In the last years, there has been a growing understanding of green spaces importance to face the anthropocene challenges. Accordingly, the concept of “healthy green cities” has been proliferating in the last decade, in parallel to a growing body of evidence on how and to what extend nature benefits our health. However, not everybody experiences, perceives and benefits from nature at the same degree, creating new types of social injustice for some and environmental privilege for others. This green divide has become more evident in the last few years, with the proliferation of green gentrification. So, in this context, greenspaces become green LULUs or disruptive green landscapes where underprivileged residents are left with the only right to the unhealthy ungreen deprived city. In this talk, drawing on research conducted over the last five years in North America and Europe, I identify the scope and magnitude of injustice in urban greening projects and point to pathways towards “healthy, sustainable and just cities” presenting some policy and planning alternatives. 

Organised by Brussels Centre for Urban Studies

Part of the 2022/23 StadsSalonsUrbains lecture series 'moving cities forward, leaving no one behind. toward fair & sustainable transitions'.

All lectures will be streamed on this channel.