HOW CAN ARCHITECTURE IMPROVE

WOMEN’S SAFETY
PROJECT REPORT

A DISSERTATION REPORT

(Code AR 8015)

Submitted by

SWATHI SATISH
Reg. No: 311318251142

In partial fulfillment for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
in

ARCHITECTURE

MEASI ACADEMY OF ARCHITECTURE: CHENNAI – 14

ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI – 600 025

JUNE 2022
 ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI – 600 025
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this project report “HOW CAN ARCHITECTURE IMPROVE

WOMEN’S SAFETY” is the Bonafide work of SWATHI SATISH who carried out
the project work under my supervision.

Prof. M.R. MOHAMED KHALID Ar.MOHAMED UVAIZ

PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR

MEASI Academy of Architecture, MEASI Academy of Architecture,

87,Peters Road, Royapettah, 87,Peters Road, Royapettah,

Chennai-600014 Chennai-600014

INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMNIER

 ACKNOWLEGEMENT

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my Professor-in-charge, Ar. Anjali

Sadanand, for her invaluable assistance and insights leading to the writing of this paper.
Learning from her has been an enlightening experience. This dissertation would not
have been possible without Ar. Mohamed Uvaiz, whose guidance from the initial step
in research enabled me to develop an understanding of the subject. I am thankful to
Ar. Mohideen Fathima S I, for the unfailing support and continuous encouragement.
Finally, I want to thank me, for believing in me, for doing all this hardwork and
finishing off this dissertation on a good note.

KEYWORDS
Women, safety, security, urban, planning, unsafe, public spaces, built environment

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................... 7
CHAPTER – 1 .................................................................................................. 8

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. AIM
1.2. OBJECTIVE
1.3. METHODOLOGY
1.4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.5. SCOPE

CHAPTER - 2 ................................................................................................. 11

2. LITERATURE STUDY

2.1. SOCIAL SAFETY FOR WOMEN IN URBAN SPACE. (CASE STUDY:

MASHHAD METROPOLITAN)

2.2 EMPIRICAL STUDY ON WOMEN’S SAFETY CONCERNS IN PUBLIC

SPACES: CASE STUDY OF LAHORE CITY.

2.3 SAFE IN THE CITY? NEGOTIATING SAFETY, PUBLIC SPACE AND THE
MALE GAZE IN KOLKATA, INDIA.

2.4 WOMEN’S SAFETY AND PUBLIC SPACES: LESSONS FROM THE

SABARMATI RIVERFRONT, INDIA.

CHAPTER - 3 ................................................................................................. 17

3. PARAMETERS
CHAPTER - 4 ................................................................................................. 19

4. QUESTIONNAIRE

CHAPTER – 5 ................................................................................................ 20

5. MATERIAL AND METHOD

5.1 SIR THYAGARAYA STREET

4
 5.1.1 INTRODUCTION

5.1.2 DEMOGRAPHICS

5.1.3 ECONOMY

5.2 RANGANATHAN STREET

5.2.1 INTRODUCTION

5.2.2 ECONOMY

CHAPTER - 6 ................................................................................................. 23

6. ANALYSIS

6.1. SIR THYAGARAYA STREET

6.2. RANGANATHAN STREET

CHAPTER - 7 ................................................................................................. 27

7. FINDINGS

CHAPTER - 8 ................................................................................................. 28

8. CONCLUSION

REFERNCES .................................................................................................. 29

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Table of Figures

Figure 2-1. The area studied in the case study ................................................. 11

Figure 2-2. Percentages showing women’s perception regarding safety ....... 13
Figure 2-3. Time when women feel insecure in public spaces ............................... 13
Figure 2-4. Vulnerability of age groups ........................................................................... 14
Figure 5-1. Location of Sir Thyagaraya street............................................................... 20
Figure 5-2. Location of Ranganathan street ................................................................... 21
Figure 6-1. Factors affecting the safety of women ...................................................... 23
Figure 6-2. Time of the day during which women feel safe .................................... 24
Figure 6-3. Factors affecting the safety of women ...................................................... 25
Figure 6-4. Time of the day during which women feel safe .................................... 26

