Women & Gulf cities: The transformative impact of women influencing the architectural and urban developments of the Gulf region

Introduction

The Gulf region has witnessed unprecedented urbanization and development in recent years, promising new opportunities for more integrated and balanced work cultures. However, women's participation in the architecture and planning fields, which are key to urban development, could be increased. This call for papers aims to feature the role of women in architecture and city-making in the Gulf region, to recognize their achievements and to  draw attention to the challenges they face in realizing their full potential.

We invite papers that critically examine the gendered aspects of architecture and urban development in the Gulf region, including women's experiences in the workforce, entrepreneurship and innovation, arts and culture. We welcome papers that engage with historical and contemporary perspectives, considering the role of women in traditional desert cultures and their contributions to sustainable urban development in the region.

The papers should aim to provide new insights into the challenges and opportunities for achieving gender parity in the workplace and integrating women into the urban development processes. We encourage submissions from scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers from diverse disciplines, including urban planning, architecture, design, engineering, sociology, policy-making, and culture.

The call for papers aspires to contribute to the ongoing discourse on gender equity and sustainable development in the Gulf region and beyond, as well as to more participative design and planning practices. The anticipated papers will offer innovative and practical solutions for achieving inclusive and integrated urban practices that promote the full and equal participation of women in architecture and city making.

List of topic areas

• Women-led architectural practises
• Gender disparity
• Cultural identity
• Gender and sustainable architecture
• Portrayal and bias
• Socio-cultural impact of women in architecture
• Leadership and inclusivity
• Gender-sensitive urban design
• Women's impact in rapid urbanisation and cultural heritage preservation
• Participative design
• Women and the city

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/archnet

Author guidelines must be strictly followed.

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to "Please select the issue you are submitting to".

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines

Opening date for manuscripts submission: 3 April 2023

Closing date for abstract submission: 30 June 2023

Closing date for manuscripts submission: 30 September 2023