Firdous Nizar

Firdous Nizar is a third-year PhD student investigating the quality of lived experiences in cities from the perspective of gender and safety.

Thesis title: Equitable Cities: Addressing Women’s Access to Public Spaces

Her research lies at the intersection of urban design, intersectional feminism and architectural quality and tries to unpack the social and structural factors that affect feeling of safety and security in urban public spaces. Her research seeks to address equitable access of women to public spaces in the city in relation to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 Agenda and gender-sensitive urban policy. Her research explores inclusive access and rights to the city for women in Canadian metropolitan cities such as Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto by assessing urban policy and the UN SDGs, particularly Goal 5 on Gender Equality, Goal 10 on Reducing Inequalities and Goal 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities.