A recent report published by The Young Women’s Movement (YWCA) as part of the Young Women Lead programme, has called for feminist town planning, as research revealed 67% of women in Glasgow often felt unsafe on buses and 95% felt unsafe visiting parks at night.
This report was undertaken as part of a nine month long study into Glasgow’s urban infrastructure and whether it reflects and supports the needs of women and non-binary people living in the city. The data collected highlights failures in the provision of public services that directly impact day-to-day city living for women and non-binary people.
Within the report, feminist town planning is outlined as an effort to co-design communities for all who live and work in them. Accordingly, the current “neutral” approach to town planning has been far from inclusive as it does not consider the daily lives and tasks of women.
In response to these findings, Young Women Lead calls upon Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, and Glasgow’s private bus companies to take affirmative action to challenge the conditions that create unsafe environments and ensure that women and non- binary people feel supported in reporting issues of violence and harassment.
Commenting on this research, Patrick Harvie said: “The use and design of public space is crucial in responding to violence against women. Cities, like Glasgow, are typically designed by men and for men, with a lack of consideration for the needs of women. Glasgow must step up efforts and start co-designing its communities for all who live and work in them.
“Recommendations in the report like better lighting infrastructure in public parks and additional evening bus services are practical changes, helping to improve women’s mobility and quality of life.”
Young Women Lead was launched in 2017 for young women (cis and trans) aged 30 and under living in Scotland. After running in partnership with the Scottish Parliament to create a model committee, in 2021 the programme was redeveloped to work in local authority areas.
You can read the YWCA report here.
