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Is Social Sustainability the Forgotten Pillar of Sustainable Development?

Social Structures

Symposium

Author: Ruth O’Reilly, Senior Built Environment Design Advisor, Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, National Disability Authority

Here at the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, we often use this quotation from the designer, Victor Papanek, to explain the focus of our work:

The only important thing about design is how it relates to people Quotation 'The only important thing about design is how it relates to people' alongside an image of a book with the title Design for the Real Workld, by Victor Papanek.
Figure 1: Quotation from Design for the Real World by Victor Papenek (1971)

A key tenet of Universal Design is that good design works well for everyone. Sometimes however, it seems that social sustainability is the forgotten pillar of sustainable development. How can we persuade designers that taking a Universal Design approach – designing for all people, regardless of their age, size, ability or disability – is a key element of sustainable development?

The three pillars of sustainability: People, profit and planet A venn diagram with 3 intersecting circles, one for each pillar of sustainability (people, profit, planet). There is an arrow coming from the words 'Universal Design' pointing at the centre of the venn diagram.
Figure 2: The three pillars of Sustainability: People, Profit, Planet

‘Leave no one behind’ is a central principle of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Universal Design aims to create a more inclusive society and it links, in particular, to United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG11) on sustainable cities and communities:

SGD 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities SGD 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustianble. 'Inclusive' is highlighted in bold text.
Figure 3: Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities

A number of years ago, we conducted research on how to develop and deliver effective Univeral Design Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for architectural professionals. Some key findings included:

  • Direct testimony and engagement with diverse building users is most effective at building empathy.
  • Designers expressed a preference for exemplars projects that demonstrate Universal Design in practice.
  • Client demand was the top motivating factor for architectural professionals to undertake Universal Design CPD.

Our new eLearning module on Universal Design in the built environment is a first step in responding to these findings. The module uses the Central Bank of Ireland (a winner of the RIAI Universal Design Award) as a case study. In the module, the client, designer and access consultant explain the benefits of taking a Universal Design approach from the very start of the design process. Staff members at the Central Bank illustrate features of the building that work well for them, through interactive videos.

For a sneak preview of some content, view this 2-minute video about Universal Design in the built environment.

‘Buildings for Everyone: Central Bank of Ireland’, is fully accessible and will take up to one hour to complete. It is aimed at professionals involved in the design and procurement of buildings, but it is open to anyone interested in Universal Design in the built environment. Learn more about Universal Design.

Buildings for Everyone: Central Bank of Ireland Image of the Central Bank of Ireland, beside the river Liffey in Dublin
Figure 4 Buildings for Everyone: Central Bank of Ireland eLearning module
Logo Centre for Excellence in Universal Design / National Disability Authority logo
Centre for Excellence in Universal Design / National Disability Authority logo
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