The future of inclusive design in South Asia is composed of various social, economic, and cultural challenges through innovative and sustainable approaches. The strategy of developing the design or the work is based on Inclusive design in South Asia tackling cultural, economic, and environmental barriers through projects that enhance accessibility across diverse regions”. A few well-marked works in South Asia for their inclusive designs are the Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) – in India, the Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project – in Pakistan, Sheopur Community Clinic Project – in Bangladesh, The Nepal Community Reconstruction Project – Nepal. This article deeply delves into the trends and strategies shaping this evolving field.
Culturally responsive and community-centered design
For design solutions in South Asia, cultural responsiveness and community engagement are essential. Successful projects reflect local traditions, languages, and social norms. For example, India’s Chaupal Community Center integrates vernacular architecture and local materials, fostering ownership through participatory design. Similarly, Pakistan’s Orangi Pilot Project empowered residents to implement a sewerage system, demonstrating how collaboration addresses practical needs while honoring cultural identity. Such approaches highlight the significance of integrating communities intimately into the design process.
Environmental Sustainability in Inclusive Design
Areas that are susceptible to climatic changes can be enhanced through sustainable, local content and efficient use of energy within building systems. Eco-friendly approaches combined with inclusivity ensure that accessibility forms one half of a two-part challenge, eventually opening the doors for inclusive resilient communities.
Technology as an Enabler
The integration of AI, AR, and VR technologies has a transforming impact on the process of inclusive design. For example, services in various languages may be accessed using mobile apps to benefit the masses whether they are literate or not and in whatever languages they speak. This will include smart city initiatives with access features incorporated into an urban setting from transportation stations to public amenities. Technology helps overcome language barriers in inclusive design through real-time translation tools, speech-to-text technology, multilingual interfaces, and adaptive learning platforms. It supports users with language disabilities, providing tools like simplified language, sign language translation, and text-to-speech systems, ensuring accessibility for diverse linguistic and cognitive needs.
Affordable and scalable solutions
Affordability is one of the major challenges to inclusive design in South Asia. The solution needs to be economically feasible for the large mass to be affected. The approach of scalable, modular design that can be easily modified according to available resources has been successful for many designers in making inclusivity possible in low-income areas as well.
Aging populations and persons with disabilities
Accessibility in the provision of healthcare, housing, and transport will feature prominently with an increasingly booming elderly population and large proportions of people with disabilities. Such needs will determine everything from universal public transportation to universally designed housing.
Government policies and involvement of the private sector
These governments are slowly realizing the need for a policy that incorporates inclusivity into urban design, thus forcing policies related to accessibility in the public and private sectors. Governments, NGOs, and the private sector can combine collaborative initiatives to push forward inclusive design initiatives, particularly in fast-urbanizing areas.
Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project-Pakistan
The Sindh government project aims to focus on upgrading the quality of life in Karachi while emphasizing inclusive urban development. This project involves upgrading public spaces and parks in various underdeveloped areas in the city, considering gender-sensitive and age-inclusive facilities. The project has improved pedestrian infrastructure in the city, such as providing safer sidewalks, better street lighting, and crossing areas. Ramps, tactile paving, and other accessibility features support people with disabilities. Upgrades of roads and pedestrian paths have improved connectivity within neighbourhoods, providing easy access to markets, schools, and healthcare facilities, thus fostering inclusivity by design.
Challenges included balancing diverse community interests and overcoming bureaucratic hurdles, but participatory feedback led to accessible parks, walkways, and better traffic flow. Residents appreciated improved safety, aesthetics, and functionality, showcasing how culturally attuned, collaborative planning fosters sustainable urban development.
People’s involvement and choices made
Sustainability and Economical Considerations
The Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Project (KNIP) integrates green spaces, shading, and environmental planning to create climate-resilient urban areas. By prioritizing community participation, KNIP addresses the diverse needs of Karachi’s residents, promoting ownership and sustainable maintenance. Connecting sustainability to broader South Asian contexts, such designs improve urban livability and adaptability. Future steps include scaling these models to other cities, emphasizing inclusive, adaptive infrastructure to mitigate climate change’s impact on vulnerable populations while fostering equitable urban growth.
Citations:
- Ongrid Design (2024) Universal Design in indian home building: Creating accessible and Inclusive Spaces, Ongrid Design. Available at: https://ongrid.design/blogs/use-cases/universal-design-homes (Accessed: 02 November 2024).
- Our achievements (no date) Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Program. Available at: https://knip.yisolutions.net/ (Accessed: 02 November 2024).
- (No date) Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Project. Available at: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/885231487074243224/pdf/SFG3024-V1-EA-P161980-Box402887B-PUBLIC-Disclosed-2-12-2017.pdf (Accessed: 02 November 2024).
