Gendered Dimensions of Urban Planning Practice and Outcomes in Enugu State

Gender-responsive urban planning requires both a planning practice that includes women's voices in decision-making and planning outcomes that equitably address women's mobility, safety, livelihood, and service access needs. This study examines the gendered dimensions of planning practice and outcomes in Enugu State, addressing both the representation of women within planning institutions and the degree to which planning decisions reflect women's spatial needs. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining an institutional survey of gender representation in Enugu State Urban Development Board staffing and decision-making roles with a household survey of 320 women across four neighborhoods assessing their experiences of urban planning outcomes. Qualitative data from 25 focus group discussions examined how planning decisions affect women's daily mobility, access to markets, childcare facilities, and safety in public space. Findings are expected to reveal significant underrepresentation of women in senior planning roles, limited incorporation of gender-disaggregated data in planning assessments, and planning decisions that prioritize vehicular mobility over pedestrian access in ways that disproportionately disadvantage women. The study makes an original contribution to the empirical literature on gender and urban planning in South East Nigeria. Recommendations address gender parity targets in planning authority staffing, mandatory gender impact assessments for major planning decisions, integration of women-focused indicators in planning monitoring systems, and institutional capacity building for gender-responsive planning analysis in Enugu State. Keywords: Gender, Urban planning, Women, Enugu, Gendered outcomes.