Race, Space, and Trauma

Elizabeth L. Sweet and Elsie L. Harper-Anderson

Journal of the American Planning Association, 2023, vol. 89, issue 4, 554-565

Abstract: Problem, research strategy, and findingsDiscriminatory planning decisions and practices, guided by dominant White spatial imaginaries, result in physical, economic, and culturally racialized spaces of trauma, contributing to the unjust destruction of Black and Brown communities. The continuous cycle of planning injustice coupled with economic and physical neglect by planning in communities of color has amounted to what some scholars call slow violence. The healing process from slow violence requires planers to acknowledge, refuse, redo, and repair the harm they caused. We use two case studies from Richmond (VA) and Norristown (PA) as exemplars of healing justice through community accountability (CA). These cases illustrate how community groups are reclaiming their spaces, authentically telling their stories, and engaging in physical, economic, corporal, and cultural healing: moving from spaces of trauma toward healing justice. Unlike systems driven by the White spatial imaginary that have historically resulted in racist policies and programs such as urban renewal and broader global forces such as structural adjustment, CA encourages community-led solutions to problems caused by planners.Takeaway for practiceUrban planners can reimagine their role in creating livable, sustainable spaces by centering healing (and justice) as core objectives in their work. Supporting and engaging communities with a CA framework must begin with acknowledging and truth-telling about past and present harms. Planners must ground their work in spatial imaginaries that reflect the values, needs, and cultures of the people and communities they serve. They must also play an active role in repairing physical, economic, and emotional harms using their influence and resources to dismantle the mechanisms (policies and practices) that created the racial spatial trauma. Engaging these communities in development decisions and codifying planning practices that reduce harm and ensure belonging can promote economic sustainability.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1080/01944363.2023.2165530

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