Equitable Development Planning in Action

The new movement for parks and green space equity is in the process of making long-overdue gains in economic equity and racial justice in the built environment. This panel will look at equitable development planning in action at two scales from the perspective of two different actors, a 5-acre waterfront site led by a private developer and an entire 1.7-mile shoreline being redeveloped under an equitable development plan (EDP).

A developer will present on Domino Park, which reconnected Williamsburg to the Brooklyn Waterfront for the first time in 160 years in a neighborhood that previously had the lowest park-to-person ratio in the city. To date, the park has seen nearly 3.5 million diverse visitors from the Latino, Hasidic, and Black communities and hosted over 200 events and activations for local organizations, and workforce development initiatives to ensure that all staff is hired through community and/or local job training programs.

At the larger scale, the EDP for the India Basin Waterfront Parks & Trails in San Francisco strives to mitigate the consequences of community disinvestment by implementing an array of anti-displacement strategies defined by, and with, the local community this park redevelopment will eventually serve. Presenters will share successes and challenges of the EDP process, interagency collaboration, and community engagement efforts.