Environmental Justice in Fort Greene Park
Environmental justice communities is a term that refers to minority communities (typically Black, Hispanic, or low-income) that are underrepresented environmentally. The consequences of this are severe: higher rates of pollution, noise, asthma, mental illness, diabetes, and so on. How did this come to be? Well, the causes of this environmental gap are very intentional. Historically, people of color and low-income communities were targets for environmentally destructive projects such as the highways designed by Robert Moses, while white and high-income communities gained more access to gardens and an increase in verdure. If you’ve done research into this, none of these facts will surprise you. But did you know that our park, Fort Greene, actually represents an environmental justice community?
Fort Greene Park is very unique in that the north side of the park is an environmental justice area, while the south side is not. The effects of this are seen in the park's infrastructure, with fewer improvements implemented on the north side—a lower-income neighborhood with more residents of color—than the south side: a gentrified, upper-middle class, and far more white neighborhood. However, it's important to clarify that funding has been designated and planned improvements are underway for the north side. The capital work has experienced significant delays due to controversies surrounding the specific plans, but the work is the first step in countering the perceived lack of visible care in certain areas.
These days, steps are being taken to remedy these injustices—including our very own Green Infrastructure project, which aims to beautify one of our parks’ hills and help diminish the erosion that takes place there. Our project aims to bring more users to the park and help make green spaces more accessible for everyone, a goal everyone should strive towards. However, individual acts are nowhere near enough to bridge this gap, and it will take both time and the collective to help bring a more equal access to nature for all.
There are important steps we can—and should!—all take, such as:
Bring awareness to the issue.
Dedicate our own time and research into environmental justice.
Hold our representatives accountable.
Elevate the voices of those most affected.
- Ellie, Jay, and Oli
Green Team Guides