Transcending existing paradigms: the quest for justice in urban climate change planning

Abstract

ABSTRACT Justice dimensions are integral to research on climate change planning in cities. In this comment piece, we engage with a recently published paper by Hess and McKane [2021. “Making Sustainability Plans More Equitable: An Analysis of 50 US Cities.” Local Environment, 1–16], which examines the integration of equity considerations into sustainability plans in cities in the US. By reflecting on this article, we draw attention to three assumptions that permeate the literature on justice and climate planning in cities. These include: the separation between social and environmental aspirations, viewing the city from a sectoral perspective, and the focus on plans and objectives rather than on actions. We argue that the scholarship needs to move beyond these three assumptions to tackle structural conditions of injustice in cities.