The Vernacular of Spatial Justice

"Spatial justice as such is not a substitute or alternative to social, economic, or other forms of justice but rather a way of looking at justice from a critical spatial perspective. From this viewpoint, there is always a relevant spatial dimension to justice while at the same time all geographies have expressions of justice and injustice built into them."

It seems to me that the most 'just' spaces are ones which are seemingly empty lots. Spaces that can be changed, adapted, occupied and transformed. It can be an upscale wedding venue one day, and a pick up soccer game the next. Is this really space that would work everywhere though? Is it even space that we want everywhere? While this may work well in the center of Madrid, with huge populations and a congestion of locals surrounded by the flux of 'one-week' visitors, would a space like this work in the middle of Dallas?

I tend to believe it would not. There is a park in Dallas that they constructed over top of the freeway called Klyde Warren park. It is very successful. It is minimally designed, but designed non-the-less. There are grass fields, reserved food truck spaces, a park for children, a park for furry children, and a pavilion for concerts, classes, picnics etc... These spaces, although open, with movable furniture and semi-permanent structures were definitely planned, but planned to be flexible to different programs and in a busy city like Dallas where people live to their routines, this works. They are even expanding it. If there were an abandoned pool here and a non-suggested use, I do not believe that people would utilize the space as they have in Madrid, unfortunately and I think it is a response of the culture.

Klyde Warren Park, Dallas

El Campo De Cabada, Madrid

Comments

Popular Posts