Infrastructure Justice: a framework to identify and address transport project development injustices

Abstract: Current federal funding opportunities seek to restore and reconnect communities through various infrastructure improvements, while communities, advocates, and practitioners call for infrastructure justice. However, little research comprehensively assessing and addressing past, present, and future injustices in infrastructure planning, development, design, management, and governance exists. This research investigates and develops a 5-D typology of infrastructure injustice and advances a life-cycle oriented Infrastructure Justice Framework to comprehensively assess and address multiple dimensions of injustice across project stages, scales, and contexts. The proposed Infrastructure Justice Framework is demonstrated through an application and case study analysis of three transportation projects awarded funding in the first cycle of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot program. Using critical discourse analysis, the form, content, and structure of project documentation and media communication will be analyzed to describe, interpret, and assess potential project-related justice pitfalls using the 5-D typology of infrastructure injustice. Furthermore, the Infrastructure Justice Framework will be used to propose actions that can be taken by impacted communities and key project stakeholders to remedy potential project infractions. Results will identify infrastructure justice gaps in proposed projects, stakeholders impacted, and corrective actions. This research presents the 5-D injustice typology as a comprehensive approach for assessing and addressing infrastructure injustice. It further demonstrates the application of the Infrastructure Justice Framework as a crucial planning aid for communities and practitioners to co-create opportunities for justice. Finally, it builds a repository of reconnection project justice assessments, focused on infrastructure justice strategies and outcomes.