Planners, activists, and advocates find themselves at the crux of an uncertain future. While those in power continue to derail and block necessary actions needed to avoid catastrophic warming of the planet, institutional focus has shifted to recovery, resiliency, and sustainability. Increased investment in green infrastructure to address climate adaptability and resilience has been inadequate and sometimes leads to the displacement of low-income and Black and Brown people. Disaster recovery has become an economic boon for businesses and corporations while often leaving the individuals impacted waiting for assistance. Instead, disaster capitalism exacerbates losses and displaces communities while creating new opportunities for investors.
When the government fails to respond to climate disaster, mutual aid networks have stepped in to bridge the gap where government and infrastructure fail. Many of the most vulnerable communities have organized to promote a just recovery and secure environmental justice.
Whether planners’ work is directly framed by climate change or not, planning practice cannot operate outside of the reality of climate change. It impacts economic development, transportation, social equity, housing, the built environment, the natural environment and everything in between. For this reason, planners must frame their practice in light of this reality. How can a planner’s work combat warming and a changing climate? How can planners combat the social and environmental injustices of the capitalist approach to sustainability, resilience, and disaster recovery? How can planners advocate for and implement equitable access to climate stability and disaster resilience, whatever that may mean for the future?
For this call, we are seeking short submissions (roughly 1000 words) for our online magazine, Progressive City: Radical Alternatives on the theme of ‘Planning for Environmental Justice’. Contributions can reflect on this theme through a variety of lenses, such as environmental justice, combatting green gentrification, and exploring radical approaches to climate change.
The submissions should be written in an accessible (jargon-free) manner. A few suggested readings may be mentioned in the text (hyper-links to references are encouraged), but please do not submit footnotes. We encourage the submission of a photograph or illustration (with appropriate permissions). Please note that while we work with authors to help them fit the Progressive City style, format, and themes, we cannot accept all articles that have been submitted.
Deadline to submit: September 20, 2022. Submissions are accepted via email at [email protected]