Gendered Urban Experiences Across Cultures: Synthesizing Pathways to Empowerment

Abstract

This chapter presents a comprehensive cross-cultural comparison that brings together the theoretical foundations developed in Chap. 2, the regional dynamics explored in Chap. 3, and the rich empirical findings from the case studies of Sanandaj and Sulaimani in Chap. 4 and Vienna and Cologne in Chap. 5. Our central aim is to weave these different strands together to shed light on the multilayered experiences of women in urban public spaces in diverse socio-cultural and political landscapes. A particular focus is on comparing the lived realities of Kurdish women, exploring how their interactions with and paths to empowerment in urban public spaces converge or diverge in Middle Eastern contexts—particularly Rojhalat (Iran) and Bashur (KRG) as represented by Sanandaj and Sulaimani—and in European contexts as exemplified by Vienna and Cologne. This comparative perspective allows us to examine the nuanced interplay of culture, tradition, and modernity in shaping women’s urban experiences. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.