Does Gender Have a Place in Greenspace Planning? Feminist Perspectives and the Toronto Ravine Strategy

This paper addresses the intersection of gender, planning and greenspace by analyzing the Toronto Ravine Strategy and the planning process behind it. Through my investigation I conducted a literature review and interviewed participants of the Strategy to explore the research question, “Did gender play a role within the planning process of the Toronto Ravine Strategy?” I determine that it has not, proven by participants acknowledging a need to plan for difference, but not necessarily for gender. I explore the nature/culture dichotomy in greenspace that emerged from my research and how this could explain why participants were unwilling or unable to see the importance of considering gender. I introduce the connection between gender, greenspace and planning and define these key terms. I also include a review of literature on feminist political ecology, gender and planning/greenspace, women-friendly design features, how urban forests are political spaces, and explore the history of the Ravine Strategy. I reinforce the importance of the feminist methodologies/methods that informed my data collection and provide details about how I collected my data. My results review quotes from participants, as I connect my findings to the broader field of feminist literature. I conclude with future recommendations for the Toronto Ravine Strategy. Through my paper I address how we need to plan for difference and address this gap in how greenspaces are planned.