Caroline Newton on "Just Space"

This session gives a definition of spatial justice and explores the notion of the commons as a tool to understand distributive, procedural, and intergenerational justice. Social Justice is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges of our times, as rampant inequality erodes the fabric of our societies everywhere, undermining trust in governments, leading to violence and extremism and eating at the very core of democracy. Growing inequality, socio-spatial fragmentation and lack of access to public goods are threats to the sustainability of our cities, especially when we consider sustainability in its three fundamental dimensions (social, economic and environmental). But when discussing how social justice takes place in urban spaces, we use the term SPATIAL JUSTICE, because it allows us to focus on the spatial dimension of the distribution of the burdens and benefits of urban development, and on the manner this distribution is managed. This management happens through formal institutions, such as planning systems, but also through informal institutions and practices, such as informal agreements and cultural attitudes towards urban space. Spatial Justice is a relatively new concept that focuses on mainly two ‘types’ of justice: distributive justice and procedural justice. On one hand, distributive justice is sought through the creation, fair allocation of and access to public goods, resources, and services throughout the city.

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