Gender, Planning, and the City: A Modern Call to Action for the Field of Planning
Planning academia is an expansive field, often looking to make developments with the public interest in mind and contribute to professional practice. The investigation and connection between planning research and gender has been a consistent topic within academia for multiple decades. This paper explores the progression of the relationship between gender, planning, and cities within academic research since 1990 through the lens of a scoping review. By assessing the multitude of socially subordinated groups considered, the progression and/or change in the literature over time, and the language and theories utilized in planning research, the authors were able to assess to the size and scope of the literature on gender and urban planning. The authors found there is limited academic literature on the relationship between gender and urban planning, as well as as little engagement with diverse understandings of gender. Conversely, both society and the professional field of planning have progressed since 1990, where as the development of this academic topic does not reflect the same progression. This article is a call to the field of planning to consider the relationship between gender and urban planning, as well, to integrate and prioritize a gendered lens in planning academia and professional practice.
SPEAKERS: Kaitlyn Bisch, University of Waterloo; Natalie Isobel DeBloeme Barcello, University of Waterloo
The Land We Walk On: Reconciliation and Decolonizing Planning in Education (Timestamp 15:22)
The Indigenous peoples of Canada have an enduring history and strong relationship with the land which Canadians call home. Prior to colonial planning, Indigenous peoples have provided stewardship for this land for generations. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has helped to shed light on the brutal truth of Canadian history regarding its treatment of Indigenous peoples, often argued based on and implemented by planning decisions. Therefore, it is crucial to expand our understanding of the impact of colonialization on the land and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. How do we reflect on the relationships between land, law, and people and discuss what ‘decolonization’ could mean?
Our research aims to explore what the planning profession has to do to acknowledge the needs and rights of Indigenous people and revolutionize planning approaches and our discipline – developing a new and more inclusive vision for collaborative land stewardship. As Graduate Assistant Researchers with Indigenous backgrounds, we will develop resources and educational materials to share with professionals and students and share our reflections from this work. We hope that the active engagement with colonial history and Indigenous culture might transform the conversation to start walking a parallel path forward in planning and design.
SPEAKERS: Talia Mimura, University of Calgary; Pallavi Singh, University of Calgary