This book explores the transformative power of urban public space for women's empowerment. Addressing a critical gap in the existing literature, the authors develop an empirically grounded methodology to measure women's interactions and empowerment in contemporary public spaces across diverse urban settings. The book provides a practical framework for researchers and urban planners to assess women's socio-spatial experiences in specific urban contexts and work toward improving public spaces through a gender-responsive approach. Beyond its contribution to the urban planning and design literature, particularly in the area of women and public space, this book highlights the central role of public space in enriching women's social lives and promoting their empowerment. It expands our understanding of the role of women in the urban fabric and offers valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to create more equitable, inclusive and empowered cities. The book presents a fresh perspective on the intersection of gender, urbanism, and empowerment, and invites readers to engage in the ongoing dialogue shaping the future of urban public spaces.
Hooshmand Alizadeh (Ph.D. in Urban Design) is an Associate Professor of Urban Design at the University of Kurdistan, Iran, and a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Vienna, Austria. Since 2006, he has focused his research on the intersection of urban design, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion, with particular attention to empowering marginalized communities. His areas of expertise include urban resilience, the socio-spatial dynamics of public spaces, and participatory urban governance. His work also explores themes of socio-political polarization, gendered urban experiences, and migrant integration.
Selda Tuncer is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Turkey. She completed her master and PhD at Middle East Technical Univ. Sociology Department, where she also worked as a research assistant. In her doctoral research, she examined women's experiences of urban public space in Ankara during the 1950s and 1980s which was awarded and published. At the intersection of urban sociology, feminist geography and social history, her research interests include urban culture, public space, everyday life, women's right to the city and gender-based violence. She is the author of Women and Public Space in Turkey: Gender, Modernity and the Urban Experience. I.B. Tauris, 2018.
Josef Kohlbacher (PhD, DSocSci) is a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Urban and Regional Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, Austria. For the past 30 years, he has focused on immigration and integration in urban housing and labor markets, social coexistence in urban spaces, and migrant entrepreneurship. Since 2015, projects related to Afghan and Kurdish diaspora communities in Austria have become an important part of his research.
Sonya Karami (PhD in Geography and Urban Planning) is a lecturer at the Department of Urban Planning and Design, University of Kurdistan, Iran. She has 10 years of research experience in the field of housing in Iran, social and economic status of women in Iran, and population forecasting at national and local levels. Her most important scientific study is the collaboration with Durham University in England and Nawroz University in Iraq regarding the studies on Kurdish women in Kurdistan in Iran.
