ABSTRACT
Design for social diversity combines the designer's interest in things like pedestrian quality and aesthetic vitality with the urban planner's interest in social principles. It is important to note that the relationship between design and social diversity is not always direct. Understanding the design implications of social diversity necessarily brings together two realms: neighborhoods viewed in social terms and neighborhoods viewed as physical settings. In fact, many studies of deliberate attempts to create diverse neighborhoods consistently identify design as a key factor in their success. The neighborhood-based social networks are impacted by design. The design of the built environment affects choice, access, opportunity, interaction, movement, identity, connection, mix, security, and stability. Design is critical in calls for promoting "place-based initiatives" like community and economic development, worker mobility and household mobility strategies, or the reduction of service inequities. Pursuing the objective of place diversity through the mechanisms of planning and design will require a nuanced understanding of the interconnections involved.
