ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the implications of authenticity as a widely embraced urban ideal. From the perspective of the pragmatic sociology of engagement, the individualist emphasis on authenticity eludes a traditional collectivist justification for public debates, and thus stifles attempts to revalue justice and sustainability in community. The chapter seeks analytical ways to understand the process of putting habits of living authentic, urban human lives to more justice-serving pursuits. A pragmatic understanding of the possibilities for justice emphasizes the changeable nature of justice for people who engage in public argument that seeks to attain it. The new practices of placemaking represent a revival of the concept of the public interest and of public space as a democratic demand. Placemade urbanism raises a number of questions related to its justice outcomes. Michael Walzer proposes three characteristic kinds of spaces: the intimate space of home; the private space of business and industry; and the public space of citizenship and social congregation.
