This document discusses evaluating projects and designs through the dimensions of sustainability and spatial justice. It provides an overview of key concepts related to sustainability, including the economic, social, and environmental dimensions. It also discusses the importance of considering the ethical dimension to ensure projects are both sustainable and fair. The document then explores the concept of spatial justice in more detail, relating it to ideas like the right to the city. It proposes using criteria derived from sustainability and spatial justice, like whether a project promotes redistribution and enhances prosperity, to evaluate projects and their alignment with these goals.

1. Evaluating projects and designs
through essential dimensions of
SUSTAINABILITY and
SPATIAL JUSTICE
Prepared by Roberto Rocco
Chair Spatial Planning and Strategy
Delft University of
Technology U
URBANISM
Complex
Cities
SpatialPlanning&Strategy@DelftUniversityofTechnology
https://complexcitiesstudio.wordpress.com
SpatialPlanning
&Strategy

2. URBANISM
Delft University of
Technology
UURBANISM

3. aesthetic
/function
technique
process

4. Consolidation of
objectives of Urbanism
around the notion of
sustainability
Image source: Sarah Cass at sarahcass.blogspot.com

5. ‘Enhanced’ Sustainability
• “For sustainability to occur, it must occur simultaneously in each of its three
dimensions” (economic, social and environmental) Larsen, 2012
sustainability
social economic
environmental

6. IF WE WANT PROJECTS TO BE
‘SUSTAINABLE’ AND ‘FAIR’, WE NEED
TO DISCUSS ETHICAL DIMENSION
•Related to questions of right and wrong,
just and unjust actions
•Consequences for others than the agent
•Related to ethical norms, values and rules

7. SOCIAL ECONOMIC
LET’S GO BACK TO THE
DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY
ENVIRONMENTAL
PEOPLE PROFIT*
PLANET

8. PUBLIC SECTOR
PRIVATE SECTOR CIVIL SOCIETY
GOVERNANCE (WHO DOES WHAT ?)

9. A REDEFINITION OF THE ROLES AND
CAPABILITIES OF PLANNERS AND DESIGNERS
managers
articulators
negotiators
facilitators
directors
process designers
There
are a variety of
new roles you can
have as a planner and
designer of the built
environment

10. But in order to be able to find
your role you need to answer the
question WHY do we plan and
WHY do we design?

11. the elaboration of visions and directions for
sustainable and fair futures
Burnham Place at Union Station Master Plan; Washington, D.C. (Image: Akridge & SBA)

12. Increased public goods
Aerial view of the winning design for the European Spallation Source (ESS) by Henning Larsen
Architects, COBE and SLA (Image: Henning Larsen Architects)

13. Redistribution of gains
http://roarmag.org/2011/11/what-the-99-want-all-power-to-the-peoples-assemblies/

14. Increased life chances and prosperity

15. Urban planners and designers are no longer the all powerful
figures they once thought they were. We have moved away
from ideas like the ideal city

16. The main task for urban planners and designers is to act as
articulators of spatial visions and solutions for a sustainable
and fair future
Foster + Partners, Duisburg City Masterplan, Duisburg, Germany, 2007. The new masterplan for the inner city of Duisburg builds on the success of Foster + Partners’ Inner Harbour
redevelopment and will strengthen Duisburg’s transformation into a vibrant, green and sustainable city. Available at: http://www.fosterandpartners.com/Projects/1443/Default.aspx

17. They do that by understanding human activity on space and by
proposing interventions that might improve existing conditions
James Bell: Visualising Social Space, All rights reserved by jamvlog. Available at Flickr

18. http://www.beyondsims.com/44663/new-simcity-screenshot-2/
Urbanists (or architects) don’t ‘make’ cities. They are part of
a network of actors who build cities.

20. But how do we get there?
How do we know we are in the
right direction?

21. What are possible evaluation
criteria derived from the 3
essential dimensions of
sustainability?

22. Spatial
Justice

23. Spatial Justice is a
framework that enables ACTION to
improve our cities and make them
more liveable and socially
sustainable.

24. Spatial Justice refers to the promotion of
access to public goods,
basic services, culture, economic opportunity and
healthy environments through
fair and inclusive spatial planning, design and
management of urban and rural spaces and
resources.

25. This has been guided by ideas like ‘The right
to the city’ (Lefebvre, 1998, Harvey, 2008),
‘Spatial justice’ (Harvey, 2009, Soja,
2010) the ‘Just city’ (Fainstein, 2000)
Spatial Justice

26. (Spatial) Justice+ (Social, Economic and Environmental) Sustainability +
(Intervention/Design of) Governance
We have some directions

27. but what is ‘justice’?

