Seven years ago, Melissa and Chris Bruntlett gave up their cars, moved to the Netherlands, and have been exploring urban transformations around the world.
The last time I spoke with Melissa and Chris, back in 2022, they had just published two books, Curbing Traffic and Building the Cycling City. They didn’t have the opportunity to do the traditional kind of book tour at the time because of the pandemic, but that’s since changed.
In fact, with their kids heading off to college and beyond, and their new book, Women Changing Cities, global stories of urban transformation, just published, they’ve been able to travel and speak about their work in person all over the world.
Their work has led them to so many women who are doing remarkable things in their respective cities, and their stories are both fascinating and inspiring.
Women Changing Cities highlights the stories of nineteen women working in eleven different cities as Melissa and Chris shine the spotlight on what can only be termed a modern transformation of urban thinking.
Our conversation ranges from why women are still not well represented in the planning space of engineering, politics, and architecture, to the astounding fact that only 8% of the 300 largest cities in the world have elected women as mayors.
The explanations of how those things are gradually, but surely, changing are encouraging.
Their new book, Women Changing Cities: Global stories of urban transformation, is available from RIBA.org as well as all your favorite book sellers. The suggestions in the book, the women who are highlighted, and the beautiful photography that graphically shows some incredible results, will inspire anyone looking for ideas and support to bring to their community for consideration – and hopefully, implementation.
And for more information on what Chris and Melissa are doing next, you can follow them at modacitylife.com.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:05 — 33.0MB)