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 ABSTRACT
Rapid urbanization is one of the significant challenges of contemporary societies. For urban areas
to realize the potentials and avoid the pitfalls of population and economic growth, good urban
planning is critical. The urban public spaces have paramount role in urban development programs.
People, Space and Place add many aspects that shape individuals' perception of safety. “The
elements of built environment have a profound effect on the three notions of safety: comfort,
belonging and commitment”[1].
Being a patriarchal society, public spaces have become male centric. With increase in population
density, a diverse mix of people in cities, growing inequalities and lack of opportunities for a large
proportion of disaffected youth, urban crime in general is on the rise. Violent crimes against
women are also increasing as part of this progress. Women are more likely to be victims of violent
crime just because of their gender. Violence against women, especially in public spaces, is
underrecognized and underreported, and therefore it is difficult to assess the scale of the
phenomenon.
Women are especially affected by urban design choices, the organization of public services, the
mix of urban functions. Exploring why women regularly report increased fear of crime in urban
areas is necessary for fostering a safe urban living space. Architects and urban planners should
explore about ways to build projects from the outset that consider women’s safety as a key element
of their design program could set the stage for and induce the psycho-social, behavioral, and
cultural differences that need to happen before women are truly able to enjoy public spaces and
engage fully in the civic life of their cities.
This report will first identify the major issues faced by women on a day-to-day basis. Later on,
focusing on two commercial streets in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and further more analyzing the
parameters affecting women’s safety. The report concludes with the analysis and findings from the
same.

7
 1. INTRODUCTION
This study deals with analyzing various safety issues faced by women in a commercialized area and
coming up with solutions that incorporate architectural elements to provide a better, safe world for
women. The world as we know it is not designed to be gender-inclusive, much less be considerate
of women's safety. Including the needs and requirements of women when it comes to designing
spaces is the need of the hour.
A public place is a social space that is generally open and accessible to all types of people. For
women around the world, just passing through public places- a market, a crowded street, or riding
the bus – is cause for great anxiety. These spaces identify as places unsafe for women.
Women have just as much of a right to the city as men. “Although the ‘right to the city’ is mediated
by existing social inequities of class, religion, race, ethnicity, and caste in the Indian context” [2],
above all these equities is a layer of gender inequality. Gender refers to “culturally-mediated
expectations and roles associated with masculinity and femininity” [3]. Gender roles are shaped by
economic, cultural, and social norms and play a significant part in constructing unequal urban
realities. Simply put, “women and men experience cities in different ways” [4].

On the other hand, gender-neutral urban design is important due to some urban spaces being unsafe
for women. Planning and designing safe public areas for women entails incorporating
characteristics that increase women's safety while minimizing features that cause their insecurity.

1.1 AIM
To study the different spaces and elements in a streetscape of a commercial street and how it caters
to the safety of women.

1.2 OBJECTIVE
• To identify the different spaces in an urban context of a commercial street in which women
feel unsafe.
• To analyze different degrees of threats faced by women in an urban area, more specifically a
commercial street.
• To conclude by coming up with various solutions that will ensure women’s safety in an
urban context.

8
 1.3 METHODOLOGY

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• What is the quality of the space that makes women feel unsafe.
• What are the elements in a streetscape that cater to the safety of women.
• How better to plan and design a streetscape that promotes safety.

9
 1.5 SCOPE
• The scope of the study is limited to an urban context.
• It only deals with problems that can be solved architecturally.

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 2. LITERATURE STUDY
2.1 Social safety for women in urban space (Case study: Mashhad
metropolitan)
Gender-neutral urban design is important due to some urban spaces being unsafe for the attendance
of women. Lighting, landscaping, visibility, motorised traffic, pedestrian traffic, urban furniture,
potential hiding spots, signage, security personnel, proximity to other public spaces, proximity to
emergency services, and access to public transportation are all factors that planners, designers, and
architects should consider when planning and designing safe public spaces for women. Each of
these areas are given particular consideration from the perspective of the women who use public
spaces.
Mashhad is located between Hezar Masjed & Binaloud Mountains. The city is located at 36.20º
North latitude and 59.35º East longitude, in the valley of the Kashaf River near Turkmenistan,
between the two mountain ranges of Binalood and Hezar-masjed. Mashhad is divided into 7 parts
in planning based on environmental, physical, economic, social indicators (Farnahad consultant,
2008). Mashhad is divided into 12 municipally regions. Refer fig. 2-1 for studied area.

