Inclusive design aims to make buildings, products and environments accessible to all people. It concerns the experience of people affected by age, physical ability or other factors.

GDI Hub’s Inclusive Design team focus on inclusive design of the built environment and increasingly disability inclusive, climate-resilient cities in developing countries. We work collaboratively with local partners, the global inclusive design community and organisations of persons with disabilities to drive research and innovation, creating platforms for engagement with decision makers at all levels to implement change.

3 people strolling through the olympic park. Central person is a wheelchair user.

Inclusive Design highlights

Lift in the Olympic Park showing accessible access.
Inclusive Design Strategy

City governments and their investors, public and private developers, citizens and grassroots organisations must work together and implement an inclusive design process to create inclusive cities. Read GDI Hub's Inclusive Design Strategy to find out more about our approach.

Inclusive Design Strategy
Photograph of a Mongolian man attempting to get on a public bus
Publication: Co-creating Inclusive Public Spaces: Learnings from Four Global Case Studies on inclusive Cities

Public spaces, including recreational and social spaces, are often not prioritised. Inclusive public spaces are fundamental to participation and inclusive in society. Including persons with disabilities in the design and planning of the built environment supports equal rights and helps identify people’s aspirations for inclusive environments. Four city case studies will be discussed in this paper: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Varanasi, India; Surakarta, Indonesia; and Nairobi, Kenya.

Read the article