The “Public” Space

“Public” space is a misnomer. What do we mean by “public?” Our definition of public with regards to spatial access is restricted to a certain demographic, which is mostly able-bodied male. Public spaces are certainly not democratic and their access is conditional based on one’s gender, physicality and social mobility. Women amongst other marginalised milieus of the population are thereby excluded from this definition of “public.”

Profit reached out to Sana Rizwan, a specialist in Urban and Environmental Planning with interest in Gender, who also teaches at Habib University. She chimed in to explain the idea of a “public” space and whether or not such spaces are restrictive in terms of access.

“That would depend entirely on the characterisation of public spaces. If it’s something like a street, then access is not restricted to it. We don’t have public plazas where people can gather. When it comes to places such as Sea View, the beach — those aren’t restrictive either. Anyone is welcome to go. Beaches are often cheap, cost effective ways of enjoying the city.” “On the flip side, such public spaces are becoming increasingly gentrified as well. Nowadays, most beaches in Karachi are deprived of public access. Large sections of Sea View also are being cordoned off by Emaaar. Simultaneously, many elite people have their own private beaches, which means that more and more the city is being captured for the elite.”

Rizwan adds, “even when it comes to malls, it’s not like they outrightly reject people from entering but there’s an expectation of a certain milieu to enter.” The same case could be made for parks,most of which tend to have gated entries. For example, if you go to a park in DHA, they will allow you to enter based on what you look like. “In conclusion, we don’t have many public spaces. On top of that is the question of access itself. There aren’t many spaces. Even if there are, they are not democratically accessible,” Rizwan says,

While the question of public space is undergirded by class, it’s further complicated by gender. Women face barriers, real and metaphorical in the shape of social purdah dictations, on ground harassment, lack of mobility and so on and so forth. It is of no doubt that public spaces are masculinist realms that are designed in exclusivist manners, unable to sustain women.

To begin with, why is it even important for women to have access to public space?

“It is extremely important in terms of their agency and autonomy, as they have the right to seek joy in the city. Women are either restricted to their homes or destinations where they are supposed to reach. However, the spaces in between wherein they can wander aren’t available to them. They are not seen as safe or welcoming- public spaces simply refuse to accommodate them. Access to public space is pivotal for women as it allows them to own their city and feel entitlement over it,” Rizwan highlights.

She further details, “for women, public spaces are avenues for socialisation and self-actualisation. They build friendly communities for themselves, and get the space to be their own person outside of familial relationships and work functions. If women want to seek independence, this is like the acquired third space that separates them from their defined societal roles.”

City design

The way cities are designed is indicative of for whom the city is built and who it accommodates. Designing is indeed a political question that reveals thought-provoking insights pertaining to who the city is including and by consequence, excluding.

Profit reached out to Marvi Mazhar, an architect and researcher whose practice combines visual culture, spatial advocacy and interventions. Presently, she also teaches at the Indus Valley School of Architecture (IVSAA) M.Phil Program, Pedagogies of Place. Mazhar elucidates key insights related to city design and planning.

“A city should not be designed in isolation. It is inhabited by a diversified set of both human and non-human, as well as the natural environment. It is meant to accommodate everyone. However, when you start designing in isolation for a certain demographic, which is usually the upper-class, it becomes problematic. Therefore on the macro level, city planners should broaden their lens and develop cities on the basis of equal rights.”

Historically, spatialities in South Asia are socially inclusive. You find mohallas wherein women are peeking over the walls of each others’ houses and exchanging bhindi, butter with dollops of gossip, children cycling in narrow alleys and an old man gently moving his rocking chair in the open porch, acting as the de facto grandfather of the entire neighbourhood. These mohallas are premised on tight-knit communities. “People here used to live in the system of mohalla daari. For us tehwaar matter. We welcome our neighbours, invite them in times of celebration and seek their support in times of need,” Mazhar adds.

However, the ethos behind modern city planning have shifted drastically. Under isolationist city planning methods, such social cohesion and fluidity has dissipated.

Marvi poignantly says, “today, parks are dedicated to families only. What if there is a single woman, who does not have a family?”

If you prevent her entering the park, you are essentially conveying that there is no space for single women in public participation.

In the same vein, people from certain socioeconomic backgrounds are prevented from entering certain parks- spaces that are ostensibly “public.” Such measures are implemented under the guise of safety. Marvi unearths their sore reality: “So, how is safety ensured? Most often it comes through fencing, surveillance and ticketing. In actuality, these are just mechanisms of barricading.”

Moreover, presence in public spaces should not have to be purposeful. They could just as well be spaces to loiter and wander. “Park is also a thoroughfare. It is not just a place of arrival. What if I simply want to walk under the trees as I commute to Point X,” Mazhar informs.

Female-Friendly City Planning

How do women’s public inclusion and mobility vary across other urban centres in the global South?

According to Rizwan, there are a plethora of examples in the world of female-friendly city planning. “There are examples of cities in Spain such as Barcelona and Madrid, even cities in Brazil and India that have tried to incorporate gender-sensitive design in urban planning. One of the commonalities amongst successful initiatives is the participation of women. You can not plan for people without involving them, so asking women for their input during the planning process is highly important, as they can guide better about the small, incremental changes that they require to make their lives better.”

