Urbanist Platform will be celebrating Black History month by sharing inspiring stories from an array of built environment professionals and changemakers.

In collaboration with NLA, Urbanist Platform is keen to shine a light on a range of issues, while proposing solutions on - the lack of Black people across the industry, inaccessibility to the built environment sector for less privileged people, the problems of grouping ethnicities together and what can be done to retain an underrepresented demographic - once more opportunities start to arise.

Many recognise that in relative terms the number of Black Directors across the built environment is extremely low. Although there will never be complete equality from an ethnic origin perspective, as approximately 4% of the UK is Black we ideally want to see that percentage reflected as much as possible in the industry.

There is also the question of public or private sector? There is a significant imbalance of Black professionals working in the public-sector compared to the private-sector, particularly in a profession like Town Planning. We aim to unlock the underlying reasons for this and explore if the transition from one sector to the other, can be better facilitated. In addition, do we need to only accept the trusted opinion of "professionals" in the industry to create inclusive cities? Some young people may choose not to go down the university path and some might not even want to “work” in the industry - but what if they still retain an interest in placemaking and community empowerment? How do we engage with these individuals in a way that is holistic and collaborative, rather than condescending?

Through a curation of weekly interviews, quotes, videos and imagery - by the end of the month we hope that you will feel inspired, but also informed on solutions for some of the lingering issues still prevalent across the industry. For too long there have been many conversations about ethnic diversity, without tangible evidence of progress. Urbanist Platform aim to sow the seeds to bring about the required changes immediately. The organisation will also kick off the month with the launch of its brand new Diversity and Inclusivity consultancy and training service.

Follow Urbanist Platform to gain this timely and invaluable insight that all professionals in the industry need: Instagram - @Urbanistplatform
Twitter - @Urbanistplat
www.urbanistplatform.com