Other Names: Urban Equity, Geographical Justice, Urban Justice
A concept that connects the idea of social justice to urban space.
Justice Spatial for Cairo: TADAMUN: The Cairo Urban Solidarity Initiative
Summary
Spatial Justice as a concept focuses the spatial dimension of the spaces we live, work and play in, to the spatial dimensions of politics that govern us. It can be used as a framework for action and a tool for urban development, but most importantly it connects the idea of Social Justice to Urban Space (our neighbourhoods, our towns, and our cities).
Spatial Justice as a concept should not be seen as replacement to social, economic, or other forms of justice but rather as an additional way of looking at justice from a critical spatial perspective. It speaks to the nature of spatial governance and decision making and is associated to ideas of democracy, participation, and the Right to the City. It is important due to the territorial nature of wealth distribution and the spatial nature of accessing urban resources.
Work through a Spatial Justice framework can be understood as ‘procedural’ and ‘distributive’ practices of justice. It carries a particular focus on our right to housing, our right to healthy environments, as well as our right to mobility.
See more summaries HERE from the Spatial Justice Network
Examples of those who work through spatial justice concepts
South African
People’s Environment Planning (PEP)
Socio- Economic Rights Institute (SERI)
Global
Designing Justice & Designing Spaces
Social Inclusion in Space: Cities in Brazil and India
Seeking Spatial Justice in Asian Cities – Edward Soja
Australian cities and their metropolitan plans still seem to be parallel universes – Robert Freestone & Stephen Hamnett
Quick Reads
South African
Right to the City for a South African Context – Isandla
Social Justice Resources in South Africa – Social Justice Coalition
Spatial Justice in South Africa – SA Scenarios 2030
Global
Spatial Justice – Re-Think the City
MOOC on Spatial Justice – TU Delft
Chicago Talks: Spatial Justice – Liz Ogbu
Identifying Spatial Justice Issues – Spatial Justice Resource
Spatial Justice Network – The Spatial Justice Network
Literature
South African
Global
See more references HERE from the Spatial Justice Network
JSD_ZA Contributions on Spatial Justice
“The search for justice has become a powerful rallying cry and mobilising force for new social movements and coalition-building spanning the political spectrum, extending the concept of justice beyond the social and the economic to new forms of struggle and activism.
In addition to spatial justice, other modifiers include territorial, racial, environmental, worker, youth, global, local, community, peace, monetary, border, and corporeal.”
Edward Soja, 2009
Jus't Spatial Design ZA 