“Apart from their participation and engagement in this process, it’s also crucial to understand that there are specific ways to plan for women and harness gender-sensitive design, but otherwise better planning altogether makes it better for women as well. If you have a better transportation system in the city, women are more likely to be able to use it. They have to commute to work and places of education. It is imperative that they have access to cheap and efficient transportation that moves them safely from one place to another. That is a general thing that they require. Then, a specific gender-sensitive plan would find ways of managing the in-between transit spots within the first mile and the last mile.”

Rizwan further explains, “ when it comes to raw infrastructure (walkability, cycling, green spaces), then if you plan for these things, women would be the first people to take advantage of it. Because they have to take out their kids as well, so that really helps. Greener spaces, places with heightened economic activity and food places will all make the city more engaging and immersive for women.”

According to Mazhar, other female-friendly cities have really focused on public transportation. “It is imperative that we think of how to connect cities. Recently, when the women’s bus was inaugurated in Karachi, I also suggested introducing taxi boats from the islands to the sea. Commuting is key in enabling and enhancing the public participation of women.”

“Then, it’s about simple things like the politics of a footpath.Walking is an everyday phenomena. However, in Karachi footpaths are contested spaces as they give real estate value to shopkeepers. We can learn lessons from Sri Lanka and India, where publicness is kept as part of the design mechanism. The streets and alleys are well lit at night, as a result of which people feel safe.”

Mazhar concludes, “so, it boils down to transportation and walkability. Once you have safe, cost-effective, viable means of commute, cities automatically become more viable.”

How can femalefriendly urban spaces be created in Pakistan?

“It is first important to understand the role that women play in society and then reflect on how we can enhance their public participation. If you already know that women may be with children, then you need to ensure that the city infrastructure supports children- that’s how women will also be included. If there’s a daycare at the workplace, then women are more likely to be there. If there’s a mall with a play area, then women are more likely to be there. If there is a park where women can have a little space away from kids but also for the kids, then women are more likely to be there,” Rizwan discusses with Profit.

“The same can be said about public bathrooms, given that women have different bodily needs, and require spaces where they can fix their clothes, hijaabs, dupatta etc. They should be able to breastfeed and have diaper changing stations for children in the bathrooms as well. This is how female-friendly urban spaces can be created in Pakistan.”

“Then, it is important to devise strategies that are not based on social segregation. If you invest enough in a space to make it attractive to all kinds of people, you make it safer for women. As there are more people around, women won’t fear harassment in the same way. There are so many different ways in which the local administration and planners can look at the city and think of how they will make it more inclusive.”

Having a school nearby and creating spaces for women to be in between for pickups are additional examples. This is not to just associate women with motherhood, but also recognise that factually, motherhood is a responsibility that many women have, so how do you go about accommodating those women. For younger women, it’s important to cultivate spaces outside of work where they can enjoy. Examples are not limited to female-exclusive events, but also extend to subsidised transport passes, increased ridership for women, and other incentives that make public participation more viable.”

The Role of an Architect

How can architects and urban planners contribute to the creation of a gender-equitable city?

“Architecture is a responsible profession. It mediates between the user and the city. However in our training, we are taught to be star architects. It’s therefore pertinent that architects rethink and unlearn such perspectives, and imbibe ethics in their practice,” Mazhar explains as an architect herself.

“In our practice, we should think of how to be more inclusive to our neighbours, and how to be extroverted and not introverted in our design. Why are we designing in bubbles? Why are we only fixated on drawing rooms? An architect is supposed to create a beneficial environment both outside and inside. Again, the entire profession warrants critical lens in Pakistan. We need to seriously think about what we are teaching in architecture programmes. A possible learning point or source of reference could be the Aurat March charter which stresses inclusive city planning. Long story short, architects need to think more sensitively on a moderate, grass-roots level.”

“When I work with heritage owners, they hesitate to talk with architects. Why? Architecture has become too top down a profession in Pakistan. On the contrary, architects are supposed to be doctors who mend broken parts of the body — a city healer of sorts. The question to then ask is how can architects create gender-equitable spaces in the city,” Mazhar comprehensively explains.

How can architects reorientate themselves and contribute to gender-sensitive urban design?

“Research is important, qualitative research especially,” Mazhar responds, “There needs to be documentation and mapping. How else can you know your city? It’s a geography and we learn about its layers through archiving. By archiving, I don’t mean colonial archiving, rather everyday archiving to update the channels.”

“After this comes the academia and pedagogies of architecture. Within academia, one must be cognisant that academic writing often does not find readership and goes to a dead wall. Nevertheless, research is a key aspect of design. Simultaneously, it’s factual that city design is mostly experiential. It depends predominantly on how the city makes people feel.”

Architecture is ultimately a question of ethics, and it’s precisely this ethos that guides Mazhar’s practice.

“I design because it is a means of incorporating and accommodating. In dominant real estate practices such as those championed by Bahria Town, housing cities are designed on the grid level. It’s very infrastructural in outlook, and meant to bring about order. However, with that order comes a lot of disorder. From a socio-analytic perspective, the gated community is only meant to accommodate the elite. Where will the working class live? Where is social housing? These design practices are constantly extractive- they take from the land without giving anything back to it.” n