The Spatial Geographies of Women Urban Runners

Abstract

Taking the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, as a case study, we researched the running experiences of women through a feminist geography lens. Interviews with runners informed the design and interpretation of a spatial analysis of women’s running patterns in Strava Metro data. Our study showed how women runners are limited in where they run, and illuminated features of urban environments that can contribute to gendered limitations running women experience. Our approach took us beyond critiques of park management (e.g. lighting, toilets, trail surface), to eventually form findings about how urban form influences the spatial geographies of women runners. HIGHLIGHTS Women restrict wher..