Recognising justice through neighbourhood scale planning in England

Parker, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3079-4377, Lynn, T., Wargent, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1448-9383 and Sturzaker, J. (2026) Recognising justice through neighbourhood scale planning in England. European Planning Studies. ISSN 1469-5944 doi: 10.1080/09654313.2026.2696935

Abstract/Summary

The paper addresses the relationship between justice, planning, and the neighbourhood scale. Existing literature on social and spatial justice in planning stretches back to at least the 1960s, with early considerations of the topic frequently focusing on abstract conceptualisations of justice and universalised solutions. Such perspectives too often overlooked the messy specificities and situated nature of justice as lived experience. Drawing on research that explored the treatment of justice in community-led plans in some of England’s most deprived neighbourhoods, the findings show limited attention to justice and there is little evidence that, where justice issues are identified, these are promoted or escalated via formal plans. We find that greater attention will be needed if such plans, or indeed larger scale plans, are to recognise and help realise greater social justice. A further theoretical contribution is made in arguing for more concern for situated justice and pre-figurative policy in planning, while introducing the label of ‘inscriptive justice’ to the literature.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/130932
Identification Number/DOI	10.1080/09654313.2026.2696935
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Henley Business School > Real Estate and Planning
Publisher	Routledge
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