Melissa Bruntlett pens a thoughtful essay on the importance of female involvement in urbanism issues and activities.
"Here’s a pretty common scenario," writes Bruntlett, "we are invited to an urbanist meet up or a group ride and I look around to find I’m one of just a handful of women in a sea of men. Each time I think to myself, where are all the ladies? I can’t be the only one who has an interest and passion for urban design and mobility, can I?"
Bruntlett, a resident of Canada, contrasts the dearth of female involvement with urbanism at home with experiences gained while traveling in New Zealand before examining a number of theories as to why women might be less inclined to engage issues of urbanism.
Throughout the essay, however, Bruntlett's focus is on bringing more women into the fold: "Maybe it’s because I know that the only way to ensure that, regardless of gender, everyone’s needs are being met is to collaborate. Women offer unique and different ways of looking at problems facing urban designers, because we think about them differently."
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Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research