Inequalities in Access to Urban Infrastructure, Social Justice, and Urban Governance
The appeal of using technology as an answer to all our growing urban problems has enticed planners to strive for cities that are “smarter”, “resilient”, and “sustainable” for a better, more liveable future. But who are we improving cities for? Who gets to be served and who is left behind? Urban planning has largely been fragmented and instituted around loosely coupled organisations within municipal and regional governments, and across transport, energy, and housing providers. While some communities have enjoyed the benefits of big-tech provision of public spaces, and the transference of ownership from state to private operators, many more have suffered disproportionately by being pushed to the physical and technological periphery of continual development in cities. The objective of this session is to elaborate on the current state of spatial inequalities that manifest among communities in urban spaces and evaluate who receives the benefits of transformations. Through examples of energy, housing, and mobility, I will illustrate how designing infrastructure at scale for a better quality of life for all requires us to think in an integrated and systemic manner, while using transdisciplinary and participatory approaches. Building more inclusive and just cities will need us to challenge our perspectives on technology and governance. In this talk I will discuss how my colleagues and I at the Centre for Urban Science & Policy (CUSP) use spatial data science, modelling and participatory approaches to tackle problems of urbanisation in a way that seeks social justice.
Date: 18 January 2023, 16:00 (Wednesday, 1st week, Hilary 2023)
Venue: Nuffield College, New Road OX1 1NF
Venue Details: Clay Room
Speaker: Trivik Verma (Delft University of Technology)
Organising department: Nuffield College
Organisers: Ridhi Kashyap (University of Oxford), Prof. Melinda Mills (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: maxine.collett@nuffield.ox.ac.uk
Part of: Nuffield College Sociology Seminars
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Maxine Collett