Gender and Urban Development

Gender mainstreaming in urban planning:
A GDRC Series on Promoting Inclusive and Safe Cities for Women.


The six-part series on "Gender and Urban Development" explores the intersection of urban planning and gender equality, focusing on how cities can be designed and developed to address the unique needs and challenges faced by women. As urban populations continue to grow, it is increasingly important to ensure that cities are not only safe and accessible but also equitable and inclusive for all residents.

This series examines key areas of urban life, such as mobility, housing, safety, economic opportunities, and healthcare, through the lens of gender-sensitive urban planning, with a focus on empowering women and marginalized communities.

Each of the six documents in this series delves into a specific aspect of urban development, offering insights, strategies, and policy options to help urban stakeholders create cities that promote gender equality. Topics range from designing safe public spaces and improving transportation systems to addressing gender-based violence, enhancing womenfs economic opportunities, and ensuring access to essential services.

The series highlights the importance of incorporating women's perspectives and needs into the planning and development processes, with an emphasis on participatory approaches that empower women to shape their environments.

  1. Designing Safe Urban Spaces:
    Enhancing Women's Safety through Inclusive Urban Planning

GDRC Policy Trends D-016.
Safe urban spaces: Investigating how urban planning can contribute to the creation of safe public spaces for women, addressing issues such as lighting, design, accessibility, and the presence of social support systems.

  1. Enhancing Women's Mobility and Safety:
    Addressing Challenges in Urban Transportation Systems

GDRC Policy Trends D-017.
Mobility and transportation: Analyzing how urban transportation systems can be designed to enhance women's mobility and safety, considering factors such as access to public transport, last-mile connectivity, and addressing harassment and security concerns.

  1. Gender-Responsive Urban Housing and Infrastructure:
    Addressing the Needs and Vulnerabilities of Women

GDRC Policy Trends D-018
Housing and infrastructure: Exploring how urban housing policies and infrastructure development can address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women, including affordable housing options, access to sanitation facilities, and childcare facilities.

  1. Empowering Women through Urban Planning: Creating Inclusive Economic Opportunities

GDRC Policy Trends D-019
Economic opportunities: Examining how urban planning can support women's economic empowerment by promoting inclusive economic development, access to job opportunities, and entrepreneurship support.

  1. Inclusive Urban Planning: Empowering Women and Marginalized Communities through Participatory Processes

GDRC Policy Trends D-020
Participatory processes: Investigating the importance of involving women and marginalized communities in urban planning decision-making processes, ensuring their perspectives and needs are taken into account.

  1. Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in Urban Spaces: Strategies for Safer, More Inclusive Cities

GDRC Policy Trends D-021
Urban violence and harassment: Analyzing strategies and interventions to address gender-based violence and harassment in urban areas, including the role of urban planning in creating safer environments.

  1. Gender-Sensitive Urban Planning: Enhancing Women's Health and Well-Being through Accessible Healthcare, Safe Spaces, and Social Services

GDRC Policy Trends D-022
Health and well-being: Exploring how urban planning can contribute to women's health and well-being by providing adequate healthcare facilities, recreational spaces, and access to social services.

As cities continue to evolve, it is critical to integrate gender-responsive strategies into urban planning to foster safer, more inclusive communities. This series aims to contribute to the ongoing conversation about sustainable, gender-equal urban development, offering practical solutions that can be applied in cities around the world. By focusing on the health, safety, mobility, and economic empowerment of women, this series underscores the pivotal role that urban planning plays in shaping more equitable futures for all citizens.

Creative Commons License
This work by GDRC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. You are free to share and adapt this piece of work for your own purposes, as long as it is appropriately cited. More info: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

For recommended Citation Text, please see samples at the the bottom of each individual document in the series.

Hari Srinivas - hsrinivas@gdrc.org
Gender and Development