Caminhar na cidade: ressignificação do lugar sob uma perspectiva de gênero

Abstract

To make cities better and more livable, it is essential to make them walkable. Walkability promotes urban vitality and serves as a reference for measuring such vitality. However, walking peacefully on the streets of cities is a privilege for a few. Women are the most affected when it comes to walking, experiencing not only negative and demotivating encounters but also having their right to move freely, and consequently, their right to the city, infringed upon. Thus, the present work aimed to analyze how urban design can contribute to the enhancement of women's walking experiences and present guidelines for the development of public urban planning policies aimed at creating safer and more welcoming public spaces, increasingly encouraging active mobility. To do so, a case study was conducted in the Porto neighborhood in the city of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. The chosen location holds great historical value dating back to the time when Pelotas was the main economic and commercial center of Rio Grande do Sul. Currently, after a period of neglect, the area has been gradually revitalized, primarily through projects of the Federal University of Pelotas, which saw the opportunity to expand its infrastructure in the vacant large buildings. To carry out the research, the following methodological procedures were applied: interviews, walking tours, physical surveys, and observations. It was found that urban planning from a female perspective is crucial to overcome gender inequalities and different forms of discrimination against Brazilian women. There is a particular need to include those who are more vulnerable (Black, lesbian, and transgender women) in public policies to strengthen the citizenship of more than half of the population.