Local Environment

This article explores REDD+ practices through an intersectionality lens to unpack socially differentiated lived subjectivities in southern Tanzania. It draws from the trial of a carbon forestry project in the selected villages in the Lindi district to explore the intersection of multiple social dimensions and inequality through the production of REDD+ spaces and lived subjectivities to forest-dependent communities. To date, there has been less theorisation of REDD+ schemes under Community Carbon Enterprises (CCEs) within multiple axes of power and subjectivities in Tanzania. This paper contributes to power relations scholarship by examining how power structures such as class, gender, and age shape the everyday experiences of REDD+ subjects. An extended case study illustrates how intersectional axes of power were contested, negotiated, and lived through multiple performativity and practices of everyday subjectivities against exclusions produced through new carbon forestry spaces with restricted access and use of forest resources.

Cities in the global South confront a multitude of environmental challenges, including air pollution, waste management issues, and biodiversity loss. Addressing these issues is vital for the welfare of residents in rapidly urbanising cities. Urban agriculture emerges as a proposed solution with the potential to mitigate some of these environmental challenges. There is a lack of research exploring the relationship between urban agriculture and environmental justice in the global South, particularly in marginalised neighbourhoods that bear the brunt of environmental injustice. To fill this research gap, the study examines how community gardens contribute to advancing environmental justice in low-income neighbourhoods of Cape Town, South Africa. To achieve this goal, a mixed-methods approach is adopted. Remote sensing techniques are utilised to compare land surface temperature values of selected gardens in Cape Flats with other suburbs in Cape Town. Additionally, semi-structured interviews and observations are conducted in 34 urban community gardens, purposively selected, to delve into how these gardens can address environmental injustices in the areas. The research findings uncover an unequal distribution of green spaces between wealthier and less affluent neighbourhoods in Cape Town. While the current benefits of gardening may not be widespread, the results indicate that urban community gardens offer numerous advantages, such as environmental education, promotion of agro-ecological practices, and the utilisation of land for green purposes. As repositories of knowledge promoting environmental justice, urban community gardens require institutional support aligned with their objectives to foster a fairer and more sustainable urban future.

Climate change adaptation is critically important for communities in the Global South. Land and land rights are key assets in adaptation. However, our understanding of the ways in which community adaptation strategies develop under different land tenure systems – and how such strategies shape local land tenure systems – remains limited. This article conceptualises the relationship between local climate change adaptation strategies and land tenure, and examines how adaptation strategies develop under communal and private tenure systems in southern Kenya.

ABSTRACT This paper develops the methodological concept of river co-learning arenas (RCAs) and explores their potential to strengthen innovative grassroots river initiatives, enliven river commons, regenerate river ecologies, and foster greater socio-ecological justice. The integrity of river systems has been threatened in profound ways over the last century. Pollution, damming, canalisation, and water grabbing are some examples of pressures threatening the entwined lifeworlds of human and non-human communities that depend on riverine systems. Finding ways to reverse the trends of environmental degradation demands complex spatial–temporal, political, and institutional articulations across different levels of governance (from local to global) and among a plurality of actors who operate from diverse spheres of knowledge and systems of practice, and who have distinct capacities to affect decision-making. In this context, grassroots river initiatives worldwide use new multi-actor and multi-level dialogue arenas to develop proposals for river regeneration and promote social-ecological justice in opposition to dominant technocratic-hydraulic development strategies. This paper conceptualises these spaces of dialogue and action as RCAs and critically reflects on ways of organising and supporting RCAs while facilitating their cross-fertilisation in transdisciplinary practice. By integrating studies, debates, and theories from diverse disciplines, we generate multi-faceted insights and present cornerstones for the engagement with and/or enaction of RCAs. This encompasses five main themes central to RCAs: (1) River knowledge encounters and truth regimes, (2) transgressive co-learning, (3) confrontation and collaboration dynamics, (4) ongoing reflexivity, (5) transcultural knowledge assemblages and translocal bridging of rooted knowledge.

