The Sustainability Myth: Environmental Gentrification and the Politics of Justice PDF
Preview The Sustainability Myth: Environmental Gentrification and the Politics of Justice
The Sustainability Myth The Sustainability Myth Environmental Gentrification and the Politics of Justice Melissa Checker NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York www.nyupress.org © 2020 by New York University All rights reserved References to Internet websites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither the author nor New York University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared. Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Names: Checker, Melissa, author. Title: The sustainability myth : environmental gentrification and the politics of justice / Melissa Checker. Description: New York : New York University Press, [2020] | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2020016803 (print) | LCCN 2020016804 (ebook) | ISBN 9781479835089 (hardback) | ISBN 9781479855278 (paperback) | ISBN 9781479840069 (ebook) | ISBN 9781479859245 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Sustainable urban development. | Urban ecology (Sociology) | Environmental justice. | Gentrification. | City planning— Environmental aspects. Classification: LCC HT241 .C434 2020 (print) | LCC HT241 (ebook) | DDC 307.1/416— dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020016803 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020016804New York University Press books are printed on acid- free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. We strive to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the greatest extent possible in publishing our books. Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Also available as an ebook Frontispiece: The five boroughs of New York City. Credit: Vector Images In memory of my parents, Armand Mendel and Ruthie Jane Contents List of Abbreviations ix Introduction: The Big Green Apple 1 Part I: Environmental Gentrification 1. Sustainability and the City 21 2. Wiped Out by the Green Wave: Green Gentrification and the Value of Urban Nature 49 3. “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”: Industrial Gentrification and the Geography of Sacrifice and Gain 84 4. Brown Spots on the Apple: Brown Gentrification and the Repurposing of Polluted Properties 116 Part II: The Politics of Sacrifice 5. “Democracy Has Left the Building”: Activist Overload and the Tyranny of Civic Engagement 151 6. “This Crosses Party Lines All over the Place”: Sustainable Solidarities and the Politics of Disaffection 178 Conclusion: Unsticking from Stupid 201 Acknowledgments 215 Notes 217 Works Cited 233 Index 255 About the Author 267 List of Abbreviations ADM Archer Daniels Midland AFSZ Asthma- Free School Zones BiB Build it Back BOA Brownfield Opportunity Area BPC Battery Park City CB1 Staten Island’s Community Board 1 CPC Central Park Conservancy D- LMA Downtown- Lower Manhattan Association DCP (NYC) Department of City Planning DEC New York State Department of Environmental Conservation DOE Department of Energy DOT Department of Transportation EJ environmental justice EJO Office of Environmental Justice FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FIRE finance, insurance, and real estate FOIA Freedom of Information Act HCDC Harlem Community Development Corporation IAP Industrial Action Plan IBZ Industrial Business Zone IOC International Olympic Committee LEED leadership in energy and environmental design MLM multilevel marketing MTA Metropolitan Transportation Authority ix
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