Mobility of tomorrow and urban design: do citizens have a say in what their cities look like?

A city that adopts an inclusive approach to urban planning is one that rethinks the status of women and the gendered nature of public spaces.

Women are commonly relegated to private or “indoor” spaces, such as schools or community centers. They are not fully included in public or “outside” spaces, where citizenship and freedom are molded.

When it comes to mobility, the transportation sector needs to make women's needs visible. Many women commute everyday with their children on transportation networks that are not adapted to their needs. For example, these transit systems do not accommodate the needs of pregnant women or mothers with strollers.

To rethink the needs of women within the urban sphere, we need to deconstruct our existing spaces to integrate the needs of women and marginalized communities, including people with disabilities or obesity. To help women conquer the “outside” world, we need to design public spaces that embrace the feminine and speak out about the reality of violence against women.

To guarantee inclusivity, urban strategies must take into consideration the needs of women — who are the vectors of human diversity — as well as promote intergenerational bonds and address the issue of sociability.

By comprehensively considering these issues, we can build spaces where each and everyone can reaffirm their right to the city and their right to be "outside.”