As part of the Luskin Lecture series, author and professor Setha Low will discuss “Social Justice and Public Space: Propositions and Problems.”
Low’s presentation will focus on a method of evaluating the success of public spaces to better assess social justice in public infrastructure. She will discuss five dimensions of evaluation based on 25 years of ethnographic research on parks, plazas and streets in cities such as New York, Philadelphia and San José, Costa Rica. Low’s recommendations follow her recent collaborations with the Center for the Future of Places and UN Habitat that sought to develop social justice indicators for urban design. In addition to literature discussions and a review of urban design models, the presentation will examine research on Tompkins Square Park in New York City that illustrates her view that a social justice perspective in urban design has the potential to enhance social diversity, cultural recognition and respect — while fostering social interaction among people who would not otherwise come into contact with one another.
As Professor of Environmental Psychology, Geography, Anthropology and Women’s Studies, and the Director of the Public Space Research Group at the Graduate Center at City University of New York, Low has been awarded a Getty Fellowship, a NEH fellowship, a Fulbright Senior Fellowship, a Future of Places Fellowship and a Guggenheim for her ethnographic research on public space in Latin America and the United States. Her most recent books are “Spatializing Culture: The Ethnography of Space and Place” (2017), “Anthropology and the City” (2019) and “Spaces of Security” (with M. Maguire) (2019).
RSVP required for admittance.
Admission is free, but registration is required for each attendee.
Transit: Big Blue Bus, Culver CityBus 6, and Metro Expo Line
Parking: Luskin Conference Center, Lot 8 ($12)
