Introduction

The book provides new perspectives from leading experts examining the role of architects and urbanists in designing for inclusivity in our built environment. By focusing on themes of gender, race and ethnicity, ability, neurodiversity, age, poverty and socio-economy and the non-human, the book tackles the complex challenges that designers and scholars encounter and need to address in their works. The volume offers a diverse compilation of peer-reviewed papers related to architecture for inclusivity in various different formats, ranging from visual essays, argumentative papers and scholastic texts. It presents the notion of availability, a concept which works to challenge the othering inherent in notions of inclusion and accessibility. In its introduction it presents a critical discourse around the challenges and potentials lying in the design for availability targeted towards a systemic change of our societies.

Series Overview

The book is part of a series of six volumes that explore the agency of the built environment in relation to the SDGs through new research conducted by leading researchers. The series is led by editors Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen and Martin Tamke in collaboration with the theme editors:

- Design for Climate Adaptation: Billie Faircloth and Maibritt Pedersen Zari

- Design for Rethinking Resources: Carlo Ratti and Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen (Eds.)

- Design for Resilient Communities: Anna Rubbo and Juan Du (Eds.)

- Design for Health: Arif Hasan and Christian Benimana (Eds.)

- Design for Inclusivity: Magda Mostafa and Ruth Baumeister (Eds.)

- Design for Partnerships for Change: Sandi Hilal and Merve Bedir (Eds.)