Fig. 2-1. The area studied in the case study.

Source- Social safety for women in Urban space ( Case study: Mashhad Metropolitan )

Both societal norms, such as behavior and the built environment affect a woman’s safety in urban
spaces. Knowledge of women's issues might begin to make a shift in the way women are treated
and respected in the society. While retribution and rejecting the perception that it is acceptable to
be treated inappropriately in public is a beginning, the journey is far from over. A crucial step is to

11
generate more awareness about women's safety issues in public spaces. Although the behavior and
attitudes of the society cannot be transformed overnight, the built environment can be manipulated
and can be used as a medium for change.

2.2 Empirical Study on Women Safety Concerns at Public Places: Case

Study of Lahore City
Global studies and surveys illustrate that women feel less comfortable and safe in public places
even in developed countries and are afraid of violence and hostility. This dilemma is prevailing in
developing countries, and the facts associated with women harassment are terrifying. Local
surveys, studies and literature on women’s safety in public places exposed that woman needs and
their concerns are overlooked due to societal iniquities, anxieties, and phobia of aggression.
Women concerns are entirely different from those of men when they approach public transport
terminals, public parks, public squares, markets and bazaars. The physical environment and spatial
patterns of towns and cities are predominantly linked to work habits of men and women. Females,
particularly those living in low-income settlements, feel unsafe in their homes after dark because
the zones are poorly lit, streets are not properly paved, sewer water run-offs on the roads and streets
make it dangerous for them to move, and bus stops are frequently placed on corners, forcing them
to move in the dark streets. According to recent newspaper report 85 % of women face harassment
in Karachi City. This research study creates a framework of realities, information, and facts that can
be used broadly in city planning to incorporate gender as an important factor in the creation of a
safe and inclusive city. The approach adopted for the research highlights solutions to the issues and
challenges of fighting fierceness to incorporate in larger towns. This study also revealed various
factors that have a vital role in shaping access to the amenities and facilities for females by
selecting a dense hub of Lahore city that must be gender oriented in regard with urban design and
planning, community involvement, enhanced policies and usage of public places.
The study examines the female’s perception regarding safety in urban places and the subsequent
factors contributing towards the insecurity of females. In conclusion, it was established that safety
elements should be kept in mind to achieve a safer environment. The research necessitates urban
planners and designers to introduce elements for women safety, privacy and comfort in the design
of urban places.
This research follows a relative logical strategy and attempts to cover public spaces in all towns of
Lahore. All functional areas such as roads, streets, pathways, public toilets, stations, bus stops,
bazaars, markets and malls, highways, parks, restaurants, cinemas, public transportation (cabs, local
rickshaws) and their usage are examined in towns of Lahore in relation to women's demand for
security and safety. Surveys are conducted with the help of a designed questionnaire in both
historical and newly built towns of Lahore.

12
Fig 2-2. Percentages showing women’s perception regarding safety.
Source- Empirical study on women’s safety concerns at public spaces: Case study of Lahore city.

Fig 2-3. Time when women feel insecure in public spaces.

Source- Empirical study on women’s safety concerns at public spaces: Case study of Lahore city.

13
Fig 2-4. Vulnerability of age groups.
Source- Empirical study on women’s safety concerns at public spaces: Case study of Lahore city.

The analysis, which included presence of undesirable factors in public places, poor lighting in
public parks, non-availability of separate spaces for families and females in public places,
inadequate deployment of security guards in public places, male dominated public places, non-
availability of public toilets for females, showed strong relationship of women safety with public
places and different threats.