The primary objective of this paper is to nuance our understanding of how a knowledge-centred injustice can manifest in planning. To do so, the paper draws upon the concept of ‘epistemic injustice’ from the field of social epistemology. Epistemic injustice occurs when certain voices are unjustly discredited and/or systemically marginalised. Recognising and addressing epistemic injustice is crucial as it can generate unjust harms in planning decision-making, as well as perpetuate institutionalised prejudice. The paper seeks to enhance our understanding of ‘epistemic injustice’ by presenting a framework for identifying: (1) the conditions to be met for it to manifest; (2) how meeting different conditions generates different degrees of harm; and (3) detailing how meeting certain conditions may help to perpetuate institutionalised prejudice. The paper references a case of planning conflict in an informal settlement in Iran to illustrate the workings of this framework. The benefits and limitations of the framework are discussed. Suggestions for further research are identified. This paper contributes to the field by providing a framework for refining our theoretical understanding of epistemic injustice in planning and offering a practical illustration of the framework’s use in a context that is comparatively underrepresented in planning research.

Older people especially those between the age of 65–74, 75 and older, are confronted with several issues that limit them from fully participating in the society, and exercising their rights when it comes to accessing the local environment. But older people's ability to travel independently and freely to participate in the society is crucial for their quality of life. The question of how to maintain the mobility equity and equality for older people is however a complex one. This is because older people especially those with disabilities are often faced with mobility exclusion due to physical barriers around the public transportation and built environment. This has been further intensified as existing mobility accessibility initiatives employed by municipalities have not involve vulnerable groups in the society such as older people. Therefore, this study adopts a systematic literature review based on data collected from 83 sources indexed in Scopus and Web of Science database. Findings from this article present factors that influence local environment in achieving mobility, equity and equality from the perspectives of older people living without and with disabilities. Evidence from this study proposes guidelines grounded on universal design framework to help municipalities in fostering mobility equity and equality for older people based on recommendations provided to inform urban transport policies on universal accessibility.

Creating a socially sustainable city will often encompass strategies to ensure that the different communities are "cohesive" and that the many neighbourhoods are diverse to prevent residential segregation. However, the literature on diverse communities and urban diversity has detailed processes of avoidance, exclusion, and friction as well as addressed the coping mechanisms that some residents develop. In this paper, we analyse ethnographic data from Oslo, Norway, with the aim to contribute to the research on neighbourhood social sustainability and residential preferences. It is claimed that to understand such preferences, the concepts of cultural security and cultural insecurity are useful. People's interest in "culture" may pose a challenge to policy makers' visions for socially sustainable urban development.

Current studies on nature-based solutions (NBS) in urban areas often overlook young people, who are essential users of urban spaces. Our study from the Czech Republic fills this gap by investigating how children (Generation Z, 11–15 years) perceive 12 NBS and 3 grey infrastructure measures and their ecosystem services (ES). Results from an image-based questionnaire survey indicate that water features, trees and flower beds are the most attractive for spending leisure time, while most other features were perceived as relatively unattractive by the children surveyed. In addition, the results highlight oxygen production as the most valued service by children, followed by biodiversity support and aesthetic function. This study emphasises the need for inclusive management of NBS and recognises the role of multiple stakeholders, including children, in creating attractive urban spaces.

Urban green infrastructure is critical for creating garden cities, promoting public health, environmental quality, and building resilience to climate change. While these spaces are increasingly recognised as valuable ecological and environmental assets, the state of urban green infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) cities is concerning. Rapid urbanisation, weak enforcement of development controls, and informal settlements have reduced the availability of green infrastructure, which has implications on the sustainability of African cities. This paper provides a review of the state and challenges associated with urban green infrastructure in SSA, focusing on the loss of green spaces, urban planning challenges, and the need for policy and citizen action. Drawing on extensive literature (secondary data), the paper highlights the importance of integrating greeneries into the urban fabric of SSA cities to promote resilience to climate change and enhance environmental sustainability. It argues that concrete steps are needed at all levels of society - from policymakers to citizens - to ensure that SSA cities can regain their status as garden cities and promote a healthier, and more resilient ecological landscape.

