Austin’s CodeNEXT — A New Urban Agenda
Building for human diversity, social inclusion and equality to solve Austin’s social and economic inequities.
Urbanization is one of the most important global trends of the 21st century. It has the potential to contribute to the “re-design” of our world supporting the creation of sustainable, accessible, and inclusive cities for all. About 6.25 billion people, 15% of them with disabilities, are predicted to be living in urban centers by 2050.
We are at a historic moment in inclusive social and economic development, fueled by technological advances. The City of Austin, TX is searching for ways to create a vibrant, accessible, and disability inclusive culture that attracts jobs, fosters economic development, and is an attractive place for all people to live, work, and play.
Like many municipalities across the country, Austin discovered that it’s current land development codes and ordinances often get in the way of achieving these goals — hence the creation of CodeNEXT. Austin is banking on its new Land Development Codes, AKA “CodeNEXT” to help remove system barriers and other problems that have stalled Austin’s progress in becoming the most livable, accessible and inclusive city in the nation.
“Managing urban areas has become one of the most important development challenges of the 21st century. Our success or failure in building sustainable cities will be a major factor in the success of the post-2015 UN development agenda.” John Wilmoth, Director of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
This blog is of critical importance to Austin’s City Planners, City Leadership and to Austin Startups & Tech Companies that are partnering or plan to partner with the City of Austin as it develops and deploys CodeNEXT — as well as Austin’s new Smart City platform.
“An accessible and purposefully inclusive Smart City is a Digital Society where all people have equitable access to community services, benefits, and products — and are respected, valued, and purposefully included in all social, economic, cultural and political opportunities their Smart City has to offer — no matter their age, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, or ability.” Darren Bates, Global Inclusion Thought Leader for Darren Bates, LLC
This blog contributes a clear overview of the main issues at stake. Namely, that governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector have a role to play in ensuring that accessibility and purposeful inclusion are not an afterthought but a central component of their work.
There are no excuses for leaving persons with disabilities or any other equity group behind; recognition of all people as equal members of society will bring prosperity and sustainability to Austin.
What is accessibility and purposeful inclusion?
Accessibility is about providing equitable access to everyone. It refers to the characteristic that products, services, and facilities can be independently accessed and used by people with a variety of disabilities. Accessibility as a design concern has a long history, but public awareness about accessibility increased with the passage of legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandated that public facilities and services be fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Purposeful Inclusion means making a dedicated choice to engage and include all persons in social, economic, cultural and political opportunities regardless of a person’s economic means, gender, sexuality, gender identity, ethnicity, race, ability, age, or religion. e.g.,
What is a Smart City
Technology is the cornerstone of Smart Cities. Smart Cities use technology to empower citizens. Smart Cities utilize information and communications technology (ICT) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to connect a wide-range of components across the city to enhance livability, workability, and sustainability. Smart Cities use smart multi-modal communication portals to provide citizen access to city government, including access to smart resources that increase meaningful engagement in the exploration of solutions to civic problems that influence quality of life.
But it is not just about technology — it’s about improve the lives of Austin residents and visitors. Here’s a simple but quintessential Smart City policy statement: Cities can only be smart if they engage and empower all citizens. Austin will not become a Smart City just because it was recently ranked as The Best Tech City on the Planet, or because it uses advanced technologies.
Nope — Austin will become a Smart City only if CodeNEXT and Austin’s Smart City Strategic Roadmap incorporate accessibility and purposeful inclusion strategies.
“It’s when you can derive data from everything that is connected and utilize it to improve the lives of citizens and improve communication between citizens and the government that a city becomes a smart city,” says Esmeralda Swartz, head of strategy and marketing of the software business unit for Ericsson.
A Smart City is a Digital Society where all people have equitable access to community services, benefits, and products — and are respected, valued, and purposefully included in all social, economic, cultural and political opportunities their Smart City has to offer — no matter their age, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, or ability.
Incorporating accessibility and purposeful inclusion into CodeNEXT and Austin’s Smart City Strategic Roadmap will build a more trusted governance model. As well, incorporating accessibility and purposeful inclusion strategies will help resolve Austin’s social and economic inequities.
