'Queer' plans for Edinburgh's feminist makeover

Scotland's capital city is to be given a makeover to improve safety for ‘people of marginalised genders’ - including plans to commission statues representing the ‘queer community’.

The City of Edinburgh Council will undertake a feminist approach to town planning under the proposals, which could lead to radical changes to how the city looks and operates.

Plans include erecting statues of ‘named women of colour, queer women and ordinary women who aren’t the ruling classes’, after the council’s planning committee backed proposals for greater ‘gender equality’ through ‘design and culture’.

The council is looking to Europe for inspiration including cities such as Vienna and Barcelona which have respectively published manuals called ‘Gender mainstreaming made easy’, and a handbook on ‘urban planning with a gender perspective’.

Recommendations include wider pavements, more benches in public spaces, improved lighting, ramps for wheelchairs and buggies and visible commemorations of women and the queer community.

The equality drive comes after council chiefs in Edinburgh set up a Low Emission Zone, in common with other cities such as Glasgow, to fine drivers of older vehicles which are deemed not to be environmentally friendly, prompting claims of discrimination against Scots who cannot afford to buy a newer vehicle.

Council bosses in Edinburgh – where a minority Labour administration is in charge – are working on a public art strategy that will consider its monuments and statues.

The city is said to have more statues of animals than women including Greyfriars Bobby, a terrier which became known for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner until he died in 1872.

Alys Mumford, the Scottish Green councillor who has championed feminist town planning, told The Times: ‘We will look at statues of named women of colour, queer women and ordinary women who aren’t the ruling classes.

‘It’s not about saying we need less things in the city for men, it’s about saying the city doesn’t work for everyone and wouldn’t it be great if it did.’

A steering group, made up of representatives from all political parties, has been set up to put the Edinburgh plans in motion.

Ms Mumford said Edinburgh faced unique accessibility challenges given the historic nature of the Old Town.

She said: ‘People see feminist planning as being about women’s safety and that is absolutely part of it but it is so much more.

‘It’s about recognising that cities have been designed for men, not women.

‘Edinburgh is an old heritage town with lots of stairs and lots of nice, winding alleyways and, obviously, we don’t want to change that completely but the vast majority of disabled people in Scotland are women, the majority of caregivers are women.

‘And so the fact we have an inaccessible city has a bigger impact on women.’

Under the plans, all new buildings must have ‘gender equality in at the start’ with effective public transport links and less space for cars.

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Ms Mumford said: ‘Women are far less likely to be car owners and are far more likely to use public transport and yet the public transport routes we have don’t go to the right places and the city is made unsafe because of the roads.’

Ms Mumford also pointed to the fact that Edinburgh has already enshrined ‘gender budgeting’ in how the local authority plans its financing.

The city now prioritises gritting pavements in winter over gritting the roads with a focus on ensuring the routes to nurseries and schools are cleared first, following the example of Scandinavian countries.

Writing on X, former civil servant Lisa Mackenzie of feminist think-tank MurrayBlackburnMackenzie said: ‘The City of Edinburgh Council wants to take a feminist approach to urban planning. Great.

‘How about ceasing the licensing of sexual entertainment venues in the city? State-sanctioned objectification of women isn’t feminist.’