For example, young girls and boys commute to colleges and universities, and transgender people use public transportation as their primary mode of transport. Lack of income and access to other modes of transportation all contribute to one’s reliance on public transportation. Women cannot ride motorcycles in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh due to cultural and religious restrictions. Despite the fact that women rely heavily on public transportation, the urban mobility structure is not designed for their needs.

The design doesn’t address the needs of domestic workers who work outside of the 9-5 norm, or young girls and boys who commute for evening classes. The transit architecture is designed to work around the typical working hour, ignoring the fact that other genders mobilise at various times throughout the day.
Due to the preconceived notion of how people move throughout the day, the urban mobility structure does not accommodate all genders. Before designing a public space, it is important to understand the priorities, insecurities, and behaviours of each gender. Pre-design user and space analysis can help design a more gender-responsive urban mobility structure.
An important part of pre-design analysis is mapping, which helps the designer visualise societal issues for different genders. Multiple map types could be studied and analysed to design a gender-inclusive transit architecture.

The crowd mapping shows how the crowd using public transportation varies around the city, with lower-middle-class people using it more. The maps show that equal distribution of transit spaces throughout the city is an absurd idea, and that transit spaces, such as bus stops and taxi stands, need to be organised according to crowd variation. More transit spaces should be built in areas with higher transit usage. Overcrowding is the most common excuse for gender-based harassment in transit public spaces.

A proximity map shows the distance between a transit station and the community it serves. It is vital that a safe path connects the neighbourhood to the nearby transit station. However, the other gender in society will prioritise a safe path due to fear of harassment and violence. In the dark, isolated path, there is potential for harassment, violence, robbery, and other forms of crime. Jakarta’s urban light railway network uses proximity mapping to connect peripheral housing and housework locations.

The proximity map also ensures easy access to the transit station for each neighbourhood. Gender-responsive transit space is important, but so is easy access to these facilities. In spite of the evenly distributed transit stations, certain neighbourhoods, such as transgender, are left out. Transgenders are one of the most economically challenged groups in our society, and they frequently travel by bus. This gender also requires a station that is close to their location, but the other neighbourhood is ignored.
Harassment maps show hotspots for harassment and violence. The map helps to integrate security measures in those areas to make transit more gender-friendly. During the design phase, safety and security are often used interchangeably, but this is considered design ignorance. Considering safety precautions at transit public spaces is a general design strategy that does not ensure a sense of protection for another gender. The concept of security is associated with a sense of protection and individuality. Men and women perceive security differently, so a gender-segregated bus stop may not affect men, but it protects women. Transgender people face the same issues as women when it comes to public safety. As a result of the security measures designed to protect women, this gender’s fear of harassment is heightened. Creating safe transit public spaces for the vulnerable group will help them become more accustomed to public transportation while protecting both genders.

Urban mobility encompasses the city’s infrastructure and transit system. Gender-inclusive urban mobility strategies will shape the city into a more secure space that caters to all genders. Gender-sensitive elements in transit station design can also have an impact. According to a recent study, in Karachi, 50% of women have experienced harassment on public transportation, and 42% at transit stations. As a result, harassment occurs at transit stations as well. The smaller transit architecture intervention can make the vulnerable group’s commute safer. Lighting is a key design element that contributes to a safer environment. A well-lit transit station reduces gender-based violence and is more user-friendly. Transit stations’ dark corners are seen as potential hotspots for violence and crime, while well-lit areas are constantly watched. Installing CCTV and alarm buttons at each station can help deter harassment.

Urban furniture shapes how people behave and interact in public spaces. In public, a woman faces visual, physical, sexual, and verbal harassment. The furniture should be designed to subtly address issues of gender-based violence. Instead of installing benches that allow for free physical contact between users, install individual seats that restrict physical contact, reducing the risk of physical violence. The height of handrails and handlebars are often designed for the average body of a male, thus the handlebars are too high for a woman, making them uncomfortable in a public space. Women, especially those travelling with children or carrying groceries, struggle to use the small, cramped seating areas. Women taking public transportation are often multi-tasking and travelling with their children. So the sitting areas should be designed to accommodate women and children.