GCC releases gender-inclusive guidelines manual for urban infrastructure design
The manual was initiated in August 2023 and developed through a research process beginning March 2024. Twelve key types of public infrastructure — including parks and playgrounds, beaches, spaces under flyovers, bus shelters, transit stations, subways and foot overbridges, streets, open and closed markets, urban delivery centres, community halls, shelters for the urban homeless, and public toilets — were studied. The research combined spatial audits, observational studies, and in-depth discussions with over 80 users such as sanitation workers, migrant women, young girls, trans persons and persons with disabilities to understand barriers they face in navigating and accessing public infrastructure.
The manual identifies structural gaps in urban design that hinder inclusion -- such as dim lighting, broken footpaths, absence or inaccessible toilets, lack of signage, absence of seating, and unsafe or poor surveillance areas — and offers a set of actionable design guidelines and a practical checklist for engineers, architects, and civic planners.
For example, in parks and playgrounds, the study found that only 30% of users were women, many of whom cited inadequate toilets (24%), poor infrastructure (20%), and a lack of adult-friendly leisure elements such as swings and others. The guidelines recommend multiple entrances to make entry and exit accessibility to adjacent roads, low-height permeable boundary walls, edge seating using ledges or steps, pathway widths of at least 2.5m, play areas segmented for toddlers, children, and young adults, indoor play facilities, adult gym equipment, proper toilets, changing rooms, mother-feeding rooms, drinking water, universal accessibility, and lighting with a minimum 50 lux intensity.
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