On 25 April 2025, at 9:50-11:20, the CNTI Auditorium will host a meeting of Leslie Kern and May East with students of the University of Economics in Katowice entitled ‘The future of cities: innovation, sustainability and social justice in the age of artificial intelligence’. The event is organised under the patronage of the Dean of the Faculty of Informatics and Communication, Prof. Jerzy Gołuchowski, PhD, and the Dean of the Faculty of Spatial Economy and Regions in Transition, Prof. Adam Drobniak, PhD.
During the meeting, you will be able to learn about:
- how gender-sensitive urban planning can contribute to more sustainable and equitable cities (Leslie Kern)
- the concept of “Cities for Women”
- innovative solutions for sustainable urban development in the age of artificial intelligence (May East)
- using nature in urban planning
Guest Background
1. Leslie Kern
a Canadian scholar and author, is renowned for her academic and journalistic contributions to the fields of urbanism, gentrification, and environmental justice. She served as an associate professor of geography, environment, and feminist and gender studies at Mount Allison University from 2009 to 2024. Afterward, she transitioned to full-time writing, consulting, and coaching. Kern's work critically examines cities through a feminist lens, exploring how gender norms influence urban spaces and the resulting impacts on various social groups.
Kern is known for writing several books, such as:
- “Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World”, Polish edition published in 2023 by Wydawnictwo “Czarne”.
- “Gentrification Is Inevitable and Other Lies”
- “Sex and the Revitalized City: Gender, Condominium Development, and Urban Citizenship”
Website: https://lesliekern.ca/
2. May East
is an urban planner of British-Brazilian birthright, recognized for her contributions to sustainability education and social innovation. Her expertise encompasses cultural geography, urban ecology, and women's studies. She earned a bachelor’s degree in urban planning, focusing on revitalizing deserted villages, and completed a PhD in Architecture and Urban Planning exploring the theme ‘What if women designed the city?’. Her research emphasizes nature-based urban planning solutions and regenerative design techniques to develop eco-communities, rehabilitate mining towns and slums, and transform transitional and abandoned cities. She collaborates with community groups and international agencies to provide policy guidance for achieving the SDGs, particularly in climate resilience, food security, and empowering women. She has been recognized as one of the 100 Global Sustainability Leaders by Showcase Asia and ABC Carbon for three years running, and as a Woman of the Decade for Sustainability and Leadership by the Women Economic Forum in 2019.
Website: https://www.mayeast.co.uk/
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