Fostering gender equality – an essential aspect of good urbanism at the #SDGSummit

Art installation SDG Pavilion by Es Devlin- 17 doors, 17 artists and activists, cultural thinkers, writers from every continent each providing their own lense on one of the goals

World leaders in New York yesterday adopted a high-minded new declaration underscoring the need to reenergise the SDGs — the 17 targets aimed at ending world poverty and acting for climate change.

While some SDGs are going backwards the intersection between SDG 5 and SDG 11 is moving forward. This was purposively stated in the session “What if Women Designed the City?’ hosted by UNITAR at the UN Headquarters marking the launch of my book of the same title.

The session presented a mosaic of gender-sensitive policies and interventions springing from Vienna, Barcelona, Glasgow and Lyon. These cities are bridging the historic urban planning gender gap in unique ways in areas such as sense of place, active travel, safety, green spaces, well-being and budgeting.

Audrey Hénocque, the first Deputy Mayor of the City of Lyon, responsible for finances, public procurement, and major events

‘Gender-sensitive budgeting makes it possible to improve SDG 5 but also all public policies and other SDGs.’

The talks illuminated the indivisibility of SDGs 5 and 11.  But there is another SDG which is of vital importance and which is intimately connected with these efforts, namely, SDG 3 on health and wellbeing.

      To be considered a healthy city, urban planning needs to include strong, gender responsive, health infrastructure and services, as well as physical environments and wider social services, that are deliberately planned to meet the specific health needs, and ensure the individual rights, of women, girls, and gender-diverse people.

Dr Anna Coates, Senior Technical Lead Gender, WHO

‘The diversity of atmospheres of public space in Aspern Seestadt creates a balance – between active and passive as well as noisy and tranquil areas’ Lena Rücker. Photo by Gerd Gotzenbrucker

City of Vienna urban planner Lena Rücker described the main parameters informing Aspern Seestadt public spaces:

  • Quality of stay and movement

  • Multifunctionality

  • Small scale design

  • Communication and interaction

  • Integrated play spaces

Women themselves remain best suited o elucidate their relationship with the city. They view cities as a vehicle for their emancipation, providing a range of new roles and job opportunities in the process of cities becoming greener, wilder, healthier, more inclusive, liveable, and poetic.

Gender-sensitive urbanism aims to bring everyday life activities into the open and public sphere, promoting sharing and encouraging the socialization of urban care.

Ana Paricio Cárceles, Urban Psychologist, Barcelona Regional

Generation Equality session during the SDG Summit

Despite the fact that cities have historically utilised an able-bodied, adult male person as reference for their planning, we do not hold a zero-sum perspective where women’s protagonism in urban planning means other genders loosing out. The new map we are creating is one of co-evolving mutualismwhere women and cities are implicated in the construction of one another towards cities that work for all

Glasgow Feminist City

Glasgow City Council Head of Planning Sarah Shaw

‘In October last year Glasgow City Council passed a motion declaring Glasgow the UK’s first feminist city in terms of city development.’

SDGs targets are going backwards

Each of the 17 goals contains targets, with 169 overall, but the UN Secretary-General warned that currently only 15 per cent are on track, while many are going in reverse. The political declaration…

‘ … can be a game-changer in accelerating SDG progress’

It includes a commitment to financing for developing countries and clear support for his proposal for an SDG Stimulus of at least $500 billion annually, as well as an effective debt-relief mechanism.

It further calls for changing the business model of multilateral development banks to offer private finance at more affordable rates for developing countries, and endorses reform of the international finance architecture which he has labelled ‘outdated, dysfunctional and unfair’.

Overall there is a general feeling that this week should serve as a turning point to rescue the SDGs.

From left to right: Head of UNITAR NY Ambassador Marco Suazo, International Urbanist Charles Landry, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Executive Director of UNITAR Mr. Nikhil Seth, Director of UNITAR’s Division for People and Social Inclusion Alex Mejia

Grateful and delighted with the support of UNITAR global leadership

Interested in reading more on the topic? Pre-order the book What if Women Designed the City? by Triarchy Press.

May East