The City as Garden. On the right to urban housing in a sustainability context.

Abstract

Urban housing shortages remain a persistent challenge in Germany. This challenge concerns social, ecological and economic questions, all of which are normatively grounded. It's exactly the normative groundwork which is the topic of this article. A concept of sustainability involving the social, ecological and economic dimensions ethically implies questions of a universal right as well as a notions of the good. Regarding the right, issues of intraand intergenerational justice come to the fore. Questions of the good are tackled in recourse to the religiously inspired concept of the 'garden city' which is remodeled in regard to sustainability imperatives. Finally, concrete policy proposals ensue.