Moving forward we must consider all Utahns and not continue to default to male spaces and preferences.

Utah is growing, and with growth comes opportunities for our residents, businesses and communities. But if we design our cities and communities with a “one size fits all” mentality, women will continue to be disadvantaged. When we assume infrastructure and policies are gender neutral, we are ignoring the evidence. The research-packed book, “Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men,” blows that assumption right out of the water.

Most city planners operate under the false premise that gender need not be considered when planning. According to a national survey conducted a few years ago of over 600 practicing United States city planners, nearly all of them (94%) reported their communities had comprehensive city plans. Yet only 2% reported that their plans gave specific attention to the needs of women. The research tells us, however, that men’s and women’s needs are often different, and making decisions around these differences is important in serving all residents in better ways.

Since women make up roughly half of the population, Utah should seize the opportunity to deeply consider the often-divergent needs of its people as decisions are made regarding planning and design, transportation, safety, and care work, to mention a few.

Take Denver for example. In a fairly recent report written by Downtown Denver Partnership, it said: “Planning for women … is smart design … Women also experience unique challenges when it comes to interacting with a downtown area: They are more likely to experience poverty, assume responsibility of caring for a family member, encounter harassment and juggle the demands of work and home.”

In recognizing how women’s needs may differ from men, they are creating more inclusive spaces.

Here are a few examples of how Utah could think more broadly: First, women often use public transportation differently than men. And women’s perceptions of safety are different from men’s when they use public transportation. For example, best practices include paying attention to the paths women frequently take during more vulnerable times of the day is critical to helping Utah women feel safe. As a state that is ranked as the 9th worst state for rape, safety is a real concern for most women.

In addition, women tend to take more trips out of their house and those trips are often shorter and different than men’s. Research has shown that women are about 80% more likely to make stops along their way as well for childcare drop-offs and pick-ups, school and doctor’s visits, groceries and other caregiving responsibilities. In fact, even snow plow routes have been shown to be gendered. A few years ago, I wrote a commentary titled “Can snow plowing be sexist? Yes it can!” It provides an example of gendered practices that were invisible to nearly everyone, and saved the town money once the disparities were addressed. Another commentary on design miscalculations shows that even our bathrooms favor men.

Another example of design decisions are displays of public art. At least a few years ago, less than 8% of U.S. public outdoor sculptures of individuals were women. This is most likely similar in Utah. One striking exception was one commission by Zions Bank that celebrates the impact of Utah women — past and present. In addition, only 28% of city streets (based on one study of 7 cities outside of Utah) had female names. It would be interesting to see what the percentage is in Utah. Diversifying monuments and landmarks helps women and girls see themselves in our communities.

Other planning topics that have been shown to have gender components include the design of housing units, community spaces, zoning regulations and other infrastructure development initiatives. Of great concern today is the allocation of resources for expanding child care capacity, which, at least in part, can be categorized as a design and planning issue.

What are some solutions to ensure that the planning and design of our communities are more thoughtful and meet the needs of all Utahns? Obviously, having women involved as key voices in the planning process is central to ensuring that more informed and inclusive decisions are made. This is a matter of priorities, not resources.

I was involved in Envision Utah’s efforts around planning for a fair and thriving Utah. Although this initiative focused primarily on race and ethnicity, their overall recommendations apply here (with my additions related to gender): First, facilitate broad and meaningful public engagement in the planning process and ensure that voices of all genders are considered. Second, foster welcoming communities with a variety of housing options. Third, design multimodal transportation systems which better support the needs of all Utahns, including women.

Whether or not we acknowledge it, the design of our communities is gendered. Moving forward we must consider all Utahns and not continue to default to male spaces and preferences. Just because something is not intentional doesn’t make it acceptable. Going forward, let’s make sure our decisions are not “one size fits all,” but tailor made so that all our Utah residents can have more opportunities to thrive.

Susan R. Madsen, Ed.D., is the inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership & Director, Utah Women & Leadership Project, Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Utah State University.

The Salt Lake Tribune is committed to creating a space where Utahns can share ideas, perspectives and solutions that move our state forward. We rely on your insight to do this. Find out how to share your opinion here, and email us at voices@sltrib.com.

I’ve recently found a treasure in the Pizza World! It’s located in Marysvale, Utah in Piute County. A TON of people have never even heard of Marysvale, but the place is a diamond in the rough. More about Marysvale later, but for now… let’s talk pizza!

This place is called Tomatoes Pizza Pie, A New York Original.

This place has some HONESTLY INCREDIBLE PIZZA, and they’re usually lined out the doors! You can even order to go if you’d like.

