Louis D. Brown Peace Institute
Boston, Massachusetts
Equity Centered Design
At Utile, we are working to address the profound interconnection between systemic injustices and environmental crises through design. Our intersectional approach integrates equitable collaboration and interdisciplinary practices across scales—from public policy to the built environment—creating spaces that address tangible inequities, strengthen community resilience, and promote environmental stewardship.
Our Framework
We activate change through four interconnected frameworks that transform who designs, how we operate, which partnerships we cultivate, and where we direct our resources and expertise.
Expanding Pathways Into Design Community
We diversify our talent through strategic recruitment, fellowships, and internships that create pathways for underrepresented students, supported by mentorship programs advancing personal and professional growth.
Building an Inclusive Work Environment
We implement equitable HR practices and cultivate a values-based culture where diverse perspectives thrive. Our identity clearly communicates our commitment to justice in all aspects of practice.
Sustaining Partnerships and Projects
We amplify diverse voices through engagement initiatives that prioritize reciprocity and long-term capacity building, while developing equitable sourcing strategies that support minority-owned businesses and communities.
Practicing Equity-Centered Design
We integrate accountability, accessibility, and collaboration into all design processes, focusing on restorative practices that address racial equity and produce healing-centered, interdependent solutions.
Programs and Initiatives
"Design is more than problem-solving—it's a collaborative practice of radical possibility where innovation emerges through ongoing dialogue, deep listening, and a willingness to reimagine our approach. We honor diverse experiences, lean into stories of people and place, and reimagine environments with those historically excluded from design. By dismantling inherited systems and amplifying silenced voices, we can begin to challenge the very foundations of how environments are conceived, experienced, and lived—and that is design justice."
Jose Cotto
Director of Community Engagement and Design Justice
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