Redesign Indian cities with women’s safety as the core principle

A 17-year-old woman was raped in Delhi’s Aastha Kunj Park on September 21, highlighting how urban spaces are designed without women’s safety in mind, as similar assaults occur nationwide. Delhi recorded 13,366 crimes against women in 2023, the highest among Indian metros, with planning historically centered on male commuters, leaving women’s multi-stop travel patterns and needs like lighting and toilets neglected. Gender-responsive budgeting since 2005-06 remains fragmented, but cities like Vienna show integration is possible, requiring safety audits, more female planners, and treating women’s routes as funded infrastructure rather than policing issues.