in influencing the built environment we ultimately agreed that we have a duty to consider and advocate for the most vulnerable, and if we can do this, we are more likely to get close to designs with everyone in mind.