by Taz Loomans
Let’s give a damn about gender equity in architecture, not just for the sake of women architects, but for the sake of male architects, and anyone who’s ever stepped into a building – which is everyone.Read More
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Why aren’t we designing cities that work for women, not just men?
Andrew Fleming and Anja Tranovich via The Guardian
Similarly, cities in Bangladesh recently sought to serve women more equitably in infrastructure improvements. They recognized that this begins with understanding what women need. The programme made sure women had representation in local governments and a voice in urban planning – down to the very construction of buildings.Read More
Discrimination by Design →
It's likely that as long as humans and their institutions hold prejudices and bias, their designs will reflect them. But some progress is possible. Two decades ago architect Ronald Mace imagined a new standard, in which anything humans make — a new piece of technology, a public park, a household product — is usable by everyone. He called this idea "universal design." Today it's an enforceable legal standard in Norway. One way to help us get there? Make sure the design process itself is also accessible to all.
Read MoreWhy Equity Matters for Everyone: A New Value Proposition for Design →
By Rosa Sheng
“Equity” and “equality” have long been used interchangeably, but the terms are often confused with each other. While the focus of equality is framed with sameness being the end goal, equity may be defined as a state in which all people, regardless of their socioeconomic, racial, or ethnic grouping, have fair and just access to the resources and opportunities necessary to thrive. Beyond equity’s newer association with pluralism, it has long been connected to financial capital, as well as to collective ownership, vested interest, and a sense of value or self-worth.
Equity has a strong potential as a new paradigm and social construct to succeed on multiple levels—equity in education, equitable practice in the workplace, and social equity in access to basic life resources, healthy and safe communities, and public space in our urban centers. The equity-focused value proposition at all these levels is rooted in transparency, education, collaboration, and trust.