ABSTRACT
Austin is traditionally known for being Texas’ most green and ecological city, with 15% of land within city limits dedicated to parks and other green spaces and an abundance of regional nature reserves. The city was founded as a capital with priority given to preserving the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country over development, making Austin a rare exception to the common model of American industrial urbanism (Busch 2017). As a consequence of a long history of spatial segregation along racial lines, access to the healthy environments and natural green amenities with which the city is endowed has never been equitable. This trend has continued, as the city itself is becoming a privileged space due to expanded gentrification in once-marginalized neighborhoods such as East Austin. It is this history of racial divide and recurring environmental privilege that has shaped local activists’ responses to green inequalities.
Keywords
the urban development pattern of the city and neighborhood: spatial racial segregation; long-term growth; tech industry; densification; smart growth; sustainability fix
the urban greening of the neighborhood/city: environmental and ecosystem preservation; neighborhood greening; livable city planning; green buildings
the inequalities at stake: enduring segregation; environmental privilege; green gentrification; increased flooding risks for vulnerable groups; luxury developments; affordable housing crisis; low taxation; unaddressed (re)-zoning needs
