Leave No One Behind

As we embark on this great collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind. Recognizing that the dignity of the human person is fundamental, we wish to see the goals and targets met for all nations and peoples and for all segments of society. And we will endeavour to reach those furthest behind first.¹

The pledge to “Leave No One Behind” is an overarching value of the Sustainable Development Goals, and it is deeply relevant to all parts of the built environment. At its core, it means that all architecture, buildings, settlements, public spaces and infrastructure must be designed and constructed to include all people with specific focus on those at risk of exclusion. All architecture must contribute to inclusion, and this will require new approaches to how we design and build. We must strive to reach those furthest behind first; to include people living in poverty and other vulnerable situations, and to include, on equal terms, people with disabilities, people living with illness, the needs of children, youth and older persons, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, refugees and internally displaced persons and migrants.

In an architectural context this can mean that the main entry to a school must be designed using Universal Design principles so that people with physical disabilities can enter on equal terms alongside classmates; that public bathrooms are designed to be safe and accessible to all genders; that public spaces and parks are designed as a resource equally to people living in poverty; and that public institutions are designed to be safe and inviting to all people regardless of ethnicity and religion.

Sustainable development is not possible without adhering to the core values of the human rights declaration; the right to equal treatment and non-discrimination for all. In the built environment, this means that each time we build, each time we renovate or develop an element of the built environment, we must ask ourselves: who are the furthest behind here? And we must take it upon ourselves to reach those people first, to make sure that what we build will promote their inclusion, rather than allowing what we build to limit the participation in society of vulnerable people.

1 Extract from the UN publication: “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”