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Project title

Whose environment, whose city? A critical assessment of environmental justice in South Dublin

Primary Funding Agency

Irish Research Council

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

Environmental Protection Agency

Lead Organisation

Maynooth University (MU)

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

In the face of increased urbanisation coupled with climate change and biodiversity loss, worldwide efforts are underway to render cities more sustainable through green/climate policies and initiatives. However, a number of urban justice scholars have been examining whether the benefits of such policies and initiatives have been equitably shared among all social groups. Their research findings show that historically marginalised social groups have less opportunity to access these benefits and could even find themselves at higher risk of marginalisation. Ultimately, such disconnection between social and environmental goals can only impede any progress toward sustainable development. As the gap between social and urban environmental progress seems to widen, there is a need to undertake research in this area to ensure more socially inclusive urban environmental planning and policy. This project aims to contribute to this effort by focussing on the experience of three environmental projects/campaigns currently underway in South Dublin. The project aims to gain a deeper understanding of how existing social inequities and power imbalances shape environmental decision-making and knowledge production in the city. The project asks: whose environmental concerns and knowledge count in the making of sustainable cities? The proposed methodology will be qualitative, using traditional social research methods as well as community mapping and Photovoice to ensure more inclusive ways to identify and articulate environmental concerns and their spatial dimensions.

Grant Approved

�55,000

Research Hub

Climate related research

Research Theme

Achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

Start Date

01/09/2021

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/08/2023