Equality Archive - mib | Mobility Institute Berlin

Bogotá Me Muevo Segura

Written on April 22, 2021.

“Me Muevo Segura” (I Move Safely) is both a statement and a goal to create more safety and equality for women in Bogotá. The projects motivation was the impact on womens mobility in the city from fear of violence and harassment. The survey of 14,300 women conducted for the project showed that 3 out of 4 women are afraid to move around the city at night. To identify particularly dangerous places, women used the SafetiPin app, where they noted places they didnt feel #safe. This information was visualized in a digital map. Already in 2017, solar lights were installed in dark, unsafe places, and bicycle lanes and sports fields were built to integrate women into public spaces, thus increasing safety. Since the project began in 2015, the situation has improved: 46% more women practice sports in the evening; 29% more women ride bicycles; 35% more women feel safe in parks. There is still much to be done, but these statistics prove that Bogotá is on the right path towards more equality and safety, so that soon every Bogotá woman will be able to state with conviction: “Me muevo segura”.

Vienna Gender Mainstreaming

Written on April 22, 2021.

What does it mean to feel included in a city? Safety, enough space in public transport without unpleasant contact, long green traffic lights phases without stress. And what does it mean for a woman? To feel that the city belongs to women as much as to men. Initiatives to make the city more inclusive for women have their origin in Vienna in the 1990s. The occasion was the survey on how and why people move around the city: Men often moved to and from work and women had (and have) to do more journeys – for work, shopping, caring for children and older relatives? The survey prompted the Viennese administration to turn their attention onto the transformation of the city, focusing on accessibility, safety, and integration. The concept of Gender Mainstreaming was developed, whose goal is to achieve gender equality with the help of equal structures and baselines. The first adjustments took place in the district of Mariahilf in Vienna. In Mariahilf, street lighting was improved, and sidewalks were extended. Pedestrian-friendly traffic lights and benches, as well as footbridges were installed. Since the 1990s, Vienna has implemented about 60 gender-sensitive pilot projects. This was a great start to a movement that still has a lot of work ahead in achieving equality in urban space.

Brussels-Capital Region. Good Move Plan

Written on February 22, 2021.

“Brussels will change in the next ten years. And we will do it together”, says Elke van den Brandt, Minister for Mobility, Public Works and Transport Safety at the Brussels-Capital Region. #Cohesion, a clear #strategy, and a desire for #change are the building blocks of the visionary #mobility transformation that is becoming a reality in Brussels. The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (#SUMP) is well known as “Good Move Plan” and was developed after an extensive consultation process. This involved consulting Brussels’ 19 municipalities and hundreds of experts, organizations and associations. The central goal of the plan is to improve the quality of life of residents and transform the region into a livable #ecosystem. The plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35% and achieve zero traffic fatalities by 2030. To make this real, the local government will create 130,000 sqm of additional meeting spaces, 50 quiet neighborhoods, they will reduce the speed limit to 30km/h by 2021, and increase the number of pedestrian zones and multimodal options. In February 2020, Brussels received the 8th SUMP Award. The jury was impressed by the amount of involved experts and organisations supporting the project.

Japan: Access to Everyone

Written on February 22, 2021.

Mobility change begins with becoming aware that all public places must be accessible to everyone. This also includes people with limited mobility. In 2006, Tokyo passed the barrier-free act to make public accessibility in everyday life possible for everyone…In preparation for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, many changes have been implemented to improve accessibility in transportation throughout Japan. Barrier-free measures included the installation of lower ticket machines and wider automatic gates for wheelchair users. Floor surface indicators make it easier for visually impaired people to find their way around. There are now seats in the front parts of trains and buses that are reserved for wheelchair users, equipped with a security system and wide entrance areas. The example of Japan makes it clear that great visions for a better future need a clear strategy. And the result? Around 90% of Tokyo’s public transport is now accessible to everyone. Without exceptions.