2.3 Safe in the City? Negotiating safety, public space and the male gaze
in Kolkata, India
Negotiating public spaces to reach their destinations is an everyday struggle for women in India.
Indian cities have witnessed a considerable increase in crimes against women, compelling women
to avoid or minimize their use of public spaces. This study aims to understand how people and their
actions in public spaces shape perceptions of safety amongst women, and how women negotiate
public spaces to avoid such incidents of harassment. This study consisting of focus group
discussions and in-depth interviews was carried out in Kolkata, India. Visual surveys were
conducted to spatially contextualize the narratives from the participants. The data were thereafter
transcribed, coded, and analyzed.
Women, regard lively environments and bustling roads where everyday commuters, hawkers, and
shopkeepers are engaged in purposeful activities as safe. Women make ongoing efforts to avoid,
protect, and prevent unsafe conditions in urban spaces. Most women prefer to internalise the
negotiation process rather than assert their rights to public spaces. This study's findings can assist
planners and policymakers in co-creating safer public spaces for women and facilitating their right
to the city. A study of Kolkata's public areas demonstrates that, despite gender segregation, the
14
concept of participation or competition was nonexistent in pre-colonial times. In today's Kolkata,
contested venues such as Burrabazar wholesale market, parks, paan shops, and tea stalls, which are
dominated by men, limit women's participation. Women in Kolkata generally try to avoid and
protect themselves, and they rarely get the confidence to speak up. In Kolkata, women's restricted
access to public spaces is an indication of socially manufactured anxiety shaped by how spaces are
seen. The majority of Kolkata's streets, particularly those in the business and commercial districts,
feature heavy foot traffic and are active throughout the day. Men are seen as being more active in
public settings throughout the day, moving, sitting, speaking, and waiting, but women are only seen
moving, and that movement is limited by purpose and time of day. According to the NCRB (2016)
study, West Bengal is one of the three states with the highest rates of crime against women.
In light of the existing literature that discusses how spaces and people influence safety, this study
explores how people and their attributes and activities in public spaces shape perceptions of safety
amongst women, and how women negotiate such spaces. This study is limited to the public streets
of Kolkata as current literature indicates that women in India feel most unsafe on the streets and in
public transport.
This research is crucial in light of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, particularly
SDG 11.7, which calls for universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible public spaces for
women. This research is significant because it builds on the conversation about gendered spaces
and contributes to the growing body of knowledge in the global south about the gendered right to
the city. Despite the fact that the empirical study on Kolkata is unique, it resonates with and
advances understandings from other empirical studies and theories emerging in the global south.
Despite the fact that gender concerns are becoming more prominent, urban planners and
policymakers, particularly in India, have yet to incorporate the gender component into planning.
This is largely due to the lack of proper contextualized research that capture women's daily lives in
public areas. Before tactics and interventions can be developed, women's contestations,
negotiations, and views must be recognized and accepted. The women's lived experiences in this
study shed light on their daily problems in public areas. They reveal the nature of the fights and
arguments they had to go through just to stroll, let alone utilize or loiter. They describe gendered
processes and their spatial implications, as well as how women's access to the city is either granted
or refused. The several narratives in this study highlight the finer points of gendered spaces, which
can assist planners and policymakers in cocreating safe public spaces through various planning and
design interventions, and facilitating women's access to the city.

2.4 Women's Safety and Public Spaces: Lessons from the Sabarmati
Riverfront, India
Women's equal rights to the city and public spaces within it are included in the safe cities' concept,
which includes their freedom to be mobile in the city at any time of day, as well as their ability to
loiter in public spaces without fear of harassment or sexual violence. In today's India, these
challenges have gained prominence in urban planning and design.
15
The Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmedabad's main public space, is rated as safe for women in this
article. Ahmedabad, a city in western India, has long been associated with women's safety. The
Sabarmati Riverfront stretches for more than 22 kilometres, 11 kilometres on both sides of the
river.
This evaluation is based on a mapping of space use by sex and age at four different time points
during the day, as well as 100 women's testimonies of harassment while using the area.
The main causes of harassment were identified as, male-dominated spaces (53%) and fewer people
and vendors around (38%). 51% of harassed women reported the incidents took place in the
afternoon, followed by 37% in the evening, and 15% in the morning. It is interesting to note that
most women reported feeling unsafe in the early morning and evening but were harassed the most
in the afternoon. In almost all pockets, built environment factors that reduce visible accessibility,
fail to bring and engage people. Most women have accepted harassment as a part of their reality
and have mechanisms to cope with it. In summary, the study indicates that
• Women tend to avoid using the riverfront in the early morning and late evening. They are
usually accompanied by their friends or family and use the space for leisure or recreation.
• Women prefer spots that are well-lit, well-maintained, and receive more footfall or spots that
are generally more active. These elements make them feel safer as they think they can be
heard, seen, and get help.
• Most women emphasized increasing informal and formal surveillance through regular
activity generation, vending zones, police personnel, and CCTV cameras.
• Many women recommended better maintenance of all pockets and adding design elements
that increase public convenience like water stations, accessible public toilets, seats/benches,
and shaded spaces (trees, umbrellas, etc.).

