Violence against Women and COVID-19: Can We Learn from the Pandemic?

By |2024-01-04T13:51:36+01:00July 7th 2020|

Global lockdowns have exacerbated violence against women yet teach us an important lesson on how to protect women in times of crises. Natalie R. Gill dives into the world of tech and frontier technologies to highlight the importance of women’s right to safe mobility.

Resilient Cities are Green Cities

By |2024-01-04T13:51:59+01:00July 2nd 2020|

COVID-19 has strengthened our understanding of the vital relationship between healthy environments and the need for sustainable infrastructure. Donovan Storey from the Global Green Growth Institute reminds us that it is precisely in times of crises that we should commit to more holistic and ambitious green transformations.

Mumbai’s Young People Stake Their Claim to Play

By |2024-01-03T17:01:57+01:00July 2nd 2019|

Mumbai, as many other Indian cities, has failed to provide its children and youth with open spaces for playing. But there is a growing movement that demands its right to play – with considerable success, as Doel Jaikishen from Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA) writes.

Divided Cities and the Need to Move Forward

By |2024-01-02T18:53:35+01:00November 13th 2018|

Almost every major city is heterogeneous in terms of culture and ethnicity. This implies that every city is divided to a certain extent. Yet, there are some cities that are ‘more’ divided than others. Gizem Caner analyses development patterns of such extremely divided cities, using examples from Beirut, Berlin, Jerusalem, Nicosia, and Belfast.

Cape Town, South Africa: Building a Network of Street Enthusiasts

By |2024-01-02T18:55:20+01:00November 6th 2018|

What is the glue holding our cities together? Marcela Guerrero, co-founder and managing director at Open Streets Cape Town, believes that the answer lies in the streets. In an open exchange with others, the initiative is building a network of fellow street enthusiasts in the Global South.

Liveable Cities Need Sustainable Solutions

By |2024-01-02T16:11:41+01:00September 4th 2018|

Climate change poses new and specific challenges to the way we think about building. Christine Lemaitre from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) calls out to architects, planners, and builders to respond to this challenge instead of waiting for the entailing problems to solve themselves.

Reviving the City: How an Asphalt Plant Turned Into a Public Park

By |2024-01-02T15:48:01+01:00June 21st 2018|

In Mexico City, residents organised to convince the city government to build a public park instead of developing an area for office buildings. The Parque Imán can serve as an example for successfully greening neighbourhoods, and reclaiming public space in a participatory and transparent manner.

“It’s a public space, so we shouldn’t lose it”

By |2024-01-02T15:48:49+01:00June 14th 2018|

The privatisation of public spaces often conflicts with the interests of the general public. So, what can inhabitants do to fight such privatisation processes? URBANET talked to Alissa Raj from Transition TTDI, a residents’ initiative that advocates for keeping a community park in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, public.

Adopted Spaces: How Social Life on India’s Streets is Increasingly Threatened by Top-down City Planning

By |2024-01-02T14:56:38+01:00June 12th 2018|

In India’s bustling cities, time spent in public spaces is an integral component of everyday life. Street design that focuses on motorised traffic does not take into account this human quality of street life. Instead, local practices and human activity should inform city planning, argues Sneha Mandhan.

Women’s Growing Need for Safe Mobility

By |2024-01-02T15:01:21+01:00May 23rd 2018|

Until today, women around the world experience harassment and even assault when moving in public spaces, including on public transport services. In Nairobi, Kenya, the Flone Initiative is combatting gender-based violence by supporting victims, and by training service providers to effectively prevent behaviour that compromises women’s safety and right to mobility.

Interview: “Building resilience requires active public participation” – Vera Bukachi from the Kounkuey Design Initiative

By |2024-01-02T15:05:51+01:00April 11th 2018|

How can vulnerable groups and their needs be integrated into resilience building? URBANET talked to Vera Bukachi from the Kounkuey Design Initiative, who strongly believes that participatory planning and design are key to sustainable urban development.

“People need to own public space” – Interview with Ebru Gencer from the Center for Urban Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience

By |2023-12-19T15:12:17+01:00March 14th 2017|

Urban populations face risks, not only in regard to natural disasters and climate change, but also in terms of social problems such as unsafe public spaces. In an interview with URBANET, Ebru Gencer from CUDRR+R explains how cities and local governments can make cities more resilient and manage risks effectively.

Making Cities Safer for Women and Girls, Part II

By |2023-12-19T14:49:09+01:00March 9th 2017|

The experiences of women and girls in cities, and their use of the city and its public spaces, are strongly impacted by their gender. Violence and the threat of violence is a pervasive problem that affects communities and cities everywhere. In their two-part contribution, our authors Kathryn Travers, Margaret Shaw, and Kassandra McCleery analyse the gendered realities of urban space and how to make it safer and inclusive for all urban citizens.

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