Despite increasing numbers of female students graduating from architecture programs women
remain heavily underrepresented in the architecture profession. Few female architects enter the
profession and when they do it remains difficult to retain them and they continue to be the
exception in leadership and top-ranking positions. So why do women turn their backs on the
architecture profession? What are some of the gaps created by their absence in the planning and
design of spaces? Would our cities look different if young women architects were naturally part
of a diverse urban design culture? Karin Hartmann reveals the structural discrimination faced
by women in architecture illustrating what is missing from the built environment when women
don't have a seat at the table and what impact a cultural shift in city planning could have.
At the same time Hartmann provides a context and arguments for how to adequately function
within the framework of a traditional industry.
