Strategies for Creating Equitable Urban Greenspace in Global Cities

Abstract

Increasing attention, globally, is being paid to the creation of “green” urban space as a strategy for mitigating and adapting to climate change—as cities account for more than 70 percent of green­house gas emissions. While cities are major con­tributors to climate change, they can also be pri­mary drivers in the direction of positive change, since they hold authority over key climate-related policies, such as those concerning land use zoning and industrial emissions. In that light, as many cities take up the task of developing green urban infrastructure—including promoting and support­ing urban food systems—it is critical to understand how to enact these changes equitably, so that all urban residents benefit from sustainability initia­tives. Because cities will be most affected by food supply and distribution problems caused by climate change, their support of robust, diverse, and sus­tainable urban food production can be of major significance in an era of climate uncertainty. Just Green Enough: Urban Development and Environmental Gentrification provides an important intervention by offering actors involved in miti­gating urban climate change a guidebook of strate­gies for equitable green development. It speaks broadly about the topic of urban greening, primar­ily focusing on issues caused by environmental hazards in the built environment. Several chapters touch specifically on urban food production and distribution. While many of the tactics offered for equitable development are geared toward those focused on environmental remediation, urban plan­ners, activists, and community members working specifically in urban food systems will find the strategies easily applicable to their own work.

Keywords

• Green Development
• Land Use
• Zoning
• Urban Agriculture