Water Justice and the Constituent Empowerment Model

In “Turning Participation into Power: A Water Justice Case Study,” Prof. Jaime Lee of the University of Baltimore School of Law offers a revamped model of participatory governance she dubs the “Constituent Empowerment Model.” In this episode, Linda Breggin, a Senior Attorney at ELI and Lecturer in Law at Vanderbilt Law School, speaks with Professor Lee to learn more.

Show Notes

Water utilities are tasked with providing clean, affordable water to their constituents, yet, a growing number of utilities are charging high prices for water and/or carrying out policies that decrease, rather than increase, water access. Participatory governance, which aims to enable those who are most closely affected by a problem to influence how policymakers solve that problem, may offer a path to a more just water policy. In “Turning Participation into Power: A Water Justice Case Study,” Prof. Jaime Lee of the University of Baltimore School of Law offers a revamped model of participatory governance she dubs the “Constituent Empowerment Model.” The model, which was recently implemented in Baltimore, Maryland, goes beyond traditional community involvement mechanisms and has the lofty goal of shifting power dynamics. In this episode, Linda Breggin, a Senior Attorney at ELI and Lecturer in Law at Vanderbilt Law School, speaks with Professor Lee to learn more.

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Creators & Guests

GR

Host

Georgia Ray

Georgia Ray joined ELI as a Research Associate in August 2021. She is currently working on projects related to best practices in sustainable land-based aquaculture, wetlands for hazard mitigations, wetland regulation, and digital economy and the environment. She is also the People Places Planet Podcast host. Previously, she was involved with projects related to environmental crimes in Peru and intergovernmental environmental enforcement. Before coming to ELI, Georgia worked with the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities studying the environmental justice legacy of fossil fuel in Philadelphia and was a Kleinman Center for Energy Research Leadership Fellow. She also researched the impact of public transportation on refugee integration in the Denver area, used GIS technology to understand public perception of Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Philadelphia, and authored a report for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission surrounding best practices for Urban Climate Change Mitigation. She grew up in Denver, Colorado and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Urban Studies, Cognitive Science, and Philosophy.

CG

Editor

Colin Gipson-Tansil

Colin Gipson-Tansil joined ELI in January of 2014 by way of the Great Lakes State. Colin serves as ELI’s Senior Digital Media Producer where he oversees digital media needs at seminars, webinars, and events, manages social media sites, assists with support of ELI’s various websites, and produces videos as well as podcasts. Colin earned his M.A. in Producing for Film, TV and Video from American University. Prior to his Master's degree, received his B.A. in Media Arts and Technology with a concentration in Film, Radio and TV from Michigan State University.

What is People Places Planet?

Welcome to People Places Planet, ELI's leading environmental podcast. We talk to leading experts across sectors who share their solutions to the world's most pressing environmental problems. Tune in for the latest environmental law, policy, and governance developments.