Claiming the City: How India’s Urban Spaces Exclude Women and How to Fix Them, A Case Study of New Delhi

Year : 2026 | Volume : 04 | Issue : 01 | Page : 25 41
    By

    Anusha Muralidhar,

  1. Independent Researcher, Happy Valley Layout, Subrahmanyapura, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Abstract

This paper analyses the layered risks, vulnerabilities, and everyday negotiations faced by women in open public spaces in diverse sites across India, with New Delhi as a representative and highly stratified urban case. It examines how specific Urban design competences, planning attitudes, and governance mechanisms have in the past resulted in exclusionary and not safe environments for women. Based on crime reports, government statistics, academic literature, and field-based observations, the article shows that despite progressive legislation and numerous policy initiatives, women’s mobility, autonomy, and spatial citizenship continue to remain constricted due to a lack of infrastructure for them, coupled with patriarchal planning paradigms as well as weak implementation of safety-oriented measures. Using an intersectional analytical perspective, this paper provides evidence on how caste, class, religion, and other social identities such as disability and LGBTQ identity intersect to magnify women’s vulnerability to urban risks and perpetuate structural forms of disadvantage. Positioning these layered inequalities in relation to spatial and design failure, the paper contends that the exclusion of women from public space is both socially entrenched and institutionally perpetuated by planning and regulatory regimes. Cross-national lessons learned from feminist urban interventions and gender-responsive policies in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and East Asia show the potential for participatory design, community- based audits, and comprehensive approaches to safety to change the perception of place. Serving as a bridge between theory and practice, the paper develops an approach towards feminist and gender-sensitive urbanism that prioritizes lived experiences, accessibility, care, and collective safety as key planning principles. It demands institutional transformation as well as multi-sectoral coordination through mechanisms of strong accountability, which is not beholden to protectionist logics but rather enables women to exercise visibility, agency, and substantive rights in the shaping of just and sustainable urban futures.

Keywords: Economic engagement, landscape, urban planning, urban spaces, women safety

[This article belongs to International Journal of Urban Design and Development ]

How to cite this article:
Anusha Muralidhar. Claiming the City: How India’s Urban Spaces Exclude Women and How to Fix Them, A Case Study of New Delhi. International Journal of Urban Design and Development. 2026; 04(01):25-41.
How to cite this URL:
Anusha Muralidhar. Claiming the City: How India’s Urban Spaces Exclude Women and How to Fix Them, A Case Study of New Delhi. International Journal of Urban Design and Development. 2026; 04(01):25-41. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/ijudd/article=2026/view=238032


