Women shape Erfurt's future: networking for urban development!

Women shape Erfurt's future: networking for urban development!

Schottenstraße 7, 99084 Erfurt, Deutschland - in Cologne are the signs of progressive urban development, which focuses on the role of women and their needs. An event was held on June 23, 2025, moderated by Anna Allstädt, which is intended to promote exchange and networking in order to provide impulses for gender -friendly urban design. At this meeting, four committed women from Erfurt and Kalisz took part and highlighted the challenges and opportunities that result from inclusive planning. The Urban-X-Change network, supported by the Federal Foreign Office, has enabled fruitful cooperation between four German adult education centers and partners from Ukraine and Poland since mid-2024. Cross-border cultural and educational activities are carried out here that put the topic of urban development on the agenda. Participation in the event was free of charge and registration was not necessary. Interested parties can continue to find out more at Volkshochschule@erfurt.de or on site at Schottenstraße 7.

A fundamental topic of the event was the confiscation of female perspectives in urban planning. This is not only a topic locally, but is also being discussed louder at the national level. The Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) recently developed guidelines for gender -friendly urban development policy. These were presented in Berlin as part of a specialist and network event on March 6, 2025, before the World Women's Day. The guidelines should help to actively implement the equality of women and men in public space. The "New Leipzig Charter" serves as an important leading document for a common good urban development in Europe.

Current challenges and approaches

A common problem in urban planning is that the needs of women, children and the elderly are often neglected, while male -dominated planning concepts gain the upper hand. A newly published book, "Gender -friendly urban development: How we build a city for everyone", gives insights into this topic and shows how better inclusion of the needs of women and girls can significantly improve the quality of public spaces. The author shares examples from practices in Germany and Europe and offers approaches to realign urban development.

• Mobility
• District development
• housing construction
• green and open spaces

The book is aimed at the responsible persons in urban planning, architecture and politics and will be published at the end of September 2024. It promises to contribute significantly to the debate about a fairer urban interior design and can already be ordered from Springer Gabler.

The way to equality

Together with the new guidelines and the impulses resulting from events such as those in Cologne, cities and municipalities are working to rethink their planning approaches. The discussion about equality and gender justice in urban development is becoming increasingly louder. In the future it is important to create an environment that is worth living for everyone involved. The guidelines include eight important points, including:

1. strong representation and including the participation of all social groups.
2. increase in visibility in public space.
3. fair mobility and accessibility.
4. quality living and security.
5. Consideration of care work.
6. Promotion of healthy cities.
7. gender -sensitive climate adjustment.
8. resilience structure in urban development.

Through these initiatives, a real change can be initiated in urban planning, which not only takes into account the needs of women, but also takes a look at the entire society. The coming months promise exciting developments in gender -friendly urban development, and we can be excited to see how these topics will develop.

If you want to learn more about the event in Cologne, then have a look at Erfurt.de. For detailed information on gender-friendly urban development, visit urban-policy.com and national-stadt development policy.de.