Environmental Justice and the City

A new study conducted by Professor Simin Davoudi and Dr. Elizabeth Brooks at Newcastle University on ‘Environmental Justice and the City’ presents a five-dimensional framework for understanding environmental justice, which, besides distribution, includes ideas of recognition, representation, capability and reciprocity. The study also develops a ‘test of fairness’ based on seven related principles and uses these to reflect upon the state of environmental fairness in the case study city of Newcastle upon Tyne. Dimensions of fairness explored in the city include five Environmental Burdens (Air pollution, Landfills and hazardous sites, Rundown neighbourhoods, Poor housing conditions, and Road traffic accidents) and six Environmental Benefits (Urban green and open spaces, Natural places: nature reserves, woodlands and allotments, Blue spaces and water, Local public transport, and the climate-change related topics of Affordable warmth, and ‘Green’ jobs). The report is available at: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/socialrenewal/fairnesscommission/documents/