Women in the Built Environment

It's International Women's Day!  Since there are few women in the built environment fields, I'd like to honor those who have made significant contributions to architecture, urban planning, or engineering.  These women have put their hearts into their work and shown a substantial drive to make our surroundings better.  It's easy to forget just how important designing our built environment is when people do their jobs as well as these women.  Let's take a moment and recognize some of the outstanding efforts of women who make our daily lives easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable because of their contributions to the built environment.

Jane Jacobs

* Urbanist, writer, and activist

*Wrote The Death and Life of Great American Cities

*Organized grass-roots efforts to preserve local neighborhoods

Zaha Hadid

*Architect and first female winner of the Pritzker Prize

*Known for:

 Vitra Fire Station, Germany

Terminal Hoenheim Nord, France

London Aquatics Centre, UK

Vitra Fire Station

(Photo by Rory Hyde)

Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk

*Architect and urban planner

*Founding member of the Congress for the New Urbanism

*Advocate for improved neighborhood walkability and reduction of sprawl

Maya Lin

*Architect, landscape designer, and artist

*Known for:

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington D.C.

Civil Rights Memorial, Alabama

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

(Photo by dctim1 at Flickr.com)