Abstract:
This thesis begins by highlighting the problems of gender exclusion from public
space. Public space here is defined as the medium of all social constructions and
economic generation. The thesis takes a gender specific perspective with the intension to
deconstruct the problems women face as a collective within our society. I started by
observing the conditions that public space within Pakistan nurtures; how it harbors hostile
environments for women. With that in mind it is imperative to shed light to how these
spaces construct, reconstruct and internalize discriminatory roles.
It adopts the principle that the access citizens have to space is directly related to
immediate social structure.(Favro & Weisman, 1994)
Unequal participation and exclusion of women as legitimate stakeholders within
our environment limits the prosperity of women within our country. The situation
continues to perpetuate adding to the demotivating forces normalizing inequitable
practices. Our spaces overlook the concerns of women entering into the public sphere.
The divisions of gender actively segregates our population, our cities, it
constructs suburban dwellings that look at women as transfixed, child bearing entities
alienating them to a dormant unpaid labor lifecycle. (Hayden, 1985)
. The context of this thesis is the industrial landscape of Sundar Estate. Research
was conducted to understand the extent of gender inequality within the estate,
extrapolating the contributing factors and linking the disparity to the role of the lack of
gender sensitive infrastructure in setting circumstances that not only allow but set
conditions for spatial territories to conduct continuous infringement of rights within the
industrial landscape.
Acknowledging that urban spatial practice to this day proves itself to be nongender neutral and due to this they have failed to cater to the needs of women and
gender-centric marginalized individuals alike, a gender gap on planning exists. (Sassen,
2015)4
The thesis then suggests (i) how design strategies and principles can facilitate
women accessing public space counteracting the opposing patriarchal forces. The thesis
hopes to directly contribute to (ii) recognizing the role of design in actively generating
gender-inclusive spaces. The goal is to (iii) enhancing and reintroducing the role and
participation of women as occupiers, citizens, worthy inhabitants, exercising their full
rights to the city. (iv) It hopes to establish design strategies that can bridge the social gap
and reconstruct social norms that has been a major player in the marginalization,
obstruction of performance and lack of presence of women in our the socioeconomic
sphere
