爱豆传媒

Places have a powerful impact on people. They are where students find inspiration, where researchers make discoveries, where patients get care and maybe even a cure, where travelers delight in the journey and destination, and where workers find a purpose and community.

Places are for people. They aren鈥檛 powerful if people aren鈥檛 welcomed to and included in them. Or if people don鈥檛 know about them, aren鈥檛 comfortable in them, or can鈥檛 work, live, and learn effectively in them. Or if places don鈥檛 have the right programming and events to activate. Or if they don鈥檛 have the right staff to operate them and provide these programs and services.

爱豆传媒 convened a roundtable discussion to understand identify and share best practices across industries in creating and operating welcoming and inclusive spaces. The panel included Mason Ailstock from the Rowen Foundation, Danielle Bruce-Steel from Emory University, Sam Roberts from Delta Airlines, and healthy design advocate Liz York. Together they and 25 attendees from higher education, healthcare, hospital, and the architecture, engineering, and construction industry discussed several core questions:

• What are the invisible barriers that unintentionally exclude people from spaces? How do you get over or around them?
• What role do symbols, colors, artwork, and imagery play in people feeling included and sparking conversations/ connections within the space?
• How can organizations intentionally design their internal infrastructure and operations to create and sustain a culture of welcome?

Breaking invisible barriers

What are the invisible barriers that unintentionally exclude people from spaces? How do you get over or around them?

Intentional design and active engagement鈥� such as welcoming gestures, clear guidance, inclusive spaces, and exposure to new opportunities鈥攈elp break down invisible barriers, fostering environments that promote accessibility, belonging, and meaningful connections across diverse communities.

Tools:

• Actively greet and welcome visitors
• Communicate how to use the space
• Actively listen to the community
• Provide access and exposure
• Create specific spaces for particular groups

Visible inclusivity

What role do symbols, colors, artwork, and imagery play in people feeling included and sparking conversations/connections within the space?

Intentional use of symbols, colors, artwork, and imagery can foster inclusion, spark connections, enhance experiences, and drive economic value, but it is crucial to balance local relevance with broader consistency to create welcoming and meaningful spaces.

Art鈥檚 impact on powerful places:

• Foster a sense of belonging and connection
• Through activation, you drive sales and rents.
• Reflect the priorities and values of an organization

Organizational inclusivity

How can organizations intentionally design their internal infrastructure and operations to create and sustain a culture of welcome?

Intentional design and active engagement鈥� such as welcoming gestures, clear guidance, inclusive spaces, and exposure to new opportunities鈥攈elp break down invisible barriers, fostering environments that promote accessibility, belonging, and meaningful connections across diverse communities.

Frameworks for organizational inclusivity:

• Actively welcome
• Listen to feedback and reassess
• Give people a reason to keep coming back