Bridging the Gaps: Realising Human Diversity in the Built Environment through Universal Design

This thesis explores how more equal and inclusive living environments can be achieved by using Universal Design (UD) to incorporate human diversity in all stages of planning and construction. The ongoing exclusion of persons with disabilities from the built environment does not result from a lack of knowledge on how to remedy existing obstacles nor of how to avoid creating new ones. Other reasons must be found.
The aim of the thesis is to provide new knowledge and solutions regarding how UD can be implemented in urban development and the built environment, including the whole process from vision to outcome. The thesis is based on three studies, which resulted in five papers.
The theoretical framework involves conditions that affect the planning and construction processes of today: forms of governance, the view of the users of the built environment and how they are categorised, choices and priorities in the planning process, and theories of UD.
Triangulation was used in the studies as a research strategy, to test the validity and increase the reliability of the findings. The studies included a document study, a multiple case study, semi-structured interviews, workshops and go-along interviews in three cities.
The findings show numerous factors that influence the conditions for how human diversity is included or not in urban development processes. These factors include the norms and categorisations of the users, current urban building trends and planning practices. Examples show how Universal Design can be implemented in the entire process – from idea to finished construction. The findings show the need for several changes. All studies demonstrate the importance of protecting significant societal goals throughout planning and construction processes. This indicates that public actors must take greater responsibility to lead planning processes and follow up on the results.
The municipalities are at the forefront of defending social goals and operationalising conventions that Sweden as a nation has undertaken to follow, an example being the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Being able to access and use the built environment is a fundamental human right.