Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Mohanna Sarvari ¹
• Nina Khalighi ²
• Mehdi Saidi ³

¹ Master’s degree graduate in Urban Planning, Department of Urban Planning and Design, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Design, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Design, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

Abstract

Women’s participation in the planning and management of urban parks has increasingly been recognized in recent years as a key approach to enhancing spatial equity, improving the quality of public spaces, and promoting urban quality of life. This study aims to identify and analyze the barriers to women’s presence in urban parks and to propose participatory, need-based strategies grounded in their lived experiences. Adopting a mixed-methods (quantitative–qualitative) approach, the research focuses on Shohada Park in the city of Sanandaj. The statistical population consisted of all women aged over 20 years, from whom a random sample of 384 respondents was selected. Data collection tools included questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, field observations, and spatial analysis, and the data were analyzed using SPSS, MAXQDA, and ArcGIS software.

The findings indicate that certain physical indicators, such as accessibility, vegetation quality, and the availability of parking facilities, are in relatively favorable condition, whereas components related to safety, diversity of activities, welfare services, lighting, cultural programs, and socio-economic facilities are assessed as inadequate. Qualitative analysis further reveals that women strongly emphasize the need to improve lighting, strengthen social surveillance, expand welfare services, and design multifunctional spaces.

The main innovation of this study lies in the development of the Experience-Based Gender Equity Index (GEPI), which systematically integrates qualitative and quantitative data to enable the simultaneous assessment of physical infrastructure and women’s perceptual–social experiences. The index is structured across five dimensions—physical, social, economic, cultural, and environmental—and is proposed as a practical tool for planning public spaces aimed at facilitating women’s effective and sustained presence. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data, together with GIS-based analysis, allows for the formulation of multi-level operational strategies to enhance the quality of urban parks. The findings of this research can serve as a model for urban planners seeking to design gender-responsive public spaces in Iranian cities and the wider region.

Keywords

• Shohada Park, Sanandaj
• urban parks
• women’s preferences
• gender equity
• participatory process
• experience-based index

Main Subjects

• Urban Planning