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This webinar is part of the RAIC 2023 Conference on Architecture, now available to stream via the products and continuing education resources.

Topics | Climate Justice and Resilience, Sustainability, Adaptation and Mitigation

1 hour | Video, Quiz, and Certificate of Completion

There is a notable trend of gender-based violence rates increasing against women following disasters. A lack of adequate shelter is a contributing factor that exacerbates this social issue. Ignoring unique gendered needs in planning emergency shelters’ spaces may result in women being more vulnerable to violence when utilizing such resources. This study employs a case study with data drawn from literature and interviews with practitioners in the field. The cases are the Southern Alberta Flood in 2013 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, focusing on two municipalities with significant evacuations due to overland flooding: Calgary, Alberta, and New Orleans, Louisiana. The findings point to a need to consider gender in spatial programming design and decisions in shelters.

How women are considered, or not when organizing space affects their sense of safety, as well as their vulnerability. Emergency shelter research and practices focus more on the physical realm and the specific functions provided (i.e., sleep, food, hygiene). The primary function is to remove those impacted by hazards from immediate danger when considering providing a safe and secure environment (Farmer et al., 2018). Though, does this constructed safe space look and feel the same for men and women? Conversations about gender are more functional, discussing women's varying biological needs requiring different spaces and supplies to support their wellbeing. Women note a sense of not feeling safe in these environments, with some electing to avoid them altogether even if they have no other option.

Architectural design tools and spatial considerations can help to create empowering public spaces that can support gender equity and increase community resilience. We can forget that our perception of our surrounding environment is as powerful as the physical space itself (Chang & Liao, 2015; Gia & Arakawa, 2002; Sphere, 2018; Pain, 2001). Not paying attention to both our physical and perceived environments and how they interact when designing our communities and responding to disasters makes people more vulnerable to disproportionate impacts. Guidance around how to better understand the variables that can affect gendered risk exposure in the built urban environment is provided; better design that can mitigate disproportionate disaster risks for women in an efficient and cost-effective way is explored and, stakeholder engagement and cross-discipline education opportunities are identified.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify how men and women experience safety, generally speaking, in public spaces in different ways;
• Use gender equity tools that they can implement in their design practices for various projects immediately;
• Compare spaces and identify problematic features that may be impacting women's sense of safety in public and private spaces;
• Discuss the subject of designing to foster gender equity with their clients, communities and other key partners, specifically in the context of disaster risk reduction and climate justice and resilience.