Sustainable Communities and the Challenge of Environmental Justice [Paperback]

Julian Agyeman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0814707114 | ISBN-13: 978-0814707111 | Publication Date: August 1, 2005

Popularized in the movies Erin Brockovich and A Civil Action, “environmental justice” refers to any local response to a threat against community health. In this book, Julian Agyeman argues that environmental justice and the sustainable communities movement are compatible in practical ways. Yet sustainability, which focuses on meeting our needs today while not compromising the ability of our successors to meet their needs, has not always partnered with the challenges of environmental justice.

Sustainable Communities and the Challenge of Environmental Justice explores the ideological differences between these two groups and shows how they can work together. Agyeman provides concrete examples of potential model organizations that employ the types of strategies he advocates. This book is vital to the efforts of community organizers, policymakers, and everyone interested in a better environment and community health.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Agyeman's advocacy for just sustainability effectively addresses the equity deficit of mainstream sustainability. In his conclusion, he suggests a number of strategies that could be of use to those of us in the design community. One of these is the concept of an 'environmental space,' built on the idea of a sustainable community place. In this matrix, not only are traditional environmental resources considered but also included in the equation are social and economic entitlements. Environmental space analysis is exactly the kind of hybrid problem that design professionals commonly work with. This creative reframing of urban space and social justice issues is a strategy that might well be duplicated in rethinking our course projects and other scholarly pursuits.”
-Journal of Architectural Education

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“A lively and thought-provoking text, with informative case study examples, which allows the reader plenty of opportunity to follow Agyeman's reasoning and analysis.”
-Journal of the American Planning Association

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“Covering both theory and proactive, environmental organizations are indexed according to their commitment to justice and/or sustainability principles as set forth in their mission statements. Examples illustrating broad issue categories of successful projects that exemplify just sustainability enhance the discussion.”-Choice, Recommended

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“Julian Agyeman once again pushes us all to think more critically about how to integrate two important political and intellectual projects. This book is at the cutting edge of research on sustainability and environmental justice. Agyeman has set the standard for the next generation of studies on these critical challenges.”
-David Naguib Pellow,co-author of The Silicon Valley of Dreams

“Worth the effort.”
-In Brief

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About the Author

Julian Agyeman is professor and chair of urban and environmental policy and planning at Tufts University. He is the co-editor of Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability and Just Sustainabilities: Development in an Unequal World.  Visit his blog at julianagyeman.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: NYU Press (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814707114
• ISBN-13: 978-0814707111
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #287,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julian Agyeman grew up in East Yorkshire in the UK during the 1960s and '70s. He is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP) at Tufts University, Medford-Boston, MA, USA. His expertise and current research interests critically explore aspects of the complex and embedded relations between humans and the environment, whether mediated by institutions or social movement organizations, and the effects of this on public policy and planning processes and outcomes, particularly in relation to notions of justice and equity.

He is co-originator of the concept of 'just sustainabilities,' the integration of social/spatial justice and environmental sustainability, defined 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".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Linking EJ and Sustainability, March 25, 2006

By 

J. Curtis - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sustainable Communities and the Challenge of Environmental Justice (Paperback)

The divide between environmental justice activists and sustainability advocates and practitioners is not only unproductive but unnecessary. Julian Agyeman's book "Sustainable Communities and the Challenge of Environmental Justice" demonstrates the prospects of partnership between these often disparate activist groups. By linking environmental justice and sustainability, Agyeman clearly makes the case that environmental quality is inextricably linked to social equity-and that one cannot be achieved without the other. Bringing these two ideas together, Agyeman calls for joined-up thinking in approaches to public policy and planning to achieve what he calls `just sustainability'-a true sustainability agenda that incorporates both social justice and environmental protection.

In his book, Agyeman examines both the history and theory of environmental justice and sustainability. He demonstrates the prospects for linking these two policy areas by providing a case study of a Boston-based environmental justice NGO, Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE). ACE has successfully bridged the divide between environmental justice and sustainability through many of its projects and programs.

For anyone interested in social justice, environmental protection and quality, and advancing principals of sustainability, Agyeman's latest book is a must read. He offers important insight and a vision for `just sustainability,' which will enhance all of our lives.