Whose diversity? Race, space, and planning with Yasminah Beebeejaun

Cities@Tufts Lectures

European cities have increasingly highlighted diversity as a marker of their progressive status. A growing field of research argues that “super-diverse” neighborhoods exemplify a normalization of ethnic and racial difference as a positive facet of everyday life. However, contemporary manifestations of urban diversity cannot be disentangled easily from the European colonial legacy that underlies a series of racial and spatial imaginaries.

In this talk Yasminah Beebeejaun argues that the claimed reconfiguration of European cities as sites of normative diversity obscures the ongoing epistemological framing of Europe as white. Turning specifically to British cities Professor Beebeejaun will illustrate how colonial racial narratives underpinned postwar urban planning and development and had profound consequences for the racialization of urban space. Professor Beebeejaun argues that the European planning discipline must engage in a much more fuller engagement with its own colonial and racial history in order to reconceptulize what progressive urban diversity might look like.

In addition to this audio, you can watch the video and read the full transcript of their conversation on Shareable.net – while you’re there get caught up on past lectures.

Cities@Tufts Lectures explores the impact of urban planning on our communities and the opportunities to design for greater equity and justice with professor Julian Agyeman and host Tom Llewellyn.

Cities@Tufts Lectures is produced by Tufts University and Shareable.net with support from The Kresge Foundation, Barr Foundation and SHIFT Foundation.

Lectures are moderated by Professor Julian Agyeman and organized in partnership with research assistants Deandra Boyle and Caitlin McLennon. Roame Jasmin is our producer, Robert Raymond is our audio editor, the original portrain of Yasminah Beebeejaun was illustrated by Caitlin McLennan, the graphic recording was illustrated by Anke Dregnet, and the series is produced and hosted by Tom Llewellyn.

“Light Without Dark” by Cultivate Beats is our theme song and Caitlin McLennon created this episode's graphic.