“I am a Black grandparent, homeowner and member of the Altadena Town Council. I grew up in a single-family home, and my husband and I have lived in our house in Altadena for more than two decades. Homeownership helped my family build wealth and provide stable, quality housing, and gave
“As the U.S. grapples with natural disasters and racial injustice, one coalition of U.S. cities, companies and nonprofits sees a way to make an impact on both fronts: trees. Specifically, they committed to planting and restoring 855 million of them by 2030 as part of the Trillion Trees Initiative, a
“Imagine a Toronto with flourishing natural habitat and an urban environment that supports a great diversity of wildlife. Envision a city whose residents treasure their daily encounters with the remarkable and inspiring world of nature, and the variety of plants and animals with whom we share this place. A Toronto
“For a couple of decades, many in the real estate industry have been trying to make buildings ‘green,’ replacing conventionally made materials with sustainable ones and installing energy-efficient systems. Buildings have a heavy environmental footprint, so the upshot of all this tinkering has been structures that are less harmful to
“President Trump plans this week to overhaul a federal law that poor and minority communities around the country have used for generations to delay or stop projects that threaten to pollute their neighborhoods — a law he says needlessly blocks good jobs, industry and public works. … One of the
“One of the most influential ideas in urbanism today is that the key to addressing the housing crisis is reforming zoning and building codes to allow for taller buildings and higher population densities. A growing chorus of market urbanists and YIMBYs make the case: Restrict supply, and demand and therefore
“Green Zones are an innovative policy to transform toxic hotspots into sustainable healthy neighborhoods. The concept was originated by grassroots environmental justice groups in California, with communities most impacted by pollution central to the policy development and planning processes. Areas where multiple pollution sources (“cumulative pollution”) – where people have
“Communities have a right to know about the pollution, toxics and other environmental risks where we live, work and play. The EJ Mapping Tool provides information about pollution and toxic risks in the Twin Cities. It provides you with information about what pollution exists in your neighborhood and where they
“There are countless links between environmental degradation and inequality. Consider water contamination in predominantly black and brown communities, such as Flint, Mich., where experts say the drinking water crisis was rooted in systemic racism. Or research finding that, in the U.S., the best predictor of whether you live near a
“The world’s largest review to date has recently established just how important urban green space is for staving off premature death. Urban green spaces such as parks, sports fields, woods, lakesides, and gardens give people the space for physical activity, relaxation, peace, and an escape from heat. Multiple studies have shown