The Women Shaping Cities: Who to Follow, What to Read, Watch and Listen to

Women have come a long way in the quest for equality across professions and industries. While the situation is still far from ideal, the shift in the status quo is explicit, and things are gradually changing for the better.

The good news is that all of us can be an ally to the cause. One simple thing everyone can do to contribute is educating ourselves — learning about female practitioners and theorists, reading articles by women and about women in the industry while highlighting female voices.

Since the beginning, reSITE has worked to strike gender balance both on the stage, in the audience and now with our content. By bringing together a diverse portfolio of voices, we believe we can create provocative conversations around city-making that reflects the needs of inhabitants more honestly, ultimately creating more socially balanced communities.

What to Read...

Madame Architect is an online magazine focusing on women currently shaping the architecture industry. It features female practitioners across backgrounds and areas of expertise. The platform has been founded by women in architecture aiming to empower and give advice to other female professionals whose experiences are often not reflected in male-dominated media.

Looking for some other reads? While the focus is not solely on works of women, designboom and World Architecture Community, two desgin media powerhouses are both founded and headed by two female editors-in-chief, Birgit Lohman and Berrin Chatzi Chousein, respectively.

What to Listen to...

To enhance your understanding of city-making in the globalized world, particularly through the eyes of women, catch the Third Wave Urbanism podcast launched by two female urbanists Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman and Kristen Jeffers. In thirty-seven episodes, they touch upon critical topics in city-making, explaining the way cities operate for their inhabitants and focusing specifically on the matters of equality and social inclusion.

Or, catch the former Chief City Planner of Toronto, Jennifer Keesmaat's podcast Invisible City - which aims to shape the global conversation on 21st century city sharing positive and unique stories that illuminate the complexity of city living.

This year reSITE launched a new podcast called Design and the City, featuring female speakers like Leona Lynen (ZUsammenKUNFT Berlin), Yoko Choy (Wallpaper* Magazine), Marianthi Tatari (UNStudio) and Kate Wagner (McMansion Hell) who shared their insights on their respective fields through the lens of urban regeneration at reSITE 2019 REGENERATE. The podcast is also directed and hosted by Alexandra Siebenthal, reSITE's digital communications manager.

What to Watch...

reSITE aims to do it’s part in elevating female voices as an opportunity to achieve social balance in architecture and design. Every year at our events, we work to curate an outstanding portfolio of women, experts in their discipline to speak on our 360-degree stage.

We've compiled a compilation of talks and lectures from reSITE's featured presentations from various events over the past 8 years. But don't stop there! Catch the whole playlist featuring a plethora of inspiring women in the fields of design, architecture, city planning and beyond on the reSITE YouTube channel.

Who to follow...

We've rounded-up some inspiring women, some even past reSITE speakers making waves in the urbanism, design and architecture spheres of social media. Follow, get inspired, engage and be a part of the conversation!

Part W is an action group of women campaigning for gender parity across the built environment. #WeArePartW

Tech Reset founder and reSITE speaker, Bianca Wylie has been called the Jane Jacobs of Smart Cities, blowing the whistle on the technology companies meddling in public spaces for data-harvest, and ultimately, profit.

Leni Schwendinger is a public lighting theorist and reSITE alum that works toward creating wonderous environments, particularly in nighttime design.

Former Chief Planner for the City of Toronto and renowned urbanist, Jennifer is an visionary voice in the advocating for progressive urbanist changes in the Canadian capital.

Black Females in Architecture is "a network elevating the visibility of Black Females in architecture and the built environment."

Past reSITE speaker Kate Wagner, founder of the funny-because-its-true McMansion Hell blog which picks apart American “luxury homes,” exposing them for the extreme waste of resources and heinous architecture that they really are while her sarcasm makes architecture criticism more accessible.

Follow #WomenMakeCities across social platforms and join in on the conversation striving for gender equality.