For generations, urban design and transport infrastructure in New Zealand and Australia have been all about a 9 to 5 working day and getting men from A to B. For a long time, it worked well. But with women juggling careers, family commitments and errands, their lives – and their driving patterns – are downright complicated. Where the rubber meets the road, straight-line logic doesn’t cut it so well anymore.
Women of all cultures – as well as our Rainbow Communities – are also far less comfortable than men when using public transport or walking. Meanwhile, the infrastructure needs of indigenous Pacific Island women are even more diverse and complex.
To help create more sustainable, workable communities for all, our male-dominated design approach needs a bit of a rethink, a makeover. So, to mark International Women’s Day, Tonkin + Taylor partnered with the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) to look at what we’d gain by reimagining infrastructure and breaking the bias.
