Designing out inequality in urban environments

COMMENT The UK is home to world-class global cities, full of heritage, culture and opportunities, yet many of the best parts of our urban environments aren’t accessible to communities and visitors. Limited accessibility affects a significant portion of the population. One in four of the 67m people in the UK live with a disability and thousands more face temporary mobility challenges each year. Despite these figures, access is still viewed as a lesser priority among many built environment decision makers. Even with so many facing physical and hidden disabilities, the industry continues to overlook the crucial need for accessible and inclusive spaces for everyone. We must view accessibility as a human right. As built environment professionals, we have a duty of care not to overlook or discriminate against those with diverse needs. Although often unintentional, the experience of these individuals in many of our cities’ buildings can be challenging and isolating. Take, for example a one-height reception desk in a workplace, creating an inequitable experience for wheelchair users, or the difficulty caused for those who are visually impaired in the lack of tactile wayfinding and signage systems. We are doing a disservice to our visitors if we don’t proactively engage with their needs and put in place the changes necessary to improve access. Beyond the personal experiences of individuals, increased accessibility can have a knock-on impact for businesses and cities at large, such as in retail and leisure where inclusive design can unlock greater commercial success by creating more positive – and subsequently frequent – experiences for consumers. Simply put, inclusive design leads to the development of thriving and positive places, which in turn supports long term, sustainable growth. Engaging the end user: the inclusive design process The question we need to ask ourselves is: “How can we design for everyone, if we don’t involve diverse perspectives?” Making urban areas accessible for everybody means placing lived experiences at the heart of inclusive design. Unfortunately, there are still many barriers to the implementation of inclusive design, often stemming from a lack of education around what is needed. We need to learn from those with first-hand experience how we can acknowledge different needs within our places and spaces. Involving a diverse group of people right from the outset can help design teams deliver truly impactful solutions. Over the past two years, the Crown, with Grosvenor, has conducted extensive research and analysis – all underpinned by a programme of engagement – to put together a new report, Inclusive Spaces and Places, which presents the case for heightened standards of inclusive design in the built environment. We have developed an approach so that the industry can set up inclusive design panels, which will ensure that people with lived experience can meaningfully contribute to the development process, from design through to delivery. This panel will also consult on works to existing buildings within the Crown Estate’s and Grosvenor’s portfolios to help us address the changes required. Inclusive design should be embedded in the development process, not treated as an afterthought. This will help us to maximise the potential of our world-class cities. As property owners and developers, it is not only the ethical thing to do, but it future-proofs our buildings and prevents them from becoming stranded assets due to heightened customer expectations. This practical benefit applies much in the same way as our focus on decarbonisation – both priorities should be considered at the same time in the development process. We will save time and money on refurbishment in the long term, but will also retain customers, staff and partners. Each inaccessible doorway, cramped corridor, or lack of baby changing or gender-neutral bathrooms – if left unaddressed – represents a tangible loss in revenue. Going beyond minimum requirements For the benefits of inclusive design to truly be felt, a broader societal shift is needed. We must have more confidence as a sector to use the tools and talent available to lead this change, encouraging one another to go beyond the minimum requirement for inclusive design. The report’s recommendations include an inclusive design brief with technical guidance and prompts for design teams to embed this throughout the project, working alongside the template for creating an inclusive design panel of people with lived experience. Introducing an inclusive design brief and design specialists allows buildings to be developed in line with those diverse lived experiences, setting standards that are higher than existing building regulations at what is often minimal or no additional cost. Embedding inclusive design throughout a project’s timeline and exceeding minimum standards ensures a future-ready building and the best experience possible for all our visitors. Calling the built environment to action We are encouraging industry participation to drive collaboration and change to ensure that accessibility isn’t an afterthought – it’s a fundamental principle of design. As part of the launch of the Inclusive Spaces and Places report this month, we’ve founded a working group – the Accessible and Inclusive Places Industry Group – open to property owners, developers, architects, contractors and consultants. With several founding members – British Land, Cadogan, Heathrow, Landsec, and Lendlease – already committing to the recommendations we have laid out in the report, we are keen to build momentum industry-wide. We have a long way to go, but this work is a significant step towards creating an environment which prioritises accessibility and inclusion. It is our collective responsibility to address the barriers which prevent people from using and enjoying our buildings – a goal that will require education and collaboration. Sharing the lessons we learn along the way will help us champion inclusive design at all stages of development, so that we can collectively foster a built environment for everyone to thrive in.   Deborah Clark is sustainability director at The Crown Estate