Environmental justice and sustainability are notoriously difficult to achieve in the context of a global capitalist city like New York. However, grassroots groups around the city have found a myriad of ways to advance these causes and affect local change. For its part, the city has an Office of Sustainability, and an Office of Recovery and Resiliency, which work together to oversee and implement the sustainability and resiliency initiatives in the Mayor’s Plan, One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City. What’s at stake here? How can you help?
Suggested Community Contacts: Friends of Brook Park and South Bronx Unite
- Brianna, Amir, Nicholas, Minhal, Fanny, Ashley
Related News and Resources:
- Rezoning References and News
- Interdisciplinary Readings and Mini-lit reviews on “Landscape: Nature and Culture” and “Discursive and Material Productions of Nature”
- News Reel and Event Listings from 596 Acres
- The Status of Community Gardens and Their Significance to NYC Neighborhoods (what the students did who worked on this issue last year- check it out so you can build on it or do something different)
- NYCHA quietly selling off, green space, playgrounds to help ease budget woes (March 29, 2015)
- NYC’s Environment Program Will Focus on Income Inequality (April 21, 2015)
- Making Room for Housing and Jobs: A report by the Pratt Center for Community Development that examines how rezoning industrial areas to provide space for housing may undermine housing affordability if high-wage industrial jobs are replaced with low-wage jobs in retailing and neighborhood services. (May 4, 2015)
- Sasken, S. (2015). Who owns our cities—and why this urban takeover should concern us all. The Guardian.
- Brooklyn Developer Allegedly Harassing Community Gardeners to Force Them Out (Feb. 12, 2016).
- The Hollowing out of NYC’s Industrial Zones (Feb. 16, 2016)
- Audit Faults NYC for Not Using Vacant Lots for Affordable Housing (Feb. 17, 2016)
- When it Comes to Environmental Justice, Communities Know Best (Feb. 22, 2016)
- Saw Mill Playground, Bronx (Feb. 25, 2016)
- In Sunset Park, a Call for Innovation leads to fears of Gentrification (March 7, 2016)
- Join Friends of Brook Park and SOUTH BRONX UNITE for their day in court! Stop Fresh Direct in the South Bronx: Thursday March 17th 2PM
- Press Release: Fresh Direct Back South Bronx Move Back in Court: A deal riddled in controversy for more than 4 years
- U.S. Investigating Elevated Blood Lead Levels in New York’s Public Housing (March 16, 2016)
