Economy
How Urban Design Could Help Reduce Rape in India
Delhi's avoidance of mixed-use development patterns isn't helping matters.
After the horrendous gang rape and murder of “J,” a 23-year-old doctor, in the Munirka neighborhood of southwest Delhi in December 2012, New Delhi gained the disgraceful distinction of being India’s “rape capital.”
In the wake of J’s death, rape prevention has slowly but surely begun to receive the attention it deserves on the subcontinent. Many have rightly criticized North India’s misogynistic cultural norms, while national activism has demanded better public safety. But one simple, yet vital, issue has been under-discussed: how urban design influences safety, especially for women and girls.