Social Justice
Real estate influences who has access to opportunity, and who doesn’t. Social Justice in SEAM addresses issues that historically impact how we build, zone, invest, and support impacted parties.
In Procurement
Build inclusive practices into how you hire suppliers, award contracts, and structure leases to broaden economic opportunity.
View on the SEAM Standard →In the Workplace
Establish fair treatment, equal pay, and inclusive design standards for everyone who works in or on your project.
View on the SEAM Standard →In the Community
Understand and actively manage your project's relationship with the surrounding community, including avoiding involuntary displacement.
View on the SEAM Standard →In Capital Access
Structure equity capital and debt financing to include historically underrepresented groups in financial opportunities.
View on the SEAM Standard →Social Justice Industry Innovation
Advance new models, programs, and partnerships that push the commercial real estate industry toward more equitable outcomes.
View on the SEAM Standard →Design for Embodied Justice
Integrate equity into the physical design decisions, centering voices and needs that have historically been left out of the design process.
View on the SEAM Standard →- IN INa1Design and execute a social justice strategy, program, partnership, or initiative that elevates the commercial real estate industryIN01Impact
- IN INa2Address root causes of inequity to prevent reproducing inequitable power relationships through an equitably designed feature within the projectIN02Impact
- SJ SJa1.1Achieve equity + inclusion in Tier 1 Supplier procurementSJ01Impact
- SJ SJa1.2Achieve equity + inclusion in Tenant leasingSJ01Impact
- SJ SJa1.3Implement inclusive procurement activities in Tier 1 Suppliers' procurement of Tier 2 SuppliersSJ01Impact
- SJ SJa1.4Achieve equity + inclusion in Tier 2 Supplier procurementSJ01Impact
- SJ SJa1.5Achieve equity + inclusion for Tenants through social leasing clausesSJ01Impact
- SJ SJa2.1Follow human-centered inclusive design practicesSJ02Impact
- SJ SJa2.2Owner must provide fair and respectful treatment of employeesSJ02Impact
- SJ SJa2.3Tier 1 Suppliers must provide fair and respectful treatment of workersSJ02Impact
- SJ SJa2.4Owner must ensure equal remuneration, regardless of gender, for work of equal valueSJ02Impact
- SJ SJa2.5Owner must ensure equal remuneration for work of equal value regardless of diversity characteristicsSJ02Impact
- SJ SJa3.1The Owner shall not acquire land or building assets through eminent domain, compulsory acquisition, resumption, expropriation, or other involuntary displacementSJ03Impact
- SJ SJa3.2Projects do not infringe on communitiesSJ03Impact
- SJ SJa3.3Promote local community employmentSJ03Impact
- SJ SJa3.4Owner shall remediate damage from negative community impactsSJ03Impact
- SJ SJa4.1Achieve equity and inclusion in securing equity capital and investorsSJ04Impact
- SJ SJa4.2Achieve equity and inclusion in securing debt capitalSJ04Impact
Why it matters
Our decisions today shape tomorrow’s impact.
The built environment has historically been shaped by choices that weren’t just or fair to all people. The Social Justice pillar gives certified projects a structured framework to make different decisions through design, investment, and governance that expand access and opportunity for everyone.
Ready to build for justice?
Explore the full SEAM Standard or start your project today to address systemic inequity through the built environment.