Led by: Rebecca Walker and Kate Derickson
Research Overview
Past trends in US cities suggest that investments in urban nature may have contributed to the persistent and wide wealth gap among certain demographics. Careful attention to past patterns and causes of these disparities, along with broad engagement with different urban communities, can ensure that future investments in urban nature benefit all urban residents and do not result in the displacement of vulnerable communities. Working with geospatial data and archival documents, we are collecting and synthesizing multiple lines of evidence that illustrate the coupled relationship between urban-nature investments and wealth disparity using property values as a proxy for wealth. Looking forward, we are investigating the efficacy of various policy interventions that can promote neighborhood stability in a changing urban landscape to promote green investment without displacement.
Related Blog Posts
Nature, Race, and Real Estate in Minneapolis-St. Paul
October 3, 2022
By Rebecca Walker, PhD Student, and Hannah Ramer, Postdoctoral Researcher, Hubert H. Humphrey School for Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and the MSP LTER Nature & Wealth Team
Graduate student Rebecca Walker and postdoctoral researcher Hannah Ramer share initial findings from the MSP LTER's "Coupling Between Urban Nature Investments and Wealth" Team's collaboration with the University of Minnesota's Mapping Prejudice Project. Emerging historical research shows that unequal access to urban green space was no accident, but the result of development policies that have continued to leave their mark on city planning in the Twin Cities.