Dr Julian Agyeman - Just Sustainabilities: Reimagining E/Quality, Living Within Limits

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 - 4:00pm
Williams Hall, Roemmele Global Commons

 

In his talk, Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University Julian Agyeman, Ph.D. FRSA will first outline the concept of 'just sustainabilities.' He will argue that integrating social needs and welfare, offers us a more ‘just,’ rounded, and equity-focused definition of sustainability and sustainable development, while not negating the very real environmental threats we face. He will define it as ‘the need to ensure a better quality of life for all, now and into the future, in a just and equitable manner, whilst living within the limits of supporting ecosystems.’ He will then look at examples of just sustainabilities in practice in the real world focusing on ideas about 'fair shares' resource distribution globally; planning for intercultural cities; achieving wellbeing and happiness; the potential in the new sharing economy and finally the concept of 'spatial justice' and how it complements the more established concept of social justice.