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Women and Environments International Newsletter

Volume 2, Number 1, Winter 1978

This is the third issue of the Women and Environments International Newsletter. In the past few months a number of changes have occurred in the operation of the newsletter and they are reflected in this issue. We have received interim financial support from the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University for the printing of the next two issues. Without this support you would not be receiving this publication. In addition, we have added two new members to the publication staff: Jennifer Penney and Nancy Meloshe. Both are students working on the newsletter as part of their assistantship assignments within the Faculty. Their contribution to this issue writing of articles, contribution of technical expertise in printing, and assistance in obtaining financial support for the printing of this issue.

We are presently considering the options for future funding of the newsletter. These include: obtaining seed money from some granting agency, either private or governmental with an interest in this area: charging a subscription fee; or some combination of the above. If you have any comments on these options, or any funding suggestions other than these, please let us know. Several readers have contributed money to the support of the newsletter. We would like to thank them, and indicate that such voluntary contributions are always welcome.

In order to continue, the newsletter requires not only financial support, but also contributions of the time and interest from the readers, YOU! This issue has required that the staff put a considerable amount of effort into gathering information and putting together features. This may be necessary in order to give some examples of the types of features that we feel might be of interest to readers. However, our work must be supplemented by your response to the need for news items, feature articles, etc. We also need your feedback on the items we have included to date.

WOMEN'S SPACES

In this issue we have written about five innovative women's environments: The Women's Transit Authority, The Women's Cultural Center, The Women's Building, The Canadian Women's Educational Press, and the Women's School of Planning and Architecture. We asked the following questions in putting together this feature:

-What makes these spaces women's spaces?
-What needs do they fill that aren't met elsewhere?
-What makes these environments innovative?
-Do they have any special design features or aspects of the design and management process which are of interest?
-What are their funding sources?

We feel that spending information about innovations in women's spaces might stimulate people's ideas about the kind of changes in environments that women are attempting to make elsewhere. These examples might be used to stimulate change in places where a similar need is identified, but a vision has not yet developed about what kinds of environments are needed or how a space might come to be.

You will notice that the environments featured in this issue include a wide range, all initiated by women of varying perspectives and political persuasions. We feel that presenting a wide range of alternatives is important for stimulating discussion about the kinds of environments that women want, in all their diversity. This is a feature which we would like to continue with your contributions on innovative women's spaces.