Abstract

In recent years, environmental justice has been central in many Social Sciences discourses; yet it has gained limited recognition in planning, particularly in spatial planning theories. The extent of environmental justice in planning theory remains unrecorded or subtle in planning research. This study evaluates planning theories against the criteria that constitute the dimensions of environmental justice. The results of the work reveal that planning theories generally incorporate environmental justice to a limited extent. The study recommends the introduction of a new environmental justice paradigm shift in planning to bridge the identified gap in planning theory and practice. Regarding planning practice, the study highlights the need for planners to apply the principles of environmental justice in planning to achieve fairness in distribution, recognition, participation, capability consideration, and effects in monitoring and evaluation. Keywords: Environmental justice, planning, spatial planning, spatial planning theories, planning theories

Highlights

  • In recent years, environmental justice (EJ) has gained recognition from some scholars and experts beyond its initial focus on distribution

  • The purpose of this comparison is to suggest EJ areas of no incorporation, limited incorporation and full incorporation among the various planning theories and the overall pattern of inclusion of EJ dimensions found in the planning theory taken as a whole

  • This study reveals the limited exposure of EJ in spatial planning theory, resulting in the introduction of the third-generation approach that incorporates EJ in planning

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Summary

Introduction

Environmental justice (EJ) has gained recognition from some scholars and experts beyond its initial focus on distribution. There is a paucity of literature that illustrates the existence of EJ in spatial planning theory and practice. It is crucial to understand EJ in the context of the first (rational or synopsis, incremental, mixed scanning, and so on) and second (advocacy, transactive, communicative, and so on) generation planning approaches. The first-generation planning approach comprises theories of planning that are procedural, yet expert driven. The second-generation planning approach consists of theories in planning that are substantive, with more focus on deliberation and argumentation to address planning matters. These two approaches supplement and complement each other, as the latter arose to bridge the communication gap that existed in the former approach. Gauging the level of EJ in these theories is crucial

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