ABSTRACT
Cities are sites of contention, in which competing rights, politics, cultures, and identities are constantly negotiated. Inclusive, participatory, safe, and accessible cities are recognised as a cornerstone of sustainable urban development. Design as a cultural and social practice contributes to the production and reproduction of power relations within cities, as well as to the construction, representation, and materialisation of gendered spatial practices. Progressive urban planners, policy makers, architects, and designers have developed a range of approaches and practices to address issues of safety, access, and agency in urban environments. To make cities feel safer and more equitable for everyone, the spaces and conditions where gendered bias, sexism, harassment, and violence are perpetuated need to be exposed and understood through the amplification of diverse and under-represented voices. Gender identity, assignation, embodiment, expression, and role are complex facets of individual, cultural, and social categories.
