Environmental Justice Organizing in a Gentrifying Community

Background and Purpose

Environmental justice organizations embrace the philosophy that all people and all communities are entitled to equal protection of environmental health laws and regulations as well as inclusion in land use decision-making processes (Bullard, 1996; Bryant & Mohai, 1992). Early environmental justice campaigns prevented and mitigated harm associated with exposure to contamination stemming from waste facilities, heavy transportation and industries, and other forms of undesirable land uses. Environmental justice campaigns have also secured amenities such as green spaces, fresh food, clean water, affordable housing and transportation, and safe waste management. Yet, while many of these campaigns have contributed to the health of people and the environment, some have argued that their success may, inadvertently, contribute to land revaluation and gentrification; a process known as environmental gentrification (Anguelovski, 2016). Thus, in some instances, environmental justice organizations are placed in the contradictory position of opposing the cleanup of contamination or the development of new environmental amenities in order to resist gentrification that may follow (Checker, 2011).

This study examines how the leadership of a community-based environmental justice organization, which is based in a rapidly gentrifying Mexican-American neighborhood in Chicago, navigated strategic and ethical dilemmas relating to representation, recruitment, and issue selection. In particular, we sought to understand if and how organizational members interpreted and navigated tensions related to (1) the recruitment and inclusion of new and existing residents and (2) if and how they weighed concerns about inadvertently contributing to gentrification as a result of successful campaigns to enhance environmental amenities.

Methods

We use an in-depth case study methodology to explore decision-making within an environmental justice organization based in Chicago, Illinois. Our data was drawn from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with key informants (n=11) who work or previously worked as leaders or organizers. Four respondents identify as white, six as Latinx, and one as both white and Latinx. Additionally, field observations were collected over a three-month period.

Results

Respondents varied in their perceptions of newcomers as potential allies or threats to affordable housing and the Mexican-American social character of the neighborhood. Additionally, some viewed gentrification as central to the work of the environmental justice group, while others did not believe that the organization simply did not have the capacity to take on this issue. These differences of opinion were, in part, driven by respondents’ perceptions of threat by either environmental health impacts and / or fears of displacement.

Implications

These findings are applicable to community practitioners and policy makers who seek to address environmental injustices by enhancing access to environmental amenities. The study suggests that if racial and social equity are not central to sustainable development processes, there is a danger that environmental justice work will inadvertently contribute to environmental gentrification.