Women and the City is a street photography series exploring how women navigate the city. These are all candid street photography shots from Toronto and Hamilton - Ontario Canada.
This is a slideshow exhibition presented at the AGH - Art Gallery of Hamilton Design Annex as part of "The Useful Knowledge Society of Hamilton" special event talks on exploring the multifaceted relationship that women have with cities.
How do women move around the city? How would cities function and what would it look like if women were engaged as active agents in city building? How is the relationship with the city different from men? An interesting thought. If women designed cities, what would our urban landscape look like?
The biggest decisions about urban planning and city building are mainly made by men. There are and have been inspirational women architects, planners and city politicians, and Jane Jacobs’ book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) is perhaps the most famous single piece of writing about urban design. But all over the world, the built-environment professions – and particular their uppermost echelons - remain heavily male-dominated. It is about time design wasn't about the architects and city planners, but about the people who will be using the spaces. It takes a proactive approach to separate the urban planners and architects away from their egos, but little do they realize that more kudos will come from creating something the people need and want. Recognizing the real human need for complete streets, for complete communities, really can result in more efficiency, safety, beauty, comfort, health and happiness.
27 minute slideshow presentation of Women and the City - street photography by Alex Zafer
“In my opinion, there is no photographer in Canada who more skillfully and beautifully captures the urban human condition than Alex Zafer.
Thank you Alex for your generous and glorious contribution to last night’s Women in the City event. ~Maureen Wilson, Useful Knowledge Society of Canada”