The Enduring Struggle for Social Justice and the City

Reflecting on neoliberal natures: An exchange

“…This is not surprising, given the broader White and male make-up of geography (e.g. Bonnett, 1997; Kobayashi et al., 2014; Mahtani, 2006; Peake and Kobayashi, 2002; Peake and Schein, 2000), reflective of Heynen et al.’s (2018) apt observation that the ‘geographies of injustice we examine also exist within the patriarchal [and racialized] conditions of our intimate social worlds’ (p. 1). 6 Feminists and geographers of color like Pulido (2002), Gilmore (2002) and McKittrick (2006) compellingly argue that the whiteness and maleness of the discipline – a justice issue in its own right – also narrows analytical vision(s), restricting the kinds of questions asked and answers found, and this includes studies of the neoliberalization of nature (a point we return to below).…”

Citizenship, Justice, and the Right to the Smart City

“…Importantly, which theory of social justice one subscribes to fundamentally alters how one understands fairness and rights and what one might consider to be a just smart city. Table 2 provides a snapshot of the main principles of seven theories and how they might apply in relation to some of the ethical issues of dataveillance, social/spatial sorting, anticipatory governance, dynamic pricing that differentially affect groups of citizens within the smart city (for a fuller discussion of social justice theories with respect to cities and urban geography, see Harvey, 1973Harvey, , 1996Heynen et al, 2018;Laws, 1994;Mitchell, 2003;Smith, 1994).…”

Toward a radical food geography praxis: integrating theory, action, and geographic analysis in pursuit of more equitable and sustainable food systems

“…Originally described as “the dissenting tradition” and viewed as unpretentious, action-oriented, and anti-establishment, it is argued that today’s entrenchment of “critical” geography within the academy has weakened its critical edge as an alternative political project (Blomley, 2007; Castree, 2000). Many have echoed these concerns in their discussions around the need for more radical approaches to pedagogy, writing, and other professional tasks (Chatterton, 2008; Heynen et al, 2018; Mitchell, 2008; Pickerill, 2008). As such, while both radical and critical geography per se have been successful in advancing geographic theory geared toward breaking down oppressive structures, their success in spurring social action and achieving a “peoples’ geography” that increases access to the means of knowledge production is less clear (Harvey, 2001; see also Mitchell, 2006; Peake and Sheppard, 2014).…”

“… 5. We note that the use of geography to support colonial expansion in the anglophone world was itself political, a point often left out of normative histories of geography (Heynen et al, 2018). …”