Panel 1 – Gendered Urbanism: Rethinking City Spaces through Gender Perspectives in Urban Design

This panel explores how gender influences the way people experience and navigate urban environments and how city design can become more inclusive, equitable, and safe when gender-sensitive approaches are integrated into planning.

Moderated by Dr. Dorina Pojani (Associate Professor, University of Queensland), the session brings together a multidisciplinary group of practitioners and thinkers: Panelists:

• Jetmira Belegu – Architect, Writer & Filmmaker

• Alia Beyg – CEO & Managing Director, AQUA

• Benedetta Mea – Director, Settanta7

Through case studies, best practices, and reflections from their respective fields, the panel examines how mobility, safety, accessibility, and public space design can either reinforce or challenge gender inequalities. The discussion calls for reimagining cities that respond to diverse daily realities, highlighting the transformative power of gender-inclusive urban design in building fair, vibrant, and people-centered cities.