Green gentrification
Green gentrification is a term used to describe how urban greening practices can have the unintended consequence of raising land and property value. This often results in low-income communities having to leave the space they originally occupied.
While greening initiatives are often intended to redress the injustices surrounding some communities lacking access to green space, they also often lead to pricing these communities out of their homes. This happens because greening a community tends to make it more desirable. This then leads to a rise in the value of the properties in the neighbourhood, and eventually rental costs.
Solutions to green gentrification involve first an awareness of dynamics behind the problem, and second specific price control solutions. For example, the establishment of community land trusts to prevent rental costs from being raised out of control by corporate greed.
defined by Naolo Charles
he/him
Naolo Charles
Naolo Charles is an environmental communications specialist. He is the founder of the Black Environmental Initiative (BEI). Naolo also co-founded the Canadian Coalition for Environmental and Climate Justice (CCECJ), a coalition launched to support racialized communities affected by pollution and climate change impacts.