ABSTRACT
Cities across the world are confronted by a growing ethnic and racial diversity that challenges the traditional model of urban planning intervention focused on individual, not group, differences. This article examines urban planning in three ethnically polarized settings – Belfast, Jerusalem, and Johannesburg – to ascertain how planners treat complex and emotional issues of ethnic identity and group-based claims. Four models of planning intervention – neutral, partisan, equity, and resolver – are examined through interviews with over 100 planners and policy officials. The article outlines the significant implications of these cases in terms of the limitations and potential contributions of American urban planning to effectively accommodate ethnic and cultural differences.
