Inclusive and Equitable Public Space, a policy framework

Inclusive public spaces are critical for enabling enjoyment of human rights, improving quality of life and access to services, ensuring independent living, resilience and mobility for all including during emergencies and building back better after disasters, conflicts, or pandemics. Designing and managing public spaces for human diversity, social inclusion, and equality means taking effective and appropriate measures to remove barriers to accessibility and safe use, setting up co-creation processes to support meaningful participation and engagement of diverse groups. It also requires capacities, data and tools to assess and address accessibility gaps, measure impact and guide the design and realisation of inclusive, accessible and more equitable public spaces at local level.
Building on existing experiences and practices from City Space Architecture, World Blind Union and Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation (in regard of the Safe and Sound Cities Program - S2Cities) and with global perspectives from Consortium from Sustainable Urbanization (CSU), this event will help demonstrate levels of progress towards achieving inclusive, accessible, sustainable and resilient public spaces at the local level in line with the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and SDG 11, in regard of women, youth, older persons and persons with disabilities, ensuring accessssibility, safety and equity.
According to the United Nations, there are 1.8 billion between the ages of 10-24 and nearly 90% live in less developed countries. As a counterpoint, the number of older persons is expected to double by 2050. According to WHO, the design of cities and public spaces should become more age friendly. Additionally, more than one billion people in the world live with some form of disability, highlighting the urgent need to create more inclusive urban environments. Data indicate that globally 50% of persons with disabilities find transportation and public spaces inaccessible. According to UN Women, sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence in public spaces, both in urban and rural settings, are an everyday occurrence for women and girls in every country around the world. The challenge for public space is not just the quantity or location, but rather its full accessibility and safety for diverse users. The ambitious NUA and Agenda 2030’s SDGs are set to create a future where urban citizens will define public space as urban commons, a fundamental human right, a stage for freedom of expression, civic empowerment, and human coexistence.
While a human-oriented vision is imperative for public space culture, we acknowledge that only through local government is the implementation of such policy and strategy possible, as they are directly responsible for regulating, designing, financing, building, managing, maintaining, preserving, and defending public space.