A Feminist Newsletter in New Jersey —about Urbanism Launches Groundbreaking Fundraising Campaign to Revolutionize Urbanism Journalism

NEWARK, NJ, 11/25/2024 - A Feminist Newsletter in New Jersey —about Urbanism (AF) the outré feminist newsletter founded by critical urban theorist  L. Lo Sontag, today announced the launch of an ambitious fundraising campaign aimed at expanding its innovative editorial content and community lectures focused on gender inclusive planning and the climate crises in urban environments.

The campaign, titled "Femininomenon! Urbanism" seeks to raise funds for the first quarter of 2025 to broaden the media project’s reach and impact. This expansion will include a podcast series, increasing editorial content, and introducing workshops designed to promote gender inclusive planning and climate consciousness in urban spaces.

"AF believes that the future of our cities lies in embracing gender inclusivity, women are the majority of public transit users yet men are viewed as the standard public transit commuter," said Sontag. "This fundraising campaign is not just about funding, it's about introducing an empowering narrative to the public, resisting siloing transportation, housing, & labor, and actively considering the climate crises."

AF is a project of the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation (ANF), a member of the Tiny News Collective, and is in partnership with Montclair State University’s Center for Cooperative Media.

What makes AF distinctive from other critical urbanist journalism projects, is its unique approach that ties the intersectionality of misogyny, power, and the climate crisis through the theory of feminist urbanism and its creative multimedia content via BlueSkye and TikTok which tackles gender inequality beyond the fear and safety dynamic. Sontag presents the following concept, “We should embrace that idea that safety is a woefully low bar for urbanism and instead imagine creating a city that would make ‘is it safe’ questions preposterous and unnecessary.” With expansion AF aims to delve deeper into critical topics such as:

• Gender mainstreaming through cooperative housing and housing as a right policy.
• Sustainable city planning through a feminist lens with education for the public on how good urbanism reduces sprawl and creates a better world.
• Urban Utopian visions where we reach for the moon but still land in the stars.

Campaign supporters will have the opportunity to contribute to this avant-garde initiative. Donations will directly fund:

• Expanded podcast production, featuring in-depth interviews with leading urban critics and community voices.
• Enhanced editorial content, providing critical analysis of current urban planning and political economy trends.
• Interactive workshops and lectures translating feminist urbanist theory into practical urban planning and public policy solutions.

"We're documenting what we want to see and creating a path for others to dream of the cities they want to see," Sontag emphasized. "With the community's support, we can show policymakers that another urbanism is possible and that examining gender inequality will make a measurable difference in how our cities are planned and built."

To learn more about the "Femininomenon!, Urbanism" campaign or to make a donation, visit https://fundrazr.com/FeministUrbanism

AF is a project of the ANF and is a feminist urbanism editorial newsletter and multimedia project dedicated to promoting inclusive, gender-responsive urban planning. Through its podcast, editorial content, and workshops, the organization strives to create more equitable and sustainable cities for all.

Contact: L Lo Sontag & Editor-in-Chief, A Feminist Newsletter in New Jersey is a project of the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation  

Email: feminapolitis@gmail.com

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