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How does A Theory of Justice by John Rawls relate to urban planning?

Rawls does not specifically discuss urban planning in the book, which is more theoretical and philosophical than most books about such a pragmatic topic as urban planning. Essentially, Rawls argues in the book that if we were able to choose the kind of society we lived in, we should do it from behind a veil of ignorance, meaning that we don't know what our own abilities, or position in society will be. Without knowing where we would fall in society, we would probably choose a society with the kind of social safety nets that protect everyone's basic welfare. Because urban planning is fraught with social issues, we could suggest the same thing about it. All sorts of issues related to urban planning have social implications. Gentrification, equal access to utilities, schools, public parks, and de facto segregation are all issues that involve the kind of fundamental justice that Rawls advocates for society as a whole. If we could choose the ideal city, all things being equal, we would choose a city where we had access to the same things as everyone else. In many ways, concrete issues like city planning are arenas where Rawls's ideas of justice might be (but all too often are not) put into practice.

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