Spatial justice: A new frontier in planning for just, sustainable communities.

摘要

This thesis sets out to explore the dialectical relationship between justice and space through the lens of a new and still evolving concept - spatial justice. I use a case study approach to investigate one city's (Somerville, MA) efforts to become more spatially just and to evaluate the potential utility of spatial justice in both framing and activating those efforts. Noting that traditional efforts to bridge equity gaps and increase social welfare in the city have been organized through a traditional justice paradigm that fails to consider social and spatial differences, I present spatial justice as a concept which offers unity and a common language through which to elevate those efforts. By combining the inherently vague and contestable concept of justice into the ultimately tangible concept of space, I hope to offer spatial justice as a concept that will aid planners and policy-makers in creating more just and sustainable communities.