In South Asian cities, public spaces such as streets and transit stops offer a multiplicity of temporary uses by different user groups and this adds more democracy to their use. However, this multifunctional use often excludes young women and girls, two groups of people that public spaces accommodate the least. This research focuses on the space quality, use patterns and needs of women and girls pertinent to two different types of public spaces: streets and transit stops in the context of Karachi, Pakistan. These two kinds of spaces provide a comparison between the public spaces of need (mobility) and desire (social interaction or loitering). Observation studies have been used to analyze movement and use patterns in these public spaces while focus groups conducted with women and girls have been used to understand how girls and women perceive their ability to navigate public spaces compared to those of their families and society. The results confirm findings of previous studies highlighting the relatively low mobility of women in Pakistan, the positive and negative aspects of natural surveillance and makes a case for why market streets in dense neighborhoods need additional studies and planning for with specific consideration of the needs of women and girls they should serve.