Coordinators

Eziaku Rasheed – Massey University, New Zealand
Esther Yung – Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
Kola Akinsomi – University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Background information

Inclusivity and diversity have taken centre stage across various disciplines and industries in the ever-evolving modern world. Nowhere is this more critical than in the built environment, where the spaces we inhabit shape our daily experiences and the very essence of our lives. An inclusive built environment seeks to create spaces that welcome, accommodate, and celebrate users’ diverse needs and abilities.

The old paradigm of one-size-fits-all solutions no longer suffices in this era of global interconnectedness; instead, we must adopt a universal design that acknowledges the unique experiences and challenges different groups of people face. Transforming the built environment to create inclusive urban forms and housing requires an illustrative framework that shows how strategies and actions come together holistically to shape an inclusive built environment that addresses the needs of diverse users.

In this Task Group, we intend to delve into the principles, strategies, and technologies shaping the future of building design and construction. We will consider how research and creative designs are reimagining spaces to promote inclusivity, how emerging technologies are revolutionising accessibility and ease of use, and how policies and advocacy efforts drive this positive change in the built environment.

The Task Group aims to inspire and equip researchers and the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries worldwide with the knowledge and tools required to champion inclusive designs for the built environment users’ diverse experiences and needs.

Objectives and scope of work

The proposed new Task Group focuses on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. We aim to bring together the international community, specifically industry and academic design experts, policymakers and other stakeholders in the built environment, to work collaboratively on research towards creating an inclusive built environment for diverse users. We will create a network of global researchers interested in providing conducive indoor and outdoor environments (housing and urban forms). This network will facilitate discussions, collaborative research and case studies, and publications on current issues and practices in designing and operating a diverse, user-friendly built environment. 

Task Group aims

  1. Create a global network of researchers in this area.
  2. Initiate small-scale research in various parts of the world.
  3. Secure funding for the task group to conduct the activities
  4. Designing a framework (or toolkit) for recommended strategies for diverse user facilities
  5. Organise webinars to showcase case studies – to be recorded and uploaded on YouTube
  6. Publish a book on the above topic – a collection of work done in this area

Task Group objectives

  • 2024: Launch of TG.
  • 2024: Secure funding for international collaborative research.
  • 2024: Facilitate a panel discussion at an international conference.
  • 2025: Publish a Special Issue in a CIB-recognised journal.
  • 2026: Publish a book on Creating an Inclusive Built Environment for Diverse Users with a CIB-recommended publisher.

Specific Priority Theme Relevance

  • Enabling diverse use of the built environment
  • Providing connections to nature – biophilic building designs
  • Providing healthy, resilient (manmade and natural hazards) and climate-friendly buildings
  • Creating intergenerational active spaces
  • Promoting inclusion and connectedness
  • Smart systems for interactive or proactive use of facilities
  • Designing safe buildings and public spaces

Scope of work

The scope of work for this task group is limited to cities and urban forms. The areas of focus for this task group include:

  • Inclusivity and diversity
  • Public use and diverse use spaces
  • Climate change
  • Occupant safety, health and wellbeing
  • Comparative global best practices and case studies

Planned research outputs

  • 2025: Host a Special Issue in a CIB-recognised journal.
  • 2024-2026: Facilitate panel discussions/workshops at international/national conferences
  • 2026: Publish a book on Creating an Inclusive Built Environment for Older Adults with a CIB-recommended publisher

Proposed CIB Encouraged Journal relationships

Construction Innovation: Information, Process, Management (CI) [Emerald]
Prof Sara Wilkinson – Editorial Member – International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation (IJBPA) [Emerald]
Prof Sara Wilkinson – Editorial Member – International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation

Urbanisation, Sustainability and Society (USS) [Emerald]
Prof James Rotimi – Editorial Member – Urbanisation, Sustainability and Society

Additional relationships

We will liaise with the following Working Commissions for collaborative projects as we see synergy with the objectives of these commissions:

  • W070 (Facilities Management and Maintenance)
  • W096 (Architectural Design and Management)
  • W116 (Smart and Sustainable Built Environments)
  • W110 (Informal Settlements and Affordable Housing)
  • W069 (Residential Studies)

The full list of CIB Working Commissions and Task Groups is available here