Designing for inclusion entails making spaces for everyone. Inclusive environments in which everyone can live and thrive. Equitable, participatory, and well-being-promoting environments. Spaces that provide comfort, usability, awareness, and comprehension. People of all ages, races, cultures, identities, and abilities should be respected and satisfied.
The approach of inclusive design prioritizes the consideration of human diversity and the wide range of individual needs. It considers how these needs intersect and provides a platform for problem-solving, innovation and the creation of solutions that can positively impact a diverse cross-section of people. By including diverse experiences in the design process, inclusive design ensures that a wider range of perspectives are taken into consideration, leading to solutions that benefit a broader group of individuals.
Knowing the people, we are designing for is the first step towards creating equitable architecture and places. Read the Social Equity in the Built Environment report which outlines some guiding principles that we can use to improve our communities and the value it can provide the many stakeholder groups that help to shape them.
A sense of belonging—a connection to other people and our surroundings—comes with inclusion. Presently, there is still a sizable gap in the way that places are being constructed, and a sizable portion of the market remains neglected. In an attempt to address this issue, we’ve put together an Ideas Book of different design concepts taken from our global portfolio of multi-disciplinary services. We approach inclusivity from five different user journeys: physical, sensory, cognitive, identity and community.
The design of buildings and spaces can shape our behavior and perceptions of the world in subtle yet powerful ways. How then, have public spaces come to impact people of different genders and reinforced narrow stereotypes and assumptions? For the debut podcast in our Design for Inclusion series, we invited four guests to share their experiences of designing for gender equity. From wayfinding and lighting intensity to residential development layouts, this week’s design experts debate what truly matters when creating a more inclusive world.
How can we give power to those historically excluded from planning processes and champion inclusive spaces for all, from the moment a rendering is drafted through to the completion of a building? Navigating the complex conversations of cost, timelines, funding and representation - and how these impact the inclusive design process - this week’s guests ask how we can challenge default norms to account for race, colour and culture in the built environment.
Not only are workers demanding more flexibility in where they work, but they are also increasingly directing the shape of our offices in a post-pandemic world. But what do employees really want and need from workplaces that can’t be achieved from home setups? In this week’s episode, our guests reveal what it takes to create a truly hybrid and inclusive workplace, and how to elevate office design from merely satisfactory to revolutionary.
Design for Inclusion is about co-creating spaces for all people. Together with the community, we focus on designing spaces that encourage participation, promote equity, and uphold wellbeing in the built environment. Inclusive design further considers how human identity can enhance opportunities for creating more resilient communities.
Creating spaces with everyone in mind is the goal of design for inclusion. We put a lot of effort into creating spaces with the community that support welfare, equity, and engagement in the built environment. Design that is inclusive also takes into account how individual identities can improve chances for building stronger communities. Our interdisciplinary panel of experts discussed how designing for social impact creates value in the built environment.
It is not surprising that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors have been a hot topic of conversation in much of the professional world given that New York City is a global hub for business and thought leadership. ESG raises deeper concerns about investment behaviour, how to give priority to beneficial health outcomes, and what real community engagement looks like. It is more than simply a surface-level topic of conversation. Governments at all levels, developers, and community organizations are subscribing to standards and guidelines based on ESG targets in increasing numbers, and more is needed to achieve these goals than just lip service.
BDP has designed multiple successful Meanwhile Use projects in the UK and Toronto, and recently conducted a study of potential opportunities in New York City. Meanwhile Use refers to the temporary use of vacant spaces as a catalyst for creating more vibrant, active and purposeful communities while the traditionally drawn-out entitlement and development process takes place.
How can Meanwhile Use interventions deliver real social impact and support ESG objectives? We demonstrate how in our real-time study of East New York, in anticipation of construction related to the planned Interborough Express (IBX).
