Gender Dimensions in Urban Planning. Lecture with Bente Knoll

Domů Gender Dimensions in Urban Planning. Lecture with Bente Knoll

The gender analysis of common travel surveys shows that the interpretations of the data, along with the questionnaires themselves, reveal biases and simplifications. Complex and differentiated trip chains with different purposes undertaken by people with childcare duties or care responsibilities for the elderly still remain unaccounted for. These biases and simplifications obscure crucial aspects in human behaviour concerning mobility, particularly the behaviour of carers in their everyday lives. It is obvious that a gender-sensitive approach is needed. A way to make up for this deficiency is to develop new surveying methods.

The talk will provide insights in several applied pieces of mobility research conducted by the author and her team. These pieces function as case studies on how to integrate gender dimensions in research methodology and the research process as well as in the outputs, that are mainly recommendations for urban planning and public transport providers.

  • Qualitative study on “Mobility Patterns of Carers’ in Austria” that surveyed the mobility needs of those people who are responsible for family member’s care as well as their existing mobility obstacles – a group of people that hardly taken into consideration by urban and transport planners.
  • Requirement catalogue “Adequate mobility – without car-dependency. Gender sensitive mobility in rural areas” that depicts the action fields in spatial planning as well as measures in transport and mobility for care givers and the persons they care for.
  • Study “Dementia on the move” that provides an in-depth insight on the mobility patterns of people with dementia and their copying strategies when orientating themselves in the public sphere. Success and hindering factors when walking and/or travelling with the public transport system are highlighted. Furthermore, based on empirical results follow-up recommendations for transport operators as well as urban planners were developed.

The lecture will take place on November 26, 2019 at 3 pm at the Academic Conference Center (the entrance is from Jilská street).

Bio

Bente Knoll holds a Master’s Degree in Landscape Planning and Architecture, a PhD in Transport and Traffic Planning and a certificate in Mainstreaming-Gender-and-Diversity-in-Organisations. She is managing director of B-NK GmbH Büro für nachhaltige Kompetenz (Consultancy for Sustainable Competence) – a SME and independent research institute and consultancy located in Vienna, Austria. In planning and communication processes as well as in technology research and development projects the Consultancy for Sustainable Competence points out the relevance of gender and diversity and develops action-oriented solutions towards gender equality and quality management.

Bente Knoll’s main professional interests and area of expertise are in integrating gender and diversity perspectives in research and consulting processes in science, engineering, technology, urban, transport and landscape planning, mobility research as well as sustainable development. In addition to her work as a consultant, Bente Knoll holds teaching assignments – basic and advanced lectures as well as seminars – in Gender Studies and Engineering at various Austrian universities.