The UrbanistasNW chapter aspires to become a platform to positively promote the achievements of women as role models whilst creating a support network for both men and women.
Urbanistas is a collaborative women-led network amplifying the voices of women to make cities better for everyone. They are passionate about growing women’s leadership and capacity by providing a space where women can blend our personal values and professional expertise to make things happen.
5plus Architect Roxanne founded the NW Chapter of Urbanistas with fellow architects Frances Phillips and Rachel Carter-Jones back in 2019 after being integral to Urbanistas in London which is where it all began in 2012.
Spearheaded by Liane Hartley http://www.lianehartley.co.uk/ who found that despite encountering hundreds of talented and entrepreneurial women over the course of her career, that she considered as innovators and exciting practitioners in her field, she noticed that their work and ideas remained largely hidden. She hardly read about them, heard about them, or heard them speak. She invited a group of like-minded women to come together to share their passion for cities and ideas for making them better for everyone. 11 years on Urbanistas has now gone global:
UK: London, North West Chapter, Edinburgh, Cardiff
EUROPE: Rotterdam, Brussels
AUSTRALIA: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne
US: New York.
As well as being an architect at 5plus, Urbanista and mum, Roxanne is a Praxxis tutor at Manchester School of Architecture teaching one day a week.
www.msa.ac.uk/study/ateliers/praxxis/
Praxxis asks students to explore their designs by using the lens of intersectional feminism, exploring inequalities and inequities in society and what that may mean for the built and digital environments. The core principal being- ‘personal is political.’
Roxanne and fellow 5plus Architect Paulina work together with Rachel, Frances, Jessica and Katherine to organise events in the North West Chapter including the SOLD OLD event opening on the 9th March celebrating built and unbuilt projects led by women innovators in architecture and urban design in the North West.
The exhibition hosted at the Manchester Technology Centre runs from 6-8pm on 14,15 and 16th March.