Detailed description (English): The scientific research project “STEP UP – Walkability for Women in Milan” (Grant No. 2022-1643), submitted under the call for proposals “INEQUALITIES RESEARCH – Generating new knowledge to reduce inequalities” and awarded by Fondazione Cariplo, focuses on the needs and expectations of women while walking.
STEP UP aims to assess the level of walkability for women focusing on the case study of Milan, Italy, in particular on the factor of the perception of safety as a factor influencing walkability. First, a thematic literature review has been conducted on the most relevant scientific contributions and policy guidelines about the topic. The results of the literature review will then be exploited to select a series of relevant geolocated datasets, which have been retrieved, sorted, and filtered from open data repositories and geoportals. Data regarding the perceived level of security of women while walking was collected through ‘Wher’ – a safety reporting navigation app operated by Walk21 Foundation. All these gender-disaggregated data sets will be analyzed through GIS-Geographic Information Systems to design a multi-layered map of Milan focused on the walkability criterion of safety, which will be then validated through survey questionnaires and focus groups.
Target group(s): STEP UP focuses on the needs and expectations of women while walking.
Objectives: Advanced urban and transport planning activities are shifting towards sustainable urban mobility solutions and walkability, referring to how friendly the urban environment is for walking in terms of proximity service availability, street connectivity, the comfort of public spaces, and road safety.
Although traditional approaches tend to focus on the spatial dimension of cities, individual characteristics of users are found to have a significant impact on the perceived level of walkability of streets and public spaces (e.g., demographics, travel purposes, mobility preferences, etc.). In particular, the current measures in place do not sufficiently consider population groups in vulnerable situations (i.e. SDG 11.2-Sustainable Transport for All), including women.
Women experience the city differently than men, in part because they are more concerned about security issues related to aggression and harassment. These concerns take the form of precautionary or avoidant behaviors due to fear of violence, perception of risk, and a sense of vulnerability, which are major mobility obstacles especially during the nighttime.
Taking these challenges into consideration, STEP UP aims to assess the level of walkability for women focusing on the case study of Milan, Italy, in particular on the factor of the perception of safety as a factor influencing walkability.
The project results will help identify challenging areas or neighborhoods in the city of Milan, which can serve as the analytical testbed to develop a set of policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the level of walkability for women in cities. In particular, the collected disaggregated data will be used to support the definition of guidelines and policies for the design of future transport services, focusing on the impact of individual characteristics of pedestrians in relation to their gender on the perceived level of walkability. In the event of the identification of distinct problematic areas or zones, the project outcome will also highlight potential physical interventions via tactical urbanism approaches in public spaces.
Partner: Fondazione Transform Transport ETS, TeMA Lab – Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Sex and the City APS, and Walk21 Foundation.
Italy