Social and Environmental Justice

Social and environmental justice is a way of thinking—a world view, a set of beliefs—about issues of equity as they relate to the design of the built environment. It is an approach to socio-spatial analysis and design that is inclusive of and responsive to issues of marginalization, stigma, dignity, and discrimination.

Our multidisciplinary, 12-credit certificate will prepare you to address the impacts of design decisions on stakeholder communities, particularly those often excluded from participation in the design process.

We define justice as a genuine respect for people, and our understanding of social and environmental justice, in the design context, denotes a deep-seated concern for both the positive and the negative that design solutions can bring to diverse populations, many of whom have been historically poorly-served by design.