Exclusive: Why are women excluded from developing our city?
Cardiff Central Square
Eight men meet in secret every month to decide on Cardiff’s future development
Cardiff Civic Society can reveal that eight men meet in secret every month to decide on Cardiff’s development. According to a response from a freedom of information request to Cardiff Council the following men meet every month at the ‘City development meeting’:
Councillor Dan De’Ath
Councillor Huw Thomas
Councillor Russell Goodway
Andrew Gregory - Director of Planning, Transport & Environment
Neil Hanratty - Director of Economic Development
Paul Orders - Cardiff Council Chief Executive
Simon Gilbert - Head of Planning
Steve Ball - Operational Manager of Development Management
A range of expert bodies have found that cities do not work well for women, and that to do so women must be involved in planning and design. These reports include:
World Bank Handbook for Gender-Inclusive Urban Planning and Design
Cities have historically been planned and designed for men and by men. They tend to reflect traditional gender roles and gendered division of labour. In general, cities work better for heterosexual, able-bodied, cisgender men than they do for women, girls, sexual and gender minorities, and people with disabilities.
There can be no gender-inclusive city without gender-inclusive processes.
RTPI Gender mainstreaming in urban planning
‘Gender mainstreaming’ is the integration of the gender perspective into every stage of policy processes – design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation – with a view to promoting equality between women and men.
UN Development Programme Designing Cities that work for women
Most cities are built by men, for men, with little or no thought for women’s and girls’ needs, aspirations or safety. These cities will not function well if women don’t have an equal say in how they are planned and administered.
As noted in the RTPI report, Vienna is one example of a city that has gone a good way regarding gender mainstreaming in urban planning. These progressive policies benefit everyone and Vienna is regularly listed as one of the world’s most livable cities.