Egocentrism in the Infrastructure Debate

Egocentrism is "tendency to perceive, understand and interpret the world in terms of the self". This issue exists in every human, but it is important that we realize that we see the world with a limited knowledge filtered through our past experiences. To be effective designers we must continually strive to break through the limitations of our own experiences and see the world from other viewpoints.

To be clear, I am not talking about selfishness. I am talking about realizing that one's own experiences are not necessarily representative of an aggregate population. Offering experiences as an argument falls under "anecdotal evidence" and usually is not important when discussing policy. Public policy must be based on scientifically verifiable evidence that has undergone statistical reduction.

However, in a lot of arguments regarding infrastructure development, either local plans or national policy, anecdotal evidence is given so much credibility that it overwhelms the topic under debate. One common argument against investment in urban landforms and public transit options is that the current system works as it already exists. The argument goes something like this: "I can ride my bicycle down the arterial street / run on the street where there is no sidewalk / take a cab anywhere in the city, so everyone else can as well." These arguments are obviously egocentric, they assume that the abilities of a single person (the egocentrist) are shared by the population at large. This is not the case. There are many people, throughout the US, who are prevented from access either by ability or income level.

A healthy urban population includes people of all abilities. Universal design and Design for All recommend that we consider the entire population when designing a building, spatial environment, or anything that people interact with (like doorhandles, furniture, etc.). This is part of our ethical duty as engineers and designers, we have been tasked by society to design our systems for even the least able citizens. Let us commit to establishing inclusive policies of infrastructure development.

There are many reasons beyond moral and ethical responsibilities to incorporate Universal Design practices. Economic studies suggest that when more of the population has access to the cityscape, there are more customers, workers, and economic activity. You are raising the de facto density of the city without teardowns and rebuilds. Quality of life also improves when egocentrism is abandoned. People are happier, they feel empowered and included, and it is another small step towards sharing Earth's resources equitably with the other 7 billion people on the planet.