Cities are not built for everyone equally. Design is gendered, planning is dominated by mitigating vehicular congestion, children are an afterthought, and trying to navigate public spaces with mobility aids can be a nightmare! So how do we change that? How can we build – or transform – cities to be equal… and what do accessible cities really look like? Should we be treating everyone the same, or are there reasons for accepting bias? What if we try to includes people’s voices in our plans but they just won’t engage? Who’s responsibility is it anyway, and how do we get them to care?

In this section, we collate all our articles that deal with access and equity: from looking at cities that have excelled at diversifying citizen participation to making public spaces feel safe for vulnerable groups; we speak to those who aren’t flinching away from the difficult issues of systemic discrimination like redlining policy, and learn from the expert who debunk the problematic myths of migration; and we explore how cities can adapt and invigorate social, spatial, and economic spheres to welcome all kinds of lifestyles, day and night. Remember when reading, to become an accessible and inclusive city, it takes more than the bare minimum: let’s not aim to meet people’s needs, but offer a high quality of life.