SmartThroughGender+ – integration of a gender+ perspective in digital urban planning tools and development of a tool-set for endorsing gender-sensitive urban planning and -development

Cities are facing an ever faster change in their population, their needs and thus the requiements and demands on the city. Social change processes and the global trend towards urbanization, as well as the current migration pressures on European cities are increasingly posing a major challenge to responding to the processes of change in urban planning. Although gender issues are considered important in some cities, they are often disregarded in planning practice due to the many other issues and the time and money spent on spatial research (especially in smaller and medium-sized cities). The project "SmartThroughGender+" develops solutions for this. Many topics, such as demographic change, consolidation, supply with (green) infrastructure, require an intensive and differentiated examination of the demands of the different groups, as well as the derivation of measures for gender-equitable urban planning. The project takes into account that gender is always overlaid (intersectionality) with other characteristics (such as age, origin, education and occupation, religion, etc.). Therefore, an extended gender term (gender+) is used in the project. Traditional planning tools, such as local development concepts, have difficulty coping with the rapid changes and aligning goals and measures with long review periods. Digital planning tools for the analysis of social-spatial structures and the simulation of measures and their effects are increasingly being used in analysis and planning. At present, these instruments mostly lack integration of gender- and group-specific aspects. Inthe project "SmartThroughGender+" exactly these gender+ aspects are to be integrated into a tool set to support urban planning. The overall objective of the project is a Proof of Concept of this toolset consisting of (quantitative) digital analysis and simulation tools as well as (qualitative) instru-ments from urban and landscape planning taking into account gender + specific requirements. On the basis of a case study in the city of Linz, it will be examined how and with the commonly available and available data, indicators and characteristics can be developed which enable a (partially standardized) "rapid assessment" of social and spatial structures, taking into account the gender + approach. This is to identify requirements and areas for action. In order to vali-date, test and clarify the results at the overall level, a qualitative analysis is carried out at district level in which participatory statements are examined and proposals for measures are worked out (combination bottom-up and top-down). Expected result of the project is a 'Proof of Con-cept' for a toolset with a 'Rapid Assessment Toolbox' for social and spatial analysis, as well as the simulation of measures and effects on different population groups. The toolset is supple-mented by a toolbox for in-depth analysis at district level as well as the development of more targeted measures taking into account gender, age and group-specific requirements. The "SmartThroughGender+Toolset" particularly supports smaller and medium-sized cities in the implementation of gender-equitable urban planning.