Learn about gender equity & urbanism in the articles we write.
Here you’ll find stories, insights, and updates that reflect the work we’re passionate about. From practical resources to thoughtful reflections, our posts are here to spark ideas, share knowledge, and keep you connected with the conversations shaping our community.
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How Hostile Architecture Harms Women
Hostile architecture creates exclusionary public environments, typically targeting the most vulnerable populations. This design practice creates spaces that are not comfortable for anyone to pause, linger, or relax in for extended periods of time. Here are six elements of hostile architecture and how they directly and indirectly harm women.
Webinar on September 24: Women Changing Cities: Live with Melissa Bruntlett
Celebrate Gender Equality Week on Sept 24 with Melissa Bruntlett. Learn how women shape equitable, safer cities. Register for free today!
Bumps on Bikes: Cycling Whilst Pregnant
Pregnancy doesn’t have to mean putting down your bike and submitting to a 40-week residency on the sofa. Cycling can be an extremely beneficial activity during the gestational period — when done in a way that works for you and your body. Find out more about how you can get the smoothest journey when riding with your bump.
Walking Together for Feminist Cities: WiUC in Conversation with Jane’s Walk Toronto
To mark this year's Jane's Walk festival, WiUC and Jane's Walk Toronto sit down to talk about walking, safety, and what it takes to build cities that hold all of us.
Home Grown
Carmahn McCalla’s exhibit “Home Grown” explores the intersections of womanhood, Blackness, and nature, in Downtown Halifax.
Placemaking for women
Cities have been designed without women’s experiences in mind for a long time, making public spaces feel unsafe or inaccessible. Placemaking with a gender lens centres women’s daily realities such as care work, mobility needs, and safety concerns. It calls for inclusive and supportive environments shaped through diverse voices. Designing for women ultimately creates cities that work for everyone.
How to Design Cities for Play
This photo essay shares examples from across Canada of creative ways that cities are incorporating play into their designs—for the kid in everyone.
Planning’s Boys’ Club: Alive, Adapted, and Still Holding Power
Urban planning today often presents itself as progressive, portraying itself as the architect of inclusive cities. However, inequalities persist in planning practice. Informed by a survey of women and non-binary professionals in the field, let’s reflect on why the “old boys’ club” still exists, and what we can do about it.
Book Launch for ‘Women Changing Cities: Global Stories of Urban Transformation’ set for Vancouver October 9th
On October 9th, celebrated authors and urban mobility advocates Melissa and Chris Bruntlett will launch their new book, Women Changing Cities. Learn more on how Women in Urbanism Canada is a part of this historic event.
How to Design Public Seating for Women
Public seating is critical in creating a welcoming, comfortable, and safe environment that people want to relax and linger in. Here are 8 characteristics of quality public seating that caters to the needs of women, girls, and gender-diverse people.
Navigating Motherhood in the City
Navigating the city with a child can be one of the most unexpectedly challenging parts of parenthood due to inaccessibility, lack of infrastructure, and social isolation.
Sleeping Rough: A Gendered Reality
While rarely the face of Canada's homeless crisis, many women experience homelessness. The lived experiences of women who sleep rough differs significantly from those of men. On top of challenges of obtaining basic necessities, women who are unsheltered must also deal with gendered obstacles such as menstruation, threats of violence, and pregnancy.
Gender Issues at the Intersection of Portage and Main
The closure of Portage and Main pedestrian intersection in 1976 remains a contentious and a gendered issue today. Those who advocate for opening the intersection continue to push for improved safety, accessibility, and downtown vibrancy.
Queer Activism in Public Space
As recently introduced laws and policies across North America attempt to regulate queer people's access to healthcare, public space, and gender expression, the fight for representation and inclusion in cities continues.
Feminist Cities are for Men Too
Feminist interventions prioritize the needs and experience of women and other equity-deserving groups, while still positively impacting the lives of men.
Snow Clearance isn’t Gender Neutral
The snow clearing policies in many Canadian cities unintentionally prioritize men through the modes, locations, and methods that their policies state. It’s time to apply a gender-based lens to how we deal with snow.
Gender Inequality Makes Aging More Difficult for Women
Decisions in urban planning have consequences on gender equity - this blog focuses on consequences that elderly women face as they age in their communities.
How Toxic Masculinity Drives Car Culture
Men have created cars, built cities around cars, and have linked driving to their male identity. Toxic masculinity is a key driver of car culture in Canada, and must be addressed to wean all Canadians off of their cars.
How to get Harassment off our Streets
Street harassment is pervasive in Canadian cities, creating unwelcome and even dangerous public environments for many women. Here are some urban design strategies for getting harassment off our streets.
How to Build Public Spaces for Teen Girls
Teen girls have unique needs and experiences that are often left out of our built environment. Explore three projects across the world as they share how they are transforming public spaces for teen girls (and how you can too!)