THE SHARED CITY DESIGNING FOR GENDER EQUITY THROUGH TRANSPORTATION
MAEGAN COLLINS
© Drawkit. Reprinted from Transport Illustrations, n.d.
The Shared City by Maegan Collins Fourth year thesis submitted to the
School of Environmental Design & Rural Development,
The University of Guelph in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Supervisors: Sean Kelly and James Hughes
ABSTRACT Cities and transit systems are deeply connected. Transit systems
play an indispensable role in the movement of people. This thesis will examine urban transportation systems from a gendered
perspective. This subject will be explored by researching the
inequalities women experience while using public transit and
look at an example in Toronto’s bus system. We will also study
an example of progressive gender sensitive planning practices
in Vienna, Austria. Based on research and data, this thesis will
produce a Gender Inclusive Public Transit Guide for landscape
architects. The objective is to have designers and municipalities re-evaluating their transportation policies through a gendered
lens. Most of the time designers don’t intentionally misrepresent women’s needs, it’s often because they recognize the default
standard of a human as male. Ultimately, we have to look towards
a future where transit systems are designed for the specific needs of both women and men equally.
Š Drawkit. Reprinted from Transport Illustrations, n.d.
6
TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I: The Problem 14 Introduction to Gender Equity 16
Living in Car-Centric Societies
22
Unsafe Spaces
20
The Gender Data Gap
Case Study 28
320 Yonge Southbound
Part II: The Solution 34
Public Transit First Design
42
Better Design for Safer Spaces
38 Filling the Gap
Precedent Study 48
Gender Sensitive Planning in Vienna
Part III: The Product of Research 51
Gender Inclusive Public Transit Guide
Part IV: The Future of Public Transit 58
The Role of Landscape Architects
64
References
60
The Shared City
8
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure i - The shared city
Figure ii - Subway 15
Figure 1.0 - Urban crosswalk
16
Figure 1.1 - Traffic in Toronto, Ontario
19
Figure 1.2 - Percentages of men and women who make a stop
20
Figure 1.3 - A woman climbing the snow on the sidewalk in Winnipeg
23
Figure 1.4 - A woman at night in dim lighting
24
Figure 1.5 - A general model for perceived safety
26
Figure 1.6 - Bus ride
28
Figure 1.7 - Each stop along the 320 Yonge Southbound line in Toronto, Ontario
30
Figure 1.8 - Lighting diagram of the 320 Yonge Southbound route
31
Figure 1.9 - Shelter diagram of the 320 Yonge Southbound route
31
Figure 1.10 - Accessibility diagram of the 320 Yonge Southbound route
34
Figure 2.0 - An example of a bus only lane in Portland, Oregon
35
Figure 2.1 - Diagrams of bus lane examples
39
Figure 2.2 - A family riding the train with a pram
43
Figure 2.3 - Spain’s national urban mobility survey of 2007
44
Figure 2.4 - Busy crosswalk at night
24
Figure 2.5 - Accessible bus stop pad & shelter
26
Figure 2.6 - Separating bus activities and general pedestrian traffic with nubs
46
Figure 2.7 - Conceptual bench and waiting pad design
48
Figure 2.8 - Transportation methods in a city
49
Figure 2.9 - Seestadt Aspern, Vienna
49
Figure 2.10 - Eva Kail in a meeting
50
Figure 3.0 - Prague public transit
61
Figure 3.1 - A rendering of a commercial public space
“THE QUESTION IS REAL BE DIFFERENT IF THEY WOM
IT’S ‘WOULD THEY BE VOICES WER
- LIANE HARTLEY
LLY NOT ‘WOULD CITIES Y WERE DESIGNED BY MEN?’
E DIFFERENT IF MORE RE HEARD?’”
Y (RUSTIN, 2014)
Part I: The Problem Part I: The Problem Problem Part INTRODUCTION I: The Problem TO GENDER Part I: The EQUITY Problem Part 12
e t m t m e t
“Gender equity means fairness of treatment for men and women according to their respective needs... equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations, and opportunities.” – (ABC Of Women Workers Rights And Gender Equality, 2000, p.48).
13
Introduction to Gender Equity Cities need well-designed transit networks
application transit systems misrepresent
people that rely on it. When designing
p.32). Similar to most things designed in
to efficiently move the thousands of
the roads and connections, a city needs
to acknowledge both methods of transit.
There is private transit, such as cars and taxis and there is public transit such as
buses, subways and streetcars. Altogether, they provide a way for people to stay
connected. Urban designers play a key
role when creating the roads, systems and paths that establish these connections.
It is the responsibility of the designers to create transit systems that acknowledge the needs of everyone utilizing it.
On paper, transit systems are designed for everybody. However, in real-world
women’s needs (Criado-Perez, 2019,
our world, the default human is recognized as male. Women are not recognized as
having different needs than men and are lumped into one default male category. The lack of female representation can lead to inequalities. There has to be
rules and policies in place to ensure
diverse representation on our streets.
Municipalities and private designers have
to start implementing design practices that meet gender equity standards. Ultimately, we have to look towards a future where transit systems are designed for the
specific needs of both women and men.
The purpose of this research is to discuss
14
Figure 1.0 Urban crosswalk (Ryoji Iwata, 2019).
and understand the experiences of women
to better understand women’s issues in public
Many women experience problems when
can help to achieve a future that is gender
using urban public transportation systems. using public transit and this thesis will
provide some perspective on this. The 320
transit. Learning from the mistakes of the past inclusive.
Yonge Southbound line in Toronto, Ontario
This thesis uses a variety of gender specific
mainstreaming planning. Researching
“women” are mentioned, they are referring
will be the case study for poor gender-
and exploring progressive transit systems around the world will help to gain insight and encourage solutions in other cities.
Vienna, Austria will be the precedent study for progressive gender sensitive urban
planning since it can lead by example for the rest of the world. The product of this research is the Gender Inclusive Public Transit Guide for landscape architects.
The goal of this thesis is for professionals
15
terms. For clarity, when the term “female” and to cisgendered and transgendered women.
The research analyzed in this thesis lacks the perspective of non-binary people. This does
not mean that the problems mentioned cannot apply to non-binary individuals, it means
the research hasn’t disaggregated the data to account for them. In addition to women,
researchers need to gain the perspective of non-binary people going forward so experts can design cities for their specific needs.
Living in Car-Centric Societies Historically, as cities grew the need to
designed primarily around the movement
important. Segregating industrial sectors,
of the Center for Public History at the
organize urban zones became more
green areas, private space, and others, grew in prominence (Miralles-Guasch,
2006, p.49). In order to move throughout the zones, public spaces turned into the roads that connected them (Miralles-
Guasch). This has encouraged the use
of cars by making it a necessary means of travel for many people living in and
around cities. They are convenient, stylish and comfortable. It is easy to understand why many cities in North America are
of cars (Miralles-Guasch). The director
University of Houston wrote that “one half of a modern American city’s land area is dedicated to streets and roads, parking
lots, service stations, driveways, signals and traffic signs, automobile-oriented
businesses, car dealerships, and more�
(Frazer, 2019). Automotive cities result in less built infrastructure for other methods
of transportation such as buses, bike lanes and streetcars.
16
of having their own personal vehicle. The popularity of private transportation leads
to a lack of interest in public transportation options.
Car-centric societies are an issue for gender-equitable resources because women do not have equal access to
private transit in comparison to men.
When looking at private transit through a
gendered lens, you would see that it is men who have greater access to convenient methods of transportation (Turner and
Grieco, 2006, p.53). This consequence is a result of socially assigned gender
roles and a division of labour (Turner and Figure 1.1 Traffic in Toronto, Ontario (mikeinlondon, 2018).
