Her Agency

In the post-war era, the figure of the “female professional” emerged in the form of architects, politicians, urban designers, journalists, editors, and curators who started to critically engage in discussions on urban design and actively contribute to the design of cities. This seminar intends to follow the work and life of a series of these post-war female professionals, showing how, while operating in different contexts, these women forged the discourses and practices of their generation. By fully acknowledging the contributions of these female protagonists as both a source of inspiration and as designers, this seminar sets out to correct the existing, male-dominated histories and theories of urban design.

During the seminar, we will study the concept of agency – that is, an action or intervention producing a particular effect – of women through their contribution to urban theory and design. Parallel to this, we will explore to what extent ideas on cities have changed in the post-war period because of women’s thinking and actions. Questions we will address in class discussion include, but are not limited to: which different roles did professional women play, and how did they put their agency to work in sharing their ideas? How can we use critical writing to assess the agency of women on the city?

This course is based on weekly, two-hour seminars structured around a series of input sessions on the themes of “agency” and “professional women,” as well as the acquisition of critical writing skills. During the first class, students will be asked to choose one female protagonist (from a pre-selected group) on which to focus their individual research to be carried out over the course of the entire semester. As part of their research, students will actively gather relevant sources in the library that can contribute to the research questions posed above. This semester-long individual research will culminate in a short piece of critical writing to be included in the collaborative online exhibition.

This course took place during the Spring 2022 semester.