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1 Design Discipline Architecture and spacial planning, Geography Project name: Gendersite - An online database of resources for practitioners and researchers on the relationship between gender and gender equality issues and the sustainability of the built environment Pod Creator(s): Clair Melhuish, Women s Design Service and Queen Mary University of London address: cmelhuish@wds.org.uk Key words: built environment, gender, design, architecture, spatial planning, transport, safety, infrastructure, landscape, society, cities, women, men, equality, discrimination, rights Who might use this pod? Highlight one or more Teachers Practitioners Students Industry Policy Makers Specify educational level, design field, etc. Architecture, planning, surveying, construction degree level, MA/Msc and beyond Description: Gendersite is an online database of bibliographic resources on gender, gender equality and the built environment. The aim is to raise awareness among practitioners, academics and the general public of the differentiation between men and women s perception and experience of the built environment. The built environment as it stands is literally a man-made construct, insofar as those involved in planning, designing and implementing urban layouts, infrastructure, transportation and buildings in the civic, industrial, residential and community arenas have been mostly male, and their work therefore embodies a male outlook on and interpretation of society and its needs, nothwithstanding the role of community consultation in which women tend to be better represented. The Gendersite database aims to put into the public arena, and especially the educational context, the Englishlanguage literature that has been produced across a wide range of issues pertaining to this situation, and to highlight the implications of the new Gender Equality Duty for those involved in shaping the built environment now and for future generations. How to use this pod: This pod will be extremely useful to students and researchers seeking focused, accessible, and wellorganised information on gender issues in the context of built environment education, research and practice. Additional resources needed to use this pod: Laptop, internet access. Otherwise the website and database are very straightforward to use, especially to anyone with basic experience of using standard library catalogues. DEEDS core principles that this pod addresses: S2, S3, S5, S6, S7, S8, C1, C2, C3, A1, A2, A3, L1, L2, L3, E1, E2, E3, S1, S2, S3 It also addresses: Core content: The Gendersite website comprises two main sections: the Gender and the Built Environment database, and the series of case studies, which will be 1

2 regularly updated. Homepage text: Welcome to Gendersite The definitive online resource for gender and the built environment GENDERSITE EVENT: Thursday October 2nd at the Octagon, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Campus. Register now to receive details Everyone involved in the built environment world tries to meet the needs of their clients. Child-sized furniture is designed for nurseries, disabled parking bays are located next to entrances, sheltered housing sites are planned near post offices and shops. However people are often unaware of the needs of a majority of the population; women. With the introduction of the Gender Equality Duty there is now a legal obligation to consider those needs. Gendersite provides a route to all the information needed to gain a better understanding of gender issues in the built environment. The site lists books, bibliographies, broadcasts, conference papers, journals, reports, unpublished PhDs and more. Just choose the keyword (from the drop-down menu) that is most relevant to your project or area of interest. We welcome your feedback on the website. Please also send us links to any research not yet included in our database. gendersite@wds.org.uk This project was supported by the UCL-led UrbanBuzz Programme, within which UEL is a prime partner Case Studies introductory text: This series of illustrated case studies highlights and clarifies key issues in the debate around gender and gender equality in the built environment - for example, women's role in the architecture and planning professions; women's safety in the urban environment; the division and organisation of built space along gendered lines; the implications of transport planning and housing design for gender equality; and the gendered quality of materials used in the built environment. The case studies provide a first point of access to the extensive and wide-ranging literature contained in the Gendersite database of bibliographic references. They at once constitute an overview of the concerns which have motivated the construction of this resource, and a launchpad for further research and information on a range of important issues relating to the design, management and future evolution of the built environment for the benefit of society as a whole, both in the UK and internationally. Image details / description: 1. Sketch for Museum of Modern Art Sao Paulo, by Lina Bo Bardi 2. Girli concrete, by Ruth Morrow and Trish Belford: cashmere concrete 3. Care label, from taking place s The other side of waiting project 4. Working with planning students in Alexandra, Johannesburg (Olusola Olufemi Copyright / Creative Commons licence: By-nd

3 Comments (strengths, weaknesses, envisaged development of Pod content) The aim is for the database and associated case studies to be continually updated and expanded over time, incorporating English-language sources from the UK and abroad. This flexibility and the potential for users to feed into the content of the resource is a key strength, alongside the thorough and scholarly nature of the original research, which has established a solid foundation, and a thought-provoking range of material for future development. Weblinks:

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