Insights on women's movement patterns

🚶♀️ Advancing Gender Equity in Mobility🚶♂️ In 2013, I started working on the topic of #Gender and everyday #Mobility, and over the years I've gathered a ton of insights into gendered mobility. There is so much that we already know about how mobility differs according to gender, but it still seems to surprise (too) many people when they hear that gender is a crucial factor regarding mobility. So, I decided to put a huge part of my knowledge into this article published in the Journal of Urban Mobility with Benjamin Büttner as Editor-in-Chief! 🚀 This paper builds on Robin Law's groundbreaking 1999 Gendered Daily Mobility Framework, enriching it with contemporary insights and evidence as well as a critical new dimension: Policy and Governance. 📖 The article provides an in-depth look at how socio-cultural norms, economic factors, and policy decisions shape daily mobility patterns. 🚌 It provides evidence of persistent gender inequalities in travel behaviour and experiences, access to transport, resources, and decision-making. 🚦 It demonstrates the critical role of governance and gender-sensitive policies in transforming urban mobility. 💡 Women's mobility is often characterised by - Complex trip chains linked to care responsibilities. - Limited access to financial and mobility resources such as driving licences or cars. - Increased concerns about safety and security, influencing mode choice and travel times. 🛠️ The extended framework now includes - Insights into how urban planning and transport policies often reinforce male-centric patterns. - The importance of addressing care mobility - the unique mobility needs arising from care and domestic responsibilities. - Recommendations for integrating intersectional perspectives into planning to ensure equity across genders and diverse social groups. This article is a step towards rethinking how mobility is designed, measured and managed, and for mobility researchers, policy makers, transport and urban planners to prioritise inclusivity and equity in transport. 📄 Link to the full article in the comments! #GenderAndMobility #UrbanMobility #Equity #Sustainability #Research #JournalofUrbanMobility

Building Walkable Cities for all – New interventions from research and practice 🏙   In many cities worldwide, women perceive walking alone at night as unsafe, underscoring a critical issue that demands attention. A recent study revealed that 36.6% of women in Italy refrain from going out at night due to fear. Our recent blog post sheds light on vital steps for creating walkable and safe cities, drawing insights from the "Gender Dynamics of Walkability" session at the Walk 21 Conference held in Kigali. Researchers and practitioners shared insights from their work in social movements, initiatives and field studies that aim to create more inclusive, safe, and empowering walking environments.    💡 Key Insights 💡    🔍Community-Focused Research Methods Qualitative and engaging data collection methods are essential to understanding the walking experiences of urban dwellers. The Milan-based "STEP UP" project employs the app Wher, allowing 50,000 users to rate and map spatial features, city use, and danger hotspots for more inclusive decision-making, complemented by geo-located open data and surveys. Initiatives like Instituto Caminhabilidade's "Walking Together" in Brazil actively engage with local communities, empowering women to participate in the transformation of their neighborhoods.       🚶♂️ Including Men in Research Safety concerns also influence the mobility of men, so it’s important to extend research to their experience. In their investigations in Cape Town and London, the research team around Gina Porter and Bulelani Maskiti concluded that men, particularly from low-income communities, walk with considerable concern. Acknowledging their fears and coping strategies is crucial for creating comprehensive urban planning strategies.      👁️ Variety of Influential Factors for Perceptions of Safety Safety perceptions vary across countries, cities, and communities, emphasizing the need for context-specific solutions. Factors such as frequency of public transport connections, light infrastructure, personal connections, and the presence of "eyes on the street" play a significant role in shaping perceptions of safety.      👭 Women-Led Interventions Women have taken the lead in developing innovative interventions, going beyond addressing safety concerns to change the narrative around walking. Initiatives like "Women Walk at Midnight" in Cape Town focus on reclaiming public spaces and making them joyful, safe, and accessible.    Read the full blog post here: https://lnkd.in/eaxmMaGF   Let's continue the conversation on how we can collectively contribute to creating more gender-responsive and walkable urban spaces! 🏙️    #WomenMobilize #WomeninTransport #Walkability #UrbanPlanning #Inclusion #GenderEquality #SafeCities  

#BackToTheField #FieldWorkDiaries Thrilled to be returning to what energizes me most - some people call it grassroots research and field work - I call it unfiltered gossip! Currently undertaking consultations with #women living near industrial areas in #Odisha, exploring critical intersections: #WomensWorkforce participation: Understanding employment patterns, educational pursuits, and skill development initiatives among women in industrial peripheries. #GenderedMobilityPatterns: Examining how women navigate their daily commutes and how factors like age, employment status, and family dynamics shape their movement patterns—bringing fresh perspectives to gendered mobility research. #TheCareEconomy: Investigating how unpaid care responsibilities impact women’s professional opportunities and personal well-being. #RestRecovery: A dimension we rarely discuss—how much time do women actually have for rest and sleep? These conversations remind me why fieldwork remains irreplaceable. Behind every statistic are real stories, complex trade-offs, and insights that can only emerge through genuine dialogue with communities. The women I’m speaking with are experts - from their own experiences, they offer such a clear understanding of how industrial development intersects with gender, mobility, and economic participation. Am excited to see how our team at Nikore Associates will translate these insights into research that centers lived experiences and contributes to more inclusive policy frameworks. #FieldResearch #WomenEconomicEmpowerment #GenderEconomics #Mobility #WomenAndWork #CareEconomy #Odisha #CommunityEngagement #PolicyResearch

What are we researching in "#WomenAfterDark" WAD research? In our Women After Dark (WAD) research at The Gendered City, we explored the unique challenges women* face navigating urban spaces after dark. Our pilot study, conducted across five European cities—Milan, Amsterdam, Paris, and Rotterdam—revealed critical insights into how #gender shapes spatial experiences at #night. Key emerged terms that are the focus of our research include "#MentalMaps," the cognitive representations women form based on perceived safety and potential threats, and "#FearZones," areas identified as unsafe due to poor lighting, isolation, or prior incidents. Many women reported relying on "#SafeRoutes," familiar paths they feel comfortable using, highlighting the impact of #GenderedGeographies on their movement. More findings underscore the importance of considering #SpatialAgency, or how women navigate and influence urban spaces, often constrained by #InvisibleBarriers embedded in city design. We also observed #TerritorialBoundaries, where certain areas are deemed off-limits after dark, reflecting broader issues of #SpatialFear and #SafetyPerception. #FeministUrbanism, #Womenledurbanism, and through #FeministPlacemaking and #GenderSensitiveDesign lead our research to create safer, more accessible cities for everyone. The goal of our studies to help inform future urban interventions aimed at reducing #UrbanInequality and fostering #UrbanJustice. Stay tuned as we continue to explore how to design urban environments that reflect the lived realities of women* and other marginalized groups.