Marisa Turesky: Locating Lesbian Lives — Holistic Housing in a Compassionate City

Recording

Abstract

Aging-in-place is a widely shared goal among older adults in the United States, but the literature remains largely heteronormative and androcentric (Turesky, 2022). This research examines how older lesbians navigate their social and built environments across their lifespan. By applying a queer-feminist lens (Gorman-Murray, 2008, Isoke, 2011) to frameworks for aging in place (Bigonnesse & Chaudhury, 2020), Marisa Turesky demonstrates the gendered and queer pathways toward health justice and community development over time.

With spatial oral histories of lesbians aged 65 to 85 in Los Angeles County, Turesky examines the different ways in which older lesbians use their home communities to find care and connection amid heteronormative built and social environments. In particular, Turesky asks: does lesbian identity impact aging-in-place? If so, how? What can planners and policymakers learn from lesbians to create more equitable cities and neighborhoods for a diverse demographic of aging residents to stay in their home communities across the lifespan?

This lecture contributes to urban planning research that (a) addresses aging-in-place dynamics, (b) deepens our understanding of care practices and spatial justice, and (c) advances the liberation of a heterogeneous LGBTQ+ community. By highlighting lesbians’ relationships with home environments as they age, planners and policymakers can better understand infrastructures of care and connection in the face of ageism and hetero-patriarchy. These spatial oral histories demonstrate how neighborhoods, institutions, and cities can enhance access to spaces and services to improve safety and health among heterogeneous aging communities.

This lecture is sponsored by the Women’s Planning Forum.

Biography

Marisa Turesky

Marisa Turesky is the Director of Research at Mockingbird Analytics, an equity-based consulting firm, and a Visiting Professor in Real Estate Law and Urban Planning at UC Berkeley. She is a community-based researcher and educator focused on advancing urban policies through racial and gender equity. She examines how identity and emotions shape people’s access to places and services across the lifespan. Marisa uses trauma-informed evaluation, community-based participatory action research, and qualitative methodologies to integrate social movement practices into urban planning. Her research has been published in top urban planning journals. In past projects, Marisa has worked with the Equity Research Institute, the ONE Gay & Lesbian National Archive Foundation, the American Planning Association, the LA Alliance for a New Economy, and the Restorative Justice Institute of Maine. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban Planning & Development from the University of Southern California and a Master of City and Regional Planning from Cornell University. She enjoys biking with her wife and puppy, especially when the ride ends with french fries.