Aesthetics as a driver for inclusion : What recycling rooms reveal about participation in everyday practices
Fagerholm, Anna Sara LU ; Haller, Henrik ; Warell, Anders LU
and Hedvall, Per Olof
LU
(2026)
In Proceedings of DRS
2026.
- Abstract
This paper examines how aesthetics can foster inclusion in everyday urban infrastructures, using recycling rooms in residential areas as a case study. Drawing on a design ethnographic study of 27 municipal recycling facilities, three interconnected dimensions – access aesthetics, communicative aesthetics, and spatial aesthetics – were identified. Environments that are neglected, dark, and smelly tend to exclude residents, while those designed with aesthetic considerations foster a sense of shared responsibility and well-being. By linking perceptions of aesthetics in recycling rooms to broader debates in universal design, this paper highlights how aesthetic qualities influence participation, social connection, and environmental... (More)
This paper examines how aesthetics can foster inclusion in everyday urban infrastructures, using recycling rooms in residential areas as a case study. Drawing on a design ethnographic study of 27 municipal recycling facilities, three interconnected dimensions – access aesthetics, communicative aesthetics, and spatial aesthetics – were identified. Environments that are neglected, dark, and smelly tend to exclude residents, while those designed with aesthetic considerations foster a sense of shared responsibility and well-being. By linking perceptions of aesthetics in recycling rooms to broader debates in universal design, this paper highlights how aesthetic qualities influence participation, social connection, and environmental practices. These findings contribute to the theoretical and practical agenda of inclusive design, positioning aesthetics as a dimension for more sustainable everyday recycling environments.
(Less)
- author
- Fagerholm, Anna Sara
LU
; Haller, Henrik
; Warell, Anders
LU
and Hedvall, Per Olof
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- aesthetics, everyday practices, inclusive design, universal design
- host publication
- Proceedings of DRS2026
- series title
- Proceedings of DRS
- volume
- 2026
- pages
- 13 pages
- publisher
- Design Research Society
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105040616419
- ISSN
- 2398-3132
- DOI
- 10.21606/drs.2026.1399
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2026, Design Research Society. All rights reserved.
- id
- 1b2f4788-8de3-47d5-b3c4-07e6fc4c17f0
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-15 12:12:13
- date last changed
- 2026-08-13 15:29:10
@inbook{1b2f4788-8de3-47d5-b3c4-07e6fc4c17f0,
abstract = {{<p>This paper examines how aesthetics can foster inclusion in everyday urban infrastructures, using recycling rooms in residential areas as a case study. Drawing on a design ethnographic study of 27 municipal recycling facilities, three interconnected dimensions – access aesthetics, communicative aesthetics, and spatial aesthetics – were identified. Environments that are neglected, dark, and smelly tend to exclude residents, while those designed with aesthetic considerations foster a sense of shared responsibility and well-being. By linking perceptions of aesthetics in recycling rooms to broader debates in universal design, this paper highlights how aesthetic qualities influence participation, social connection, and environmental practices. These findings contribute to the theoretical and practical agenda of inclusive design, positioning aesthetics as a dimension for more sustainable everyday recycling environments.</p>}},
author = {{Fagerholm, Anna Sara and Haller, Henrik and Warell, Anders and Hedvall, Per Olof}},
booktitle = {{Proceedings of DRS2026}},
issn = {{2398-3132}},
keywords = {{aesthetics; everyday practices; inclusive design; universal design}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Design Research Society}},
series = {{Proceedings of DRS}},
title = {{Aesthetics as a driver for inclusion : What recycling rooms reveal about participation in everyday practices}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1399}},
doi = {{10.21606/drs.2026.1399}},
volume = {{2026}},
year = {{2026}},
}