Navigating the Green Gentrification Paradox: The Case of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO)

Purpose: Environmental gentrification refers to situations “in which environmental improvements result in the displacement of working-class residents as cleanup and reuse of undesirable land uses make a neighborhood more attractive and drives up real estate prices” (Curran and Hamilton, 2012, p. 1027).  Thus, when neighborhoods are proposed to host new sustainable development, they face a paradoxical dilemma. Must they reject environmental amenities in their neighborhoods in order to resist the gentrification that tends to follow such amenities? (Checker, p. 211).  Or are there ways in which community organizations can support brownfield redevelopment and green spaces, without displacing existing residents? 

Context:  Impacted communities and their residents have come together to promote environmental justice, which will be achieved when “...everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work” (USEPA website; italics added).  This study examined the work of an environmental justice organization within Little Village, a heavily industrialized neighborhood in Chicago, as it aimed to strategically advance environmental justice without contributing to the displacement of its existing residents who are predominantly poor and Latino immigrants.

Methods:  The research team partnered with the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) to identify research topics of mutual interest. The first step was to conduct a literature review of environmental gentrification, focusing upon facilitators and mitigators of displacement. The second step was to conduct an interview-based (n=10) pilot case study of a “win” in which residents partnered with planners to design and create a new park.

Results and Implications: The project’s findings shed light on an inherent tension within neighborhood based organizing.  How can community organizations improve the health and wellbeing of the local place and people without displacing existing residents? The literature review and case study suggest that effective environmental justice organizing requires resident inclusion within planning processes, particularly regarding the physical design and enforcement of social norms. For example, LVEJO and residents not only designed the park in a manner that locals would feel comfortable accessing it, they also secured the support of local youth - some of whom are gang-affiliated - to protect it as a space for youth. Additionally, the findings remind scholars that communities are not monolithic – some residents will desire beautification and increased property values while others will oppose gentrification.