Social Integration

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Treating all groups with dignity and respect

The photograph shows a waterfront redevelopment project in Malmo that created a sustainable community with mixed uses. A pedestrian promenade has sitting and socializing spaces all along the waterfront side. On the other side of the promenade, mid-rise residential buildings are located with stores, restaurants and offices on the ground floor, giving residents and visitors many reasons to frequent the promenade. Housing in the district includes residential opportunities for many different types of households and mixed incomes.

Universal Design (UD) is an approach to design that increases the potential for developing a better quality of life for a wide range of individuals. It is a design process that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation (Steinfeld and Maisel, 2012). It creates products, systems, and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.