Women in architecture: Festival in Braunschweig sets new impulses!

Women in architecture: Festival in Braunschweig sets new impulses!

From June 19 to 29, 2025, the Technical University of Braunschweig will be the venue for the *Women in Architecture Festival*. An event that has the motto equality and diversity in architecture, urban and open space planning and architecture. The city walk “Braunschweig for everyone?”, which will take place on June 24th under the direction of Professor Henriette Bertram, offers a unique opportunity for students to explore the city from a feminist perspective. The focus is on topics such as gender relations, body norms, disability and poverty. IDW Online informs that the walk starts at 4 p.m. at the Jasperallee bus stop and ends at the science showcase on Waisenhausdamm.

The festival promises much more than just a walk through the city. On June 26th there will also be an exhibition on the topic “Equal opportunities and diversity in architecture – have we already achieved everything?!” opened, accompanied by a panel discussion on study and career opportunities for women in architecture. Discussants such as Annegret Droste, Ulrike Steven and Ayat Tarik will talk about the challenges and opportunities of female architects. The entire event takes place in cooperation between the Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture and the City (GTAS) and the Collection of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SAIB) at the TU Braunschweig.

Feminist perspectives in architecture

The festival follows a growing interest in feminist approaches to urban planning that not only demand equality, but also focus on diversity and intersectionality. A publication by Sabina Ritariss deals with emancipatory movements in urban planning and addresses how architecture has always been shaped by predominantly male perspectives. The catalog of this exhibition, which took place from October 2022 to March 2023, contains essential essays that critically question the role of women in urban and architectural development.

How urban development policy demands changes at the national level can be seen at the 16th Federal Congress of National Urban Development Policy, which was organized by the practitioner Laura Awad and the researcher Miriam Kreuzer. There they presented three demands for fair and inclusive planning, which could also be incorporated into the discourse of the city of Braunschweig. Such initiatives receive support from the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction (BMWSB), which actively advocates for a feminist urban development policy that takes different social categories into account. Further information on this topic can be found on the [national urban development policy] website (https://www.nationale-stadtentwicklungspolitik.de/NSPWeb/SharedDocs/Blogeintraege/DE/Fokusthema/feministische-stadtentwicklung-drei-förderen.html).

Art, architecture and society

The initiative to look at architectural issues through a feminist lens is not only supported in Braunschweig. There is a clear trend in Austria and Germany towards fairer and inclusive planning. Feminist perspectives on urban planning and housing have now become fundamental components of the discussion about living and housing conditions for women. The presentation of historical and current challenges is far from complete, and current projects are needed to change the underrepresentation of women in planning.

The *Women in Architecture Festival* is therefore not only a platform for the exchange of ideas, but also a call to action. It is important to explore new paths to make urban design accessible and inclusive for everyone. Don't miss this exciting dialogue about gender equality in architecture!