Behave well in someone else's place! Genderization of urban spaces influences environmental behavior in public settings

Gender differences in environmental behavior are well-documented, yet research has largely overlooked how behaviors can be influenced by social meanings attributed to the physical space where they are performed. Urban spaces are inherently imbued with gendered traits, a concept grounded in feminist geography theory and supported by recent findings on space-focused stereotyping processes. Building on this evidence, Study 1 (N = 130) revealed the influence of gendered urban space perceptions on social expectations regarding gender differences in environmental behavior. Study 2 (N = 170) replicated these findings using a Gender Face Recognition Task as an indirect measure to assess the cognitive association between gender and urban environments. Study 3 (N = 204) experimentally manipulated the cognitive accessibility of (counter-)stereotypical beliefs about urban spaces. Despite a manipulation backfire effect, results highlighted gender role norms as a mechanism influencing the gendering of environmental behaviors in public settings. This research provides evidence that stereotypical beliefs about urban spaces and gender roles may contribute to the gender differences in environmentalism. It offers implications for socio-environmental psychology and urban planning, emphasizing the need to consider gender dynamics in the design of inclusive and sustainable public spaces.