One of the underpinning tenets of universal design is to involve users in the design process – at the beginning. Involving citizens in early stages of design can avoid costly retrofits, but more importantly, it is more likely to give people what they want. That means they are more likely to use it. Transport planning can also be universally designed. An article in The Fifth Estate argues that to leave out citizens is asking for trouble, and it is also undemocratic. Infrastructure is a public thing regarless of who owns it, runs it or controls it. It is about good city governance. Planners need to do three things:
- consult and engage citizens early in infrastructure planning
- improve quality and access of citizen engagement at the strategic planning stages
- use more sophisticated strategic planning tools and practices to improve decision-making
The original article was in The Conversation.
