Constructing a New Approach to Radical Inclusion

Abstract

Abstract​​Spatial justice is an approach to social justice that takes into account the organization and utilization of geographical space and its impact on human life and social relations. Geographical location plays a key role in producing spatial injustice and exacerbating disadvantages. The social is spatial and vice versa, which is critical to understanding the experiences of marginalized individuals and communities. Despite progress in legislation, planning practitioners have not fully realized the enabling power of physical space and dominant models of disability continue to remain unjust. The organization of space and urban planning are crucial to promoting spatial justice, as studies have shown that a person’s ZIP code is a stronger predictor of health than any other factor. Public-private initiatives have often failed to consider the spatial dimension of justice in their designs and have neglected to address the exclusion of people with disabilities. The current social contract ignores the spatiality of injustice and a new social contract centered on space must be developed to reframe the problems and solutions to equity, access, and inclusion in human settlements.