Gendered space: associations between urban environments and gender social categories

A substantial body of literature across various disciplines—such as feminist studies, humanistic geography, sociology, history, political philosophy, and urban design—has long illuminated the intricate relationship between urban spaces and masculinity. Despite the richness of this research, there is a notable scarcity of psychological studies that empirically examine the cognitive associations between urban settings and masculinity. To fill this gap, across six studies (N = 802), the gendered perception of urban spaces was investigated through direct and indirect measures, hypothesizing that these settings are not perceived as neutral on the masculinity-femininity dimension. Our findings reveal that urban environments, such as streets and squares, are perceived as more suitable for men than for women (Studies 1a and 2), more strongly associated with masculinity than femininity (Study 1b), and imbued with more masculine than feminine traits (Study 3). Furthermore, Studies 4a and 4b analyze Instagram images of prominent influencers and advertisements from a leading newspaper, demonstrating that the association between urban spaces and masculinity is both reflected and reinforced by mass media. Finally, the implications of these findings for the development of inclusive cities were discussed, emphasizing the need to ensure equal rights to cities and participation for all citizens.