Constructing Equity in Urban Climate Mitigation Planning

Though urban climate policy increasingly centers “equity,” the term remains amorphous and is often sidelined for technocratic framings. This paper investigates how cities arrive at equity aspirations and how, if at all, “equity” remakes climate planning processes. Using qualitative case studies in Oakland and San Jose, California, this paper argues that equity is constructed relationally, with consultants at the center. Consultants are positioned as both technical and procedural experts, allowing them to advocate for or gatekeep equity aspirations. The turn to equity both challenges technocratic consultant-driven planning practices and reproduces consultants as procedural experts.