Teaching Planning History as a Path to Social Justice

It is important to consider ways to help planning students develop a concern for social justice before they enter professional life. In previous decades, particularly the 1960s and 1970s, the task of instilling a sense of social commitment among planning students was not so difficult. Students were very likely to come into the classroom with a heightened awareness of social justice concerns, in great part because of the civil rights movement and because of an “urban crisis” that may have actually called them into the profession. In the current situation, in which such background and sense of urgency cannot be assumed, it is important to consider ways in which to create classroom learning experiences that foster a sense of social consciousness. Only a limited number of tools exist that can help with this process, however, and each has advantages and disadvantages. Planning history is one of these tools, but it has value only if used carefully and with purposeful preparation on the part of the instructor.