Welcome to Neurodiversity in Planning.
This network is about raising acceptance of neurodiversity among town planners and other built environment professionals working within the industry, and increasing understanding of its importance to planning decisions, policy, research and practice.
We aim to encourage town planners to recognise their role in promoting and creating an inclusive society.
We all think, learn, communicate and experience the world differently.
By factoring neurodiversity into the ways we work, design places and engage with communities we can amplify the diverse abilities of, and reduce disabling factors for, neurodivergent people. These are our key workstreams:
Design
How we understand what barriers currently exist in the built environment, and how we can plan and design safe, supportive and accessible places for neurodivergent people.
Engagement
How we can make infrastructure and planning consultation and engagement, be it online or in person, accessible for a neurodiverse audience.
Work
How we promote and champion the benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace and create a culture where neurodivergent planners are understood and accepted.
What is neurodiversity?
Neurodiversity is the the diversity of all human minds. It is the infinite variety in the ways we all speak, think, move, act and communicate, and that we all experience the world differently.
Around 15-20% of the world’s population are estimated to be ‘neurodivergent’. This is when someone’s brain processes and/or behaves differently from what is considered “typical”.
Neurodivergence is commonly associated with a range of conditions, and the graphic on the right hand side shows examples. However, you do not need to have a formal diagnosis with one of these conditions in order to be neurodivergent.
View our resources page to find out more.
