In collaboration with ADIF, the public body responsible for managing Spain’s railway infrastructure, the UNESCO Chair has pioneered the integration of a gender perspective into the country’s railway transport infrastructure system. The commission from the Subdirectorate of Station Architecture of ADIF was to provide consultancy services and integrate the gender perspective into three pilot projects of the Directorate of High-Speed Projects and Stations.
The work had a dual focus:
- Advising ADIF on including gender equality criteria in public procurement and project contract specifications.
- Integrating the gender perspective into three pilot projects of the Directorate.
Three projects of different scales, themes, and contexts were selected to provide applicable examples to different types of works and common projects.
- The first project was a section of the high-speed railway line between Murcia and Almería passing through Totana, a small town. In this context, analyzing the impact of railway infrastructure on rural and peri-urban land and the spatial characteristics of the train stop and its surroundings was important.
- The second project was a section of the Madrid-Extremadura high-speed rail line passing through the center of Navalmoral de la Mata, a medium-sized town. This pilot project addressed cases where rail infrastructure crosses consolidated urban centers. We particularly analyzed the impact of infrastructure on the urban fabric, areas of insecurity, underpasses, and accessibility to key points in the infrastructure environment. We also studied small recreational areas aimed at improving urban quality and supporting the daily lives of residents and travelers.
- The third and largest project was the new Atotxa-San Sebastián station. We analyzed gender dimensions in larger, intermodal hubs, especially in projects involving not only station renovations, but also urban redevelopment in the surrounding areas. Accessibility, support for intermodality, safety perception, and inclusion were key aspects addressed by this research. We also explored ways to support everyday life through spatial design in larger transportation infrastructures.
This pioneering, highly innovative approach has had a significant impact. Currently, all public procurement for railway infrastructure projects in Spain requires the integration of an accredited gender expert on the team. Since this work was carried out, projects launched by ADIF have included the gender dimension from the design phase. Since 2019, the UNESCO Chair has advised various engineering, urban planning, and architecture firms on over a dozen projects for designing or remodeling a wide variety of Spain’s railway infrastructures. We have been part of the teams responsible for designing first-rate rail infrastructure, such as Joaquín Sorolla Station in Valencia and La Segrera Station in Barcelona. Some of the companies we collaborate with are ARUP, INECO, WSP, TYPSA, IDOM, GESAB or LRA, among others.
What did we learn?
Despite gender dimensions in rail infrastructure vary according to the context, scale and functioning of each case, we found these are the main gender dimensions to address in the design of transport and mobility infrastructures:
- Safe buildings and urban environments
- Making spaces accessible and friendly for all types of people.
- Buildings that support care activities and work-life balance.
- Buildings and infrastructure that are easy to maintain and clean
- Inclusion of women in participation, leadership and decision-making.
Contact us for further information: i.smadariaga@upm.es