ABSTRACT
Urban greening is a global phenomenon evident in cities around the world from New York to Cape Town to Shanghai. Cities compete to attract attention to their new parks, waterfront esplanades, river walks, bike paths, greenways, and pedestrian malls. They routinely tout their new LEED certified buildings, clean energy initiatives, and public transit improvements. Urban greening, however, does not necessarily contribute to sustainable development. Urban greening that increases inequality undermines the social conditions necessary to attain sustainability at higher scales, and reduces the quality of life locally for those near the bottom of the stratification system.
