There are always scenes in life where women have to “wait”. In front of the toilet in the shopping mall, grabbing the handrail but feeling uncomfortable, and those who are more sensitive to the temperature have to accept the low temperature of the air conditioning ...... These seemingly insignificant details, but unintentionally reveals the neglect of women's needs in the design.

Data shows that the average time it takes a woman to go to the restroom is 2-3 times longer than that of a man. Obviously, the “equality” of equalizing the floor space is not really fair. This design logic does not really take into account gender differences, thus creating the common phenomenon of queues in women's toilets.

In fact, similar design blind spots are not limited to toilets. From the single height of the handrail to the design flaws of the pedestrian line planning ...... these lack of details invariably increase the cost of living for women. The design field needs to be inspired by more diverse perspectives.

1. Equal restroom space is not equal use

Issues:

•Imbalanced Male-to-Female Toilet Ratio: Many public buildings allocate equal restroom space for men and women, despite women typically taking longer due to biological factors, clothing complexity, or childcare responsibilities. This results in significantly longer queues for women's restrooms.

•Lack of Nursing and Care Facilities: While women should not be equated solely with caregivers, many mothers need private spaces for breastfeeding or childcare, which are often missing in commercial and residential buildings.

•Limited Access to Hygiene Products: Menstrual hygiene is a normal biological need, yet most public restrooms do not provide sanitary pad dispensers or free hygiene products. Meanwhile, men’s urinals often come with automatic flushing systems, reflecting a disparity in design priorities.

Successful Cases:

•New York City's 2:1 Restroom Ratio Law

NYC has implemented a law requiring that new public facilities provide at least twice as many women's restroom stalls as men's, significantly reducing wait times.

•Public Restrooms in Japan

Many shopping malls and subway stations in Japan feature dedicated makeup areas, storage lockers, and amenities for pregnant women and menstruating individuals, enhancing user experience.

•Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, Canada

The airport provides free sanitary pads and tampons in restrooms, ensuring women have access to essential hygiene products without additional expense or inconvenience.

2. Handrails and Accessibility: Average Person Paradigm vs Universal Design

Issues:

•Handrail Heights Default to Male Standards: Stair railings, bus handrails, and escalator handrails are often designed for an average male height (approximately 1.75m), disregarding the comfort of shorter individuals, including women (average height ~1.6m) and children.

•Limited Accessibility for Women in Certain Conditions: Women pushing strollers or wearing high heels may struggle with steep ramps, steps, or revolving doors, yet these factors are often not sufficiently addressed in universal design.

•Elevator Handrail Positioning: In many office buildings and shopping malls, elevator handrails are positioned too high or too close to the door, making them difficult for shorter individuals to hold securely.

Successful Cases: railing design

•Berlin Subway Stations, Germany

Handrail heights have been adjusted, and additional lower grip bars have been installed to accommodate passengers of different heights, including women and children.

•Public Transport in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s buses and subways feature dual-level handrails (at different heights), making them accessible for women, children, and the elderly.

3. The Hidden Uneasiness in Mobility Planning

Issues:

•Circulation Paths Designed for Male Walking Speed: Urban and building circulation paths often assume uniform walking speeds, failing to consider that women, especially those wearing skirts, high heels, or carrying bags, may have different movement patterns.

•Lack of Safety Considerations in Public Spaces: Many commercial buildings have poorly lit parking lots and stairwells, creating safety concerns for women traveling at night.

•Restroom Accessibility in Office Buildings: In large corporate offices, restrooms may be positioned far from conference rooms, causing inconvenience, especially for women during long meetings.

Successful Cases:

•Paris “Women-Friendly City” Initiative

Paris has introduced female-friendly pedestrian routes, improved street lighting, and enhanced safety measures to make walking at night safer for women.

•Gender-Responsive Urban Planning in Stockholm, Sweden

Research found that women’s travel patterns differ from men’s (e.g., more frequent transitions between different transport modes and increased walking), leading to the redesign of sidewalks, improved lighting, and additional public rest areas.

4. Comfort Should be a Common Feeling for All

Issues:

•Inadequate Dressing Room and Rest Area Design: Many shopping malls and gyms have cramped dressing rooms with limited privacy, insufficient lockers, or no dedicated spaces for women to change comfortably.

•Overlooked Comfort Considerations in the Workplace: Open-plan office designs can disproportionately affect women, particularly regarding privacy needs (e.g., for nursing) or temperature settings (studies show women are more sensitive to cold, yet office environments are typically set for male thermal comfort).

Successful Cases:

•Google Offices

Google’s global office spaces incorporate gender-inclusive designs, such as women’s lounges, optimized temperature control, nursing rooms, and balanced male-to-female restroom ratios on all floors.

•Roppongi Hills Shopping Complex, Tokyo

This shopping mall features dedicated women's lounges, ensuring private spaces for rest and self-care. Additionally, the fitting rooms and makeup areas are designed for convenience and comfort, reducing common discomforts in traditional retail spaces.

Conclusion

Women interact with architectural spaces differently from men, but traditional design approaches often assume a “default male user,” leading to public facilities that fail to consider female needs adequately. Successful case studies demonstrate that the best designs are not merely about adding “women-only” features but about making spaces more inclusive, efficient, and safe for everyone.

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