EICC Live - What if Women Designed the City?

EICC Live: What if Women Designed the City?

How can places be greener, wilder, more inclusive, liveable and poetic? Join international urbanist and author May East for a conversation on the findings of her book What if Women Designed the City? moderated by award winning architect Jude Barber, with the support of RIAS Bookshop.

About this event

Dr May East is an international urbanist specialised in nature-positive and gender-sensitivecities. UNITAR Fellow, she works regeneratively with 20-minutes neighbourhoods, mining cities and informal settlements. Awarded Women of the Decade in Sustainability and Leadership by Women Economic Forum 2019.

The celebrated book draws its inspiration from extensive research conducted through walking interviews with 274 women recognised as experts of the neighbourhoods from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth as well as from European case studies. Through a participatory conversation, May will be presenting 33 leverage points – small urban interventions with big impact - to be considered by policy makers, developers, planners and residents to make cities to work better for women, children, older people, all levels of ableness, and gender identities.

While urban planning was once the near-exclusive realm of specialized male experts, in the 2020s women are stepping up as protagonists in shaping places that feel safe and work better for women and girls as well as other demographics more broadly. This emerging trend is happening in Vienna, Umea, Barcelona and Lyon amongst other European cities.

Hear from Dr East how this process is unfolding in Scotland.