Social Risk and Opportunity in the Built Environment

The built environment—our cities, infrastructure, buildings and public spaces—profoundly shapes human experience. Yet, too often, decisions around its design, financing, delivery and maintenance neglect social risks and opportunities, leading to unintended harm and missed potential. With only 8.5% of infrastructure projects delivered on time and on budget, and many facing community pushback, placing people at the centre is not only a social imperative—it’s a financial and environmental one too.

The International Professional Certificate on Social Risk and Opportunity in the Built Environment offers professionals new perspectives and practical expertise in embedding human rights and social outcomes throughout the built environment lifecycle, including in the context of climate and environmental action. From land planning and worker protections to digital inclusion and the right to housing, participants will engage with real-world cases and strategies. 

The certificate intentionally bridges silos. It brings together people from different parts of the life cycle, recognising that no single actor can transform the future of the built environment but that all have roles to play. 

This certificate is delivered by the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), in collaboration with leading practitioners. It is  supported by the Ove Arup Foundation and Ramboll Foundation.

This certificate is designed for current and future leaders in the planning, financing, delivery and maintenance of the built environment, including:

• Urban planners and architects
• Infrastructure financiers and investors
• Public policymakers and regulators
• Engineers and construction professionals
• Human rights, ESG, and sustainability specialists
• Civil society and advocacy leaders, including human rights defenders

The course is particularly valuable for professionals working at the intersection of urban development, climate resilience, social justice, and inclusive growth.

Participants should be working in the built environment sector (whether in the public, private or civil society sphere) and have a commitment to advancing social outcomes in their work.

Applications will open in June 2025, with early bird registration closing on July 15, 2025. Regular registration ends on September 15, 2025.

To apply, complete the online application form, including a short motivation statement.

For more information, please contact: academy@ihrb.org

To qualify for the professional certificate, participants will be expected to attend 90% of the learning sessions, and complete: 2 short written reflections applying the learnings to their work context, and one assignment at the end of the course.

The 2025 cohort begins in October 2025 and runs over 10 weeks. This first cohort will be delivered entirely virtually through:

• Live interactive sessions with expert speakers
• Curated case studies and practitioner dilemmas
• Peer-learning and group exercises
• Self-paced readings and toolkits

• Early bird fee - apply before July 15, 2025: GBP 1,600 (GBP 1,200 for public sector / civil society)
• Standard fee: GBP 2,000
• Public sector & civil society: GBP 1,500

For three or more registrants from the same organisation please contact academy@ihbr.org for special rates.

Bursaries: A limited number of scholarships will be available for applicants who otherwise cannot afford the course, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.

Participants will explore ten interconnected modules, in 90-minute sessions each.

2 October 2025, 1-2:30pm GMT: Introduction to human rights and the built environment

9/10/2025 1-2:30pm GMT: Leverage: Roles, responsibilities, accountability around the lifecycle

16/10/2025 1-2:30pm GMT: It begins with land: Urban planning, acquisition and ownership

23/10/2025 1-2:30pm GMT: The right to meaningful participation: Design with and for whom?

30/10/2025 1-2:30pm GMT: Corruption, human rights and climate action

6/11/2025 1-2:30pm GMT: The building materials supply chain: Risks and opportunities for people and planet

13/11/2025 1-2:30pm GMT: Construction workers' rights - on site and through supply chains

20/11/2025 1-2:30pm GMT: The right to adequate housing

4/12/2025 1-2:30pm GMT: Pathways to just transitions in the built environment

11/12/2025 1-2:30pm GMT: Technology: Smart cities, digital rights and non-discrimination

Each module integrates cross-cutting themes like gender equity, stakeholder engagement, and practical frameworks such as the Framework for Dignity in the Built Environment.

Course directors: Salil Tripathi and Annabel Short

Course faculty:

• Aditya Kumar, University of Cape Town, architect and activist
• Alexandra Bezeredi, Lead Social Development Specialist in the Europe and Central Asia region at the World Bank
• Anita Ramasastry, University of Washington
• Maria da Graca Prado, CoST, the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative
• Elaine Mitchell-Hill, Design for Freedom, former ESG & Human Rights Director, Marshalls
• More faculty to be announced

• Practical skills in identifying and managing social risks and opportunities.
• Global perspectives from expert speakers, case studies, and peers.
• Leadership development grounded in the realities of infrastructure, equity, and human rights.
• Recognition through an IHRB-issued international professional certificate.

Join a cohort of changemakers working to ensure the built environment serves not just today’s economy—but the dignity and wellbeing of generations to come.