Glass Walls in Urban Planning

Abstract

“Glass walls,” or patterns of male/female segregation by job type, have been found in federal, state, and local government employment. Research shows women are more often employed in government agencies that deal in redistributive policies, such as housing, but less commonly in either regulatory (enforcement) or distributive (public works) agencies. The authors question whether the same patterns go beyond government jobs to influence a profession closely tied to government, namely, urban planning. Based on this study, the good news is the almost total lack of glass walls in planning’s private sector, but there is still room for progress in the public sector, namely, in transportation, management, infrastructure, and law. Examining this phenomenon is important because the planning profession values equality, fairness, and social justice, particularly in public policy.