Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2021

Keywords

Just Adaptation, Climate Justice, Gentrification and Displacement, Community-Based Planning

Disciplines

Environmental Studies | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Urban Studies | Urban Studies and Planning

Abstract

East Boston is a diverse, working-class, coastal neighborhood of the City of Boston that is currently undergoing rapid gentrification. At the same time, local environmental problems – such as air and noise pollution from the operation of the nearby Logan International Airport – continue to harm residents, particularly the most marginalized communities. In addition to housing pressures and the pollution from Logan Airport, technical and scientific assessments warn that a large part of the neighborhood is at risk of being severely affected by climate change impacts such as sea-level rise, storm surges, and heatwaves. City-led planning efforts and climate resilience strategies to address these interconnected challenges have, to date, prioritized the preservation of current power dynamics. These “business as usual” paths of development and residential mobility are aggravating patterns of overcrowding and displacement of long-time residents. Currently, proposed interventions, including hard, soft, and hybrid resiliency strategies, offer a wide range of opportunities to consider for planners, developers, and communities. However, they also raise the question of whether coastal protection interventions and localized co-benefits are sufficient to structure a comprehensive strategy that protects marginalized communities, improving their quality of life in the long term. By drawing from literature in climate and environmental justice, this research (1) explores residents’ priorities, (2) generates a better understanding of how these fit (or do not) in the current planning for a resilience public agenda, and (3) provides recommendations for local communities and planners to frame planning for resilience through a justice lens. Using a framework of just adaptation, we convey the residents’ views about environmental concerns, access to open spaces and the waterfront, the housing crisis, education issues, and employment opportunities, alongside the power asymmetries currently existing in the relationship between the communities and the Massachusetts Port Authority, which is the owner of Logan Airport and the largest employer in the area. Our research suggests that planning for resilience ought to be based on solid equity principles to concurrently address the most pressing economic, social, and environmental problems of East Boston. Our work in the field has led us to provide recommendations for communities to achieve increased and meaningful participation, strategies to address intersecting injustices, and a proposal towards a more incremental evaluation of planning objectives.

Community Engaged/Serving

Part of the UMass Boston Community-Engaged Teaching, Research, and Service Series. //scholarworks.umb.edu/engage

Publisher

Sustainable Solutions Lab

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