INCLUSION

Diversity and inclusion are regularly used as synonyms but they are quite different.

Roughly said, diversity is about ‘what’ and inclusion is about ‘how’.

Demographics such as race, ethnicity, social class, education, gender, sexual orientation and so on can go much further than just social categories. ​It can also be about all the things that make people unique like their preferences, perspectives or characteristics.

Inclusion on the other hand, focusses on measures that are put in place by a company to make sure their employees feel welcome. It’s about creating an inclusive environment and a culture of human rights, where all citizens have a sense of belonging and can thrive. 
Inclusivity creates space for beneficial alliances and cooperation. It creates cities that are stronger and more stable. It also motivates residents to improve the quality of their lives since they believe in the system of governance. City residents can unite against common challenges and improve their city.

How can a city be inclusive

To design inclusive cities, we must ensure we have a strong ethical framework that allows us to act consistently with the principle of accessibility. Also, these principles should allow cities to work well in terms of land management, housing, basic public services, and the use of public space.

"Despite wide recognition and commitment, building inclusive cities remains a challenge. Today, one out of three urban residents in the developing world still lives in slums with inadequate services. In addition, the majority of future urban growth is expected to take place in Asia and Africa, regions that are home to some of the poorest countries in the world.

To make sure that tomorrow’s cities provide opportunities and better living conditions for all, it is essential to understand that the concept of inclusive cities involves a complex web of multiple spatial, social and economic factors:

Spatial inclusion: urban inclusion requires providing affordable necessities such as housing, water and sanitation. Lack of access to essential infrastructure and services is a daily struggle for many disadvantaged households;
Social inclusion: an inclusive city needs to guarantee equal rights and participation of all, including the most marginalized. Recently, the lack of opportunities for the urban poor, and greater demand for voice from the socially excluded have exacerbated incidents of social upheaval in cities;
Economic inclusion: creating jobs and giving urban residents the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of economic growth is a critical component of overall urban inclusion.
The spatial, social and economic dimensions of urban inclusion are tightly intertwined, and tend to reinforce each other. On a negative path, these factors interact to trap people into poverty and marginalization. Working in the opposite direction, they can lift people out of exclusion and improve lives."

WORLD BANK, Inclusive Cities

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What are social exclusion and inclusion?

Social exclusion means being shut out from the social, economic and political systems which make up our society. Experiencing social exclusion can mean one or more of the following:

Struggling financially to make ends meet and having limited options for improving your financial situation;
Feeling socially isolated or lonely, having few friends and limited opportunities to meet new people or  make new relationships;
Having limited access to community resources such as health, educational and recreational services;
Having no 'voice' and influence over decisions that affect your life.

Social inclusion means the exact opposite, being actively engaged in our society's social, economic and political systems, and consequently feeling a sense of belonging and having more choices and opportunities in life. The various aspects of social inclusion are illustrated in the figure on the right.