Glasgow has become the first city in the UK to adopt a “feminist town planning strategy”, according to an article in the online magazine Cities Today. Glasgow Green councillor Holly Bruce put forward the motion which said that it is “fundamental that women are central to all aspects of planning, public realm design, policy development and budgets.” Work will now begin to look at how council policy needs to be adapted to support this approach.
According to Bruce, public places that are better adapted to women’s security and practical needs “could lead to an increased participation in political meetings, and ultimately women’s elected representation”. Such an approach to urban planning, she told Cities Today, would also present job opportunities, and enhance the autonomy of disabled women, women of colour, unpaid carers and lone parents.
Key features of a gender-equal city include walkability, proximity to services, safe public spaces and open green spaces. Vienna and Barcelona are among the cities with a gender perspective in their policies on urban planning, according to Cities Today. The motion follows a report published last year by Young Women Lead, a programme set up by YWCA Scotland to increase younger female political participation, which recommended establishing a women’s night bus and improving lighting.
Jenni Snell, CEO of YWCA Scotland, told Cities Today: “Glasgow will now lead the way for other local authorities in making Scotland a safer place for women and non-binary people.”
