Cities for all: Gender-inclusive urban planning and design

Cities have long been designed predominantly by men, often neglecting the specific needs of women* and non-binary people. These planning decisions have a profound impact on everyday life—shaping how urban spaces are navigated, the availability of walkable areas, sports infrastructure, public toilets, access to green spaces and playgrounds, and even the naming of streets.

Our workshop explored how gender perspectives can be effectively incorporated into urban planning and design—from policy formulation to practical application. The workshop attracted over 65 in-person attendees, with additional participants joining online. According to a slido poll, half of the attendees were local and regional government officials, while others included EU-level policymakers and politicians, demonstrating the broad interest in making cities more inclusive.

Julia Girardi-Hoog, director of the Vienna Housing Department opened the discussion, introducing the audience to the gendered nature of public spaces, examined how climate change differently affects gender in urban environments and presented innovative key projects implemented in Vienna. Elina Rantanen, Deputy Mayor of Turku, Finland, continued by emphasising how gender-balanced representation in politics influences the consideration of gender-sensitive planning. She highlighted strategies for engaging political stakeholders, securing funding through participatory budgeting, and involving citizens in the planning and implementation phases of urban planning projects, drawing upon concrete examples in Turku. The session was moderated by Angelika Poth-Moegele, Secretary General of the Greens in the Committee of the Regions.

The session was designed to be interactive with various slido polls, encouraging participants to reflect on the key challenges to practicing gender-sensitive urban planning. The main challenges identified were gender-blindness in planning processes, lack of women's representation in political decision-making, and insufficient funding for inclusive projects. This led to a lively Q&A session where participants engaged deeply with the speakers and each other. We also provided time for attendees to reflect on the insights gained during the session. Participants mentioned that they gained an interdisciplinary understanding of the topic well as link between gender equality and green transition. By the end of the workshop, 91% of participants expressed that they saw potential for implementing gender-inclusive changes in their regions and municipalities.