Automobiles gained popularity in the
1920s when the post-war construction of
cities was prioritizing suburbanization and
practicality (Miralles-Guasch, 2006, p. 49). The development of road infrastructure allowed for fast and convenient
transportation with private vehicles
(Miralles-Guasch). Over some decades, it was clear there were many negative
implications of driving a personal vehicle. These included the fumes and pollution
that cars emit, traffic that causes delays
and high-risk accidents (Smith, 2013). Yet, many people still prefer the convenience
17
Grieco). Statistically, women earn less
than men and perform 75% of the world’s unpaid caregiving work (Criado-Perez, 2019, p.30). Care work is the unpaid
labour that adults do for children and other reliant people (Madariaga, 2013, p.33). Of course, one can argue that men perform caregiving roles as well. However, men
do not have the same societal limitations and upbringing that women have. This
places the expectation of women behaving and performing the caregiving duties in a
household. Eva Kail, a member of the City of Vienna’s Urban Planning Department said it best:
“
You can’t influence the share of unpaid work by architecture, but you can support it. We would hope it would support 50% of men as well – but statistics show it is still more women doing that work” (Hunt, 2019). Due to the amount of time in the day
that women are carrying out their unpaid caregiving roles, they are less likely to
have or maintain a full-time job (CriadoPerez, 2019). The difference in income means women are less likely to be
the ones using the private vehicle in a
household and rely on public transportation for travel.
Since women earn less income than men, they cannot always afford the cost of a
vehicle. In the United States, a Michigan
based study collected data on the gender wage gap. Throughout the 1980’s the
female to male ratio of income was roughly 60%; and “by 2014, women full-time
workers earned about 79% of what men
did on an annual basis and about 83% on a weekly basis” (Blau and Kahn, 2017).
Therefore, women do not have the same access as men do in regards to funds
that could afford a car. With less income,
women are forced to use the less reliable and unsafe methods of public transit.
Although many women are forced into using public transit due to lack of time and income, transit systems are not
designed for their specific needs (Turner and Grieco, 2006, p.53). The main
difference between men and women in
transportation is the gendered division of labour (Madariaga, 2013, p.41). Public
transit performs exceedingly better when the user is making a single purpose
trip, such as for employment purposes
(Criado-Perez, 2019). Multi-purpose trips are often performed by care workers;
these include dropping off the children
at school, going to the grocery store or helping an elderly relative (Madariaga,
p.33). Public transit does not perform well with multi-purpose trips, since planning policies prioritize the development of
transit connections for economic activity and working spaces, rather than care
work services (Madariaga). This is due to studies categorizing care work as
leisure activities since it includes activities such as shopping, escorting or strolling
(Madariaga). This is a problem because these multi-purpose caregiving trips are mandatory for many households, yet
transport planners are not providing proper connections and accessibility of these essential services.
This is a gendered issue because women are the dominant gender that trip chains
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Single adults and men and women in households with no children these on trips account for a slightly larger percent of all trips (10.5 permen doshow not stop might beseen scheduled workmen whenand these services are accessible. that are when before examining women asactually whole groups. visible sn and Figure 6ofshows dwell at stops. show the same small differences in the trip-chaining patterns cent the trips madetimes on home-to-home tours, for instance, versus who are notThese drivers Figure shows dwell times at stops. dwell times are thanpopulation the sojourn shown that are seen when examining men and women as whole groups. 7 percent of all trips) than6different in the general anddurations show visible These dwell are different sojourn by Nishii et al. (3), who found thattimes before-work stops than werethe more than durations shown by Nishii et al. (3), who found that before-work stops were more than 120 min and that after-work stops generally were longer for single 120 min and that after-work stops generally were stops and shorter for multiple stops (using 1980 Japanese data). In longer for single stops et and for multiple stops (usingof1980 data). In earlier work, Kitamura al.shorter found that the average duration eachJapanesewith poor public transport connections, earlier work,toKitamura et al. average d stop was negatively correlated the number of found stops inthat thethe chain (7). duration of each rpose for men and stop was negatively correlated to the number of stops in thewith chain (7). women being the social category be stopping for the r who have to make the most journeys unning errands, s Stops byorGender and Family Composition llows the analysis Stops by Gender and Family Composition between these disparate locations” (Turner sco BayThe area, who differences in the travel characteristics of men and women anain frequenThe differences in the travel characteristics men and women and anaGrieco). Transport planners have to 4ork trip lyzed as a group seem slight—a consistent greater number ofofstops of trips. Figure as a group slight—a consistent of stops across all 4purposeslyzed for women, andseem very similar times spent atgreater activ- number start considering the needs of care work acrosscomposition all purposes for women, and very similar times spent at activf ities. When the family of the travelers is considered, s, made however, to drop offthe differences ities. When the family composition of the travelers is considered, are brought into sharp focus. individuals to provide a gender inclusive however, differences are brought sharp focus. ling on weekdays, a) adults and Single men andthe women in households withinto no children transit Single adults and men women in households children system. all tripsactually (10.5 pershow the same small differences in and the trip-chaining patterns with no actually show the same small differences in the trip-chaining patterns or instance, versus that are seen when examining men and women as whole groups. e that are seen when examining men aand astowhole groups. n and show FIGURE visible 2 Percentages of men and women who make stop:women (a) home work; (b) work to home.
ho make a stop: (a) home to work; (b) work to home.
Ultimately, women are experiencing
inequities in our car-centric societies. Men and women do not have equal access
to private vehicles because women are
placed into societal and labour roles that
limit their income and time. Municipalities must be held accountable to provide
reliable, safe and equitable transit for the b)
public, including care work. This problem is caused by a lack of data and research that considers the experience of females.
) home to work; (b) work to home. ho make a stop: (a) home to work; (b) work to home.
Figure 1.2 Percentages of men and women who make a stop: (a) home to work; (b) work to home (McGuckin, N., & Murakami, E., 1999).
and perform caregiving tasks (Turner
and Grieco, 2006, p.53). Trip chaining is
when an individual performs a sequence of destinations in a trip and is multi-
modal (Madariaga, 2013, p.36). Trip
chaining is more difficult when services
are centralized because places such as “hospitals, schools, shopping facilities,
public administration offices are all likely to be in different and disparate locations
19
The Gender Data Gap
Figure 1.3 A woman climbing the snow on the sidewalk in Winnipeg (Postmedia Network Inc, 2020).
Gender data is when researchers analyze
societies have forced pedestrians to have
information on certain topics, problems or
lighting and minimal crosswalks. It is
males and females separately and collect studies (Temin and Roca, 2016). When
there is a lack of data from one gender, typically female, it creates a knowledge
gap. When data fails to account for women, it creates many harmful issues causing
women to be misrepresented or forgotten in society (Temin and Roca). There is a
lack of data from the female perspective concerning the way they move and
travel within a city. A specific area where there is a shortage of data is pedestrian
narrow sidewalks, improperly scaled
mainly women who are being affected
by these poorly designed public spaces, but there is not enough information and research published to make noticeable changes. It is easier and more cost-
effective for designers and municipalities
to continue designing for the male default standard. If professionals continue to
design in this mindset, there will always be a gender data gap.
movement and care worker’s needs. Since
These gender data gaps exist in many
of cars, pedestrians’ needs are often
in Karlskoga, Sweden. There was a lack
municipalities prioritize the circulation
undermined (Criado-Perez, 2019, p.35). From a gendered perspective, women are more likely to be pedestrians than men
(Criado-Perez, 2019, p.35). They are also more likely to be doing care work that
involves pushing prams and travelling
with children (Criado-Perez). Car-centric
communities. An example of one existed of knowledge concerning the way women
travelled in the mornings during the winter months (Criado-Perez, 2019, p.32). After examining their policies and traditions,
they discovered that since women were travelling by foot in the winter mornings it was causing high injury rates from
slipping and falling (Tummers et al., 2019,
20
p.83). In 2010, the city implemented a
p.32). This is just one example of how a
women’s safety. They changed their route
unnecessary injuries. Yet, by gaining new
new route for snow-clearing to improve
to prioritize pedestrian pathways, rather
than roads, starting with the sidewalks at hospitals, elementary schools and other public offices (Tummers et al.). This is
lack of perspective can cause harm and perspectives and ideas, pedestrians of
all genders benefited from this new snow clearing schedule.
