Divya Gunnam
Graduation lab Urbanism
Loiter City - Spatial strategies to redefine a woman’s place in a public realm
‘Loiter City’ explores the spatial dimension of gender inequalities resulting in women's economic marginalisation and socio-spatial segregation in India. All Indian women, irrespective of their backgrounds, have learned to accept the reality that they might get harassed, molested, abducted - or even raped in extreme cases - when they step into the public sphere. Traditional gender roles and the continued normalisation of violence have created a contentious relationship between women and the public realm. The current planning system provides a ‘spatial mirror’ to the power relations in the society which controls the space and well-being of women.
To that end, the graduation project addresses women's vulnerabilities through the lens of citizenship rights and socio-spatial justice. It proposes operational, policy and spatial frameworks to ensure safer, inclusive and accessible spaces. By imagining women as the main drivers of change, the project facilitates uninhibited agency and ownership and creates platforms for their active participation in the co-creation of a city.