Speaker
Description
Over the past few decades, Shezidao (Shezi Island) has faced strict development restrictions due to its designation as a “restricted development zone” under the Flood Prevention Plan for the Taipei Metropolitan Area. These constraints have led to a prolonged and involuntary stagnation of growth. In response, the previous Taipei city government introduced the "Ecological Shezidao" master plan, which operated under the premise of “zone expropriation.” While the plan emphasized a self-financing mechanism, it also implied the wholesale demolition of existing landscapes and settlements. Residents opposing the eradication of their homes or the prospect of forced relocation began organizing protests, voicing their concerns during public hearings and plan review meetings. Amid these planning struggles and protests, daily life continues, providing the material foundation for ongoing demonstrations against urban redevelopment.
The injustices faced by local residents are legitimized through the green rhetoric of flood prevention and climate change measures, as framed in the Ecological Shezidao plan. The government’s top-down, outside-in planning approach envisions a new urban order defined by long embankment walls to mitigate flood risks. However, this approach has deepened the precarity of long-term residents, who have been living with flood for decades while safeguarding their homes and housing rights. With support from external academics, environmental activists, and non-profit organizations (NPOs), local self-help groups have gained empowerment to reimagine alternative strategies for landscape conservation and resilience, challenging the dominant framework of "creative destruction."
This research explores action-planning efforts that connect the bottom-up initiatives of Shezidao’s disadvantaged residents with the inside-out approaches of external activist coalitions. The sustained fieldwork and social engagement of these coalitions have been critical in advocating for transformative climate justice and alternative plans to enhance the quality of local daily life. Iterative reflections following each action have proven vital for navigating resistance and negotiating with various levels of government. However, the ongoing struggles continue to test the tenacity and determination of grassroots communities.
| Keywords | action planning; transformative climate justice; Shezidao; inside-out approach to planning |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