16
 3. PARAMETERS
-Factors observed across all case studies by which the research is analyzed.
• Anthropometry: Today's universal standards provide typical measurements that are
primarily designed to accommodate men's physical comfort in public settings. Design factors
that make physical urban environments uncomfortable include things like railing design,
seating height, bus stop step up, and so on. Initiatives to decrease accidents and violence
against women and children should be part of making cities safer for them. Inclusive and
universal design principles should result in city infrastructure that is widely accessible to
everybody.
• Visual Accessibility: The feeling of safety in urban environments is heavily influenced by
visual accessibility. The sensation of safety and security is directly proportional to visibility.
This element is aided by having uninterrupted lines of vision while planning urban
infrastructure.
• Transportation: When it comes to developing cities that are safer for women, transportation
infrastructure is crucial. This is the one characteristic that allows them to have equal access
to all regions of the city. Parking lots and stations that are well-lit and well-surveilled, with
uninterrupted visual lines to the street and the buildings surrounding them, are critical,
especially at night.
• Planned Amenities and Public Spaces: Planned congregations and interacting urban spaces
make up developed cities. After a certain hour, these venues in cities become ghost zones,
resulting in them being crime hotspots. ATMs, medical shops, street hawkers, restaurants,
hospitals, and police stations should all be located along or near the streets 24 hours a day, 7
days a week. In the event of a crime outbreak, this would provide refuge/rescue zones. The
streets should be designed to provide chances and places for activity magnets, with specified
spaces along the way. To achieve uniform densification of population, these zones should be
uniformly placed along the stretch.
• Proper Lighting: Dark Street corners, entry/exit points, car-parks, and poorly lit spaces
cause discomfort to women during early mornings and late evenings, increasing the fear of
violence. Women across the world have reported being willing to take longer or different
routes to avoid such spots and stretches. Woman feel unsafe in almost all carparks, which are
generally poorly-lit and are less visually accessible from the entry/exit points. Women, on
the other hand, prefer to choose well-lit areas or routes.
• Extent of Oversight in Public Spaces: Women prefer being in familiar areas, or in spaces
where they can call for help or run away if they face violence, or spaces that are active and
eventful. Hence, it bothers them to be in spaces that make them invisible. “Together for
women’s safety”[5] articulates the three major concerns of women in public spaces very well:
to see and to be seen, to hear and to be heard, and to get away and get help.
• Male Dominated Spaces: Women find large groups of men intimidating and prefer
avoiding those spaces, even if they are well-lit or well-maintained. Women feel safer around
17
other women and men with their families. These unsafe spaces in the Indian context are
cigarette shops, ‘dhabas’ (roadside tea and food stalls on highways), taxi stands, certain
street corners, liquor shops, or certain deserted parks.

18
 4. QUESTIONNAIRE

I. Name
II. Age
III. Occupation
IV. Tenure of occupation
V. Work shift timings
VI. Commute to and from workplace
a. Private
b. Public Transport
c. Other
VII. Parking for Vehicle
VIII. Commute during late night
IX. Is there a proper space provided when waiting for the bus
X. Is the bus stop located at an optimal location with proper connectivity
XI. Adequate lighting provided on the streets during late nights
XII. At what time of the day do you feel the most safe?
a. Dusk
b. Dawn
c. Midnight
d. Throughout the day
XIII. Do you feel safe in the presence of cctv cameras
XIV. Factors that make you feel unsafe
a. Areas with very little to no lighting
b. Narrow alleys, streets
c. Areas overcrowded with men
d. Poorly maintained public spaces
e. Dilapidated buildings/ plots
f. Lack of police booths, patrolling and cctv coverage
XV. Are you aware of the Kavalan SOS app?
XVI. How often do you use the Kavalan SOS app? (on a scale of 1-5)
XVII. Suggestions to make the city safer for women

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 5. MATERIAL AND METHOD
Studying two commercial streets of different socio-economic stature and analyzing with respect to
the parameters observed across all the case studies along with a survey questionnaire taken from
both the streets is compiled to extract the findings.