Barriers to accessible and inclusive urban design
The Global Network on Disability Inclusive and Accessible Urban Development (DIAUD) reports persons with disabilities in urban areas all around the world continue to face dramatic challenges to participate in their communities due to a widespread lack of accessibility to the built environment. Barriers to the physical environment and to accessible information and communication impede their enjoyment of basic urban services; from housing to roads and public spaces, from public buildings to basic urban services such as sanitation and water, health, education, transportation, emergency and disaster response and resilience. These barriers directly impact on the disproportionate rates of poverty, deprivation and exclusion faced by persons with disabilities, but also affect the development of their communities as a whole.
Why urban development needs to be purposefully inclusive and accessible
According to the World Health Organization and the World Bank, 15% of the world’s population live with some type of impairment or disability. By 2050, 6.25 billion people will live in urban centers. If these estimates hold true, that means that by 2050 nearly one billion urban dwellers will be persons with disabilities. The unprecedented scale of urban expansion demands a radical rethinking of what cities are, and who they are for.
Living with a disability is virtually a universal experience. Persons with disabilities are young, old, women, men, straight, gay, transgender, indigenous, and of every race and ethnicity. However, the manner in which cities are designed for too long has failed to consider the unique ways that physical and social barriers limit the participation of persons with disabilities in public life.
By developing and enforcing accessibility standards, new transportation systems, pedestrian pathways, and information systems could open unprecedented opportunities to realize social inclusion of historically marginalized and underserved persons, including people with disabilities.
Non-discrimination policies protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and other historically marginalized and underserved equity groups is needed to ensure the right to housing, and to combat exclusionary housing policies and prejudice that perpetuate inequality.
The unique role of accessibility and purposeful inclusion in urban development
The lack of participation of persons with disabilities in urban affairs is one of the biggest challenges facing this large and diverse group. Persons with disabilities include young people, women, men, girls and boys with disabilities, older people and indigenous, all of whom can experience multiple forms of exclusion and marginalization caused by the rapid pace of technological advances and economic development.
Accessibility for women, men, girls and boys with disabilities can be a catalyst for innovation and purposeful inclusion in cities. However environmental barriers exist that are not simply obstacles to accessibility but to full participation, they can also limit governance and decision making process, e.g. Land Development Codes that ignore accessibility and purposeful inclusion of people with disabilities as an integral part of creating livable, inclusive, and sustainable urban areas and neighborhoods.
“A world that recognizes the rights of people with disabilities, ensures that people with disabilities can be productive members of their communities and nations and provides an inclusive and accessible environment, is a world that will benefit all of us — with or without disabilities.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Austin City authorities have a responsibility to safeguard citizens from exclusion or from being accidently left behind — at any stage — in the development, deployment or logistical processes of Austin’s Smart City transformation.
If you are an Austin City Planner, you must approach accessibility and purposeful inclusion as an integral part of creating livable, inclusive, and sustainable urban areas and neighborhoods
Whether you are a startup, tech company, public authority, construction professional, development practitioner, a designer, a scholar, a business owner, or a service provider accessibility and purposeful inclusion should always be part of what you do.
“Accessibility and purposeful inclusion are key components to the successful transformation and digitalization of Austin’s infrastructure, society and culture.” Thomas Reissig, Austin Resident, Artist and Civil Rights Thought Leader
Building cities for human diversity, social inclusion and equality
Building cities and societies for human diversity, social inclusion, and equality is becoming an increasing priority and it is key for a truly inclusive and sustainable future for all. Urbanization provides opportunities for social inclusion, equitable access to services and livelihoods, and engaging and mobilizing previously excluded populations. It also provides an opportunity to design an enabling and inclusive environments reflect the reality of how all urban inhabitants access their communities and live their lives.
Inclusive environments consider people’s diversity and break down unnecessary barriers and exclusions in a manner that benefits all. Darren Bates, LLC
Austin’s CodeNEXT | A New Urban Agenda
Over the next 35 years, cities will shape virtually every aspect of global development, including the manner in which fundamental human rights are won and implemented. Social exclusion and marginalization on the basis of socio-economic status, gender, age, disability, caste, ethnicity, and other categories pose significant difficulties in gaining and securing access, rights, and opportunities in urban areas.
Poor planning, city design, land development codes and unregulated urban development generate and reinforce exclusion. Smart Cities are under immense pressure to ensure that urban development is inclusive and responds to the needs of marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities.
Austin’s CodeNEXT must align with a new urban agenda that ensures all elements of the built environment, including land use, transportation, housing, energy, and infrastructure, work together to provide accessible and affordable places for living, working, and recreation that meets the livelihood needs of all citizens and groups.
