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Copyright of Journal of Planning Education & Research is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A world in flux confronts the present generation, raising fears of systems gone awry. Whether it is the prospect of runaway climate change or the dangers of unbridled artificial intelligence, these dilemmas suggest that scientific and technological remedies have not been matched by progress in harnessing social and political capacities for collective action. Part of this impasse stems from a gap between the multidimensional nature of contemporary global crises and unidimensional modes of understanding and managing them. In this article, we describe an integrative approach rooted in the paradigm of social ecology that might enable us to tackle these challenges more comprehensively. We discuss, for example, how a social ecological perspective focuses attention not only on the carbon footprint of society but also on the social footprint of carbon. We review the tenets of social ecology and reflect on its promise for spurring new modes of collaborative research and collective action, including more effective strategies for planetary governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a summary of a journal article titled "On Theories and Practices of Collective Action and Sustained Cooperation." The article explores the intersection of theory and practice in discussions of collective action and sustained cooperation in planning. It discusses various viewpoints from different disciplines, including law, economics, religious studies, and public administration. The authors argue that prevailing theories of rationality may not adequately explain collective action and sustained cooperation, and they highlight the importance of relationships, empathy, and perceptions of justice in fostering cooperation. The article also includes case studies and examples to support these arguments. [Extracted from the article]

Spatial injustices, especially the disproportionate exposure of disadvantaged communities to environmental risks, stem from an inability to appreciate the lived experience of risk and, instead, a reliance on technical frameworks for regulating it. We review Noddings' ideas about the caring attitude, in particular, that of caring for and, to some degree, caring about, and apply this to the issue of knowing about the experience of vulnerability and crafting effective and affective responses to it. We apply this lens to the case study of Southeast Los Angeles, where a profusion of small sources of air toxics creates zones of inordinate risk, and ask: How should the state and community have responded in a more caring way? How could the teachers and schoolchildren, themselves, have been empowered to speak for themselves? We draw lessons from it that speak to how we can begin reforming the regulatory state.