Do gender-differences in access to urban landscapes lead to gender-inequalities in mental and physical health?

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Research increasingly indicates that cities are built around the needs and habits of those with the greatest earning power, which has historically meant men, and the needs of other groups (e.g. women, elderly, children) have been somewhat discounted in urban planning. This is partly due to gaps in the data upon which plans are based. Gaps are caused by a lack of gender (and age) disaggregation of population-level data, along with a bias toward collecting data on the needs of the economically dominant labour force. Although the paid labour market comprises increasing numbers of women, they still conduct the majority of unpaid and/or paid part-time work. This means that many women have more complicated travel patterns than most men. Women's journeys typically involving multiple, short, sequential trips ('trip chaining') to locations in suburban neighbourhoods rather than central business districts. Reliance on public transport or active travel caused by reduced access to private vehicles comes with an increased time burden (e.g. circuitous routes, more changes), and potentially greater exposure to risky environments (e.g. pedestrian crossings), unhealthy commodities (e.g. advertising, fast-food, alcohol, tobacco) and crime/danger (e.g. sexual harassment/assault). Fear of crime may also impact on use of public spaces (e.g. bus stops, trains, sports facilities, parks), leading to inequality in access. This may not only impede access to work and leisure provisions for certain groups, but also have negative effects on their mental and physical health.Through this Fellowship I will address the lack of knowledge on how individuals of different gender- and age-groups move through and use urban landscapes. Movement data, that has already been collected from GPS tracking studies on three age cohorts (children, teenagers, adults), will be used to determine whether gender differences in use of urban landscapes occur; what age gender differences become apparent; and what associations this has with individual-level health status. By using data collected at an individual-level we will gain detailed understanding of where people go during their daily activities, how they get there, and whether this is linked to measures of each individual's health. The movement datasets are vast, collected over different time periods and different geographic extents. Using mapped data sources, such location of parks, fast-food, and roads from Ordnance Survey, and data on greenspace and the built environment from satellite imagery, we will be able to describe the types of urban environment each particpant encounters and link this to their answers in health survey questionnaires. The research findings will be used by other academics and health officials interested in linking health and place, but also Local Government Authorities, urban planners and civil engineers who are interested in making urban landscapes equally accessible for all.