ABSTRACT
Greenpoint/Williamsburg is a microcosm of the problems facing cities all around the world – each of which needs to promote sustainable development, protect and preserve its diverse neighbourhoods and foster social and environmental equity. In this chapter, the authors believe that these problems have emerged from the disjunction between rules and procedures governing land use and those governing environmental protection within an urban political economy where wealth and influence are strongly tied to the dynamics of the real estate market. Greenpoint/Williamsburg also houses the only operating facility in New York City permitted to store low level radioactive and hazardous waste, separated from each other by only a steel door. In the case of Greenpoint/Williamsburg, a first-of-its-kind mechanism for fact-gathering and remediation to foster environmental equity, the Greenpoint/Williamsburg Environmental Benefits Program (GW/EBP) was established. One of the most important outputs of the GW/EBP will be the study of the accumulated environmental conditions in the district.
