Between economic efficacy and social justice: Exposing the ethico-politics of planning

Contemporary urban policies in various liberal democracies are purposefully crafted to foster both economic efficiency and social justice. For Barel (1989), achieving these directives constitutes a ‘paradox’. Yet, as argued here, this paradox is not new. Rather, it is rooted in liberalism, which, in turn, shapes mainstream planning practices and modes of government. This paper therefore turns to the ‘ethico-politics’ of planning in order to demonstrate how the City of Johannesburg articulates its economic growth and social responsibility policies. It is proposed that unless planners challenge the often unquestioned liberal norms of planning, entrenched norms will continue to obscure alternative possibilities.

► Contemporary urban policies are crafted to foster economic efficiency and social justice. ► For Barel (1989), achieving this constitutes a ‘paradox’. But how do we reconcile this paradox? ► To answer this, focus is placed on the City of Johannesburg’s regeneration policies. ► Before delving into the Johannesburg case, I argue that this paradox is not a new. ► Rather, it stems from the agonism found in liberalism that is equally found in urban planning.