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The belief that social unfairness can result from geography lies at the very heart of the concept of spatial justice.The idea has been examined around the world, particularly since the global recession in 2008, and plays a growing role in fields including housing policy, spatial planning, regional development and environmental justice.Key Cities – a cross-party network representing 22 cities and towns – has been working with architecture and urbanism practice We Made That to explore spatial justice with the intention of offering a practical framework for delivery.Following a series of round tables, along with a survey of Key Cities members, the result is a call for five Rights to Place; the right to a healthy city, the right to a home, the right to care, the right to difference and the right to a voice.According to the report that emerged, these rights ‘operate at multiple scales, shifting from the physical environment of neighbourhoods to the participatory processes that give communities agency in shaping their places'.They are not abstract ideals, the report continues, ‘but practical frameworks for understanding how spatial justice might be strengthened through deliberate, collaborative action'. It says the rights represent the beginning of a conversation about what cities could become ‘when designed with and for people'.It adds: ‘Most importantly, they offer a common language for communities, practitioners and policy-makers to articulate demands for places that genuinely serve the people who inhabit them.'The report is packed with case studies (see extracts below) that are practical examples of partnership in local places focused on spatial justice, with local authorities playing a key part in many of them.Speaking to The MJ, co-founding partner of We Made That, Holly Lewis, says: ‘We only work with the public sector and charity clients, and we had been thinking about what it is that we do as practitioners in terms of delivering equitable places for people and how we're delivering public good. The partnership with Key Cities was a brilliant opportunity to explore, across the whole of the country, how we're thinking in practical terms about addressing those things that just aren't fair in our places.'She adds: ‘Sometimes it can feel a bit helpless, this sense that things aren't quite right in the way we design, control and develop our built environment, but how can we talk about that in a clear way?'The round table events allowed We Made That to bring together partners from the Key Cities Network, but also broader partners. ‘We had people from combined authorities, charity members and built environment practitioners to try and get a range of perspectives.'Participants were asked if they felt they could communicate about justice and injustice in the way they made proposals for projects or advocated for the work they did. Lewis adds: ‘We see increasing inequalities across the country, but maybe an increasing gap between people and their ability to feel like they're involved and welcomed into the built environment'.This is where the partnership with Key Cities has been crucial, she believes. ‘It's about a coming together of perspectives, speaking to national government, but also how that relates to people's lived experience. And that's the really important role that local government plays.'Their Rights to Place campaign is about trying to ‘tie a national agenda all the way down to what is it if you take on an empty shop unit in Coventry…what does that mean for those people in that place? What we're interested in is how do we deliver the changes that need to be made?'Lewis says the report's case studies present ‘really tangible examples of the things that people have been doing' to shift the dial on spatial justice.John Merry CBE is chair of Key Cities and deputy mayor of Salford. He tells The MJ he feels strongly about ‘a neglect of local government by national government over the years', and that the report is an attempt to rebalance the discussion. ‘We wanted to particularly focus on issues like health, on having our voices heard by central government – all the complex issues that make up a place that we're trying to face up to at a local level.'What is his definition of spatial justice? One of the problems in the past, in his view, is that people have not been given a fair chance to contribute to society. ‘People feel that things are being done to them rather than done for them and done with their support. I think spatial justice is about giving everybody a chance to participate and feel as though they are part of the society we create.'The report says the list of five Rights to Place are ‘deliberately incomplete but they open up conversations about what good cities should look like' and demand a ‘move beyond minimum standards to actively create cities that serve all'. And five calls to action (see box) ‘provide practical starting points for policy officers, elected leaders, and built environment practitioners working towards just and equitable cities'.Lewis says in conclusion: ‘What these five rights do is break down what spatial justice is. It shouldn't matter where you live, you should be able to live a healthy life, have a home that's stable and be cared for. You should be able to be different to those around you and to have a voice in shaping that place.'Rights to Place: Calls to action1. Monitor health outcomes across all neighbourhoodsUse data on air quality, green space access and wellbeing to guide investments that systematically reduce health inequalities.2. Diversify housing delivery modelsExpand and refine routes to delivering new homes that meet genuine community needs and overcome systemic commercial bias.3. Integrate care infrastructure into all neighbourhoodsEnsure new developments and existing communities include accessible health services, childcare and community spaces that support people at every life stage.4. Understand and address difference across communitiesIdentify where protected characteristics correlate with poorer outcomes and invest in engagement methods that reach excluded voice.5. Adopt innovative participation modelsExperiment with citizen assemblies or co-design processes that give communities genuine decision-making power, not just consultation.View Delivering Spatial Justice in UK Cities – Rights to Place here Rights to Place: Case StudiesRight to a Healthy City: Bradford Clean Air ZoneDelivering measurable health improvements and NHS savings across Bradford through improved air qualityIntroduced in September 2022, Bradford Clean Air Zone addresses illegally high vehicle exhaust pollution particularly affecting inner-city residents on lowest incomes, including young children and ethnically diverse communities.An evaluation of the initiative provided evidence of positive impact. Within the first year, nitrogen dioxide levels decreased measurably while GP visits for respiratory conditions fell by 25% and cardiovascular visits by 24%. This translates to 732 fewer monthly visits compared to pre-Covid levels, generating NHS savings of £30,700 a month. Health benefits extended beyond zone boundaries across the entire city.Right to a Home: Goldsmith Street, NorwichDemonstrating how local authorities can deliver exceptional social housing with ultra-low energy costsCompleted in 2019, this 93-home development represents Norwich's first council housing scheme in a generation and the UK's largest Passivhaus-certified residential project. It is a benchmark for sustainable affordable housing, delivered at £14.7m across seven terraced blocks.Resident outcomes validate the design approach. Annual energy bills average £150, with some households paying as little as £30 monthly before recent price increases. Beyond financial benefits, residents report significant health improvements, with reduced medication needs and elimination of damp-related problems.Right to Care: Wellbeing ExeterDemonstrating how social prescribing can connect healthcare systems with community assets to address health inequalitiesEstablished as a partnership between Exeter City Council, Devon CC, and local NHS services, Wellbeing Exeter connects residents with non-medical support through social prescribing.The programme employs community connectors who work with GP practices to identify people experiencing social isolation, housing problems, financial stress, or mental health challenges, then link them with local community groups, voluntary organisations, and practical support services across the city's neighbourhoods.Rights to Difference: Hull City of SanctuaryDemonstrating how cities can create welcoming environments for refugees and asylum seekers through community-led integration and spatial inclusionLaunched as part of the national City of Sanctuary movement, Hull's approach recognises that successful integration requires both practical support and culture change across the city.The initiative works with local organisations, faith groups, and residents to create opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers to access education, employment and social connections. It offers a replicable model for local authorities seeking to move beyond hostility towards asylum seekers, demonstrating how community-led approaches can transform public attitudes while supporting successful integration.Right to a Voice: Cumberland Council Community PanelsEmpowering local councillors and residents through delegated decision-making powers and community-led funding allocationEstablished in 2023 during the formation of Cumberland Council, eight Community Panels operate with formal delegated powers and devolved funding to address locally identified priorities.Each panel comprises five to seven Cumberland councillors representing wards within defined geographical areas, supplemented by co-opted community members selected through local applications. Panels possess formal powers under the Local Government Act 2000, enabling genuine decision-making authority rather than advisory functions. This structure ensures democratic accountability while incorporating grassroots community knowledge.Cumberland's approach provides evidence that devolved governance with meaningful resources and decision-making authority can bridge the gap between strategic council functions and community-level priorities.

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PLACE-MAKING

Shaping places that work for everyone

By Ann McGauran | 08 April 2026

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