For much of the twentieth century improvement in the situation of disadvantaged communities was a focus for urban planning and policy. Yet over the past three decades the ideological triumph of neoliberalism has caused the allocation of spatial; political; economic; and financial resources to favor economic growth at the expense of wider social benefits. Susan Fainsteins concept of the "just city" encourages planners and policymakers to embrace a different approach to urban development. Her objective is to combine progressive city planners earlier focus on equity and material well-being with considerations of diversity and participation so as to foster a better quality of urban life within the context of a global capitalist political economy. Fainstein applies theoretical concepts about justice developed by contemporary philosophers to the concrete problems faced by urban planners and policymakers and argues that; despite structural obstacles; meaningful reform can be achieved at the local level.In the first half of The Just City; Fainstein draws on the work of John Rawls; Martha Nussbaum; Iris Marion Young; Nancy Fraser; and others to develop an approach to justice relevant to twenty-first-century cities; one that incorporates three central concepts: diversity; democracy; and equity. In the books second half; Fainstein tests her ideas through case studies of New York; London; and Amsterdam by evaluating their postwar programs for housing and development in relation to the three norms. She concludes by identifying a set of specific criteria for urban planners and policymakers to consider when developing programs to assure greater justice in both the process of their formulation and their effects.
#2900810 in eBooks 2010-07-05 2010-07-05File Name: B0053Q1WBC
Review
