Feminist Urbanism

Wednesday, May 2nd, 7-9pm and Saturday, May 5th 3-6pm
Curated by Gaby López Dena

As New York City becomes increasingly polarized and unequal, displacement and lack of opportunities have become daily struggles for most of its dwellers. Within this context, various resistance practices attempting to conceptualize alternative forms of producing and appropriating space have been working to reclaim our Right to the City. Perhaps, the most significative and radical of these initiatives are currently being led by women. Their practices seem to emphasize cooperation, diversity and sharing as conditions that create more inclusive, more democratic and just spaces. How can we develop an urban experience through a feminist lens? Can we think of Feminist Urbanism as a process through which we can reshape the ways in which we construct space and our relationship with it?
The goal of this two-part workshop is to create a collective definition of Feminist Urbanism using Interference Archive´s material. We will look at work from artists, urbanists, scholars, and grassroots organizations that will help us in this endeavor. As a result of our convening we will produce a collaborative Wikipedia entry for Feminist Urbanism.
Wednesday, May 2nd, 7-9pm
During the first session, we will discuss texts on urban theory, urban development, and feminist perspectives on space as a product of intersecting social relations, the creation of the commons, and the capitalist organization of work. Some of the authors whose work we shall be exploring include:

• Jeanne van Heeswijk
• Silvia Federici
• Doreen Massey
• Rebecca Solnit

Saturday, May 5th 3-6pm
On the second day of the workshop, we will review a selection of feminist manifestos from artists and feminist radical groups, as well as pamphlets from Interference Archive´s collection. Following that, we will start drawing the boundaries, principles and key aspects that define Feminist Urbanism, and by the end of the evening we will have created a collective entry in Wikipedia.
NOTE: We recommend that attendees complete the readings for the discussion before the workshop. Please email info@interferencearchive.org to RSVP and get the readings.