Austin’s CodeNEXT must also ensure that the planning process actively involves all segments of the community and includes persons with all types of disabilities in analyzing issues, generating visions, developing plans, and monitoring outcomes.
To remove systemic barriers, solve Austin’s social and economic inequities, make Austin the Most Livable, Accessible and Inclusive City in America, follow these recommendations.
Key questions for CodeNEXT
- Has consideration been given to all sections of the community during the development plan consultation? Are the proposed consultation activities inclusive of both women and men or girls and boys with disabilities?
- Have adequate measures been used to engage with all community members including disability and aging groups?
- Has contact been made with key decision makers and representative organizations such as Disabled People’s Organizations? Have you consulted with everyone in the community and not just with the educated elite, including the educated elite within the disability community?
- Have you paid attention to diversity, making sure you have participants with a good cross section of age, types of impairments, backgrounds, ethnic groups, and other characteristics?
- Have public consultation events been organized at accessible and safe locations? Have you identified solutions to make accessibility adjustments and reduce environmental footprints, risks, or hazards during your development plan consultation activities?
- Is development plan documentation available at accessible locations and in accessible formats?
- Have you thought about developing different feedback mechanisms for girls, boys, women and men with all types of disabilities to contribute to the plan design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation?
Key recommendations for Austin’s CodeNEXT to ensure an inclusive and accessible urban agenda
Plan for Multimodal Transportation Systems
A multimodal transportation system allows people to use a variety of transportation modes, including walking, biking, and other mobility devices (e.g. wheelchairs), as well as transit where possible. Such a system reduces dependence on automobiles and encourages more active forms of personal transportation, improving health outcomes, and increasing the mobility of those who are unable or unwilling to drive (e.g. youth, persons with disabilities, the elderly). Fewer cars on the road also translate to reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions with associated
Plan for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
TOD is characterized by a concentration of higher density mixed use development around transit stations and along transit lines, such that the location and the design of the development encourage transit use and pedestrian activity. TOD allows communities to focus new residential and commercial development in areas that are well connected to public transit. This enables residents to more easily use transit services, which can reduce vehicle-miles traveled and fossil fuels consumed and associated pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It can also reduce the need for personal automobile ownership, resulting in a decreased need for parking spaces and other automobile-oriented infrastructure.
Plan for Complete Streets Serving Multiple Functions
Plan for Complete streets are streets that are designed and operated with all users in mind — including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit riders (where applicable) of all ages and abilities — to support an accessible and affordable multi-modal transportation system. A complete street network is one that safely and conveniently accommodates all users and desired functions, though this does not mean that all modes or functions will be equally prioritized on any given street segment. Streets that serve multiple functions can accommodate travel, social interaction, and commerce to provide for more vibrant neighborhoods and more livable communities
Plan for mixed land-use patterns that are walkable and bikeable
Mixed land-use patterns are characterized by residential and nonresidential land uses located in close proximity to one another. Mixing land uses and providing housing in close proximity to everyday destinations (e.g. shops, civic places, workplaces) can increase walking and biking and increase personal mobility. Mixed land-use patterns should incorporate safe, convenient, accessible, and attractive design features (e.g. sidewalks, bike street furniture and facilities, street trees) to promote walking and biking
Plan for and Prioritize Access with Infill Development
Infill development is characterized by development or redevelopment of undeveloped or underutilized parcels of land in otherwise built-up areas, which are usually served by or have ready access to existing infrastructure and services.
Plan for Universal Design
Plan for and build without barriers to provide Accessible Public Facilities, Urban Spaces that foster equitable access and meaningful participation by all.
Plan for and Implement Accessibility Standards into Green Building Design and Energy Conservation
A green building is characterized by design features that, if used as intended, will minimize the environmental impacts of the building over the course of its lifespan. In addition, social sustainability including principles of universal design should be considered in parallel to environmental impact assessment. This reduces the need to retrofit in the future and supports change of behavior that is more accepting of accessibility.
Plan for and Engage Stakeholders at all Stages of the Planning Process
Engaging stakeholders, including local authorities, community members, planners, and developers, throughout the planning process is important to ensure that the plan accurately reflects community values and addresses community priorities and needs. Such engagement starts from creating a community vision to defining goals, principles, objectives, and action steps, as well as involvement in implementation and evaluation. In addition, engagement builds public understanding and ownership of the adopted plan, leading to more effective implementation.