References

  1. SleepyClasses IAS. Women’s safety in India [Internet]. Available from: https://sleepyclasses.com/womens-safety-in-india/
  2. Visakha S. Making a feminist city: Planning safety and autonomy for women [Internet]. VIDHI; 2021. Available from: https://vidhilegalpolicy.in/research/making-a-feminist-city-planning-safety-and-autonomy-for-women/
  3. Sharma M. Women’s safety in building plans a must, say experts [Internet]. Hindustan Times; 2024. Available from: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/womens-safety-in-building-plans-a-must-say-experts-101725214775377.html
  4. Jha SK. Delhi among most unsafe cities for women: NCRB data [Internet]. Hindustan Times; 2023. Available from: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/delhi-among-most-unsafe-cities-for-women-ncrbdata-101701714002746.html
  5. Sharma N. Delhi leads in crimes against women, Rajasthan in number of rape cases in 2022: NCRB report [Internet]. India Today; 2023. Available from: https://www.indiatoday.in/law/story/delhi-leads-in-crimes-against-women-rajasthan-in-number-of-rape-cases-in-2022-ncrb-report-2471924-2023-12-04
  6. Borker G. Safety first: Perceived risk of street harassment and educational choices of women. 2021.
  7. Palifrovska B. Feminist urbanism: Approach to urban planning [Internet]. Urban Design Lab; 2024. Available from: https://urbandesignlab.in/feminist-urbanism-approach-to-urban-planning/
  8. Urban planning and women’s safety research project [Internet]. 2021. Available from: https://www.turley.co.uk/comment/urban-planning-and-womens-safety-research-project
  9. Bansal K, Bali A. Empowering women: Enhancing urban safety in modern cities [Internet]. National Institute of Urban Affairs. Available from: https://niua.in/blogs/empowering-women-enhancing-urban-safety-modern-cities
  10. Sociology Institute. Intersectionality: Caste, class and gender in India [Internet]. 2022. Available from: https://sociology.institute/sociology-of-gender/intersectionality-caste-class-gender-india/
  11. Kothari J, et al. Intersectionality: A report on discrimination based on caste with the intersections of sex, gender identity and disability in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Bangalore; 2019.
  12. Lama P. Sexual and gender-based violence against Dalit women and girls in India [Internet]. COFEM; 2022. Available from: https://cofemsocialchange.org/sexual-gbv-dalit-women-girls-india/
  13. SleepyClasses IAS. Intersectionality and gender equality: Addressing multiple forms of discrimination in India [Internet]. Available from: https://sleepyclasses.com/intersectionality-and-gender-equality-addressing-multiple-forms-of-discrimination-in-india/
  14. Suri SN. Safe cities free of violence against women and girls initiative. 2021.
  15. Ministry of Home Affairs. Safety and security of women and girls. 2019.
  16. Ministry of Women and Child Development. India’s commitment to women’s safety. 2025.
  17. Drishti IAS. Safe city project [Internet]. 2023. Available from: https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/safe-city-project
  18. Kaul K, Shrivastava S. Safety of women in public spaces in Delhi: Governance and budgetary challenges. 2017.
  19. Khan S. Is Delhi’s heavy surveillance making women safer? [Internet]. The Diplomat; 2021. Available from: https://thediplomat.com/2021/10/is-delhis-heavy-surveillance-making-women-safer/
  20. Verma S. India records 51 cases of crime against women every hour: NCRB report [Internet]. The Times of India; 2024. Available from: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-records-51-cases-of-crime-against-women-every-hour-over-4-4-lakh-cases-in-2022-ncrb-report/articleshow/105731269.cms
  21. Chakrabarty S. Are crimes against women on the rise? Explained [Internet]. The Hindu; 2023. Available from: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/are-crimes-against-women-on-the-rise-explained/article67622430.ece
  22. Dhillon M. Street harassment: A qualitative study of the experiences of young women in Delhi. Indian J Gender Stud. 2014;21(1):7–28.
  23. International Dalit Solidarity Network. Dalit women [Internet]. Available from: https://idsn.org/key-issues/dalit-women/
  24. Muralidhar A. Socio-spatial segregation in Bengaluru: A case study of Malleswaram. Int J Res Trends Soc Sci Humanit. 2025.
  25. Varadarajan P. And I thought public spaces are meant for everyone [Internet]. Urbanet; 2020. Available from: https://www.urbanet.info/and-i-thought-public-spaces-are-meant-for-everyone/
  26. Dudeja U. Urban planning and women safety [Internet]. iPleaders; 2020. Available from: https://blog.ipleaders.in/urban-planning-and-women-safety/
  27. UN Women. Creating safe public spaces [Internet]. Available from: https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/creating-safe-public-spaces
  28. Ollivier J, Nikore M, Natasha. Unlocking gender differences: Designing inclusive and safe public transport systems. Washington DC; 2022.
  29. Jagori & UN Women. Safe cities Delhi programme: Baseline survey. 2010.
  30. Phadke S, Khan S, Ranade S. Why loiter? Women and risk on Mumbai streets. New Delhi: Penguin Books India; 2011.
  31. Yadav A, Kumari R. Research on urban safety and gender [Internet]. ScienceDirect. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264275124000593
  32. Deccan Herald. Delhi tops in crimes against women in 2022: NCRB data [Internet]. 2023. Available from: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/delhi-tops-in-crimes-against-women-in-2022-ncrb-data-1279759.html
  33. Chakraborty P. Male passengers fined for entering women-only metro coach [Internet]. India Today; 2025. Available from: https://www.indiatoday.in/cities/delhi/story/delhi-metro-women-only-coaches-male-passengers-fined-warning-dmrc-2758327-2025-07-19
  34. The Economic Times. 3500 AI-enabled cameras to guard Delhi under safe city project [Internet]. 2025. Available from: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/3500-ai-enabled-cameras-to-guard-delhi-under-safe-city-project-from-oct-1/articleshow/122406909.cms
  35. Understanding women’s safety: Towards a gender inclusive city – Research findings, Delhi. New Delhi; 2010.
  36. Brahmbhatt B. Nirbhaya safe city project: A transformative initiative [Internet]. LinkedIn; 2025. Available from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/nirbhaya-safe-city-project-transformative-initiative-brahmbhatt-dwfyf/
  37. Sen, Chandra. Only 20% of Nirbhaya fund has been used by states until 2018 [Internet]. The Hindu; 2021. Available from: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/only-20-of-nirbhaya-fund-has-been-used-by-states-until-2018/article28230097.ece
  38. UN Women. Safe cities for women [Internet]. 2014. Available from: https://lac.unwomen.org/en/noticias-y-eventos/articulos/2014/02/safe-cities-for-women
  39. World Bank Group. QII case studies. Washington, DC [Internet]. 2022. Available from: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/758541647235972420
  40. Morais MdO, Borde E, Guevara J, Valdebenito S, Baldovino-Chiquillo K, Sarmiento L, et al. Gender-based violence and urban safety research [Internet]. National Library of Medicine; 2025. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11805525/
  41. Trivedi A, Balanean A. Challenging gender discriminatory norms, practices and beliefs in Sub-Saharan Africa [Internet]. IISD; 2025. Available from: https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/challenging-gender-discriminatory-norms-practices-and-beliefs-sub-saharan-africa
  42. Johnstone S. Gender-sensitive planning and urban design for cities to respond to GBVF [Internet]. Local Government Bulletin; 2021. Available from: https://dullahomarinstitute.org.za/multilevel-govt/local-government-bulletin/archives/volume-16-issue-1-march-2021/gender-sensitive-planning-and-urban-design-for-cities-to-respond-to-gbvf
  43. Jokia L, Vyas S. Safe women safer cities. 2022.
  44. Urban Sustainability Exchange. Safe city for women [Internet]. 2016. Available from: https://use.metropolis.org/case-studies/safe-city-for-women
  45. Sekiguchi M. JR East’s approach to universal design of railway stations. 2006.
Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 04
Issue 01
Received 29/07/2025
Accepted 13/01/2026
Published 10/02/2026
Publication Time 196 Days
51

Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics