Planners work hard to create livable cities and understand the importance of walkable neighbourhoods. However, little is known about the perceptions of immigrants from varying cultural backgrounds in this regard. The presenter will offer an overview of the findings of a study of Muslim women regarding their perceptions and attitudes about living in the suburbs. The intent of the study was twofold: to identify differences between the perceptions of planning professions and those of members of the Muslim community living in the suburbs; to gain an understanding of an effective participatory process for engaging differing cultural groups.

1. Hanan Hussien AwadMohamed
University of Waterloo

2. www.design.upenn.edu

5. • Minority-majority
relations
• Polarized debate
• Changing human
geography
• Fragmented national
identity
Dean Bicknell/Postmedia News

6. • Women as a
stakeholder group in
the planning process
• Women as part of the
urban governance
Google Images

7. • Sprawl is not a preferred development pattern
• the negative sides of the suburban sprawl such as:
environmental degradation, mobility, and infrastructure costs
• Suburbanism could be a development trend linked directly to the Public
Choice Theory developed by Russell Hardin, Collective Choice, 1982.
www.civicengagementcanada.com

8. Developers
Real Estate
Marketing
Consumers
Market-led
Suburbanism
Lending
Agencies
Government
Policy

10. » In Decision Making Process:
˃The invisible visible minority
˃Stereotypes and misconceptions
˃Everyone is speaking out loud but them
» In Research Studies:
˃Methodological problems
˃Interest

11. » K-W Region :
˃ Diverse cities (K-W is in the tenth rank when it comes to diversity )
˃ Low-density residential suburbs
˃ Highly dependent on car as a primary transportation mode
Figure 1: Proportion of the population belonging to a visible minority group by Census Metropolitan Area, Canada, 2006 and 2031 (Statistics Canada, 2010)

12. Waterloo Region Development Map (wonderfulwaterloo.com, 2012)
The new development trend in Kitchener-Waterloo shows concentration in
cities’ cores as Places to Grow assigned Downtown Kitchener, and Uptown
Waterloo as growth centers (Ministry of Public Infrastructure, 2006) through
intensification by infill development and buildings reuse. However,
suburban developments continue on the city edges.

13. Kitchener Walkability Score Map

14. » Muslim Moms:
˃The rough estimate of Muslim women population in K-W
region is 5,000, 49.7% of the female population under
study are in the age groups: between 20 to 54 years old.
˃Using the sample size calculations with Confidence Level
of 95% and Confidence Interval of 25%, we get a sample
size of 15.
˃The recruitment process is done using local mailing lists
and local associations of Muslim women in the region,
˃Data was collected using interviewer-administered
questionnaires and semi-structured interviews

15. » To give Muslim women in the K-W region the opportunity
to raise their voices and express what they value in the
region
» Soliciting these attitudes, expectations and opinions
inform the planning process and advise on what specific
public facilities and services they need
» It also reveals any discrepancy between the perceptions
of this group and the perceptions at-large of the planning
professionals. The results might be valuable to inform the
planning process by revealing the expectations of this
minority group

16. Social Networks
Primary Mode of Transportation
strongly agree
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
19%
25%
agree
19%
31%
6%
neither agree nor
disagree
disagree
strongly disagree
Built Environment
Voluntary Work
0%
13%
strongly agree
13%
27%
40%
7%
agree
13%
40%
strongly agree
neither agree nor
disagree
agree
20%
neither agree nor
disagree
27%
disagree
disagree
strongly disagree
strongly disagree

17. » Jargon barrier vs. language barrier
Example: Walkability according to planners vs. walkability
according to participants
» Communicating with a human being vs. virtual
communication
Example: Focus groups vs. surveys
» Cultural upbringing role in suburbanism
» Cultural upbringing and interaction with planning
professionals (asking questions, interfering in one’s life
, non-verbal communication)

18. » The lack of visible Muslim female role models within the
community is holding some women back from getting
involved in the community
» Second and third generations are increasingly merging
into the community than new-comers
» Mobility is a huge concern
» Amenities and services are not enough within the
neighbourhood boundaries as well as access to Halal
food stores and proximity to worship places

19. » They also expressed their desire to have some
recreational places that allow women only times , where
they can gather and socialize comfortably and have fun [
such a request might be regarded as sexiest or
discriminating]
» Indoor vs outdoor socialization : as a result, the Muslim
woman requires a spacious house to entertain friends
and family and accommodate the needs of her growing
family; but affordability is an obstacle for such a
requirement … and isolation

20. » Volunteer vs. Canadian experience [ how
voluntary work is promoted]
» Muslim women are not approached to get
involved in their communities
» They appreciate local intercultural
encounters, but do not know the how
» They feel that they are away from the policy
making process and marginalized
» They are rarely approached with customized
messages

21. » To understand factual local ethnic diversity and how cultural
upbringing shape minorities’ life-style
» To ask questions (don’t forget the why)
» To assess how participative the participatory process and how
representative your sample (away from the traditional official
and popular representations )
» To differentiate between the way a specific minority uses city
facilities and other stakeholder groups
» Go beyond the jargon
» Add the human touch
» Ask yourself how to bring them into the planning process?
» Think like a business