because “according to the statistics, more
Urban planner Eva Kail is attempting to
take children to school in the morning,
She has been collecting data on pedestrian
women than men use public transport and walking or cycling” (Tummers et al.). Since it is easier for a car to drive through twofeet of snow than it is to cycle or to push
a pram, the local hospitals discovered that
there were fewer injuries from slipping and falling (Criado-Perez). After implementing
this new route, the city’s healthcare system noticed they were saving money from
treating fewer injuries and from potential
lawsuits (Criado-Perez). By analyzing their common practices through a gendered
lens, Karlsgoga experienced the benefit of having safer pathways and roadways. In Karlskoga, and many other cities
around the world, snow clearing was not
intentionally designed to primarily benefit
fill the gender data gap in her community. travel patterns and pursuing solutions
for Vienna’s streetscape (Criado-Perez, 2019). In Vienna, Kail has implemented forty new pedestrian crosswalks, more ramps for prams and bikes, widened
1,000 meters of sidewalks and improved lighting on pedestrian routes (CriadoPerez). This thesis will go into more
detail about Vienna’s gender sensitive planning initiatives, refer to page 46.
Kail’s determination and eagerness for
equality has proven there can be changes made in our cities when people start to
acknowledge the needs of women. A gap
in perspective can be filled when given the right tools.
men - there was a gap in perspective.
If more data was collected from the point
who originally devised the schedule knew
designers would be far more educated on
“The men (and it would have been men) how they travelled and they designed
around their needs. They didn’t deliberately set out to exclude women. They just didn’t think about them” (Criado-Perez, 2019,
21
of view of women, municipalities and
how to provide safe public spaces for them. The safety and well-being of residents
should be a high priority for the experts that are designing our communities.
Unsafe Spaces The level of safety in a neighbourhood is a priority for many people who are deciding where to live or raise a family. A sense of safety can come from low crime rates in
the neighbourhood, other families nearby and the built design of public spaces
(Sayin et al., 2015). These external factors can influence whether or not an individual
feels safe. Internal factors of an individual
could include past trauma, state of mental health or preconceived notions of their
surroundings (Rivas, 2006). Ultimately,
there are many circumstances where an individual could experience fear or lack
of safety; urban designers can encourage
crime prevention through thoughtful design. This thesis will be examining unsafe urban public transit settings by looking at the experiences of women and men. Both
women and men can experience a fear of crime when using public transit, they just
experience it differently (Yavuz and Welch, 2010).
A woman’s physical surroundings can
influence her perceived level of safety.
Valentine (1990) created two categories
of public places where women often feel
unsafe. The first one is enclosed spaces
that have minimal opportunities to leave or exit; this category includes underground
parking facilities and subway stations. The
second is deserted open spaces, such as a lone bus shelter or parking lot (Valentine). In the first category, a predator could
attack knowing there is no opportunity for
the victim to escape. In the second one, a predator could harm someone and there would be no witnesses (Valentine).
Within these two categories, this thesis will be analyzing the perceived safety
experience of women at bus stops. Long
waiting times at a bus stop can influence the perception of safety and satisfaction of the journey (Abenoza et al., 2018).
Bus stops are where the majority of crime occurs compared to other locations along
22
Figure 1.4 A woman at night in dim lighting (Women’s Republic, 2019).
a public transit route (Abenoza et al.).
2010). A sample of roughly 1,200 women
safe bus stop environments is to provide
their experiences with sexual assault, and
A way for municipalities to encourage
proper lighting, shelters with seating and
greenery. When designed properly, these built characteristics of a bus stop can
reduce the level of anxiety in an individual (Abenoza et al.).
In addition to the built surroundings,
was selected in London and surveyed on they discovered that
“
40 percent of the women had experienced rape, attempted rape or another kind of sexual assault at least once” (Hall, 1985)
women often feel unsafe using public
This fear of harassment can lead to
that are nearby. Many women are in
depending on the time of day if they are
transportation depending on the people constant fear of being sexually harassed, followed, cat-called or threatened in
transportation settings (Yavuz and Welch,
23
women avoiding public transportation
not accompanied by a friend or partner, or they avoid it entirely and use a different
method of transportation (Loukaitou-Sideris
and Fink, 2009). Women have specific
societal pressure, studies show that men
transportation; they should be able to travel
alone and there is a group of men nearby
needs to feel safe when they use public within their community safely and with
ease. Designers must acknowledge these needs for women to provide safe public spaces in their city.
Alternatively, men experience a fear of
crime in public settings that are different
tend to feel a sense of fear when they are (Loukaitou-Sideris and Fink, 2009). Yavuz and Welch (2010) discovered that men
typically report experiences of physical harm in transit settings such as being
robbed rather than being sexualized the way women often are.
from women. To reiterate, everyone’s
While men can experience a fear of crime,
experiences regardless of gender; but
higher fear of assault and being victimized
feelings vary based on their personal
society has held different expectations of men compared to women. Men typically want to be perceived as strong and
masculine; this expectation can cause
them to deny any fear of crime in public settings in hopes to not seem “weak”
(Yavuz and Welch, 2010). Regardless of
FEAR OF CRIME IN PUBLIC SPACE
it is women who statistically experience in public transit settings. A study done in Great Britain concluded that “93%
of females . . . reported being fearful
while waiting on a train platform at night
compared with 53% of males, due to the low visibility that was provided at the
shelters” (Yavuz and Welch, 2010). These 2495
problems need to be acknowledged by
our city planners and must take the proper
Female
incentives to be solved through better design.
Safety Measures
Negative experiences w/safety
PERCEIVED VULNERABILITY
Service Attributes
Transit shelters must be designed for
the respective safety needs of men and
women. While landscape architects can’t control the choices people make, they
Other individual demographics
Figure 1.
PERCEPTION OF SAFETY
General model of perceived safety.
can create the preconditions for a safer environment. By implementing better
design strategies, men and especially
Figure 1.5 A general model for perceived safety women can have more confidence (Yavuz, N., & Welch, E. 2010). equally. In fact, some strategies may be more as good places to commit crimes (Nasar and shared public spaces. using effective for men than women and vice versa. Fisher, 1993; Cozens et al., 2005). According The general model of perceived safety as to the broken windows theory, perceptions of shown in Figure 1 depicts the primary con- insecurity are determined by the ‘messages’ structs of interest in this paper and serves people get from the signs of neighbourhood as a guide to the rest of this section. The disorder: if no one cares that these happen, model depicts perceived safety as a function then anything could happen here; the place is of perceived vulnerability, which mediates not safe (Wilson and Kelling, 1982). the effects of security measures, service According to prospect–refuge theory, areas
when
24
25
Figure 1.6 Bus ride. Š Drawkit. Reprinted from Transport Illustrations, n.d.
Case Study C Study Case S Case Study C Study Case S Case Study C 320 YONGE Study Case S SOUTHBOUND Case Study C 27
320 YONGE BUS STOPS STEELES AVE.
FINCH AVE. WEST
SHEPPARD-YONGE STATION
WILSON AVE. SOUTH
LAWRENCE STATION
EGLINTON STATION
ST. CLAIR STATION
BLOOR STATION
COLLEGE STATION
QUEEN STATION Figure 1.7 Each stop along the 320 Yonge Southbound line in Toronto, Ontario (Google Earth, n.d.).
320 Yonge Southbound This thesis will be doing a case study of
the stops are for pedestrians with prams,
Southbound. This line runs from Steeles
the street and the number of bus stops
a bus route in Toronto: the 320 Yonge Avenue East to Queens Quay West,
making ten stops along the way (Toronto
Transit Commission [TTC], n.d.). This route was chosen for this case study because it
operates seven days a week and overnight for the Blue Night Service (TTC, n.d.). It
the amount of lighting that is provided on
that have shelters. Based on the research previously mentioned, these are the
characteristics of a bus stop where women face inequalities that apply to the field of landscape architecture.
is important to note that this specific route
Figure 1.10 displays the level of difficulty in
Yonge Street. Although there is no plan
on and off the vehicle while using a pram.
does not provide a bus only lane along
published by the TTC to create a bus lane
for this route, they have plans for others in the coming years. Based on TTC’s 5-Year Service Plan & 10-Year Outlook released
in December 2019, they plan to implement RapidTO priority bus lanes in five main
corridors (TTC, n.d.). This is a step in the right direction for Toronto’s public transit systems, but more needs to change.
The 320 Yonge Southbound route will be examined through a gendered lens. By
analyzing the streetscape design of each bus stop we can understand how women use those spaces and the problems they encounter. Although many methods of
public transportation could be studied, the streetscape design of bus stops has the
most correlation to landscape architecture. This thesis will examine how accessible
29
getting to the bus stop, as well as getting
There is a range of colors that have varying difficulty levels as labeled in the legend.
This diagram provides a way to examine
the bus route as a whole. As you can see
in Figure 1.7 the pictures of the bus stops co-relate to the stops in Figure 1.10. For example, Sheppard-Yonge Station has a
pedestrian crosswalk that has a flush curb right next to the stop; it is extremely easy to access with a pram. On the contrary,
St. Clair station has an extremely narrow section of the sidewalk in front of the
shelter. Depending on where the vehicle stops to open the doors, the majority of
people would have a difficult time trying to squeeze a pram onto the edge of a
sidewalk to board the bus. By examining the bus stops through a gendered lens, we can gain some clarity that women
performing childcare work have a harder
time accessing certain stops on this route. The lighting diagram (Figure 1.8) provides context on the level of brightness a bus
stop provides for passengers at night. This is a rough estimate of lighting and is not
to scale on the diagram; it simply provides a comparison for which stops have more lighting than others. As shown in Figure
1.8, Eglinton Station and Steeles Ave. have the brightest circles since they provide the most streetlights for passengers. Stops
such as Wilson Ave and Finch Ave. have
fewer streetlights. All TTC stops, especially along Yonge St., should be well lit. As
mentioned previously, lighting can make a large difference in the level of safety at a
bus stop. Experts have to start designing these widely used public spaces with sufficient lighting.
For women, shelters provide a sense of
Figure 1.8 Lighting diagram of the 320 Yonge Southbound route.
safety and security which can help reduce
Every stop along this route should be
in public spaces (Abenoza et al., 2018).
lack of resources for people using public
that have a built shelter along the 320
way our cities are designed. Maintaining
diagram located in Figure 1.7, you can
the maintenance and safety of bus stops
on the street for people to wait in. Out of
perspective, it is primarily higher income
a problem; for a major route to have only
mainly lower income women that use
levels of stress and anxiety when they are
accompanied with a shelter. There is a
Figure 1.9 examines the number of stops
transit because there is a divide in the
Yonge Southbound line. In the bus shelter
and building roads are prioritized over
see which stops have a shelter directly
(Turner and Grieco, 2006). From a gender
the ten stops, only four have them. This is
men with cars that use the roads and
four stops with shelters is unacceptable.
public transit (Criado-Perez, 2019). It is
30
Figure 1.9 Shelter diagram of the 320 Yonge Southbound route.
Figure 1.10 Accessibility diagram of the 320 Yonge Southbound route.
realistic for Toronto to implement shelters
This is just one example of a bus route in
bus shelter currently costs about $25,000.
resources for female passengers. All bus
at their roughly 9,500 stops since “a TTC In other words, it’s possible to envision
turning the TTC’s entire portfolio of bus
stops into comfortable places rather than
tarted-up billboards” (Lorinc, 2016). Toronto has to do better; the people responsible
for creating our shared public spaces must acknowledge the needs of women and pedestrians.
Toronto that does not provide adequate
routes in Toronto need to do better - a pole on the side of a road is simply not enough. Transport planners have to start providing
accessible bus stops for pedestrians using prams and bicycles, sufficient lighting to
create a safer environment and shelters for each stop along the route.
*Figures 1.8-1.10 were created in Adobe Illustrator by M. Collins (2020) based on Google Earth (n.d.) maps and are not referenced or cited otherwise.
31
Part II : The Solution Part I : The Solution Part II : The PUBLIC Solution Part I TRANSIT : The Solution FIRST DESIGN Part II : The 32
e II n e II n e
“to be efficient and equitable urban roadway management must favor higher value trips and more spaceefficient modes under congested conditions” – Litman, (2016).
33
Figure 2.0 An example of a bus only lane in Portland, Oregon (NACTO, 2019).
Public Transit First Design In North America, many cities have been
low-income households and women are
transportation since cars are most
of using public transit in a car-centric
default gender to design for. The people
The solution that this thesis has produced
are typically men (Criado-Perez, 2019,
Transit first design means that public
cars because the people that control our
should not be the second option for people
have different needs. Based on the
have to start prioritizing the arrangement of
ones designing and benefiting from these
subways and streetcars to help improve the
designed around the needs of private
experiencing the negative implications
commonly used by men and they are the
society (Turner and Grieco, 2006, p.54).
in executive and planning positions
is building cities for transit first design.
p.32). This has led to a bias towards
transit is prioritized over cars. Public transit
infrastructure do not realize that women
who cannot afford a car. City planners
research earlier in this thesis, men are the
transportation routes, such as our buses,
car-centric societies (Criado-Perez). Many
movement of its citizens.
34
An example of transit first design is the
use public transit in car-centric societies.
only lanes would allow for buses and
sidewalks can help to equalize the
integration of transit only lanes. Transit
streetcars to have their own lanes amid
Along with the transit only lanes, proper
transportation experience of users (Surico,
busy city traffic. The benefits ofWhen transit onlyLanes Warranted? 2019). Wider sidewalks could help women Are Bus Victoria Transport Policy Institute lanes include greater access to convenient with prams get to and from the bus public transportation methods, safer entry
stop easier since they wouldn’t have to
travel time for passengers (Litman, 2016).
should not be forced to the side of the
“A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation.” exitPenalosa, routes for passengers and reduced maneuver around obstacles. Sidewalks ―and Enrique Former Mayor of Bogota, Colombia
1. Introduction
road; they need to be prioritized and Cities are, by definition, places where many people and activities locate close together, so urban properly integrated into the flow of traffic Transit only lanes increase space, particularly road space, is always scarce and valuable. As a result, to be efficient and equitable (Surico). Prioritizing sidewalks transit urban roadway management must favor higher value trips and more space-efficient modesand under “economic opportunity for congested conditions, so travellers and will choose more efficient forcrucial example, usingofbuses andfirst lanes modes, are both parts transit physically, economically ridesharing (car- and vanpools) when commuting on congested design. corridors.
“
socially disadvantaged people, which the ways principle ofhigher value and space-efficient trips, including road There are reflects several possible to favour Bylanes integrating transit only lanes into cities, pricing, or priority intersection for certain vehicles such as freight vertical equity (publictreatments policies and dedicated trucks, buses and High Occupancy Vehicles (HOVs). Thisitreport focusesaon bus lanes (Figure 1), and is creating convenient and faster should help disadvantaged people)”
their variations such as HOV and High Occupant Tolls (HOT) lanes. Bus lanes can significantly increase method of transportation for everyone, Litman (2016) transport system efficiency and equity; this study suggests that they are widely justified. However, women. Itbus encourages more use few cities implement comprehensive bus lane networks,especially and many proposed lanes have been Based on statistics, only lanes being reliable and onmotorcycles time. Highand quality delayed, abandoned, or transit compromised (such will as allowingby lower occupant vehicles, alternative fuelled vehicles) inadequatetobenefit analysis and political opposition. greatly help women thatdue aretocompelled public transit can cause an increase in Figure 1 Bus Lane Examples (Arbury 2010) CURB BUS LANESCurb Bus Lanes
Center Bus Lanes CENTER BUS LANES
Arterial bus lanes can be located along the curb or center median.
Figure 2.1 Diagrams of bus lane examples (Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 2015).
This paper explores these issues. It discusses bus lane benefits and costs, examines how they are 35 evaluated in conventional planning, provides guidance for identifying when bus lanes are justified, and describes ways to support their implementation. This is part of broader discussions concerning how best to improve public transit, efficiently manage road space, and evaluate transport system performance. Many of these conclusions apply to other transit improvements and roadway management strategies. This analysis should be of interest to policy analysts, transport planners and
users and fare revenue and a reduction in
travel experiences.
2016). Without segregated lanes, people
Designers have to consider these benefits
in a car or congested traffic in a bus; with
in urban cities. This segregation of public
the number of cars on the road (Litman,
have to choose between congested traffic them, people have a much easier choice (Litman). Transit only lanes save travel time for people planning their day and encourage more use from all genders (Litman, 2016).
“
A typical bus lane could “reduce total transit door-to-door travel times by 5-15%� (Litman).
of transit only lanes and wider sidewalks
and private transit lanes will provide access to convenient methods of public transit,
a safer environment for people to get on and off vehicles and reduce travel time.
Developing infrastructure for transit only
lanes and sidewalks helps to accommodate
people that cannot afford private vehicles. It creates equal opportunities for all residents to have safe and accessible travel options, regardless of their gender or income.
This benefit of transit only lanes could help to efficiently move the large population of people that live in cities.
Transit only lanes allow passengers to
have safer ways of boarding and exiting vehicles. They can get on and off the bus or streetcar without fear of cars
hitting them. In Melbourne Australia, they analyzed traffic accident data from a bus
priority perspective and discovered a 14% reduction in total accidents and a 31% reduction in fatal or serious accidents; it went from 42 to 29 annual incidents
(Litman, 2016). Transit only lanes and
wider sidewalks allow the female-dominant user group to have safe and accessible
36
37
Filling the Gap Data collection is rarely unbiased,
default gender for many professions and
(Temin and Roca, 2016). Many societies
into our everyday lives. Experts need to
especially if it covers topics of gender
do not have enough representation of the
needs and rights of women (Criado-Perez, 2019). Whether it is data on how to treat
human experiences. This male bias is built gain perspectives of minority user groups
to provide equitable lifestyles for everyone.
heart attacks, car-crash dummy reactions
Some of the data needed to fill the
world is designed for men because the
Unfortunately, most of the data that does
or the way smartphones are used - the
world sees men as the default human. A
study done in Romania asked young school children in grades 3-5 to draw a scientist (Thomson et al., 2019). The results
concluded that no matter the gender of the child, they envisioned a white male
scientist (Thomson et al.). This is a brief
example of how society depicts men as the
gender data gap is already available.
exist is biased towards the experience of men. For example, Spain’s national
urban mobility survey of 2007 categorizes care work and paid employment trips with a male bias (Madariaga, 2013, p.38).
The data of employment trips are in one category and care work trips into seven
categories. To reiterate, men perform more
38
Figure 2.2 A family riding the train with a pram (Transport NSW, n.d.).
paid employment trips and women perform more unpaid care work trips. The survey
represents this data as a pie chart giving employment trips the visual hierarchy
(Madariaga, p.38). If this bias did not exist and care work was its own category, it
would emphasize the importance since it would be the larger portion of the
chart (Figure 2.3). To provide unbiased
data collection, research must properly
categorize care work based on published data from a reliable survey. According to Madariaga (2013), no such survey has been conducted.
Increasingly, researchers are trying to
acknowledge the needs of women but there
39
Figure 2.3 Spain’s national urban mobility survey of 2007 (Ashgate, 2013).
is not enough unbiased published data. Women experience unique challenges,
different from men, in their everyday lives
because they are viewed as lesser than
(Temin and Roca, 2016). A combination
and Roca, 2016). Researchers have to
chances of providing data that benefits
in many cultures and societies (Temin
start using available technology to collect gender data and females’ experiences
of these two methods would increase the everyone.
while also collecting data through in-person
Either of these methods of collecting data
exclusion (Temin and Roca). Our societies
experiences of women. This can help
surveys to minimize technology-based
can do better to understand not only how
men and women are different, but why they are different.
There are a few ways researchers can
collect data to fill the gender data gap.
Studies should be performed online and inperson. Collecting data through technology is much easier due to the internet. Most
people have some way of accessing the internet; it could be through their mobile
phone, laptop or local public library (Turner and Grieco, 2006, p.57). This allows
researchers to develop surveys that can
efficiently reach a wide variety of subjects. Additionally, in-person surveys and focus
groups are equally as important as online
can be used to gain perspective on the
experts create equitable transit systems. For example, new data is required to
understand an individual’s movements and
needs while performing care work in transit settings (Turner and Grieco, 2006, p.54).
This data can encourage gender inclusivity
in transportation and dictate the distribution of essential services (Temin and Roca, 2016).
“
This survey should contain specific and precise questions that accurately distinguish care work trips from leisure and employment trips (Madariaga, 2013, p.38).
methods because not everyone has access
It should also collect data on trips that
online data, they would be missing part of
walking and trips that are one kilometre
to the internet. If researchers only collected the user group (Turner and Grieco). The
data would only be benefiting the wealthy; creating a technology gap in perspective. Having in-person focus groups and door-
to-door surveys would allow researchers to get an accurate representation of society
are made on foot within fifteen minutes of or less (Madariaga). Lastly, the survey
should include questions that accurately depict trip-chaining patterns such as the
mode of transportation for each segment,
each destination and the time for each stop (Madariaga). If researchers can collect
40
high-quality data within these guidelines, experts will be equipped to provide
services that are inclusive of the needs
of care workers. To reduce the male bias
that exists in our communities, we have to acknowledge and gain the perspective of
women. Researchers and specialists have
to start considering the needs of women in all aspects of society.
In terms of public transit, a female’s
experience of childcare work needs to
be understood to know how to designate local services. A woman’s perception of
safety needs to be acknowledged through equitable transit design. In general, the
way women travel and inhabit cities must be represented through data collection
and unbiased design choices. Ultimately,
filling the gender data gap is one of the first steps to successfully achieving equitable transit systems.
41
Better Design for Safer Spaces Based on the research collected in this
of public transit, inadequate lighting at
public transit stops are designed for
anxiety and fear for passengers waiting
thesis, there is a problem with the way
safety (Loukaitou-Sideris and Fink, 2009). Existing shelters and stations do not
provide enough safety for passengers.
Transit systems need to have stops with
adequate lighting at night for passengers, reliable transit times and comfortable
waiting areas (Yavuz and Welch, 2010). By incorporating these elements into standard practice, people can experience their daily travels with more confidence and peace of mind (Valentine, 1990).
Lighting can impact the way people
experience shared public spaces. In terms
bus stops can cause increased levels of for their bus (Yavuz and Welch, 2010).
The darkness can provide opportunities for criminals to hide and stalk from afar
without being seen because of a “fishbowl
effect” (Loukaitou-Sideris and Fink, 2009). This effect is where a small well-lit area is surrounded by darkness. Based on safety audits done in Scarborough, Ontario, this effect can be avoided if proper lighting is
extended beyond the bus stop (Loukaitou-
Sideris and Fink). Although lighting may not fully prevent a crime from occurring, Hunt (2019) states “it can alleviate women’s
feelings of anxiety, improving their access
42
Figure 2.4 Busy crosswalk at night (TAPCO, 2019).
to the city – and when they are faced
environment to the individual. Passengers
their ability to assess the situation”. It is a
when they are changing routes or modes
with a potential threat, lighting improves
simple solution and should be implemented at all stop locations along a route - not just allocated at the busy ones.
Reliable service can also impact an
individual’s sense of safety. When transit services provide accurate and on-time
service passengers feel like they have more control (Farrall et al., 1997). In
contrast, if a woman is alone and does
not know when the next bus will arrive, they cannot control their surroundings
(Yavuz and Welch, 2010). They do not
feel safe, especially if it is a new route or
43
also experience raised anxiety levels
of transit (Yavuz and Welch). Based on research done for the Department of
Transport in London it shows that women are more sensitive to risk and crime in
public space, and longer transit wait times increase anxiety (Yavuz and Welch).
Fan et al. (2016) recorded a survey of
passenger wait-times at bus stops and
they discovered that “waits at stops with no amenities are perceived at least 1.3
times as long as they actually are. Basic
amenities including benches and shelters significantly reduce perceived waiting
times. Women waiting for more than 10
minutes in surroundings perceived to be
buffers to segregate spaces, create a
than they really are�. By designing efficient
for passengers. To the right, Figure 2.6
insecure report waits as dramatically longer transit systems, they are more likely to be reliable and on time for passengers. This
can also increase ridership and fares which will help to fund other solutions for buses. Designers are responsible for providing
residents with comfortable and safe waiting spaces for buses. Long wait times in poor
conditions tend to create lower satisfaction
and safety rates from travelers (Abenoza et
al.) Experts can achieve a sense of comfort for passengers when they have adequate and sheltersFACTORS accompanied by CURB-SIDE
Chapter seating
barrier for privacy and can alleviate stress demonstrates how to use plants and
other built structures to accommodate for
pedestrian flow at a bus stop. Additionally, Figure 2.7 demonstrates a design for bench waiting pad. If designers were
to start to implement these features to
more bus stops, then it would increase passenger’s safety and enjoyment (Abenoza et al.).
The correlation between design and crime is that poor design can often facilitate
4greenery. Below, Figure 2.5 represents the
crime but good design cannot guarantee
provide at bus stops for it to be accessible.
create preconditions for safer environments
ADA—Accessibility Guidelines
minimum dimensions a designer needs to
By providing a shelter and wide sidewalks, it creates an inviting space for passengers to wait for the bus (Abenoza et al., 2018). Accessible Bus Stop Pad & Shelter Minimum Dimensions
Mindful planting designs can create
safety (Valentine, 1990). Landscape
architects and municipalities can only (Valentine). Based on the limitations
of their jobs, designers can implement
better practices for safe designs. These
solutions can include but are not limited
to, appropriate lighting for people and not cars, reliable transit systems, shelters for protection and vegetation buffers
for privacy. While these solutions may
statistically benefit more women than men, it is still important for everyone to have safe public transit options.
Figure 2.5 Accessible bus stop pad & shelter (National Academy Press, 1996).
Figure 28. Shelter Design Example to Meet ADA Requirements.
62
44
CURB-SIDE FACTORS
Chapter
AMENITIES—Benches
Accessible Bus Stop Design
4
• Maintain a minimum separation of 2 feet (preferably 4 feet) between the bench and the back-face of the curb. As the traffic speed of the adjacent road increases, the distance from the bench to the curb should be increased to ensure patron safety and comfort. • Maintain general ADA mobility clearances between the bench and other street furniture or utilities at a bus stop. • Do not install the bench on the 5-foot by 8-foot wheelchair landing pad. • At bench-only stops, additional waiting room near the bench should be provided (preferably protected by landscaping) to encourage bus patrons to wait at the bus stop. Figure 2.6 pedestrian traffic with nubs (National Academy bus stop with Figure 37 Separating provides bus an activities exampleandofgeneral the circulation requirements at a bench-only Press, 1996). additional seating provided.
Bus Stop Bench and Waiting Pad Design
Figure 30. Separating Bus Activities and General Pedestrian Traffic with Nubs.
65
Figure 2.7 Conceptual bench and waiting pad design (National Academy Press, 1996).
Figure 37. Conceptual Bench and Waiting Pad Design.
45 75
Figure 2.8 Transportation methods in a city. Š Drawkit. Reprinted from Transport Illustrations, n.d.
PrecedentStu Study Prece PrecedentStu StudyGENDER Prece SENSITIVE Precedent PLANNING IN Precedent Stu VIENNA Study Prece 47
Figure 2.9 Seestadt Aspern, Vienna (Daniel Hawelka 2017).
Gender Sensitive Planning in Vienna Vienna, Austria has been rated the ‘highest
the Co-ordination Office for Planning and
and 2010 according to the Mercer Study
of Daily Life and the Specific Needs of
quality of living in the world’ in both 2009 (Irschik and Kail, 2013, p.193). There is no doubt that the gender sensitive
planning initiatives this city has done
helped influence this rating. Since 1991,
the city administration has spent decades working towards a gender inclusive city by acknowledging the needs of women
(Irschik and Kail, p.194). In 1991, Eva Kail and Jutta Kleedorfer were the two young female planners who initiated gender
sensitive planning for Vienna. By 1998,
Construction Geared to the Requirements Women, led by Eva Kail, started to include gender sensitive planning within the city’s administration (Irschik and Kail). They
have tackled gendered issues on housing, social spaces, park design, transportation and many others (Irschik and Kail).
Throughout the years, this department has implemented new standards and designs for gender inclusivity that can inspire change in other parts of the world.
48
This case study will be analyzing the
Mariahilf, Vienna became the pilot district
transportation networks in Vienna. The
second year of projects, the Co-ordination
work this department has done for the
2003 Transport Master Plan for Vienna
had the Co-ordination Office leading the work on pedestrian safety. The existing
narrow streets and sidewalks had to be fixed so they implemented two meter
sidewalks in their masterplan which later became standard practice. Completed in 2011, the Co-ordination Office created a pedestrian network master plan that
highlighted the connections and value of
public space. They focused on pavement
width, obstacles on sidewalks, pedestrian accident hot-spots and many others. They also analyzed the pedestrian
accessibility of essential services such as kindergartens, retirement homes,
parks and public transport stops. In 2002,
for gender mainstreaming. Within their
office developed three departments for analyzing gender issues in Mariahilf:
Traffic Organization, Road Construction
and Public Lighting. Over time, Mariahilf
has made over 60 improvements to street junctions, widened over 1,000 meters
of sidewalks, implemented barrier-free
design, additional places for seating and improved lighting visibility in 26 spots
(Irschik and Kail, 2013, p.214). Mariahilf and Vienna’s city administration is an
example of how change can be made when people acknowledge the needs of women. Municipalities and urban designers have to start implementing gender sensitive planning practices in their cities.
Figure 2.10 Eva Kail in a meeting (The Urban Advisory, n.d.).
49
Part III : Prod Research Par Product of Re GENDER Part III : Prod INCLUSIVE PUBLIC Research Par TRANSIT Product of Re GUIDE Part III : Prod 50
duct of rt III : esearch duct of rt III : esearch duct of
This thesis has created a Gender Inclusive Public Transit Guide for landscape architects. This guide will encourage a new
standard for designing transit systems to be gender sensitive. This guide specifically applies to landscape architects and
their ability to control the streetscape and systematic design of transit stops and routes. This guide has been created in
hopes of achieving similar recognition and implementation of
the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act’s (AODA). This design guide will provide urban planners and designers with
specific quantities for design choices that will meet the standard requirements for gender inclusivity.
51
PUBLIC TRANSIT ONLY LANES
LIGHTING FOR SAFETY
Transit only lanes include buses and streetcars, for this solution we will be focusing on bus only lanes. The lane must be a minimum of 11-feet wide, painted with a bright colour with the label “bus only” and have a double white line to separate from car lanes (NACTO, n.d.). Designers should also implement hard barriers (ie. vegetation planters) or soft barriers (ie. rumble strips) to the edge of the lane to discourage cars from using the lane (NACTO). Many other factors have to be considered when designing for a bus only lane. These include signal times at stops (ie. transit lanes get priority for efficiency) and regulation of usage of the lane based on peak times. (NACTO). With good design, a transit only lane can create the foundation for a gender inclusive transportation system.
Many factors need to be considered when designing light fixtures such as glare, color and energy source, this guide recommends light illuminance and spacing that increases women’s feelings of safety. Designers should provide seperate lighting that is to scale for the needs of humans and vehicles. The 1992 British Standard for pedestrian lighting recommended three standards for horizontal illuminances: 3.5 lux, 6.0 lux and 10 lux (Fotios & Gibbons, 2018). Pedestrian lighting should be 5-6 meters tall and spaced 12.5-18 meters apart (NACTO, n.d.). Recommended lighting for roads should be between 3.2 lux to 6.4 lux (Fotios & Gibbons). Light fixtures for vehicles should be 10-12 meters tall and spaced 35 meters apart (Wakefield, et al. 2017). If designers are able to meet these standards for lighting at bus stops, then they can create a safer waiting place for women at night.
52
ENHANCED STOPS
DESIGN FOR ACCESSIBILITY
There are specific requirements for shelters that landscape architects need to implement at stops where possible. Although it would be ideal to have a shelter at every stop on every route, it is not always possible based on demand and number of users. This thesis recommends that cities should have a predicted deadline to implement shelters at all locations. A shelter should be 10-feet wide, 7-feet tall with seating that can accommodate a minimum of 4 people. Seating benches should be on a non-slip, properly drained concrete pad (Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP), 1996). Shelters should be placed a minimum of 5-feet from the edge of the curb to allow wheelchair users and people travelling with prams to have waiting space without disturbing other pedestrian movement (TCRP).
To increase accessibility, landscape architects can implement pedestrian crosswalks next to the bus stops. Pedestrian crosswalks should be at every stop possible with appropriate signage and traffic signal lights. It allows for pedestrians to cross the road safely and easily. The crosswalks should have a 5-feet clearance between the front or rear of a bus and have flush curbs going onto the sidewalk (Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP), 1996). Signage is important to let cars know when to stop for pedestrians so they can cross safely. Bus stop and crosswalk signs should be 7-feet tall and in an easily visible location (TCRP). Sidewalks should be a width of 2 meters and be 6-inches tall so buses can easily lower onto the sidewalks to let passengers with prams on (Irschik and Kail, 2013, p.211).
53
RELIABLE TRANSIT Transport planners have to design routes that are reliable and efficient for the public’s needs. Many factors can influence the frequency of a route such as population density, location and demand (Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP), 1996). Planners should prioritize the frequency of routes that connect services such as grocery stores, hospitals, schools and daycares etc. In an urban area, these services should have routes with bus stops that are spaced within a range of 500 to 1200-feet apart (TCRP). Planners also have to factor in all four stages of public transit trips. The time it takes to walk to the bus stop, waiting time, in-transit time and walking to the final destination. Stop spacing and reliability are important factors to create a better user experience.
LISTENING TO OTHERS Cities will have varying needs based on the layout and infrastructure of the city. In order to design for the needs of the community, landscape architects need to listen to the voices of all residents, specifically women. A specific recommendation for landscape architects is to start analyzing their designs and policies through a technique called gender mainstreaming. In terms of urban planning, gender mainstreaming “considers the diverse requirements of men and women of all ages and types at each stage of the planning process” (Irschik and Kail, 2013, p.179). Ultimately, the design of the built environment and open spaces must consider the needs of both women and men while planning.
54
*Icons in the Gender Inclusive Public Transit Guide were created and designed in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop by M. Collins (2020) and are not referenced or cited otherwise.
55
56
Part IV : The Urban Public T IV : The Futur THE Public Transit ROLE OF Future of Ur LANDSCAPE Transit Part IV ARCHITECTS 57
The Role of Landscape Architects The future of urban public transit has to be
This thesis is aimed at helping landscape
have to do their part. Landscape architects
sensitive planning practices within public
gender inclusive and landscape architects
are responsible for providing safe, equitable and beautiful public and private spaces for
architects understand how to adopt gendertransit.
a community. Often, the practice of gender-
The Gender Inclusive Public Transit Guide
prioritized. There has to be a systematic
standards in the guide provide landscape
mainstreaming is either forgotten or not
change in the planning process of public
spaces if they are to be gender inclusive. In an ideal situation, female landscape
architects would have equal opportunities
as men do to be in executive and decision
making positions. This would allow designers to have a diverse range of perspectives and
experiences while planning which can help to
create inclusive cities. Vienna, Austria is proof that change can happen when the people in charge acknowledge women’s issues.
was created for landscape architects. The architects with the means to create public
spaces that represent the needs of everyone in the community. It is important to note that
transportation is just one factor in designing a shared city and landscape architects should consider the many other factors that go into gender inclusive city planning. Ultimately,
they should be aiming to create cities that are gender inclusive instead of the car-centric male dominated society that exists today.
Figure 3.0 Prague public transit (Intelligent Transport, 2017).
58
“Most city diversity is the creation of incredible numbers of different people and different private organizations, with vastly differing ideas and purposes, planning and contriving outside the formal framework of public action.” – Jacobs (1993) The Death and Life of Great American Cities
59
The Shared City A place where an individual can live, travel and co-exist with others seamlessly is
the goal of a shared city. Citizens should
“Cities have the capability of providing so only when, they are cre Jacobs (1993) The Death and
not experience unfair circumstances in the place they reside due to their sex,
gender or societal factors. Although this thesis placed a large emphasis on the
inequalities women experience in public
transit settings, there are many scenarios where women are not accounted for
in the planning process. As mentioned
before in the precedent study of Vienna, municipalities have to start making
changes to areas such as housing, social
spaces, playgrounds and park design. There are many steps in the planning
process of a city and gender inclusive
public transit is only the start to create a shared city. The goal of this thesis is to
have municipalities, transport planners, landscape architects and other experts
changing their traditional planning methods to account for gender sensitive planning practices.
60
Figure 3.1 A rendering of a commercial public space (Westhollow Society, n.d.)
omething for everybody, only because, and reated by everybody.� Life of Great American Cities
Creating a shared city is up to all of us. We have to collectively want change
for the betterment of our societies. If
municipalities and landscape architects can adopt gender sensitive planning practices it will benefit the lives of all citizens. We
need to adapt our male-biased traditions
and have progressive conversations about representing women in our communities. There needs to be greater diversity and
61
representation in the people designing our cities so that we can increase
people’s quality of life. Women are often
overlooked or forgotten because there is
an assumption that women have the same needs as men. By tossing this assumption and taking the specific considerations of women into account, city planners have
an opportunity to make huge changes that will lead to the betterment of our society
as a whole. Change can only happen when
people acknowledge the issue and strive to be better.
