Page 66 - TrafficInfraTech Dec-Jan 2019

MOBILITY

Towards gender inclusive city gender was to be incorporated into it. time in the history of the country, we
planning Safety is another big concern and it were able to get a ‘Gender’ chapter
Dr Nandita Shah: The biggest is directly linked to the infrastructure introduced in the Development Plan
challenge when it comes to including planning- An example to understand document (2014-34). The Gender
women’s transport in the larger this would be – the newly constructed, chapter clearly articulates the role
framework of a city’s planning is to Bandra Kurla Complex – which is of planning in changing lives of
translate gender awareness into policy considered to be designed smartly and women with the special focus on the
and into implementable practice for in a modern way. What went unnoticed declining workforce participation and
gender inclusion. is that when one designs and industrial need for supportive amenities for
commercial space without a possibility women to engage and continue in
The question to be considered when the workforce and be part of equal
planning and designing cities is if of a residential area around it, that citizens in the city.
women are really being looked at as space becomes an unsafe zone by the
rightful citizens? To answer that, one end of the day when the work force In the realm of transport, we
needs to start looking at every aspect is gone -- leaving the area isolated. observed that women -- whether
of infrastructure planning in terms of Thus the principles of mixed used plan low-wage employees, such as those
increasing access for women and the had to be emphasised. These basic employed in household assistance or
effect it has on their usability. principles that are being considered vendors or those who work in offices
and used internationally need to be -- need access to housing and public
It is essential to look at Gender kept in mind when we’re working on transport between places of residence
Inclusion in a comprehensive way -- new infrastructure in the city to ensure and work. Our attempt is that the
in terms of transport, Infrastructure, safety and inclusion of women. public transport safety can also be
education and health. And to ensure ensured by the on ground conductors
that, we decided to in get engaged Our biggest achievement was that and railway protection force. We have
with the Development Plan (Mumbai city planners recognized that men worked with BEST establishment to
2014-34) which was being discussed and women use cities differently. enlarge the role of conductors to
as the vision of the city for the next There was an acceptance of the play a preventive role in the bus and
20 years. need to create different kinds of
provisions that will allow women this has been implemented through
The four years of advocating gave to experience cities differently and a new rule card. Installation of CCTV
us many firsts. While we addressed the formulation of the plan should have cameras which takes away resources
areas of transportation, accessibility those amenities embedded in our are not able to build the required
and sanitation, among others; we also demands. With these for the first safety for women.
looked at how the local bodies could
be made more participatory and how
citizens could be engaged.
The challenge was ensuring that we
create mechanisms for participatory
inclusion in city planning. The first
development plan that was presented
by a French consultancy firm was
completely rejected by citizens as it
excluded the poor and many other
marginalised groups including womem.
Keeping that in mind, we felt the need to
come up with ways in which Municipal
Corporation and its planning is more
inclusive. Where are the secondary
schools, hospitals going to come up?
Where are the roads going to come
up? What are the ways in which it is
going to be integrated with transport?
Every integral part of those linkages
had to be considered and the aspect of

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