Helping students envision justice in the sustainable city

Abstract

As cities in the developed world continue to advance projects intended to reduce their eco-footprint, improve the health and well-being of their citizens, and sustain their local economies, they face the challenge of just and equitable implementation. Even those cities with excellent reputations for sustainability endure significant disparities and inequalities that undermine the overall goals of sustainable development. This exercise reveals the challenges and complexities of equitable planning for urban sustainability and assists students in the development of critical thinking skills that can help them identify the economic, social, and environmental disparities within urban landscapes. The exercise ends by asking students to consider ways of promoting justice and equitable development in the sustainable city. After completing this activity, students should be able to (1) critically engage with the concept of "urban sustainability" to reveal the challenges of equitable sustainable development in a city; (2) describe the concepts of environmental and social justice as they relate to patterns of unequal distribution of social services, infrastructure, and environmental amenities in a city; and (3) articulate their responsibilities as urban citizens pursuing a sustainable lifestyle and consider how their position may provide them with advantages or disadvantages compared to others in this pursuit.