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Criminology, 25, 390-392. https://www.jstor.org/ stable/23637224 Hunt, E. (2019, May 14). City with a female face: how modern Vienna was shaped by women. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/ cities/2019/may/14/city-with-a-female-face-howmodern-vienna-was-shaped-by-women International Labour Office Geneva. (2007). ABC of women workers’ rights and gender equality. International Labour Organization 2007. https://www. ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---gender/documents/publication/wcms_087314.pdf Irschik, E., & Kail, E. (2013). Vienna: Progress Towards a Fair Shared City. Madariaga, I. S., & Roberts, M. (Eds.). Fair Shared Cities The Impact of Gender Planning in Europe. Ashgate (193-229) Jacobs, J. (1993). The death and life of great American cities. Vintage Books. Litman, T. (2016). When are bus lanes warranted? Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 2-19. https:// books.scholarsportal.info/en/read?id=/ebooks/ebooks0/gibson_cppc/2016-03-25/1/248894 Lorinc, J. (2016, January 13). What if City Council actually talked about buses? Spacing Toronto. http:// spacing.ca/toronto/2016/01/13/buses-buses-buses/#:~:text=A%20TTC%20bus%20shelter%20 currently,rather%20than%20tarted%2Dup%20 billboards. Loukaitou-Sideris, A., & Fink, C. (2009). Addressing Women’s Fear of Victimization in Transportation Settings. Urban Affairs Review, 44, 554-587. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078087408322874 Madariaga, I. S. (2013). Mobility of Care: Introducing New Concepts in Urban Transport. Madariaga, I. S., & Roberts, M. (Eds.). Fair Shared Cities The Impact of Gender Planning in Europe. Ashgate
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(33-48) Miralles-Guasch, C. (2006). Transport and Accessibility. Urbanism & Gender A Necessary Vision For All, 49-51. https://www.diba.cat/documents/540797/544667/seep-fitxers-urbanismgender-pdf.pdf National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). (n.d.). Dedicated Curbside/ Offset Bus Lanes. https://nacto.org/publication/ urban-street-design-guide/street-design-elements/transit-streets/dedicated-curbside-offset-bus-lanes/#:~:text=Recommended,bus%20 lane%20is%2010%20feet. National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). (n.d.). Lighting Design Guidance. https://globaldesigningcities.org/publication/global-street-design-guide/utilities-and-infrastructure/ lighting-and-technology/lighting-design-guidance/ Rivas, M. (2006). Environments and Requirements: The Mapping of a System Under Development. Urbanism & Gender A Necessary Vision For All, 89-94. https://www.diba.cat/documents/540797/544667/seep-fitxers-urbanismgender-pdf.pdf Rustin, S. (2014, December 5). If women built cities, what would our urban landscape look like? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/dec/05/if-women-built-cities-what-wouldour-urban-landscape-look-like Sayin, E., Krishna, A., Ardelet, C., Decre, G., & Goudey, A. (2015). “Sound and safe”: The effect of ambient sound on the perceived safety of public spaces. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 32(4), 323-353 https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ijresmar.2015.06.002 Smith, T., Axon, C., & Darton, R. (2013). The impact on human health of car-related air pollution in the UK, 1995–2005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. atmosenv.2013.05.0 Surico, J. (2019, October 10). Why the Bus Got So Bad, and How to Save It. Bloomberg CityL-
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FIGURE REFERENCES Figure i - Drawkit. Reprinted from Transport Illustrations, n.d., Retrieved from https://www.drawkit. io/product/free-transport-illustrations Copyright Drawkit Figure ii - Drawkit. Reprinted from Transport Illustrations, n.d., Retrieved from https://www.drawkit. io/product/free-transport-illustrations Copyright Drawkit Figure 1.0 “How Better Urban Planning Can Improve Gender Equality” Reprinted from Behavioural Scientist, 2019., Retrieved from https://behavioralscientist.org/how-better-urban-planning-can-improve-gender-equality/. Copyright Ryoji Iwata/ Unsplash Figure 1.1 “Getting Toronto Moving: smart transportation policy for Ontario’s biggest city” Reprinted from, 2018. Retrieved from https://www. competeprosper.ca/blog/getting-toronto-moving-smart-transportation-policy-for-ontarios-biggest-cit Copyright mikeinlondon, iStockphoto Figure 1.2. “Examining Trip-Chaining Behavior Comparison of Travel by Men and Women” by McGuckin, N., & Murakami, E. (1999). Retrieved from (https://doi.org/10.3141/1693-12). Figure 1.3. “EDITORIAL: City should clear walking paths”, by Winnipeg Sun, 2018. Retrieved from (https://winnipegsun.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-city-should-clear-walking-paths). Copyright 2020 Postmedia Network Inc. Figure 1.4 “HOW TO DESIGN SAFE CITIES FOR WOMEN” Reprinted from Women’s Republic, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.womensrepub-
lic.net/how-to-design-safe-cities-for-women/ Figure 1.5. “Addressing Fear of Crime in Public Space: Gender Differences in Reaction to Safety Measures in Train Transit” by Yavuz, N., & Welch, E. (2010). Retrieved from (https://doi-org.subzero.lib. uoguelph.ca/10.1177/0042098009359033). Figure 1.6 Drawkit. Reprinted from Transport Illustrations, n.d., Retrieved from https://www.drawkit. io/product/free-transport-illustrations Copyright Drawkit Figure 1.7 Google, n.d. Yonge st. Toronto, Ontario. Retrieved from https://earth.google.com/web/search/ Yonge+Street,+Toronto,+ON/@43.9120105,-79.4 467502,283.39042796a,735.62677907d,35y,0h, 45t,0r/data=CoQBGloSVAolMHg4ODJhZDU4YTM3MGJmNDk5OjB4MjkwZTgyMTQzMzFmZjFiOBlTuNT30N9FQCFGcMirGNpTwCoZWW9uZ2UgU3RyZWV0LCBUb3JvbnRvLCBPThgCIAEiJgokCeS6sI9w70VAEWi3FuU3yEVAGaTcPF8_ vFPAIQaCi9Uk9FPAKAI Figure 2.0. “Every bus in this country deserves its own lane” by Walker, A. (2019). Retrieved from (https:// archive.curbed.com/2019/10/14/20902256/ bus-lane-emissions-climate-change) Copyright NACTO Figure 2.1. “When Are Bus Lanes Warranted? Considering Economic Efficiency, Social Equity and Strategic Planning Goals” by Litman, T. (2015). Retrieved from (https://books.scholarsportal.info/ en/read?id=/ebooks/ebooks0/gibson_cppc/201603-25/1/248894#page=2) Copyright 2015 Victoria Transport Policy Institute
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Figure 2.2 “Travelling with prams and young children” Reprinted from Transport NSW, n.d. Retrieved from https://transportnsw.info/travel-info/using-public-transport/travelling-with-prams-youngchildren#/ Figure 2.3 “Visualizing the Mobility of Care” Reprinted from Fair Shared Cities The Impact of Gender Planning in Europe (p 39), by Madariaga, I. S., & Roberts, M. (Eds.), 2013, Copyright Ashgate Figure 2.4 “The 7 Best Ways to Improve Nighttime Pedestrian Safety” Reprinted from TAPCO, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.tapconet.com/blog/ the-7-best-ways-to-improve-nighttime-pedestriansafety/ Figure 2.5. “Guidelines for the Location and Design of Bus Stops” Transportation Research Board (1996). Retrieved from (https://nacto.org/docs/ usdg/tcrp_report_19.pdf) Copyright 1996 National Academy Press Figure 2.6. “Guidelines for the Location and Design of Bus Stops” Transportation Research Board (1996). Retrieved from (https://nacto.org/docs/ usdg/tcrp_report_19.pdf) Copyright 1996 National Academy Press Figure 2.7. “Guidelines for the Location and Design of Bus Stops” Transportation Research Board (1996). Retrieved from (https://nacto.org/docs/ usdg/tcrp_report_19.pdf) Copyright 1996 National Academy Press Figure 2.8 Drawkit. Reprinted from Transport Illustrations, n.d., Retrieved from https://www.drawkit. io/product/free-transport-illustrations Copyright Drawkit Figure 2.9. “City with a female face: how modern Vienna was shaped by women” by Daniel Hawelka (2017). Retrieved from (https://www.theguardian. com/cities/2019/may/14/city-with-a-female-facehow-modern-vienna-was-shaped-by-women) Figure 2.10. “What is Urban Strategy?” The Urban Advisory (n.d.). Retrieved from (https://www.theurbanadvisory.com/what-is-urban-strategy/)
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Figure 3.0. “Seamless mobility for passengers in Prague” Intelligent Transport (2017). Retrieved from (https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-articles/72636/seamless-mobility-for-passengers-in-prague/) Figure 3.1“Westhollow Society Our Projects 20152017” Reprinted from, Westhollow Society, n.d. Retrieved from http://westhollowsociety.org/ wp-content/uploads/2015/10/October-29-Westhollow-Final-Version.pdf. Copyright Westhollow Society
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