GreenING in Place: Protecting Communities from Displacement TOOLKIT

The toolkit addresses 'green gentrification,' where green infrastructure investments increase property values and spur real estate speculation, leading to the displacement of vulnerable populations. It proposes a multi-layered approach combining tenant protections, land-use regulations, funding alignment, economic opportunity enhancement, community ownership, and inclusive design to ensure that the benefits of urban greening are shared equitably without harming existing residents.

• Green infrastructure investments can trigger 'green gentrification,' a process where improvements make neighborhoods more attractive, increasing housing costs and attracting new residents with different socioeconomic characteristics, which often leads to the displacement of low-income residents through evictions or unsustainable rent hikes.
• To combat displacement, the toolkit recommends a suite of tenant protections, including rent stabilization (limiting annual rent increases), 'just cause' eviction policies to prevent arbitrary removals, and the establishment of a 'Right to Counsel' to provide legal representation for low-income tenants in eviction proceedings.
• Land use and zoning tools can be used to preserve affordability, such as 'inclusionary zoning' requiring affordable units in new developments, 'value capture' programs that harness increased property values for public good, and 'no-net-loss' policies that require one-for-one replacement of affordable units lost during development.
• The toolkit advocates for 'Joint Development,' where park agencies partner with developers to integrate affordable housing directly with green infrastructure, similar to models used by transit agencies.
• Funding for green projects should be aligned with equity goals by using RFPs that require displacement impact assessments and by implementing 'linkage fees' on new developments to fund affordable housing trust funds.
• Economic stability is essential to prevent displacement; therefore, green investments should be paired with local and targeted hire ordinances, living wage requirements, and support for community-serving small businesses through grants or procurement preferences.
• Community ownership models, such as Community Land Trusts (CLTs) and Tenant/Community Opportunity to Purchase (TOPA/COPA) policies, are recommended to provide long-term stability and community control over land and housing.
• Inclusive design and operations are necessary to prevent the alienation of long-term residents; the toolkit specifically warns against 'hostile architecture' (e.g., limited seating or studs on surfaces) and the privatization of public spaces through reservation fees or exclusive residency requirements.
• Public safety in parks should be approached through community co-design and conflict resolution strategies rather than relying on policing, which has historically disproportionately harmed people of color and unhoused populations.

APA

GreenLatinos (n.d.). GreenING in Place: Protecting Communities from Displacement TOOLKIT. https://www.greenlatinos.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GG-2020-ToolKit-FINAL.pdf

Chicago

GreenLatinos. GreenING in Place: Protecting Communities from Displacement TOOLKIT. n.d. https://www.greenlatinos.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GG-2020-ToolKit-FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenLatinos |title=GreenING in Place: Protecting Communities from Displacement TOOLKIT |url=https://www.greenlatinos.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GG-2020-ToolKit-FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenlatinosndgreening, author = {{GreenLatinos}}, title = {{GreenING in Place: Protecting Communities from Displacement TOOLKIT}}, institution = {GreenLatinos}, url = {https://www.greenlatinos.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GG-2020-ToolKit-FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }