What is GREENLULUS?

BCNEJ is currently hosting the ERC Starting Grant project GREENLULUS (June 2016-May 2021) led by Dr.  Isabelle Anguelovski. The project analyzes the conditions under which urban greening projects in distressed neighborhoods positively redistribute access to environmental amenities so that historically marginalized groups are able to benefit from new environmental amenities in the mid- and long-term and such amenities are not privileged goods for a few only. This study will take place in 20 cities in Europe and 20 cities in the United States.

GREENLULUS Objectives

The main objectives of the project are:

1. To assess the social and racial impact of new green amenities in distressed neighborhoods and develop a novel index measuring the inequity of distribution of green amenities in and across cities
2. To identify and analyze the new development projects proposed, approved, and implemented during or upon the completion of greening projects
3. To analyze the community responses developed in response to environmental amenities
4. To analyze the plans and policies put in place during or upon the completion of greening projects to address exclusion from the creation of environmental amenities

Expected Research outcomes

1. The development of a new method (i.e., an index called the Fair Urban Greening index) in order to assess the racial and social impact of urban greening projects and compare cities’ performance over time and with each other
2. A paradigm shift in the field of environmental justice to be proposed after measuring longitudinally the racial and social impacts of urban greening processes. This paradigm will reconceive restored or new green amenities as Locally Unwanted Land Uses for historically marginalized groups in the city.
3. A novel theory bringing together environmental justice and gentrification research, presenting a) the magnitude and scope of environmental inequities as triggered by sustainability planning, b) the types and forms of activism produced by urban greening, and c) the policies and measures that can best address gentrification threats in the context of urban greening.
4. The creation of a public-use data repository with primary information collected across 40 cities so that researchers can craft new research questions and test hypotheses beyond the ones proposed here. It will encourage new research on the social and racial dimensions of sustainability planning.