Justice in Space. The theory and practice of spatial justice.

The current housing crisis is shaping the lives of many people. Housing protests are unraveling in most big European cities at the beat of chants such as huizen voor mensen niet voor winst (houses for people not for profit) and Deutsche Wohnen Enteignen (Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen). These slogans highlight that citizens perceive an injustice in the way in which housing is allocated. But what, if anything, is wrong about it?

Questions concerning the allocation, use and production of urban space, including housing allocation, have been extensively investigated by urban geographers. Scholars in the field highlight that space should not be considered merely as a container of human activities but as a generative force of (in)justice. Even though philosophers have not paid much attention to the role of space in their normative analyses there is a growing body of literature filling this gap.  

The aim of this conference is to facilitate the discussion and development of spatially laden considerations of justice. In doing so, it wishes to engage with scholars and practitioners who deal with justice in space, especially, but not exclusively, focusing on the urban dimension. We highly value taking an interdisciplinary approach for our conference. Indeed, we believe that the interaction of theoreticians and practitioners is necessary to develop an understanding of what justice in space is, and how we can achieve it. On one side, philosophers can contribute with clarifying characterizations of the phenomena in question, normative assessments and thought-provoking analyses. On the other side, practitioners’ knowledge and expertise are crucial to understand the current legal framework and how it developed, the power relations within it and the possible strategies we can adopt to bring ourselves closer to justice in space. 

Please contact Elisabetta Gobbo ([email protected]) or Niklas Dummer ([email protected]) for further information.