Green infrastructure, defined by the American Society of Landscape Architects as using nature as an infrastructural system, is increasingly incorporated into new developments as a means to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The return to natural systems is necessary to combat the effects of climate change, yet often has the unintended consequence of displacing communities. The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs explains that gentrification is “the upgrading of previously disinvested neighborhoods” which is often linked to displacement of people. Thus green improvements become the concern of green gentrification as explained by the CREATE Initiative: “environmental investments increase an area’s property values, rent burdens, and perceived desirability—all of which amplify displacement pressures.”
In response to the consequences that often come along with green infrastructure, “Sharing in the Benefits of a Greening City: A Policy Toolkit in Pursuit of Economic, Environmental, and Racial Justice” offers explanations of concepts, policy tools, and steps to put the tools into action. It was written for a broad audience including community members, activists, policymakers, and planning practitioners. Illustrative stories, bulleted lists, and tables are used to break down the complex ideas discussed within the toolkit.
At the beginning of the document, the questions left unanswered by the toolkit are acknowledged. These questions ask how green gentrification is embedded in public policy and how that might be measured, how green amenities can be provided without causing harms to surrounding communities, and how green infrastructure can uniquely uplift marginalized communities.
This toolkit serves as a jumping off point for the research and discussion on green gentrification and the work that will be done about it. The appendix at the end provides references to other anti-displacement toolkits and reports as well as to further readings about concepts, policy tools, and strategies mentioned within the toolkit. The tools within the document support the various stakeholders who are involved with and impacted by current and future green gentrification.