THE PIZZAS WE TRIED:

Pepperoni.

Canadian Bacon & Pineapple.

Chicken, Bacon, Ranch.

If you’re ever feeling a day trip, a weekend camping trip, or even an overnight stay… Head on out to Marysvale, Utah. It’s only 2 hours 22 minutes from St. George, and about an hour and a half from Cedar City. It’s right on I-89, 30 minutes south of Richfield.

You won’t regret trying this pizza! It’s HANDS DOWN, my favorite pizza in the state.

LOVE THIS: Southern Utah’s FIRST & ONLY Inflatable Water Park!

There’s a NEW and FUN thing going on at Quail Creek Reservoir and your kids are going to go BANANAS for it!

St. George Aqua Adventures has brought THIS to Quail and I’m about to go have the time of my life out there!

They’re open 7 days a week from 9am-9pm! There’s trampolines, slides, swings, jungle gyms, and even obstacle courses… ALL IN THE LAKE! This is a first for Southern Utah!

Their prices are TOTALLY reasonable too!

Ages 6-10: $12 for the 1st hour, and $6 for each additional hour.
Ages 11+ $20 for the 1st hour, and $10 for each additional hour.

People online are LOVING this! Here are some comments:

Kesia: “Yay! This looks so fun. Can’t wait to take my kids.”

Mikey: “Yes!! It’s finally in the water!”

Betty: “This would be fun with the kids!

Appointments or reservations are NOT necessary! You can just show up and have fun!

There’s even lifeguards there, but NEVER depend on lifeguards to babysit your kids. You should always be there with them.

I, for one, know that I’m going to be out there this summer on that swing, bouncing off those trampolines! This sounds like so much fun, I’m really happy we have this here in Southern Utah!

If you’ve been out there let us know on Facebook at Cat Country Utah what you thought about it! Was it awesome? Did you get any awesome pictures? Did your kids love it?

Southern Utah Tips & Tricks With DJ: Cheap Car Rentals!

At one point or another in your life, you’ve probably needed to rent a car, right? But it can be SO EXPENSIVE! What looks cheap, can EASILY turn expensive and hundreds of dollars a day for a car!

You know what’s even worse? Flying into a city and THERE’S NO CARS LEFT TO RENT! What do you do?!

I GOT YOU COVERED!

UHAUL!

Now here me out… Nobody wants to drive a big storage truck around, but what if it was a fraction of the cost of a car rental? I’m talking… AT LEAST half the price! If you wanted a tiny little car for a week, that could run you $250, minimum! But renting a UHAUL truck would be a fraction of that!

UHAUL rents their trucks at $20 a day! TWENTY BUCKS! YOU CAN’T BEAT THAT!

A friend of mine, Brayden Phillips, used to work for Enterprise Rent-A-Car and he’s even used this hack before in his own life. “Sometime’s we run out of cars and people don’t know what to do! I tell them to go rent a UHAUL for $20 a day!”

Phillips recalls a time where he passed that advice on to a man who flew into town for a softball tournament. “After the tournament was over, he told me what a great idea it was to rent the UHAUL. Him and his buddies piled in the back between games, and had a place to hang out!”

ALSO… You only have to be 18 years old to rent a UHAUL, instead of 25 for most car rental companies. That’s BIG!

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Singer-songwriter Dayglow has recently announced his debut album — and with that album announcement came a tour announcement.

Dayglow’s upcoming album is titled “DAYGLOW,” and the accompanying tour is called “Dayglow: The Tour.” The singer is set to perform at the Great Saltair on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.

The tour will take him across North America starting in September. At the show in Salt Lake City, Dayglow will be joined by the band Teenage Dads.

Tickets will be available to the public starting on Friday, June 21 at 10 a.m. local time. Before then, fans can sign up for presale, which begins Tuesday, June 18 at 1 p.m. Eastern.

Fans can purchase tickets and sign up for presale through Dayglow’s website.

“The vibe during the shows is so inviting and fun. People are either smiling or dancing, but it’s also common to do both,” Dayglow said. “I think this tour is going to be the best yet by far. I feel healthy, happy, and ready to rock.”

The singer’s new album is expected to be released in the fall. Before dropping the album, Dayglow released the single “Every Little Thing I Say I Do” in May, and will be releasing another single later in June.

The album was written, performed, produced and mixed by the singer in his home studio.

“Dayglow is finally entering the world in its purest form with clarity and confidence,” the singer said of the new record. “I want this album to define exactly what Dayglow looks like, sounds like, and feels like.”

Dayglow has previously sold out headline tours and performed at several festivals — including Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo — in addition to performing on several late-night shows.