Photo: Artur Kraft on Unsplash

Glasgow backs feminist urban planning approach

07 November 2022

by Sarah Wray

Glasgow City Council recently voted in favour of a motion to adopt a ‘feminist town planning’ strategy, becoming the first in the UK to do so.

Glasgow Green councillor Holly Bruce put forward the motion which said that a gender-neutral approach to city development does not work and that it is “fundamental that women are central to all aspects of planning, public realm design, policy development and budgets.”

Bruce said that public places that are better attuned to women’s security and practical needs would open up opportunities for women – and could lead to an increased participation in political meetings, and ultimately women’s elected representation.

“It would present job opportunities, and enhance the autonomy of disabled women, women of colour, unpaid carers and lone parents,” the motion said.

According to Bruce, key features of a gender-equal city include walkability, proximity to services, safe public spaces and open green spaces.

Work will now begin to look at how council policy needs to be adapted to support this approach, including gathering gender-disaggregated data in consultations and applying a gender budgeting lens to spending decisions.

Bruce said the council can learn from international initiatives, such as the gender lens used in Vienna’s planning frameworks and Barcelona’s policy on urban planning with a gender perspective.

Research

A report published last year by Young Women Lead, a programme set up by YWCA Scotland to increase younger female political participation, called for Glasgow to adopt feminist town planning. It made recommendations including establishing a women’s night bus, deploying more park rangers and improving lighting.

The report was written by a group of 23 women aged between 16 and 30 from across Glasgow, including Bruce. The research found that 67 percent of women and non-binary people often feel unsafe or uncomfortable on Glasgow’s buses due to issues such as unsolicited approaches from men, fighting or drunken behaviour, or encroachment on their personal space.

Only 20 percent of respondents said they would use the bus at night compared to 60-70 percent at other times of the day. Seventy percent said they didn’t always feel safe at bus stops and most said parks are a ‘no-go’ area after dark.

Jenni Snell, CEO of YWCA Scotland, told Cities Today: “We are delighted that Councillor Holly Bruce brought this vital motion on feminist town planning to Glasgow City Council, building on an impactful legacy from her experience on our Young Women Lead programme in 2021.”

She added that: “Glasgow will now lead the way for other local authorities in making Scotland a safer place for women and non-binary people.”

There is a growing push around the world to incorporate a gender lens into city planning.

A recent report from Arup, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Liverpool found that better consultation, co-creation, representation and data are among the key things required to make the world’s cities better for women.

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