From Principles to Practice: Gender Criteria for Housing Design and Public Procurement

The event presents the”Guide to Gender Criteria for Housing Design and Public Procurement” as a practical, policy-oriented tool for integrating gender equality into housing design, urban development and public procurement processes. The publication is part of a broader set of actions promoted by the Government of Valencia, Spain since 2015 to advance gender equality policies in urban planning, architecture and transport. It builds on over 25 years of gender mainstreaming initiatives in urbanism, including technical training, awareness-raising programs, publications, pilot projects, architectural competitions and research initiatives promoted by Spanish public administrations and the UNESCO Chair on Gender at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Grounded in the recognition that housing and cities are not gender-neutral, the Guide addresses how spatial design choices, procurement standards and decision-making frameworks can actively promote inclusive, safe and resilient housing and communities. It links housing design to everyday practices of care, mobility, safety, accessibility, affordability and access to services, highlighting how these dimensions directly affect women, girls and boys, and the elderly. The session will be structured as an expert-led presentation and policy-oriented discussion. Inés Sánchez de Madariaga, as co-author of the Guide, will take a central role in presenting its conceptual framework, development process and core criteria, directly illustrating how gender considerations can be operationalized across the entire housing cycle: from planning and architectural design to construction, management and evaluation, as well as from tender formulation to award criteria and monitoring mechanisms in public procurement. Her contribution will provide first-hand insights into the policy rationale, methodological choices and practical challenges of integrating gender equality into housing design and procurement practices. Particular attention is given to public purchasers, local authorities and urban planners, who will be offered concrete guidance on how to translate equality commitments into measurable, repplicable and context-sensitive requirements. The presence of one of the authors ensures a high level of technical depth, credibility and direct knowledge transfer, enabling participants to engage with the Guide not only as a policy document but as a practical implementation tool. Drawing on national and international experiences, including pioneering policies in Vienna, the Basque Country and Barcelona, the Guide translates gender equality principles into design requirements, habitability standards and procurement criteria. Special focus is placed on housing pilot projects promoted since 2020, aimed at fostering innovation and technology transfer within the ecological transition, integrating social, economic and environmental sustainability with gender equity values. From a legislative perspective, the event also highlights relevant regulatory frameworks, such as the Basque Government’s Habitability Decree, developed with the support of the UNESCO Chair on Gender of the UPM, which introduces various standards addressing safety, minimum dimensions for kitchens, storage, and bedrooms and other issues. Objectives : • Support cities and institutions in aligning housing investments with human rights, social sustainability, and the New Urban Agenda. • Offer public and private stakeholders recommendations applicable to the entire housing cycle: planning, design, construction, management, and evaluation. • Raise awareness of the importance of gender-responsive housing in fragile contexts to strengthen inclusion and become a driver of recovery, dignity, and social cohesion.