Greening without gentrification needs local government leadership

Impacts of the climate crisis are being seen across the world and local authorities are developing vital measures that will not only reduce emissions but help communities adapt to climate change. While such sustainability interventions clearly have important environmental and social benefits, there is a risk that these developments will exacerbate social, racial, and economic inequalities, and leave lower income residents at risk of being physically displaced.

This briefing will first set out what the term ‘green gentrification’ means in practice before exploring why this issue is important to local authorities. This topic will be of interest to readers working in a range of sectors including sustainability and climate change, planning, housing, community engagement and economic development.