A Relational Approach to Social Infrastructures for Socially Just Climate Adaptation

Cities play a central role in contemporary climate change debates, both because of their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and because they are sites where climate impacts disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. Social infrastructures, open‐access fixed points such as libraries and parks, are increasingly recognised as crucial for urban resilience, providing shelter and fostering social bonds. Nevertheless, despite the common assumption that social infrastructures are universally accessible, evidence shows that various barriers prevent them from realising their full potential, particularly for vulnerable groups. This article examines the gap between the promises of social infrastructures and their practical limitations by developing a critical framework to analyze the conditions under which they can promote socially just adaptation to climate change. Drawing on Löw's conceptualization of relational production of space, I propose a framework that defines social infrastructures as the contingent product of the interaction and mutual influence of four constitutive dimensions: (1) Intersectional structures (2) Subjective experience (3) Agency and (4) Governance Arrangements. Accounting for the relationality of SI and the dynamic interaction among dimensions allows for a more nuanced assessment of the conditions under which such infrastructures compensate for the resource constraints of vulnerable groups in coping with climate change effects. I conclude that achieving socially just climate adaptation requires scholars and policymakers to move beyond a focus on simple provision and engage in critical analyses that account for the relational constitution of space. Only through such an approach can social infrastructures be transformed into inclusive environments capable of compensating for systemic injustices.