How can you make your urban planning projects more inclusive?

Inclusive urban planning requires a commitment to social justice and a willingness to adapt plans and policies to meet the diverse needs of a community. It's an ongoing process that requires collaboration, empathy, and a deep understanding of the communities you serve. Making urban planning projects more inclusive is also extremely important to ensure that cities and communities are designed to meet the needs of all residents, regardless of their background, abilities, or socioeconomic status. A good place to start is with Partnerships and Collaboration: Collaborate with local organizations, nonprofits, and advocacy groups that focus on issues related to inclusivity and equity.

the context of plan-makers by reading reports written by councils and consultancies can help in understanding the context of urban planning.

A good indicator is to look at participation of diverse groups of persons with disabilities and see if budgets are available to support/provide reasonable accommodation where needed (I.e. are consultations/meetings accessible to/capture the voices of blind people, deaf people, people with down syndrome etc ). Another important aspect is the capacity of local organisations like organization of persons with disabilities, older persons association to take part in decision making processes.

Think of growth mindset and see what you can learn from the information that is already there. See what you can learn from the district plans and the planning procedures in different countries. In New Zealand, resource consent is a part of planning which requires analysis of district plan rules and activities in the district plan by planners writing an AEE for the resource consent application which needs to be lodged with Councils. If you want to learn more there is ample information on the council websites or district plan documents that you can learn from.

Very few countries and cities have inclusive urban policies and strategies in place. In those circumstances, I found it helpful to use human rights and development frameworks. It provides key road maps and core references for planners, designers and decision makers. For example, the New Urban Agenda provides a vision with clear guidance on how to build inclusive, resilient, safe and accessible cities. The Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities provides a core reference for implementing disability inclusion and accessibility standards. WHO Age friendly cities and communities provides guidance on how to include older persons.

The inclusiveness of urban planning projects is evoked by following the natural interactions of the body with the environment, therefore, it is reasonable to design cities that represent the movement of pedestrians as the main principle. Spatial syntax theory describes the results of pedestrian activities, such as pedestrian flow and land use and also can largely predict pedestrian concentration, thereby contributing to the creation of public spaces that encourage social integration, physical activity, and finally offer users easily accessible, short and manageable alternatives.

Urban Planning in New Zealand is determined by district plan rules and regulations which can sometimes be a lengthy and stringent process, taking many years for plan changes and district plan hearings. Making a plan that can be grasped by a lay-person and is easy to understand in its context and structure can be very beneficial.