28. WHAT IS JUSTICE?
It is all about the achievement of the
principles of equity , fraternity and
solidarity, understanding human rights, and
recognizing the dignity of every human being.
Source: http://www.buildingequality.leprosyblog.ca/2011/01/world-day-of-social-
justice.html

29. JUSTICE
Social Justice stems from the
democratic principle that all are born
equal and deserve
EQUAL ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY

30. JUSTICE KEY CONCEPTS
•Human rights
•Equality
•Greater degree of economic egalitarianism through
progressive taxation, income redistribution, and other
democratic tools of redistribution.

31. AIMS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE
•more equality of opportunity than may
currently exist in some societies
•equality of outcome in democratic
societies

32. WHAT IS SPATIAL JUSTICE IN URBAN
DEVELOPMENT?
“To take no part in the running of
the community's affairs is to be
either a beast or a god!” Aristotle

33. WHAT IS SPATIAL JUSTICE IN URBAN
DEVELOPMENT?
“Cities have the capability of providing
something for everybody only because,
and only when, they are created by
everybody” Jane Jacobs

34. WHERE DOES JUSTICE COME
FROM?
Ethics (moral philosophy)
Law
Natural law
Religion
Rationality

35. OPPORTUNITY AND SPACE
•Because opportunity (‘life chances’) is specifically
bound to space (location, accessibility, mobility) and
•Because ‘who owns what’/ ‘who finances what’ is a big
part of urban development, we need to democratically deal
with redistribution of resources and spatial advantages
in creative ways.

36. Is it fair/just? Does it promote redistribution?
Is it environmentally friendly?
Is it economically feasible?
Does it promote prosperity?
Does it enhance culture/ identity?
Is it aesthetically pleasing?
Does it promote democracy/participation?

37. Does it promote redistribution
and spatial justice?
kiddingthecity.org by Paolo Cardullo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

38. Is it environmentally friendly?
Does it promote effective and
durable use of resources?
Image source: http://techandscience.com/techblog/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=108

39. Does it promote economic
prosperity?
Image source: http://www.dallaschamber.org/index.aspx?id=strategicplan

40. Does it create public goods?

41. Does it avoid or reduce negative
externalities?

42. CALCUTTA HAS BANNED BIKES IN THE
CENTRE OF THE CITY BECAUSE THEY HINDER
TRAFFIC

43. MEDELLIN HAS INSTALLED
CABLE CARS IN SLUMS
•

44. NIGERIA IS BUILDING A NEW
CITY OUTSIDE OF LAGOS

45. IF YOU HAVE SPARE ROOMS IN SOCIAL
HOUSING IN ENGLAND, YOU ARE NOT
ENTITLED TO HAVE SOME BENEFITS

46. MUMBAI IS BUILDING SOCIAL HOUSING IN
EXCHANGE FOR LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT

47. RAPID ECONOMIC GROWTH ALLOWS
CHINESE FAMILIES TO OWN CARS

48. The municipality of Sao Paulo supports
the occupation of empty buildings in the
centre of the city by homeless people

49. CURITIBA REDESIGNS AVENUES FOR PUBLIC
TRANSPORT AND TAKES AWAY SPACE FOR
PRIVATE CARS

50. Some examples 1/2
Lynch’ performance dimensions in Good City Form: vitality, sense,
fit, access, control, efficiency, justice
Criteria in the Netzstadt-model: identification, diversity, flexibility,
degree of self-sufficiency, resource efficiency
New Urbanism: walkability, connectivity, mixed-use & diversity,
mixed housing, quality architecture & urban design, traditional
neighbourhood structure, increased density, green transportation,
sustainability, quality of life (www.newurbanism.org)
Lynch, K. 1981. A theory of good city form, Cambridge, Mass., MIT Press.
Oswald, F., Baccini, P. & Michaeli, M. 2003. Netzstadt : designing the urban, Basel ; Boston, Birkhäuser

51. Carmona, M., Heath, T., Taner, O. & Tiesdell, S. 2010. Public Places - Urban Spaces: the dimensions of Urban Design - 2nd Edition, Amsterdam, Architectural Press.
Some examples 2/2

52. www.spatialjustice.net

53. Thanks for watching & listening!
Should you have any doubts, please contact
Roberto Rocco, Department of Urbanism, TU Delft
r.c.rocco@tudelft.nl
Challenge(the(future
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&Strategy