Environmental gentrification


Environmental, ecological or green gentrification is a process in which cleaning up pollution or providing green amenities increases local property values and attracts wealthier residents to a previously polluted or disenfranchised neighbourhood. Green amenities include green spaces, parks, green roofs, gardens and green and energy efficient building materials. These initiatives can heal many environmental ills from industrialization and beautify urban landscapes. Additionally, greening is imperative for reaching a sustainable future. However, if accompanied by gentrification, these initiatives can have an ambiguous social impact. More specifically, in certain cases the introduction of green amenities might lead to the physical displacement of low income households due to soaring housing costs, and/or the cultural, social, and political displacement of long-time residents. First coined by Sieg et al., environmental gentrification is a relatively new concept, although it can be considered as a new hybrid of the older and wider topics of gentrification and environmental justice. Social implications of greening projects specifically with regards to housing affordability and displacement of vulnerable citizens. Greening in cities can be both healthy and just.

Definition

Environmental gentrification is the process by which efforts to improve urban environments, such as enhancing green spaces or reducing pollution, increase property values and living costs, often displacing lower-income residents and attracting wealthier populations. The introduction of green spaces in urban areas has historically led to increases in property values, which can displace long-term residents. This process, referred to as environmental gentrification, occurs when low-income residents are priced out of their neighborhoods as a result of urban green space developments and the lack of housing development for additional people who wish to live in the area. Environmental gentrification is commonly understood as the process in which urban green space improvements lead to the displacement of lower-income communities, although the exact definition remains a topic of debate. Green gentrification is closely related to urban planning and climate mitigation efforts. Strategies such as installing shade structures, green walls, green roofs, and water features are often implemented to combat the urban heat island effect. However, these improvements can lead to higher property values and subsequent displacement. Studies have shown a correlation between the creation of urban green spaces and increases in housing prices when there is inadequate housing supply to meet local or regional demand. For instance, property prices around the High Line in New York City increased by 35% with the current renovations, while prices near Chicago's Bloomingdale Trail rose by 13.8% to 48.2% with the implementation of the newly constructed greenery.

Gentrification

is a process whereby a neighborhood is transformed in order to cater to a wealthier home buyer or investor. The process often takes place in working-class neighborhoods that are inhabited by low-income residents. Real-estate development such as luxury condominiums or the transformation of old factories into trendy lofts, attract wealthier investors. As the process progresses, low-income residents are pushed out or to the outskirts of the neighborhood as real-estate and rent prices are increased due to demand. Also, as middle-class residents enter the neighbourhood surrounding businesses transform to accommodate desires. Gentrification has often been promoted by local governments through policies that promote 'urban renewal.' Generally, the process is considered to benefit the local economy and improve neighborhoods.
Three phases of gentrification in North America have been recognized:
  1. 1960s–1970s – A process led by the government, which hoped to reinvest capital to the inner city.
  2. 1970s – Widespread in big cities and spreading to smaller towns across North America. An example is the promotion of art communities such as Soho Manhattan to attract residents and investors.
  3. 1990s – Extensive large-scale development increased in scale and complexity through public-private partnerships.
As wealthier citizens have started to demand green amenities, cities have shifted their focus to marrying urban redevelopment with green initiatives all of which follow a similar process. Some of these initiatives can be seen through changes in various infrastructure, people changing their means of transportation to things such as biking and walking, as well as the displacement of people, all of which may lead to the gentrification of a neighborhood.

Urban planning and sustainability

is used by governments and developers to promote green initiatives and urban green space. Originally growing from the promotion of sustainable development in developing countries, sustainability gained global recognition following the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit, which introduced the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The concept of sustainability is based on achieving a balance between three pillars: economy, environment, and social equity. However, implementing this balance in practice remains challenging. Criticism arises on how well urban sustainability efforts promote social equity, as many development projects do not account for the impact that economic growth has on the existing community.
The social equity aspect of sustainability focuses on enabling local communities to participate in decision-making processes and benefit from development projects. Public participation is intended to ensure that the needs and concerns of local residents are met. However, many communities with high populations of people of color and low-income households experience poor environmental conditions due to limited inclusion in environmental decision-making and lack of access to clean spaces. These factors lead to health disparities caused by exposure to environmental contamination. The redevelopment of brownfield sites, including post-industrial areas and abandoned lots, has become a key element of large-scale urban greening projects. These sites, which are often located near downtown areas or waterfronts, typically require environmental remediation and are supported by economic incentives from various governmental bodies. These redevelopments frequently promote sustainability through urban planning mechanisms like new urbanism, which emphasizes the creation of cities that are livable, self-sustaining, cooler, and walkable.
Cities and individuals are increasingly responding to ecological challenges through eco-friendly planning and initiatives. Cities such as Chicago, with the Bloomingdale Trail, and New York City, with The High Line, have introduced green spaces into densely populated areas to enhance greenery and provide urban green spaces. According to estimates from the United Nations, around 54% of the world's population currently lives in urban areas, with this figure expected to rise to 66% by 2050. Cities can be understood as functioning like metabolic organisms, extracting, using, and disposing of resources over time. The study of urban environments can reveal patterns of spatial inequality, such as the observed negative correlation between the provision of green spaces and the presence of African-American and Hispanic populations in the United States. Green spaces in these neighborhoods are often less maintained and policed, while those in more affluent areas tend to support activities for wealthier residents, to maintain a certain social order.

Gentrification and environmental justice in the United States

Environmental gentrification is a topic that intersects with environmental justice. The areas that are redeveloped with the intent of adding more environmentally friendly parks and greenspaces, are generally selected because the neglected property that can be purchased for a lower cost. With the purchase of cheaper property and land, the intent to renovate and fix up these properties with the intent to eventually make a profit is clear. These properties are often in zones that are predominantly occupied by people of racial and ethnic minority, and were strategically zoned in areas more susceptible and proximal to toxic waste disposal as well as other types of contamination. Despite these disproportionate effects, it does not appear to influence the actions of the Environmental Protection Agency in terms of determining priority for interventions. As neighborhoods are cleaned up through Superfund cleanup programs, there are noticeable changes that have the tendency to follow, such as an increased number of people that move to the area, with more financial resources and higher levels of education. As people with more financial resources move in, the previous residents are slowly pushed out as the costs of living become less affordable in comparison to before the development and gentrification of the area. Typically these neighborhoods are overtaken by a greater white population, resulting in the whitewashing of a neighborhood. As neighborhoods gain more of a white population, there are increased instances of citizen-based policing of the youth, such as not only profiling, but also the baseless calling of law enforcement, disproportionately targeting people of color. It has been seen that in larger plans to develop various areas, nonprofit organizations that focus on park development and greenspaces are relied upon, and due to their lack of specialty with the development of infrastructure, the consequences of gentrification such as the lack of affordable housing went ignored as parks were built.
Urban green spaces are areas that are in an open space with the looks of a natural environment with greenery and at times water features. Green spaces do promote an aesthetically pleasing look and physical activity amongst people in the community, which promotes physical and mental well-being. Green gentrification is applied to green spaces based on the accessibility of these improvements. Green spaces, such as parks and fields, can be placed in an unsafe neighborhood or a neighborhood that is disproportionately wealthy area, when there are areas with little to no green areas. Moreover, the lack of green spaces in low income, urban areas green gentrification due to these communities at present struggling with financial matters. The promotion of green areas has a positive effect on the communities, and the imbalance of greenery in wealthy versus low-income areas exhibits environmental injustice. Studies have shown green spaces in urban areas to have an effect on climate and health risks by lowering local temperature and improving air quality.