As with all things, when one group or gender is excluded from the conversation, inequalities are exacerbated. Planning is no exception, and as planning professionals we do not always recognise that men and women use the built environment differently. For development to be truly sustainable – the aim of national and local planning policies – it must be inclusive and meet the needs of groups which are culturally and contextually different.

There are numerous examples of where planning can do better at this. Safety issues in public spaces are well-documented; adding lighting can be a simple fix, but often does not go far enough – spaces should be designed to feel open and safe, well-surveilled and easy to access.

There is a different way, as highlighted by Make Space for Girls in their work around how teenage girls use areas provided as part of planning consents, and demonstrated by the Flickrum project.

Statistics in Sweden report that girls feel 10 times more insecure in public spaces, resulting in four times more boys than girls using these areas. For Flickrum,  Swedish architectural practice White Arkitekter invited teenage girls to identify the characteristics of a space that did not work, and developed designs to overcome them. From face-to-face seating, to a shelter from the weather and surveillance, the students created models that offered a sense of engagement and ownership. This award-winning project has engaged local planners and policymakers and has been replicated in London.

Where developments are built and how they are accessed should also be considered. Many women care for children and elderly relatives alongside paid employment, requiring a pattern of travel between home, school and work. Locating housing with amenities and education facilities, and ensuring good connectivity and travel options is key. Public transport accessibility should be integrated early in the planning process to facilitate easy and inclusive journeys. Wider pavements and ramps should be used to accommodate prams, wheelchairs and all other non-car users.

Planning policy-making must also be inclusive and reflect the communities it plans for – for example, consultations should take place over a number of days and in a variety of forms to enable the whole community to attend if they wish.

Proposed changes to the Infrastructure Levy set out in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill are welcomed as it will treat childcare provision as infrastructure. This will allow local authorities to use IL funds to provide early years education, improving access to the labour market for women. 

The above issues are likely exacerbated by a gender imbalance of planning professionals. Thirty nine per cent of RTPI Chartered Planners are women, and a research piece by the RTPI found the majority of women working as planners said they felt at a disadvantage in workplaces. While there is a willingness among employers to change, an absence of female voices in planning roles risks the same default practices happening repeatedly.

Equality, diversity and inclusion go beyond gender-related issues and discrimination of every kind should be tackled.

If we are to plan for everyone in an effective, sustainable way, the call to action is a simple one – as planners we need to challenge ourselves to ask: who does this proposal work for and could there be a different way?

Further information

Contact Alison Broderick or Kat Martindale