Practice to perception: assessing women-centric infrastructure for safer cities

The provision of infrastructure plays a major role in ensuring women’s safety, security, and inclusivity. This research focuses on a perception study of women in two metropolitan and smart cities of India: Surat and Pune, both located in the western region of India. To assess the study, qualitative and quantitative methods are used to evaluate the result. For the assessment of the study, 300 women from each city were selected based on various occupations, age groups, levels of employment, and family income. The research is divided into three sections: the first section handlebar survey, the second section focuses on the perception study of women in the city, and the third section rates the cities’ infrastructure to enhance safety, security, and equality in the built environment, particularly through public space and street infrastructure. According to the findings of this perception study, more women in both cities believe that providing women-responsive infrastructure tailored to women is crucial for promoting women’s safety, security, and inclusivity. This also allows more women to participate in the built environment and fostering economic and social fairness. This research is significant for researchers, academics, and municipalities working on women-centric or responsive cities to enhance security, safety, and inclusive participation in developing countries.