Lisbon (PT)
Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, has long grappled with questions of accessibility, equity, and mobility in its urban development. As one of Europe’s rapidly evolving cities, Lisbon has embarked on progressive planning efforts to foster inclusive public spaces and services.
Gender equality has increasingly become a theme in municipal governance, especially in areas of transport, public safety, and pedestrian accessibility. Rita Jacinto, a senior planner at Lisbon City Council’s pedestrian accessibility division, has been at the forefront of this transformation. Her team began exploring how public space design and mobility patterns intersect with gender, realising that a deeper, intersectional approach was urgently needed.
About this project and her motivations for pushing it forward, she said: “Spaces can be very accessible in theory… but not considering how the place is used, at what time, how the lighting is, do people feel safe at night… that started to be an issue we saw.”