5.1 SIR THYAGARAYA STREET

5.1.1 INTRODUCTION
Thyagaraya Nagar, also referred to as T. Nagar, is an affluent commercial and residential district in
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is bordered on the north by Nungambakkam, on the east by
Teynampet, on the south by Nandanam, on the south by C.I.T. Nagar (part of the Greater
Nandanam region), on the south by Mambalam, and on the west by Mambalam and
Kodambakkam. Some of Chennai's most expensive real estate may be found between Duraiswamy
Road and T. Nagar Bus Stand. It was built between 1923 and 1925 by the Raja of Panagal's Madras
Presidency government as part of town development initiatives started under the Madras Town
Planning Act of 1920. The town was named after P. Thyagaraya Chetty.

Fig 5-1. Location of Sir Thyagaraya street.

Source- Google maps.

T. Nagar is thought to be Chennai's first planned urban neighbourhood, built in 1920 and designed
in the European style, with Panagal Park modelled after the Arc de Triomphe and Pondy Bazaar
modelled after the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Originally intended as a residential neighbourhood, it
is today India's most lucrative shopping zone. Pothys, Nalli Silks, and Saravana Stores are among

20
the several saree and jewellery stores in the area. The Mambalam railway station of the Chennai
Suburban Railway Network serves the area. One of the city's key central commercial districts is T.
Nagar. Pondy Bazaar, located around the Thyagaraya Road, serves as a satellite commercial centre
for T. Nagar.
5.1.2 DEMOGRAPHICS
Several shoppers frequent the bazaars of T.Nagar. The number of individuals moving about in the
neighbourhood on a given weekend could reach 500,000. Because of the discounts and reductions
made by silk saree and jewellery vendors throughout the festival season, this figure could surpass 2
million. Even on a slow day, about 200,000 pedestrians pass through the streets surrounding
Panagal Park, the neighborhood's heart.
5.1.3 ECONOMY
Thyagaraya Street is one of Chennai's major retail areas. Thyagaraya Nagar is home to a multitude
of clothing, jewellery, and kitchenware stores. Thyagarya Nagar is home to the wardrobe stores
Nalli Chinnasamy Chetti, Naidu Hall, and Instore. Other notable wardrobe stores with showrooms
in Thyagarya Nagar are Pothys, The Chennai Silks, RmKV Silks, and Kumaran Silks. In
Thyagaraya Nagar, retail giant Saravana Stores has a wardrobe showroom and a kitchenware shop.

5.2 Ranganathan street

5.2.1 INTRODUCTION
Ranganathan Street is a significant business street in the T. Nagar suburb of Chennai, India. It is
one of Chennai's busiest thoroughfares. Several business establishments line the route, primarily in
the apparel and jewellery industries. It is frequently referred to as Chennai's most congested street.
Ranganathan Street should have been renamed Rangaswamy Iyengar Street in honour of the street's
first occupant. It was customary to name streets after the earliest residents, regardless of their social
level, caste, or contribution.

21
Fig 5.2. Location of Ranganathan street
Source- Google maps

On one end of the street is Usman Road. The Mambalam train station is on the other end of the line.
Many business facilities can be located on the street, ranging from street hawkers selling safety pins
to large boutiques selling gold jewellery. On Ranganathan Street, many vegetable vendors sell their
wares.
Throughout the year, the street is bustling with activity. Because this route offers people the
opportunity to purchase a range of things, it is traditionally busiest during Deepavali. Saravana
shops and Jeyachandran Textile and Jewelry are two of the most well-known businesses on
Ranganathan Street.
5.2.2 ECONOMY
Unlike the Pondy bazaar, which has more upscale items such as accessories, jewellery, and high-
end textile shops, Ranganathan Street caters to the middle class.
The presence of a business horde on Ranganathan Street has boosted the site's appeal to purchasers,
resulting in greater sales. On the other side, an increase in the number of stores selling the same
product has resulted in increased competition and variety, giving purchasers more bargaining
power. This may, to some extent, result in an increase in overall sales volume for the individual
vendor, but not necessarily profits.

22
 6. ANALYSIS
6.1 Sir Theagaraya street
Being one of the busiest streets in Chennai, the place does not do much to ensure women’s safety.
Even though the place is frequented by a lot of shoppers during the daytime, women do not feel
safe nor comfortable shopping during the night. Although cctv cameras are placed to increase
safety and security in the surroundings, women find hardly any use to it (fig. 6-1). It is apparent
that no women feel safe going out during midnight. (fig. 6-2)

Fig. 6-1. Factors affecting the safety of women.

Source- Author

23
Fig. 6-2. Time of the day during which women feel safe
Source- Author

6.2 Ranganathan street

Ranganathan street is in complete contrast with Sir Theagaraya street, where women who feel safe
throughout the day were a very few percentage. But the case in Ranganathan street is entirely
different. Women did not feel unsafe or insecure going out during the night. Infact most of the
locals travel during late at night using public transport. In stark contrast to the survey taken in Sir
Theagaraya street, frequent women shoppers in Ranganathan street feel that cctv camers would
help them in case of any safety or security issues.

24
Fig. 6-3. Factors affecting the safety of women.
Source- Author

25
Fig. 6-4. Time of the day during which women feel safe
Source- Author

26
 7. FINDINGS
• Through the questionnaire, it is evident that the women belonging to an age group of 50 and
above face little to no safety threats and feel safe throughout the day.
• Whereas women belonging to an age group of 20-50 do not feel safe at all despite CCTV
cameras. “CCTV cameras are not effective and do not cater to the safety of women” -
Female, 23.
• It has also been seen that women who frequently visit the street and women working in
places in the very same street rarely feel unsafe because the place itself is familiar to them.
• While designing a commercial space, one should keep in mind end users include women as
well and children
• Perception of safety doesn’t necessarily improve in the presence of cctv cameras.
• Factors such as lighting and visibility plays an important role in improving the quality of
space.
• Broken sidewalks, dilapidated plots also contribute to the streetscape being unsafe for
women.

27
 8. CONCLUSION
Unnecessarily worsened by gender ignorant urban planning, disproportionate fear of urban crime is
an oppressive, informal social control of women, often operating to divert attention away from the
more common problem of domestic abuse. While it is true that planners run the risk of reinforcing
stereotypes in some circumstances, examining how men and women use city space differently is
one method to influence a city's environment so that diverse groups of people can cohabit and
actively engage in public life.
It is a political planning approach that pulls people into spaces where they did not previously exist
or where they felt they had no right to exist. However, women's relative independence should not
be acquired at the price of another social 'group,' and gender inclusive planning should be
understood as a process rather than a finished product.
By 2050, 80% of the world's population will live in cities, and decisions made today in cities will
shape the social and environmental future of the majority of the world's population; these decisions
must include equal participation and consultation for women at all levels of planning in order for
them to feel safe and truly claim their cities. Current data on gender-specific outdoor space use, as
well as the projects mentioned, propose a number of broad recommendations for gender-sensitive
open space planning to assist both sexes in locating acceptable outdoor locations.
• To reduce displacements and conflict for utilisation, sufficient open land suitable for
appropriation should be available within a reasonable distance.
• A wide range of uses and adaptations should be encouraged.
• Security is an unavoidable requirement. This can be accomplished by using open structures,
visual linkages to the environment, and supervision.
• Diverse population segments should have access to different amenities. They ought to be
well-defined.
• Women, in particular, are concerned about atmospheric quality.
• The importance of public engagement should be self-evident, but gender-sensitive
participation processes must be implemented.
• Interim usage projects that are more flexibly planned must also be organised with a greater
focus on gender-sensitive issues.
• Finally, more research into the effects of changing gender relations on outdoor behaviour is
required.

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 9. REFERENCES
[1] Fenster, T. The right to the gendered city: Different formations of belonging in everyday life.
Journal of Gender Studies, 2005, 14 (3), p. 217–231.
[2] Kabeer, N. (1994). Reversed realities: Gender hierarchies in development thought. London:
Verso.
[3] Lips, H. (2015). Gender: The basics. London: Routledge.
[4] Beall, J. (1996). Participation in the city: where do women fit in? Gender and Development,
4(1), 9–16.
[5] UNHABITAT, Women in Cities International, SIDA, Huairou Commission, & CISCSA.
(2008). The global assessment on women’s safety. Nairobi: UNHABITAT. Retrieved from
http://www.preventionweb.net/ files/13380_7380832AssesmentFinal1.pdf

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