Humankind has made giant leaps in technological advancements, innovation, design, and architecture. If we are not dreaming, we are building; if we are not building, then we are dreaming of building.
Constantly constructing something new, do we ever pause and reflect on whether our design and planning encompass everyone’s needs? Urbanisation is equated with progress, but infrastructural developments aside, not all urban spaces have captured the essence of inclusivity.
Building infrastructure for everyone
Especially in developing countries like Nepal, urban planning and design processes have long overlooked the needs of marginalised communities. Are our cities and public spaces designed with LGBTQIA+ (recognised as gender and sexual minorities by the constitution of Nepal) individuals in mind? Are they safe, accessible, and affirming?
Queries alike were at the centre of the roundtable discussion on Strengthening LGBTQIA+ Participation in Municipal Urban Planning and Design, organised on February 12th by Cities 4 Women: Inclusive and Climate Resilient Urbanisation in Nepal project, a joint initiative by UNOPS, UN-Habitat, and Cities Alliance, guided by the Ministry of Urban Development and supported by the European Union and the Government of Finland.
Aimed at encouraging the participation of LGBTQIA+ individuals in municipal decision-making processes, the event brought together members of the community with urban planners and engineers from seven municipalities: Birendranagar, Chandragiri, Dhangadhi, Hetauda, Sunwal, Tansen, and Tilottama. Key stakeholders from organisations such as Mitini Nepal known for pioneering LGBTQIA+ rights in Nepal, were also present.
The roundtable was part of several gender-responsive urban planning workshops across project municipalities that Cities 4 Women has been organising to support, understand, and include the participation of women, youth, elderly, and marginalised groups, such as people with disabilities and the LGBTQIA+ community.
The project plans, designs and builds public open spaces that are places of opportunity and belonging to all citizens.
LGBTQIA+ individuals face extensive obstacles to actively participating in municipal decision-making processes, leading to their needs often remaining unaddressed. Hence, the event was a significant part of a continuous effort to support inclusive, participatory planning and decision-making processes in municipalities for the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Public open spaces reflect the power relations and inequalities in our societies,” Jose Luis Vinuesa Santamaria, Head of EU Cooperation, shared in his keynote and added, “Using urban planning as an angle to face inclusion and vulnerability is an important lens for an increasingly urbanising society like Nepal.” Moreover, Jose called attention to joining the initiative to create inclusive, safe, and welcoming cities for all and to ensure that LGBTQIA+ individuals have a seat at the table in urban governance and planning.
Urban spaces must be co-designed with LGBTQIA+ individuals to create inclusive, safe, and welcoming public open spaces. This can help tremendously in shaping spaces that matter to the community, sharing their power, and strengthening their voices in societies.
The discussion session on the participation of the LGBTQIA+ community in municipal planning and decision-making processes, moderated by Laxmi Ghalan, President/Founder of Mitini Nepal, started with the community members sharing the issues they face in their daily lives and how these problems could be solved.
“I fear facing harassment while travelling since my appearance does not match the gender I was assigned at birth,” a participant highlighted their safety concern.
Another participant shared that something as simple as having access to gender-neutral bathrooms in public open spaces could be a solution for gender and sexual minorities.
Besides, participants shared hurdles ranging from discrimination at the workplace or while accessing healthcare to the exclusion of disabled LGBTQIA+ individuals and the gender binary system.
“Efforts are being made to address discrimination, stigma, under-representation, and lack of policies to help and make the community more inclusive,” Ghalan reflected on the participants’ concerns.
The hurdles
Over the years, Nepal has achieved some commendable feats in advancing LGBTQIA+ rights. Yet, we still have a long way to go. It is crucial to acknowledge and understand the existence of intersectionality while addressing the challenges faced by the marginalised community. LGBTQIA+ individuals who are Dalit, disabled, or Madhesi have to go through layers of oppression due to the intertwining of multiple identities.
After the discussion session, Sarita K.C., Executive Director of Mitini Nepal, led the presentation, highlighting several key issues such as the lack of understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community, lack of inclusion in the planning and decision-making process (though some good initiatives have been taken by the local government, such as Gurans Rural Municipality, Karnali Province), and discrimination and stigma.
Additionally, she highlighted the lack of representation in municipal planning and the absence of inclusive laws and policies that address the specific needs of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Later, the participants were divided into groups comprising both members of the LGBTQI+ community and municipal urban planners and engineers. Groups were invited to reflect on the issues, and agree on actionable steps to be taken for better participation of the LGBTQI+ community into planning and design of urban infrastructure at local levels. ,
The meeting participants came up with the action points on equally accessible, safer, and more inclusive urban space design and design features; strategies to reduce the risk of discrimination and violence in public spaces; urban housing policies and affordable housing projects (particularly for those facing family rejection) and making cities more inclusive. They also came up with a list of key elements of inclusive urban design, proposing gender-neutral toilets, proper street lighting, and clear, accessible signage to create safer and more welcoming public spaces.
Everyone’s voices should be heard
Likewise, they focused on the decision-making power of LGBTQI+ individuals and organisations in the urban planning and design process, the challenges and solutions in achieving this, and the role LGBTQIA+ organisations could play in ensuring accountability from urban planning authorities.
Inclusive urban design and planning is achievable. Prioritising the needs of the often-ignored vulnerable groups in society, such as the LGBTQIA+ community, should be normalised. Cities should be places of opportunity and belonging for all citizens so that all members of society, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, can fully participate in shaping the cities we live in. We are all city changers!
Importantly, inclusivity must be a forethought, which is why the roundtable had members of the LGBTQIA+ community in direct conversation with municipal urban planners and engineers.
This is where UNOPS with partners got it right: fostering a space to allow for a meaningful dialogue exchange to encourage understanding. Folks from the community, including myself, felt heard and seen throughout.
Not only did we actively engage in sharing our lived experiences in urban spaces, but we also identified potential solutions to the obstacles and presented them so that our urban landscape is designed with inclusivity at its core.
