Handbook

This course examines the way in which the law structures cities and suburbs. It begins by asking: what does justice mean in an urban context? Students will explore the growing literature on urban justice, including concepts of the Right to the City, the Just City, spatial justice, and environmental justice.

The course will introduce students to the legal regime for planning in NSW as well as other areas of law relevant to the built environment including heritage, environmental and property law. Drawing insights from national and international experience, particularly in the United States, students will critically examine the contribution of these legal regimes to justice in Sydney.

Main topics

• Theories of urban justice
• The legal framework for strategic planning and development assessment in NSW
• Democracy and public participation in planning and development
• Ecologically sustainable development, ecology and the city
• Heritage, 'character'? and equity
• The relationships between property, 'community'? and exclusion
• Urban activism in Sydney and internationally
• Trends in the governance of the built environment and their implications for justice

This course will be useful for students with interests in: environmental, property and real estate law, urban development and public policy. Cities are a fascinating topic for study, and the course will develop a critical understanding of intersections between law and fields such as urban studies, geography, economics, public health and social policy. The course overlaps somewhat with JURD 7371 Development and Planning Law and students are excluded from doing both. JURD 7371 Development and Planning Law is more focussed the practice of planning law in New South Wales, whereas this course is broader and more theoretical.