WPD Virtual Book Club

Discussion Date with the Author: Wednesday, July 22, 2026

2 PM ET / 8 PM Netherlands

The transportation and urban planning sectors are 78–86% male, depending on the region. Yet some of the most ambitious urban transformations happening right now - from Paris's cycling revolution to Bogotá's community care hubs to Brussels's citywide speed limit overhaul - are led by women. In this 30-minute presentation, Dutch-Canadian author and mobility advocate Melissa Bruntlett shares findings from her new book, Women Changing Cities: Global Stories of Urban Transformation (RIBA Books, 2025). Drawing on profiles of 19 female leaders across 11 cities and as many countries, she will explore five themes that emerged across wildly different cultural and political contexts: the central role of listening and empathy, intersectional long-term vision, care as a social value, the power of coalition-building, and the courage to push through opposition, including, in some cases, death threats. Cities designed with women in mind become safer, more accessible, and more livable for everyone. This session makes the case with evidence and a positive tone.

Who should attend: Urban planners, transportation professionals, municipal leaders, advocates, researchers, and anyone interested in what equitable city-building actually looks like in practice.

Melissa Bruntlett is a Dutch-Canadian urban mobility advocate, author, and storyteller based in Delft, the Netherlands. She is the founder of Modacity Creative, an independent consultancy that partners with advocates, professionals, and city leaders to bridge the gap between creative thinking and lasting behaviour change. Her work centres on developing projects with positive social impact through storytelling, narrative building, inspiration sessions, and interactive workshops, helping organisations and partners realise a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable mobility future. A long-time mobility advocate in Vancouver before relocating to the Netherlands in 2019, Melissa brings both lived experience and professional expertise to the question of who cities are built for and who they leave behind. Melissa also recently became an Ambassador for #DiversityInTransport. The network seeks to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion within the EU transport sector by raising awareness, sharing information, and developing and implementing initiatives that advance diversity from the perspectives of transport workers and transport users.