Contestation resulting from (and further embedding) spatial and social injustice in cities is one of the most intractable issues facing theorists and practitioners in contemporary cities. Approaching contestation via retributive, procedural or distributive justice lenses alone have led to different urban solutions but also failed to redress social and spatial injustice in sustainable ways for...

In this conference papwer, urban planning strategies that may help to counter inequality producing mechanisms are presented.

Over the past two decades, Australian planning policies have supported largely unregulated land speculation and gentrification in relatively well served inner and middle suburbs, leading to displacement of low and moderate income households and growing spatial inequalities. The current Victorian state government signalled a new direction by ‘refreshing’ the third metropolitan strategy in as many...

Susan Fainstein has called on planners to resume advocating for disadvantaged communities in their urban plans and policies to create the ‘just city.’ Such an approach would assess land-use policy against the principles of equity, diversity and democracy. However, planning systems strongly influenced by the ‘new public management’ ideology characterised by decentralisation, privatisation, and deregulation...

This presentation outlines global trends in inequality. Stiglitz argues that the despair and powerlessness resulting from inequality is leveraged by demagogues and the moderate right to further entrench inequality. The presentation argues that inequality has been a choice and not just driven by technology and globalization, but by policies and institutions.