More than half of the world's population lives in cities, and this proportion is projected to reach 70% by 2050. This increased urbanisation has fuelled a growing divide among urban dwellers, bringing with it complex exclusions in terms of employment, social and political status within the cities. There is a growing need to transform urban environments into socially inclusive societies that prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable people. Many stakeholder attempts have been made to create more inclusive cities that promote social justice and equity through community gardens in urban areas. This study surveyed community garden farmers to assess the effectiveness of community gardens in addressing social inclusion in Bulawayo city. The results showed that community gardens in urban areas are an important policy tool for achieving social inclusion. The results will be significant to the academia, policymakers, local authorities, and community-based organisations.

The delivery of urban services and facilities is the primary responsibility of both local and central governments to facilitate the day-to-day activities of urban dwellers. However, the financial incapacity, coupled with general institutional constraints, hinders the efficient and adequate provision of all relevant infrastructure facilities needed by urban dwellers, particularly, in informal neighbourhoods. In response, self-help initiatives and spontaneous activities of some actors have emerged to bridge the gap and at best, complement the government’s development efforts. Utilising a mixed-method approach, the study relied on both quantitative and qualitative data from 374 randomly selected households as well as key informants from relevant institutions to explore the dynamism of self-help initiatives. The study specifically relies on the delivery of waste management and water supply services to evaluate and understand self-help initiatives in Moshie Zongo, an informal community in Kumasi City. From the analysis, the tricycle waste collectors (Aboboya) through the self-help initiative collect about 80%−90% of the solid waste generated in the area which is also preferred by about 80% of the community dwellers. Moreover, about 60% of the sources of water are owned by private individuals. Again, the Wastes Department of KMA, through Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) and Renovate, Operate, and Transfer (ROT) has helped to provide and renovate new and existing toilet facilities to ensure the provision and management of liquid waste in informal settlements. The study proposes effective and efficient monitoring, coordination, and regulation to enhance this initiative in the delivery of urban infrastructure and services.

The lingering influence of the Homeowners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), a programme established during the 1930s as part of the New Deal, persists in creating a barrier that prevents progress for marginalised communities [Faber, J. 2020. “We Built This: Consequences of New Deal Era Intervention in America’s Racial Geography.” American Sociological Review 85 (5): 739–775. https://doi.org/10.1177/000312242094846]. Particularly notable is the urban heat island phenomenon, currently evident in numerous metropolitan areas nationwide, which disproportionately impacts neighbourhoods that were redlined due to the historical HOLC rankings and subsequent lack of financial investments. This study undertakes a comparative and analytical examination of temperature variations within HOLC-designated zones in Houston, Texas. It employs basic social indicators and evaluates tree canopy density through analysis of variance. Furthermore, spatial regression modelling is employed to mitigate temperature differentials between neighbourhoods characterised by urban tree canopy, especially focusing on the contrast between “A” and “D” zones. In addition, drawing on the statistical parameters derived from estimation, the study’s scenario analysis uncovers that a 54% augmentation in tree canopy density within “D” zones would effectively establish thermal equity. As a result, elevating tree canopy density emerges as a strategy to curtail temperature discrepancies while concurrently introducing cooling impacts on surrounding districts. The dataset utilised for the study encompasses satellite-derived urban temperature records, spatially extensive data on tree canopy density, vulnerability insights from the U.S. Census Bureau, and demographic data, including the proportion of African American residents primarily concentrated in “D” graded districts. Thus, this study not only holds potential for enhancing circumstances within marginalised communities but also introduces a pathway to cultivate an enabling environment for all residents.

The “One Village One Dam (1V1D)” is a rainwater harvesting technology initiated by the Government of Ghana in 2017 to make water available all year round for animal watering, irrigation and domestic use in dryland areas in northern Ghana. However, scepticism about the potential of the 1V1D to stave off water stress and its associated impact on local livelihood activities is still prevalent in the country. This case study of Savelugu Municipality investigated the impact of the 1V1D on local livelihood activities and the work-life balance of women. Using qualitative data collection methods, 12 focus group discussions and seven key informant interviews were conducted in six communities in the municipality. The results showed that after >5 years of implementation, not much has been achieved for the intended purposes of the project, namely water for animal watering, irrigation and household consumption. Non-performance of the dams was attributed to engineering flaws like poor design and small size which often resulted in early dry out of the dams in the dry season. However, emerging activities like water commercialisation have provided a source of sustenance to water vendors. The services of the vendors save women time to fulfil the demands of work, family and personal life. Overall, the persistence of water stress in the study communities and activities of Fulani herdsmen, who allowed their cattle to pollute the dams’ water, necessitates the government to address the design flaws through retrofitting the existing dams and mainstreaming future 1V1D projects to effectively tackle water stress in Ghana’s dryland areas.

There have been increasing demands on multinational oil companies (MOCs) to provide community development programmes and security to their host communities in Nigeria. This is mainly because developmental projects and security are lacking in most of these communities and most of the time they are not provided by government. Thus, we set out to examine the impact of MOCs’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) model on cutting the main drivers cum prompters of herder-farmer violence in the Niger Delta expanse of Nigeria. Results from the use of both propensity score matching and logit model indicate that, though, a very skimpy part of the CSR intervention are specifically aimed at alleviating herder-farmer conflict, the CSR has made momentous impact in the drops in land deprivation, social disparities, pressure over land as well as bettering people’s lives in the region. The finding suggests that MOCs are well positioned to tackle the drivers and triggers of farmer-herder violence, when investment in cluster development boards (CDBs) is designed to improve land management infrastructure, train local leaders in dispute resolution techniques, and prioritize trust between communities and the security forces. This implies that business has an obligation to help in solving problems of public concern

As cities increasingly adopt diverse ethnic, social, and cultural characteristics, there is an emerging logic for planning and policy to reflect this hyper-diversity (inclusion) while resolving the looming sustainability-related challenges. However, what is not adequately addressed in the current literature on urban planning-which could also solidify the justification for more citizen inclusion-is what happens when citizens are involved in planning from the perspective of sustainability. In response, this paper asks a key question: "What are the implications, in the case of urban foodscape, when citizens are involved in planning from the perspective of sustainability?" This question is investigated in this paper in the domain of urban foodscapes and through qualitative interviews, with the support of maps, in the Dutch city of Almere. A novel theoretical combination of just sustainabilities and social licence to operate (SLO) was utilised to frame citizen inclusion in foodscape planning. The findings showed that based on everyday practical experiences of food access in the city, citizens were more concerned about social interaction, the representation of food from cultural origins, and local food production. This theoretical combination, as a way of deepening inclusion, would help avoid the tendency of urban planning being used as an instrument for glossing over social injustice under the guise of citizen participation. This paper, therefore, argues that SLO can be a key pathway for actualising just sustainabilities in both urban planning research and policy.

This study examined the drought preparedness of drought-prone communities in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Cameroon. The study employed a mixed-method approach, using qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, including interviews, household surveys, focus group discussions, and field observations. The data were then analysed using SPSS for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data. The results reveal that the respondents primarily rely on their personal and community abilities to prepare for droughts. A significant proportion (χ2 = 11.676, P = 0.020) of the respondents depend on community leaders for drought information, while others rely on family and friends. They also use indigenous knowledge and construct boreholes/wells to prepare for droughts. However, limited government support, inadequate extension/scientific support services, and insufficient formal training limited drought preparedness. Age, household size, and income significantly influenced perceived preparedness for drought. Based on the findings, the study concludes that informal/locally-driven strategies are important in drought preparedness and should be strengthened. The study recommends the establishment of drought management committees at the grassroots level and the effective use of indigenous knowledge in combination with scientific knowledge for drought planning and adaptation. Given the geographical variation in climatic stressors, a focus on a specific event such as drought has enhanced the understanding of drought disaster preparedness at the community level for effective planning and policy interventions. This study contributes to the literature in the disaster preparedness discipline with a lens on community drought preparedness.

