Building Equity in the City: Land Trusts at the Intersection of Housing and Green Space

Keywords: permanently affordable housing, green space, environmental land trust, community land trust, community control
Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

Inspired by shifts in the narratives surrounding environmental justice and development without displacement, this proposed research examines the priorities and practices of land trusts that focus on either green space access, permanently affordable housing, or both. While proponents of “mainstream” environmentalism claim that increased access to green space brings widespread environmental and public health benefits, work rooted in environmental justice claims that many urban greening projects that aim to do so only further cement inequity. This study investigates how, in an era of climate and affordability crises, land trusts balance competing interests for land use. Using an ethnographic approach as well as structured interviews with staff, board members, and homeowners who acquired their homes through land trust programs in Baltimore City, this study provides insight into how different organizations approach community building and community control, and how community residents impacted view those approaches.