We build for everyone. Still?

The built environment is often seen as neutral. But in practice, not every location is used in the same way by everyone. Differences in perception, for example in terms of safety, lead to different behaviour, different routes and different use of the city. And that has consequences. This also ties in with the fact that many spatial standards have historically been developed from a single dominant (male) perspective. As a result, the same place can feel natural for men, while for women it can feel unsafe or inaccessible.

If people use an area or a building differently from what was intended, this has a direct impact on its performance and value. Yet the ‘S’ in ESG is often still approached as a list of incidents or facilities, rather than a factor that actually steers usage and value.

In this panel, we explore how design choices and decision-making affect behaviour, how this feeds through into the way the city is used, and what it means for real estate and area development. Participants will receive concrete tools to drive change; precisely small interventions can make a big difference.

From design, practice, policy and data, we bring perspectives together. Because, as the PROVADA theme says: We All Stand Together. The key lies specifically in the collaboration between public and private parties—not only in naming social value, but also in actually realising it.

The question is not whether we build for everyone.

The question is: do we understand how our buildings and areas are actually used, what impact that has on social value, and how we steer accordingly?