By Lindsay Neiman, Planning Magazine, Winter 2021
“In (roughly) chronological order, here is a selection of the many inspiring women urbanists:
1. Fannie Barrier Williams (1855 – 1944)
“An educator and activist for racial justice and suffrage, Williams was cofounder of a number of civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, and was the first Black woman inducted into the Chicago Woman’s Club, a social reform and philanthropy group. … In the lead-up to the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893, she also fought for and secured Black representation in the program and planning committee.
5. Edith Elmer Wood (1871 – 1945)
“A member of the Regional Planning Association of America and founder of the National Housing Conference, Wood was dedicated to improving public health through quality affordable housing. … From 1933 to 1945, she worked as a consultant for the U.S. Housing Authority to help develop the New Deal’s housing policies.
9. Evelina López Antonetty (1922 – 1984)
“A contemporary of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs, [Antonetty] is often left out of historical accounts of the time, despite the local and national impacts of her advocacy leadership, including helping to create one of the first bilingual program in public schools.
11. Arabella Martinez (1937 – )
“In 1967, Martinez founded the Unity Council in Oakland, California, a nonprofit social equity development corporation dedicated to serving people of color and low-income residents in the area. Over the organization’s more than half-century in operation, it has provided community services in at least six languages, created more than 200 affordable senior housing units, and supported over 300 local businesses.”
Read the full article here (~5 min., with photos).