The Era of the New Normal

Leading smart cities are transforming their urban planning processes by building inclusion and access into their city-wide master plans. This is resulting in cities that are more accessible, inclusive, and resilient. A key factor in this journey is the adoption of key principles of resilience in their decision-making and planning processes: reflection, resourcefulness, inclusivity, integration, robustness, redundancy, and flexibility. Inclusivity is crucial in building resilience as cities need to prioritize broad consultation and create a sense of shared ownership in decision-making to ensure the needs and perspectives of all members of the community are taken into account. This is complemented by the use of human-rights based regulatory frameworks, agile regulatory structures, collaboration with civil society organizations, and continuous learning, training, and upskilling. Cities should reflect on past experiences to inform future decisions. Universal Design principles can also enhance the effectiveness of radical inclusion efforts. The practice of Universal Design has expanded greatly to include policy, social participation, and health and wellness. The ultimate success of these initiatives is also largely dependent on the ability of cities to effectively adopt and integrate technologies in a way that supports the needs of all citizens.