How urban design makes the world unsafe for women — and how we can change that

In an excerpt from her new book Man-Made published in Fast Company, Karen Korellis Reuther explains how urban and industrial design often privileges men — making cities less safe and accessible for women, children and other vulnerable groups.

Reuther describes the ways in which women are inconvenienced, or put at risk, by urban design. On choosing a commute home from work, for example, Reuther considers how safe and well-lit her route might be — whereas her husband would simply choose the fastest, most efficient option. 

Reuther points to the dearth of female engineers and designers as one reason for this disparity. "Data shows the design of everything from public bathrooms to default HVAC settings to the lighting on our streets too often leave women behind, as those occupying the seats of creativity and power continue to be primarily male." 

This applies not just on the street but in other realms such as professional sports, the military and medical exam rooms. In car design and testing, crash test dummies are designed to the height and weight of an "average male," effectively excluding women's bodies from safety tests. 

For Reuther, "A world designed by men, for men, isn’t just a matter of style or preference for women. By not accommodating the female body in the design of products and places, we have created a world that is less hospitable to and more dangerous for women."