Justice and Fairness in the City : A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to 'Ordinary' Cities

With more than half the world’s population now living in urban areas, ‘fairness’ and ‘justice’ within the city are key concepts in contemporary political debate. This book examines the theory and practice of justice in and of the city through a multi-disciplinary collaboration, which draws on a wide range of expertise. By bringing diverse disciplinary and theoretical perspectives into conversation with each other to explore the (in) justices in urban environment, education, mobility and participation the book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of justice and fairness in and of the city. It will be a valuable resource for academic researchers and students across a range of disciplines including urban and environmental studies, geography, planning, education, ethics and politics. JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS IN THE CITY Contents List of tables and figures Tables Figures Notes on contributors Acknowledgements Foreword 1. Understanding justice and fairness in and of the city Introduction Justice and fairness: liberal formulations and critical alternatives Justice in and of the city An ordinary city: Newcastle upon Tyne The outline of the book Section 1. Local environmental justice 2. Urban greenspace and environmental justice claims Introduction Greenspace as an environmental ‘good’ Greenspace in Newcastle city Newcastle’s greenspace: fair or unfair? Concluding remarks 3. The school in the city Introduction Challenges and consequences The city school as part of the solution not part of the problem Conclusions: minimising the ills of the school in the city and making it a force for good 4. Transport poverty and urban mobility Introduction Conceptualising mobility justice and transport poverty Dimensions of transport poverty Conclusion 5. Food justice and the city Introduction What is food justice? Newcastle: the potential and problems of food justice in practice Concluding comments Section 2. Spatial justice and the right to the city 6. Fit and miss-fit: the global spread of urban spatial injustice Introduction Conceptualising urban injustice in Newcastle and Delhi Conclusions 7. Toonsformation: skateboarders’ renegotiation of city rights Introduction The production of space and city rights Urban sports activists: spatial representations and practices of skateboarders Changing city roles and uses: the transformation of Newcastle Skaters’ right to change space Concluding observations 8. Young people and their experience of place in the city Introduction Theoretical context Case studies Case study one: ‘growing places’ project Case study two: ‘NE6 Voice’ project Policy and practice Conclusion Section 3. Participation, procedural fairness and local decision making 9. Public perceptions of unfairness in urban planning Introduction Perceptions of unfairness, the Newcastle Fairness Commission and the planning system Why the public often perceive a decision to grant planning permission for a LULU as unfair Unfairness and ‘public concern’ How the structure of the planning process can exacerbate public perceptions of unfairness The tools available to developers, the local planning authority and planning decision makers to address inherent planning system weaknesses causing the perception of unfairness One local authority’s attempt to address LULU-related challenges Concluding remarks 10. The importance of the past: cultural legacy and making fairness real Introduction The political context in Newcastle Newcastle’s Fairness Commission and the promotion of liberal values Introducing Cherry Tree View Context for the decision The decision-making process The role of policy in making justice accountable Issues of cultural legacy Conclusion Section 4. Social justice and life course 11. Fair shares for all: the challenge of demographic change Introduction Rethinking old age Turning to the framework of oppression Exploitation Marginalisation: a multifaceted picture Violence Powerlessness Confronting oppression 12. Educating urban youth: fair or foul? Understanding fairness ‘Closing the gap’: equality of opportunity and meritocratic ideas of fairness Freedom, choice and the market place Discussion: the omission from policy of relational justice Conclusion 13. Fairness in Newcastle: theory and practice Introduction A critical evaluation of the work of the Newcastle Fairness Commission How to justify wage differentials within Newcastle University The brain drain objection Conclusion 14. A fairer city: towards a pluralistic, relational and multi-scalar perspective Introduction: a just city? Theorising the just city Methods for studying (in)justice in and of the city Conclusion Index