Gender in Planning and Urban Development

Women and men experience cities in different ways and this must be addressed when planning urban development. This Discussion Paper presents an initial exploration of issues of gender and urban planning. It looks at how awareness of the gender dimension of planning has developed and has been reflected in guidelines for good practice, and how women’s active participation in planning can provide important practical insights. The remainder of the paper looks at aspects of the planning of settlements. It concludes that while good examples and guidelines exist these are not applied consistently in practice, and suggests steps for making progress.