Reparative Urban Science: Challenging the Myth of Neutrality and Crafting Data-Driven Narratives

Research Themes

Exposing Inequality in Urban Technology Reparative Technology

Tags

Peer-reviewed article

Publication

Planning Theory & Practice

DOI: 10.1080/14649357.2024.2397017

Authors

Wonyoung So
Wonyoung So University of Michigan

Abstract

I offer how urban planning should approach technology within the context of systemic racism, advocating for a reparative approach to address the issues of urban technology perpetuating today’s racial inequality and hindering efforts to redress historical oppression. I identify three mechanisms – formalization, context removal and legitimization, and penalization and extraction – that illustrate how urban technology perpetuates historical inequalities, often penalizing marginalized groups under the pretext of neutrality and fairness. Then, I discuss methodologies of reparative urban science, aiming to use urban technology to challenge race-neutral ideologies and create data-driven narratives for reparations.

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