The Role of Women In Urban Spaces Formation

The purpose of the present study was to determine the criteria and framework for designing or modulating urban spaces for women. The study population was the women whose urban needs for problems and lack of space in their community throughout the history were ignored. The research design was an applied type. The data collection tools were library data and research databases related to women in architecture and urban planning. The collected theoretical bases were analyzed using descriptive-analytical method. The results showed that in the past, the status and activity of women in urban areas were more and more defined, and women were taking care of their daily activities in comfort and safety. Unlike in the past, in today's societies, the lack of attention to the context of public space and the allocation of appropriate social space for women has led to a lack of security. In the dominated modern world of society, women's needs have been removed from urban planning and architecture, and the environment has become a completely masculine environment. The components of mental, physical, security, and physiological differences between men and women are major and very influential factors in the quality of urban spaces suitable for women. The relevance of these components to the urban design criteria could be a great help in building a more cohesive city with women and stimulating their greater presence in society.