The subject of inclusion is a multifaceted one. There seems to be a lot being said about inclusion and social inclusion. It is almost as if our species have suddenly come to the realisation that we ought to consider everybody when making decisions; adults same as children, boy child same as the girl child, people with disabilities same as people without. Etcetera.
A common message underscores all these categorisations. Equality, equity. (If you say inclusion, you are right too).
Let’s establish that for inclusion to be a subject matter, there must have been exclusion- exclusion of a social group, exclusion resulting from preconceived notions and beliefs or exclusion by geographic location. While it is arguable that there is only so much design can do to curb social exclusion. However, it is still considered a powerful means to foster social inclusion. Since man is responsible for shaping his environment, the designer of the built environment’s bears the onus to devise the means and parameters to alter and shape our outlook on social issues.
Those responsible for shaping the built environment are the urban designer, the architect, the engineers, planners and other building practitioners.
Social Inclusion and Inclusive design
Social inclusion translated into the design of the built environment will simply be interpreted as attaining social equality through the design and arrangement of public spaces to serve a utilitarian function. That is, a good design reflects the diversity of people who use it. It does not impose barriers of any kind, either physically or mentally, intentionally or unintentionally to the people who use it.
An inclusive design is simply about making places everyone can use.
An inclusive design is one that considers a wide variety of people, product users or building occupants; and what makes them slightly different from the next person judging by physical outlook or social parameters. These social parameters are used as raw materials in making decisions in design thinking. The more diverse the groups, the greater its legitimacy to influence the final outcome of the design. The decisions made will eventually help increase a sense of public awareness about differences among groups in the same social and cultural context.
Inclusive Design and the City
The United Nations (UN) defines an inclusive city as a city which promotes growth with equality. It is a place where everyone regardless of their economic means, gender race, ethnicity or religion is enabled and empowered to fully participate in the social, economic and potential obligations that cities offer (UN HABITAT, 2010). The design and form of our towns and cities can foster inclusion or exclusion on a large scale through land zoning patterns by the arrangement of districts or neighbourhoods. The social interaction that occurs in one’s neighbourhoods are the potential vehicles for inclusion.
Inclusive Design and the Public Space
Courtesy of Pinterest
The rationale of a public space being inclusive is a notion to grapple with. “A truly public space is accessible to everyone irrespective of their physical abilities, age, gender, ethnicity, income level or social status.” (Mandanipour, 2010). Clearly, a relationship exists between the built environment and social inclusion. The real question lies in the heart of this discourse; how exactly can the design of a public space foster social inclusion?
Public spaces such as the shopping mall or community centre or parks are known to draw people of different social backgrounds for a common purpose. It is perceived as the symbolic centre of the city. Achieving a truly inclusive public space requires that the stakeholders, building practitioners and its primary users collaborate in the early stages of the design thinking process- the planning stage. The result of the collaboration should focus on addressing the feelings of insecurity, real or perceived barriers that result in exclusion in order to foster a cohesive habitat in the built environment.
A Concise Guide to Inclusive Design in a Public Space
These three architectural parameters should be considered in the design of public space:
- Accessibility
- Safety
- Flexibility
Accessibility:
- At the initial stages of the design process, it is important to consider how the vehicular paths, cycle paths and pedestrian paths serve the primary function of ‘welcoming’ the users. All access paths should be co-located in order to maximize busyness or activity in the public space which reduces feelings of isolation.
- Celebrate entrance and exit routes: make entrances bold and easy to identify from afar so as to invite legitimate users to the public space. It is also important to use the same entrance for everybody. Separating the entrance for wheelchair users, for instance, defeats the purpose of an inclusive design.
Courtesy of richmondlcc.co.uk
Safety:
Safety is a key consideration in designing a good public space.
While crime prevention measures such as the use of CCTV surveillance cameras, bollard and other HVM (hostile vehicle mitigation) methods do well to actively prevent acts of terror, they do not necessarily suggest to the users that the public space is safe. Central to the idea of safety in a public space is the emotion the surrounding environment evokes-that is what primarily invites users.
- Maximizing visibility: Public spaces should be well integrated into lines of sight and movement. Pedestrians feel safer when a public space has obvious through paths with frequent escape routes linking to surrounding streets. Encourage natural surveillance by flattening the topography of the land. Users feel safer when they can see and be seen in public.
- Lighting: lighting a public space could increase or decrease feelings of entrapment or isolation. In a situation where there are clear lines of sight- where the potential does not exist for people to be cornered or trapped, fixing street lamps may be a good solution as opposed to where there are spatial constraints like presence of nooks, thick short shrubs, alcoves, alleys which are usually hideouts for social miscreants. Lighting may not necessarily be the best option in the latter case as it may mislead the user to think that the surrounding spaces are safe. In some cases, nooks and corners just need to be lit just about right to make the users aware of their environment.
Courtesy of shawnwhisenant.com
Flexibility:
Refers to how the building or space will be used and who will use it. How spaces can adapt to the changing spatial demands of the users in the long run. i.e
- Light-weight furniture should be used. They can be easily moved and stored away (non-permanent installation).
- Use multi-functional furniture e.g. table can be converted to worktops and are adjustable in height so children can also use it.
- Create wide lobbies and circulation spaces to ensure the free flow of people in and about surrounding spaces.
- Create spaces with the intention of more than one user group e.g multipurpose halls.
Maintenance Culture is Key to Inclusive Design
A good maintenance culture and facility management practices help to keep the public space in good shape. Deterioration of the facility may repel certain sensitive social groups and may even attract the wrong social group such as social miscreants.
- Replace or remove damaged furniture.
- Wipe Graffiti paints on walls.
- Trim trees to encourage natural surveillance.
- Plants trees with a purpose. Plant a more appropriate species of tree.
Courtesy of dreamstime.com
Conclusion
An inclusive design places priority on the needs of the people it is primarily designed for. It is the designer’s prerogative to study the culture of the locale; immerse in their lives to deeply understand their needs, infuse the lessons learnt into the design. The aim is to generate a more socially sensitive design solution for the users of that area.
Also, professionals in the built environment should work together to maximize expertise and their understanding of inclusion and equality.