Tracing how the professionalization of architecture and urban design has often excluded stakeholder input, this talk presents a range of methods and theoretical approaches aimed at retooling the design process toward greater social sustainability. The presentation illustrates these ideas through a series of case studies addressing systemic inequalities, recapturing stakeholder voices, and promoting spatial and social justice. It argues for a renewed paradigm in which participatory practices and inclusive design processes become central to architectural thinking.

Biography:

Alexandra Staub is Professor of Architecture at Penn State University, College of Arts and Architecture. Her research focuses on the intersections of architecture, urbanism, and social equity, with particular attention to housing, everyday urbanism, and participatory design practices. She is the author and editor of several influential publications on social sustainability and the built environment, and her work critically examines how design processes can better engage diverse stakeholders and address systemic inequalities. Staub’s scholarship and teaching contribute to advancing more inclusive, just, and socially responsive architectural practices.