The Contribution of Spatial Planning Parameters to Urban Social Justice

Land-use allocations—such as housing density, parcel size, parks, and other green areas—are key spatial planning or zoning parameters that have a large impact on how resources are distributed within cities. These parameters play a central role in influencing social justice across urban areas and communities. In this sense, they function as mechanisms through which planning and development processes deliver or withhold critical resources. While existing urban planning literature suggests that the allocation of spatial planning or zoning parameters contributes to social justice in cities, there is a critical gap regarding how different spatial parameters impact social justice and which specific aspects of social justice they affect. Thus, this paper aims to address this gap by exploring and conceptualizing the contribution of spatial planning or zoning parameters to social justice. We argue that these parameters serve as carriers of urban justice through their distribution of resources. Based on Jabareen's (2006) analytical framework, this study reviews and categorizes planning parameters according to their specific contributions to social justice in cities. The study identifies three dimensions of social justice impacted by these parameters: inclusion, accessibility, and recognition, with each addressing a key aspect of social justice. Based on these concepts, we develop a new conceptual framework, referred to as the Conceptual Framework for Just Ur-banism. At the core of this framework lies the logic of difference, which captures how these parameters are allocated differently across various geographies, demographics, and socioeconomic characteristics, resulting in inequalities across different areas.