Ezquerecocha Díez, MartaSandberg, Linda2026-06-192026-06-192026Ezquerecocha-Diez, M., & Sandberg, L. (2026). ‘Indeed, it all starts with safety’: analysing the gender perspective through (un)safety rationale in Basque urban governance. Gender, Place and Culture , 33(6), 737-755. https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2025.25932960966-369X10.1080/0966369X.2025.2593296https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14454/6248Urban policies with a gender perspective in the Basque Country have evolved significantly over the decades, yet persistent challenges remain in addressing deep-rooted spatial and gendered power inequalities. This article investigates how gender is problematized and governed through the lens of (un)safety in Basque urban governance. Based on an in-depth analysis of municipal policy documents and interviews with planning and equality professionals, the study reveals how (un)safety operates as a central logic that renders gender perspectives actionable and politically legible. While this framing enables interdepartmental collaboration and facilitates the implementation of gender-sensitive interventions, it also risks narrowing the scope of gender equality work to technical fixes, thereby silencing more structural and intersectional concerns.eng© 2025 the author(s)(un)safetyGender urban policiesGendered power relationsRationalitiesUrban governancejournal article2026-06-191360-0524