Green Infrastructure & Equity – Discover Two New Tools + Virtual Events

Green infrastructure can help manage urban hazards, such as flooding, extreme heat, and toxic pollution while improving the availability and quality of urban green space. Across the US, cities have embraced green roofs, bioswales, tree plantings, interconnected parks, and other forms of green infrastructure to make cities healthier and more livable. But too often, equity is absent from planning efforts, and green infrastructure projects fail to consider impacts on marginalized communities.

Given pending large-scale investments in infrastructure systems around the country, how can we ensure that green infrastructure projects benefit all urban residents? This question guided two new projects: a nationwide analysis of green infrastructure plans and the development of a green infrastructure governance toolkit. Both seek to improve the equity of green infrastructure in planning, policy, and practice: GIequity.org, which features the results of a 20-city analysis, and Governing Green, an experiential toolkit that lets users evaluate the equity implications of their own GI planning choices.

(Baltimore was one of the cities in the 20-city analysis.)

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is offering two virtual events to introduce these new resources: a webinar on Jan. 27  ‘Building Equity into US Urban Green Infrastructure Planning’ (led by Drs. Timon McPhearson and Zbigniew Grabowski) and an interactive virtual workshop on Feb. 1 titled ‘Governing Green: A Toolkit for Equitable Green Infrastructure‘ (led by Dr. Amanda Phillips De Lucas). Both events are free and open to all. Registration is required.

For more information: access the press release.