Urban Design for Mothers and Children | Natasha Heath on Postpartum Care & Community Support

In recent years, architects and city planners have increasingly begun to consider the diverse populations they are designing for. Cities are starting to address the needs of often overlooked groups. Traditionally, urban design has focused on the working force—the healthy, able, independent, and productive individuals who thrive on speed and efficiency. This approach has ignored the needs of those seen as less productive by our consumerist culture, such as women, children, and other marginalized groups. The result is unwelcoming urban centers that exacerbate consumerism, pollution, and isolation. "Not only should the space, like a neighborhood community space, be open specifically to mothers and children, where children can crawl around safely and [it's] clean, and women can have a coffee. You also need people that support that process. Maybe there's someone there helping with the children as well. Maybe there's someone giving a workshop and talking with the mothers about parenting or breastfeeding, [or] something to help with these struggles. So not just [a] space that's friendly for mothers, breastfeeding, and crawling babies, but also supportive in nature and community-oriented." - Natasha Heath In this episode of Design to Connect, we explore designing urban spaces that truly cater to mothers and children. Natasha Heath, a postpartum educator, planner, and healer, shares her invaluable insights on how family, community, and urban environments can better support mothers. 🌿 Key Highlights: The need for neighborhood spaces that are clean, safe, and welcoming for mothers and children. The role of community support in these spaces, including workshops on parenting and breastfeeding. Natasha's personal journey and the cultural practices she draws from to support postpartum care. The broader implications of urban design on community building and inclusivity. ✨ About Natasha Heath: Natasha Heath is a postpartum educator, planner, and healer working primarily with the BIPOC community in Los Angeles, CA. With a BA in Dance from Loyola Marymount University, she is also a certified Pilates instructor and yoga teacher. Natasha has completed the ACLC course focusing on Mexican traditional medicine and brings a wealth of experience and passion to her work with mothers. Follow Natasha Heath: Instagram: @mamatashaheath Website: itstartswithmama.com #UrbanDesign #Motherhood #InclusiveSpaces #PostpartumCare #CommunityBuilding #Architecture #CityPlanning #FamilySupport #NeighborhoodDesign #SustainableCities #BIPOCCommunities . Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/burble License code: AILKMXYEEHPURNAI