Public Spaces and Integrated Planning

Fall and Rise of Streets as Vital Public Spaces for Children

By |2023-11-08T15:10:39+01:00September 5th 2023|

From Amsterdam's playful Potgieterstraat to Barcelona's superblocks and Bristol's 'Playing Out' movement, Sudeshna Chatterjee is exploring how urban landscapes are transforming to be more child-friendly.

Urban Health

Enhancing Pedestrian Safety Through Effective Pedestrian-friendly Infrastructure in African Cities

By |2024-01-04T16:22:41+01:00September 8th 2022|

It is the responsibility of both the national and municipal governments to assure pedestrian safety, which is a fundamental human right. In this brief article, Louis Kusi Frimpong addresses the relationship between a lack of pedestrian infrastructure and health outcomes, as well as some pedestrian infrastructure required to enhance pedestrian safety on roads in Africa.

And I Thought Public Spaces are Meant for Everyone!

By |2024-01-04T13:45:38+01:00September 3rd 2020|

Public spaces in India lack even the most basic amenities, making them unsafe for women and the vulnerable. Priya Varadarajan explores different obstacles and solutions – and recounts a very personal tale of what it means to be a woman in today’s India.

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.

Cultivating Urban Queer Inclusivity in Berlin, Nairobi, and Santiago

By |2024-01-04T08:38:29+01:00November 5th 2019|

“Queer cities” and queer urban spaces can accelerate inclusivity and safety for all. This article by Katie Cashman and Waldo Soto relates queer expression to urban life by way of the impressions of queer* citizens in three cities: Santiago, Berlin, and Nairobi.

Urban Design and Child Road Safety

By |2024-01-03T17:01:28+01:00July 4th 2019|

Walking to school is a life-threatening endeavour to many African children, where road safety measures – if existent at all – fail to recognise the special needs of children. Ayikai Poswayo, Programme Director at Amend, outlines what urban engineering needs to focus on to make cities safer for children.

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.

“I believe that technology can foster democracy” – interview with Kalpana Viswanath from Safetipin

By |2024-01-02T10:25:20+01:00March 26th 2018|

Kalpana Viswanath from Safetipin, a mobile app developed to support community and women's safety, points out what she is currently missing in the smart city debate and explains to URBANET how technology can actually be used in an inclusive way to promote democracy and citizenship.

“(Mis-)Educating the Ghettoes of our world” – is there a Collective Neglect of the Role of Education for Youth in Violent Cities Around the World?

By |2023-12-19T15:19:18+01:00July 26th 2017|

The world’s population is becoming younger, and the majority of people under the age of 25 are living in the rapidly growing cities of Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Reports claim that a disproportionate proportion of youth live in impoverished, unplanned, and often highly violent urban settlements where they are more likely to be both victims and perpetrators of urban violence. What education strategies are needed in order to improve their situation?

Cities should be built for people – Let us start with creating safe public spaces for everyone

By |2023-12-19T15:20:30+01:00June 30th 2017|

In South Africa, historical shortcomings in city planning by the apartheid regime, rapid urbanisation, and a lack of economic opportunities have increased inequity and social exclusion. Faced with high rates of violence and crime, citizens are getting involved in enhancing safety in public spaces. Margo Weimers and her co-authors present an example from the city of Johannesburg.

“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.

Making Cities Safer for Women and Girls, Part I

By |2023-12-19T14:49:27+01:00March 8th 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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