CITIES, AS SEEN AND SHAPED BY WOMEN

What would a city entirely designed by women for women look like?

It's a question that has sparked conversations across architecture studios, urban planning conferences, and design schools throughout the Middle East, where a new generation of female architects and urban planners are challenging centuries-old assumptions about how cities should function.

The answer, according to leading voices in the region's architectural community, reveals itself through a distinctly different approach to urban design, one that prioritises inclusivity, sustainability, empathy, and human-centric principles that emerge naturally from women's perspectives on city living and spatial experience.

THE BALANCE IMPERATIVE: SUSTAINABILITY MEETS INNOVATION

For Christine Espinosa-Erlanda, Associate Director at Godwin Austen Johnson, a city has to have more balance. Her vision of a balanced community is one where “there is harmonious balance of sustainability, innovation, and human-centric design.” Her vision represents a departure from the gleaming glass towers and car-centric infrastructure that have dominated Middle Eastern urban development over the past several decades.

This approach has gained particular relevance in the Middle East, where extreme temperatures and water scarcity demand innovative solutions. The sustainability imperative extends beyond environmental concerns to economic and social sustainability. Cities designed with women's perspectives, research suggests, tend to prioritise long-term viability over short-term spectacle. This means more investment in public transport systems, pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, and mixed-use developments that reduce the need for lengthy commutes.

STORIES WRITTEN IN STONE: THE NARRATIVE CITY

Where Christine focuses on balance, Design Manager Maisa Jarjous, who works in Majid Al Futtaim, brings a different lens to urban design; one that prioritises cultural narrative and emotional connection. She believes cities should hold meaning.

Her designs challenge the often sterile nature of modern development by embedding storytelling into the very fabric of urban life.

"My city has unmatched vibes," Jarjous explains, describing her vision of urban environments where "every building, café, and alley holds a memory, a moment, a piece of someone's journey. It's a living, breathing storybook waiting to be explored."

This narrative approach reflects a broader shift in Middle Eastern architecture, where younger designers are seeking to reconnect with cultural heritage whilst addressing contemporary needs.

THE EMPATHY ARCHITECTURE MOVEMENT

Another shift happening across the region is empathy-led design. As Noelle Halabi, Associate Director at EDGE, puts it: "My city has more empathy, it's shaped by the people who live it every day. It connects public and private spaces in harmony, reshaping the urban experience to be more people-focused."

This approach involves extensive community consultation. To get meaningful inputs, it will require walking interviews, spatial mapping exercises, and collaborative design workshops that give residents direct input into how their neighbourhoods will evolve.

BEYOND THE MIDDLE EAST: GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS

The work of these architects extends far beyond regional boundaries, offering insights that could reshape urban planning globally. Cities from Vienna to Barcelona have already begun implementing "gender mainstreaming" in urban planning, incorporating safety audits, childcare considerations, and public space design that accommodates different types of social interaction.

Research from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme suggests that when women lead urban planning initiatives, cities develop more efficient public transport systems, safer public spaces, and more economically vibrant neighbourhoods. Cities designed through women's perspectives tend to work better for families, elderly residents, people with disabilities, and other groups whose spatial needs often align with the comprehensive approach women bring to design challenges.

TECHNOLOGY, THOUGHTFULLY INTEGRATED

As smart cities rise, designers are asking: is innovation enhancing human life, or replacing it? The answer lies in intention. Motion-sensor lighting for safer streets. Community apps to report local issues. Digital noticeboards to connect neighbours. These tools, when thoughtfully integrated, become enablers, not barriers.

LOOKING FORWARD: THE NEXT URBAN REVOLUTION

The next urban revolution may not be technological or architectural, but philosophical. The work of these pioneering women shows us that when we design cities through the lens of empathy, sustainability, and real daily experience, we create places that truly serve people. Architecture schools across the Middle East are beginning to integrate gender-informed design into their curriculum. Developers are introducing safety and accessibility audits into their plans. The shift is happening.

So what would a city designed by women look like?

It would look like balance. It would feel like empathy. And it would tell the stories of everyone who calls it home.

Anthon Garcia | May, 2025