ABSTRACT
This chapter will argue that, despite widely shared feminist critiques of the Charter of Athens, there is a congruence between the ideals of the early modern movement in architecture and urbanism and the objectives of gender-sensitive planning. This discussion will preface a discussion of gender mainstreaming and its implications for a gendered approach to urbanism, drawing on a wealth of literature produced by European feminist academics. The gap between theory and practice will be examined through the medium of a case study of an exemplar mixed income sustainable community in England. Evidence from the case study will be brought forward to demonstrate that neoliberalism and the power of the market act as a counterforce to the development concepts associated with gender-sensitive urban planning and design. The chapter concludes with the reflection on the need for a well-resourced public sector and an active, engaged citizenry to achieve the ideal of gender-balanced everyday life.
