Basel is known as a green city and often serves as a testing ground for innovative climate solutions. Concepts such as the 2000-Watt Society and Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), both piloted in Basel, aim to drastically reduce energy consumption while maintaining a high quality of life. Yet, as highlighted in the reading “Innovative but unjust? Analysing the opportunities and justice issues within Positive Energy Districts in Europe”, such innovations are not without risks. PEDs, while technologically advanced, can increase rents, contribute to gentrification, and exclude lower-income residents. These dynamics emphasize a critical principle: a climate-neutral city must also be a socially inclusive one.
Addressing these challenges requires integrating justice directly into sustainable urban planning. The reading “Urban Ecological Futures: Five Eco-Community Strategies for More Sustainable and Equitable Cities” outlines several strategies for doing so, including co-creating green spaces with communities, developing affordable and sustainable housing, and retrofitting neighborhoods without displacing existing residents. Some of these principles are visible in Basel’s recently developed Erlenmattquartier, home to the community space known as Erle Perle. Here, residents of all generations engage in participatory placemaking. This shared space fosters a sense of belonging and political engagement, demonstrating how small-scale, co-created projects can help embed climate action into everyday life. As they are partially funded by the canton, there are some voices critical about their use of tax money. Justice in urban contexts, as described in The Climate Just City, must account for procedural justice—who has a voice in decision-making. Erle Perle offers a working model of how these ideals can be realized at the neighborhood level, contributing to a more equitable urban transformation.
Addressing these challenges requires integrating justice directly into sustainable urban planning. The reading “Urban Ecological Futures: Five Eco-Community Strategies for More Sustainable and Equitable Cities” outlines several strategies for doing so, including co-creating green spaces with communities, developing affordable and sustainable housing, and retrofitting neighborhoods without displacing existing residents. Some of these principles are visible in Basel’s recently developed Erlenmattquartier, home to the community space known as Erle Perle. Here, residents of all generations engage in participatory placemaking. This shared space fosters a sense of belonging and political engagement, demonstrating how small-scale, co-created projects can help embed climate action into everyday life. As they are partially funded by the canton, there are some voices critical about their use of tax money. Justice in urban contexts, as described in The Climate Just City, must account for procedural justice—who has a voice in decision-making. Erle Perle offers a working model of how these ideals can be realized at the neighborhood level, contributing to a more equitable urban transformation.
Climate Justice: Basel in the World is a colloquium at the University of Basel, co-organized in the spring semester 2025 by students from the AG Nachhaltigkeit and Prof. Dr. Janina Grabs. It is supported through funding by Impuls.