Read the full post at the Green Law blog.
Climate Gentrification can occur when a neighborhood lacking climate resiliency is made uninhabitable or less attractive to current and potential residents and developers. For example, in Miami, Florida, as the sea level rises and the risk of floods increases, developers are purchasing property at higher elevation locations, which are often lower-income neighborhoods. Thus, climate change is resulting in increased property values drawing in more affluent residents and the businesses that serve them. As a result, communities like Liberty City, which are more climate-resistant than current high-income areas, are experiencing gentrification and displacement.
Climate Gentrification is unique. Instead of residents being attracted to low-income communities by lower housing costs and recent improvements, like new parks or improved transportation, climate change can drive residents out of neighborhoods they would otherwise have stayed in. The high-income residents are pushed into nearby low-income neighborhoods that have better natural or planned climate resiliency. For example, Miami is facing serious issues due to sea-level rise and Liberty Center is on some of Miami-Dade’s highest grounds, making it naturally more climate resilient than coastal communities.
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