As governments encourage circular economy (CE) initiatives, markets for waste recirculation are taking shape. But implementation is in its infancy and material circuits are emergent. Early food waste CEs shaped by commercial players emphasise capital investment, routinised forms of waged labour, processing sites distant from food waste sources, and transactional relationships. Less well understood is the potential for vernacular circularity beyond market-based, transactional frames. This paper reports from a collaborative research exercise with a non-profit community farm in nonmetropolitan Australia, seeking to connect with cafés to access food waste for composting. Cafés are a nexus of production and consumption, ubiquitous in the contemporary multicultural Australian context, and therefore ideal for grassroots CEs. Ten local cafes participated, reviewing existing food waste practices, motivations for circularity, and contextual factors including the regional setting. We found that food waste circularity emerges via divergent pathways related to enterprise type and scale, environmental values of actors, place embeddedness, and local relationships. These pathways reflect the place-based attributes and diverse sustainability values of residents and businesses in the coastal, industrial city of Wollongong, where the study is based. Contrasting distant, transactional circuits, are more-than-transactional food waste pathways, developed by microscale actors shaping vernacular material flows and “hacking” public provision of Food Organic and Garden Organic (FOGO) waste services to mobilise environmental values and community relationships. Overlooked by “big policy” more-than-transactional relationships bind producers, intermediaries and consumers in closer loops and, in so doing, enrich place and facilitate an ethic of care for soil and land.

There are two major debates on the discussion of urban sprawl; those who maintain that it has positive implications on development and sustainability of cities and those who are otherwise. This study contributes to this intellectual debate by examining both sides of the phenomenon in a single investigation, based on the perspectives of urbanites of a secondary city. The mixed-methods research approach was adopted for the inquiry. Using Tamale Metropolis as a case, primary data were collected from 386 household respondents and three agencies for the cross-sectional survey and key informant interviews, respectively. The results revealed that urbanisation is rapid with a correspondingly high rate of sprawl. The majority of the respondents (98%) reported an increased urban concentration in the area over the past decade. There has been a 60.7% increase in population increase between 2010 and 2021. Land cover analysis revealed that in 2010, approximately 9% of the total land area of the metropolis was built up, attributed to increasing population and corresponding increased demand for land for development. This increased to 16% and 26% in 2016 and 2022, respectively. The sprawling phenomenon was largely associated with rapid population growth, economic growth, availability of automobiles, improvement in road infrastructure and family nuclearisation. Though the study unravelled some benefits associated with sprawl, Tamale is still not an exception in terms of the documented adverse implications of sprawl. Relevant recommendations were thus made for capitalising on the positive impacts of sprawl while mitigating the associated challenges. ARTICLE HISTORY

Water and sanitation are fundamental rights that must be secured in the workplace to promote workers’ health, productivity, and wellbeing. However, informal street workers often do not have these services guaranteed although they represent an important economic sector. While these services have been widely studied from a household perspective, few studies have focused on water and sanitation in public spaces. The aim of this research is to review studies reported in the literature that investigate access to water and sanitation facilities by street vendors. A systematic literature review was conducted, and three databases were utilised. A total of 42 studies were included. The presence of water and sanitation facilities was not the main approach in the literature - mainly focused on food hygiene. In the studies that identified water services, availability was the main component. Lack of facilities or water storage in the stalls, which could lead to quality and safety problems, hence health issues, were identified. Regarding toilets, few identified availability and some reported privacy and dignity issues. This systematic review confirms the importance of WASH facilities for street vendors and provides key insights to inform future research and policy for people who work on the streets.

Public space is the domain of interest for urban designers, and streets represent one of its most significant forms. In multicultural societies, public space users come from diverse social and ethnic backgrounds with varying interests and needs. Therefore, streets should serve as inclusive spaces designed for use by a wide-ranging public. While streets are inherently public, the questions regarding the extent of their publicness and their role in promoting multiculturalism remain significant. This paper aims to evaluate and compare the degree of “publicness” exhibited by streets situated within ethnically diverse neighbourhoods. Drawing upon dimensions of publicness established by previous models and informed by observations and interviews, a set of criteria has been selected. The core dimensions of publicness encompass accessibility, management, and inclusiveness. The study assesses and compares three streets located in diverse neighbourhoods across New Zealand based on these criteria. The findings illuminate varying levels of publicness within the studied streets, providing insights into the key factors that impact the promotion of multiculturalism in urban settings. The results indicate that the publicness of a multicultural street is significantly influenced by the types of businesses clustered in the area, their associated characteristics, and the overall design of the built environment.