Plan for and Seek Diverse Participation in the Plan Development Process
A robust and comprehensive planning process engages a wide range of participants across generations, ethnic groups, and income ranges. Especially important is reaching out to groups that might not always have a voice in community governance, including representatives of disadvantaged and minority communities. Participation of persons with disabilities is key to ensure an inclusive and comprehensive planning process. Participation of women, men, girls and boys with disabilities also provides a more holistic approach to design accessibility “for all” while remaining sensitive to customized adaptations. For example, installing tactile guide systems on pedestrian routes to enhance mobility and safety of persons with visual impairments. The pursuit of inclusive design is an opportunity to create more equitable solutions to urban traffic and improve the walkability of a city in a way that benefits everyone.
Plan for and Continue to Engage Public After Adoption of Urban Development Plan
Stakeholder engagement should not end with the adoption of a comprehensive urban development plan. An effective planning process continues to engage stakeholders including community members, municipal authorities, planners, and developers during the implementing, updating, and amending of the plan, so that the public remains involved with ongoing proposals and decisions.
Plan for and Require Accessible Procurement
This might be the most important recommendation of all. Plan for accessible procurement — for the complete procurement cycle — that guarantees all Vendors, Contractors and Sub-Contractors Partners, Smart City Technology Companies and others incorporate accessibility criteria when submitting and responding to The City of Austin RFIs, RFQs, RFPs.
For example (not meant to be a comprehensive list)) require all proposals, quotes, or bids to fully answer the following questions and provide documentation to substantiate answers: a) What is Company’ commitment to compliance with the ADA, b) What experience does your company’s have in creating and deploying products and services that are accessibility for people with disabilities, c) What are your company’s internal accessibility and inclusion standards, d) Does your company have a road map for accessibility and purposeful inclusion? If so, please provide a general outline (e.g., goals, milestones).
For Example(not meant to be a comprehensive list)) here is a few steps to enhance accessibility procurement for Smart City Innovation, Technology and Communication
- Insert accessibility language into all RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, and Contracts
For examples: All electronic and information technology developed, purchased, upgraded or renewed by or for the use of The City Austin shall be accessible to persons with disabilities. - Request a statement of accessibility or a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) from the Contractor/Vendor. (This requirement is especially important for Smart City innovation, technology and Apps and Self-Service Kiosks, etc.)
- Require all products and services be reviewed and tested by users with various disabilities using a tiered approach from development to deployment, (This requirement is especially important for Smart City innovation, technology and Apps and Self-Service Kiosks, etc.) For example, the accessibility testing process, and may include but are not limited to code reviews by internal or external experts, evaluations with accessibility checking software, vendor test bedding with assistive technologies, testing by users with disabilities, or testing by a third party organization)
Plan for Maintenance to Ensure Accessibility and Purposeful Inclusion
No matter how good accessibility is, it will fail if local governments and relevant authorities do not allocate budgets for maintenance. Ensuring that monitoring and maintenance costs are addressed at the early stages of the planning process is key to ensure that projects are fully accessible and usable throughout their lifespan. Examples of maintenance include replacement of tactile guiding blocks on sidewalks and high contrast painting, regular tests of emergency alarms and early warning systems, update of information in accessible formats in community facilities or information centers, repair of mechanical and automatic ramps in low-floor buses, and maintenance of lifts in subway and train stations.
No More Excuses
There are no excuses to leaving persons with disabilities or any other equity group behind; recognition of all people as equal members of society can and will bring prosperity and sustainability to Austin.
To remove systemic barriers;
To solve Austin’s social and economic inequities; and
To Make Austin the Most Livable and Inclusive City in America…
Austin City Planners and City Leadership must approach accessibility and purposeful inclusion as an integral part of creating livable, inclusive, and sustainable urban areas and neighborhoods.
Darren Bates is a lifelong champion of equality, inclusion, and social justice for people with disabilities and other diverse, underrepresented, and historically marginalized populations. Darren is internationally recognized as one of the most innovative and knowledgeable Thought Leaders in the field of Global Inclusion.
Darren offers accessibility and inclusion training, strategic consulting, and professional speaking services through Darren Bates, LLC.
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Thank you to G3ICT, WorldENABLED, The Smart Cities Council, National Complete Streets Coalition | Smart Growth America, Thomas Reissig, Randy Lewis, and The Global Network on Disability Inclusive and Accessible Urban Development (DIAUD) for contributing original content and inspiration and support.
