Can Cities Go Green Without Driving Gentrification?
People enjoy a summer afternoon along the High Line in lower Manhattan in New York City. Spencer Platt/Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption
People enjoy a summer afternoon along the High Line in lower Manhattan in New York City.
Spencer Platt/Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesCities across the country are using green space to combat the effects of climate change. Many are going beyond tree planting by rezoning abandoned infrastructure — like railroads and suspended highways — to create expansive, vibrant urban parks.
These new parks are popular and lucrative. They've sparked a chain of similar projects all around the United States.
But new data shows that this environmental revitalization is driving gentrification and displacing people in low-income communities.
How can cities balance the impact of green gentrification with the need to adopt more climate-resilient developments?
We convene with Winifred Curran, professor of geography and sustainable urban development at DePaul University; Patrick Sisson, writer covering how urbanism, cities, transportation, and architecture shape culture and urban life; Asima Jansveld, Interim Chief Program and Engagement Officer for Friends of the High Line and Managing Director of the High Line Network; and Isabelle Anguelovski, director of the Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability.
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