In Pursuit of a Twenty-first Century Just City

Abstract

A reexamination of the role of equity in planning is critical at this contentious period in US history. Racism and anti-immigrant sentiments have arisen in our public policy debates, cities have again experienced riots, and inequality has grown. Equity has long been a center of tension throughout planning history, and the field has struggled to balance activism and technocratic expertise. This article provides a literature review to inform and explore how planners can engage equity in this current contentious time period.

Healthy Places for Children: The Critical Role of Engagement, Common Vision, and Collaboration

“…Political barriers and motivators are important challenges communities must overcome to address health disparities among children. While engagement is key, so too is a culture of inclusion [49].…”

“…Inclusion is key to designing livable communities [1, 42,49,50]. In this study, social inclusion is measured by public engagement, attitudes and a common vision.…”

From Transportation Equity to Transportation Justice: Within, Through, and Beyond the State

“…This may reflect underlying differences in each groups' perspective on the desirability of transforming social structures (justice) in contrast with reforming processes and fine-tuning distributions of social goods and opportunities (equity). Concerns related to justice and equity have permeated the planning literature and practice for decades (e.g., Fainstein 2005Fainstein , 2011Krumholz and Forester 1990;Martens 2016;Reece 2018;Soja 2010;Sheller 2018). These authors and others point to strong normative principles about what constitutes just outcomes and who can and should decide what is just.…”

Seeking Food Justice and a Just City through Local Action in Food Systems: Opportunities, Challenges, and Transformation

“…Planning is a highly political process, not immune to the conflicts that can disable reform in other venues of local government, and the profession has a mixed history of both supporting and impeding social equity goals. This dichotomy is most evident in local government, where local jurisdictions have played the role of both progressive reformer and disenfranchising villain in supporting social justice through land use policy (Reece, 2018). Land use policy and zoning have worked to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life within our cities, but also have been manipulated nefariously to support the goals of social control and segregation of marginalized communities.…”