Urban Justice Theory
As cities increasingly look to redevelop post-industrial landscapes, are they too focused on the economic benefits of these projects? Is so, what are the consequences of not including those made worse off from the process of redevelopment? How can we do better?
In her conception of what makes a just city, urban planner Susan Fainstein offers a theory of urban justice that seeks to address the challenge of applying concepts of justice to space, fusing philosophy with economics, social sciences and geography. Built on the principles of equity, democracy and diversity, urban justice theory provides a framework for producing equitable outcomes at the scale of the neighbourhood and city.
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Fainstein’s theory of urban justice represents evolution over revolution, offering the potential to address the uneven spatial development and uneven power-spatial relations of capitalist modes of production while working within existing social and economic institutions.
