What if Women Designed the City? 

Historically, modern cities have been planned and built primarily by taking the men’s experience as a reference. As a result, cities tend to function better for men than they do for women, children, older people, all levels of ability and gender identities.

However, a shift is underway – women are stepping up as key protagonists in shaping our cities, and there is a growing interest in a mosaic of gender-sensitive policies and interventions springing from cities such as Vienna, Barcelona, Gaborone, Umeå, Florianópolis, Glasgow, and Lyon.

Embedded in the richness of women’s everyday life experiences, the e-learning programme – based on May East's research and book What if Women Designed the City? – offers a compelling perspective on urban development as seen through the eyes of women from different countries and diverse backgrounds who reveal multiple untapped potentials rooted in the uniqueness of their neighbourhoods towards cities that work for all 🏙️

Learn more about the course

Give women a greater voice in city making and what would you get? A more human-centred, emotional satisfying, well balanced, seamlessly connected, safer and probably more beautiful place which thrives on its distinctiveness, values of togetherness and care. 

Join Gaia Education in a new cycle of collaboration as we explore key leverage points where urban planners, policy-makers, practitioners, and communities can intervene in urban planning systems so that cities of the present and future can be greener, more inclusive, liveable, and poetic ✨

May East