The Role of Inclusive Design in Urbanism: A Sociological Aspect

The article raises topical issues of creating an inclusive design of the urban environment as a priority principle for the development of urbanized spaces. Based on the analysis of scientific sources, the features of inclusive design of the urban environment and its differences from the universal approach to the design of urban spaces are defined. In particular, the unsuitability of formal adherence to a standardized approach to urban design is noted, stigmatization of the topic of disability in public consciousness and urban planning practices. It is concluded that the principle of inclusiveness is expressed in the ability of an individual to exercise his or her “right to the city”, interacting with other people and communicating in the space of the urban environment. Using the in-depth interview method, an analysis of the inclusive design of the urban environment of the Airport district was conducted. It was found that the distortion of the ideas of inclusive design in urban design practices leads to the emergence of a state of “exclusion” of people with special needs, a decrease in the possibility of their active participation in the life of the urban community. The practices of “consuming the urban environment” for this category of the population are associated with the search for alternative routes, forms and means of transportation; involving relatives to avoid negative experiences; the formation of “well-established” trajectories of movement to the place of study or a traditional place of rest. The analysis of the materials of in-depth interviews also made it possible to systematize the objects of the Aeroport district according to their adaptability to the needs of people with limited mobility. The lower rates of inclusive adaptability are occupied by public spaces of the urban environment (catering places, coworking spaces, business centers, offices); with an average rate of inclusive adaptability —  public transport and road infrastructure (bus stops, sidewalks, metro station, etc.). A high rate of inclusive adaptability is noted in libraries and park recreation areas. An analysis of the respondents’ daily practices allowed us to create a map of the inclusive adaptability of the Airport district.

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