Redlining to Greenlining: Restorative Planning and Brownfield Reuse
Almost 100 years ago, the Federal Housing Administration published the Underwriting Manual which said that “incompatible racial groups should not be permitted to live in the same communities.” To aid in the understanding of this recommendation, the federal government created color coded maps of every metropolitan area in the country. This color coding indicated levels of mortgage risk i.e where it was safe to insure mortgages. Neighborhoods where minorities, immigrants and African-Americans lived were colored red to indicate to appraisers that these neighborhoods were too risky to insure mortgages. This practice is referred to as “redlining”.
Since the 1930s these redlined neighborhoods have been isolated by highways, received lower levels of infrastructure and recreational (parks) investment, and have been the de facto area zoned for industry. The impact of these regulated practices resulted in the creation of economically and socially disconnected neighborhoods with higher health risks and lower life expectancy. Today, many of these sites are considered brownfields.
This webinar will review the impacts of redlining on American cities, and examine how communities can guide the reuse of brownfields to mitigate past harms, eliminate health risks, unravel systemic racism, and move toward equitable, attractive and vibrant communities for all.
This session is for anyone looking to understand the “how did we get here” land uses of the past, and interested in learning the processes needed to implement restorative planning and reuse initiatives.
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Speakers
Letitia Moore is a San Francisco attorney with more than 25 years of experience addressing complex environmental, regulatory and land use decisions. Ms. Moore's experience as a senior managing attorney with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Planning Commissioner and Mayor of the City of El Cerrito, gives her a deep understanding of government decision-making, allowing her to offer an insider's view for her public, private and nonprofit sector clients. Ms. Moore advises local, national and global companies on compliance with federal and California environmental laws and regulations, and on environmental due diligence in business and real estate acquisitions. Ms. Moore advises on regulatory issues ranging from pesticide, hazardous materials and hazardous waste management to California Proposition 65 compliance. Ms. Moore is a leader in the California bar and her community, serving on the California Lawyers Association Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and Environmental Law Section, and on the Boards of the East Bay Leadership Council, the Berkeley Law Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, and the Rosie the Riveter Trust, a non-profit partner to the National Park Service.
Genea Foster is Groundwork USA’s Director of Climate Resilience and Land Use. In this role, Genea is responsible for leading the Climate Safe Neighborhoods program and building the capacity of Groundwork Trusts to envision and implement local climate resilience projects that build community power to drive systemic change. Genea was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and their Afro-Caribbean ancestry has shaped their deep commitment to environmental and social justice. Genea has over 10 years of experience working with youth, communities of color, and municipalities towards climate resilience, health equity, and food sovereignty through urban planning, community organizing, and popular education.
Johanna holds both a Master of Public Health and a Master of City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley. For her master’s thesis she developed a research methodology to assess the historical relationships between social vulnerability and freeway placement in San Francisco. She also holds a BS in Conservation and Resource Studies from UC Berkeley.
As a graduate student, Johanna worked for San Francisco's Planning Department and Department of Public Works. With the Department of Public Works, she analyzed native tree distribution and assisted with the design and implementation of the SOMA Street Tree Nursery to grow local, climate-resilient street trees. She also worked with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) on climate policy research. Prior to graduate school, Johanna was with the Center for Creative Land Recycling, where she worked on providing technical assistance to brownfield redevelopment projects. Johanna is currently with the California Air Resources Board as an Air Pollution Specialist, where she works quantification methodologies for California Climate Investments programs, enhancing guidance to agencies on building relationships and partnerships with Tribal communities, and where she serves as a resource for climate work at the nexus of natural and working lands, land use, and transportation planning.
Sheila has spent several decades directing projects that revitalize communities – including vacant or unutilized buildings, public spaces or downtowns – to realize their potential as economic and community hubs. Her passion is working with stakeholders to draw attention to what makes an area unique and attractive, drawing on aspects of the local culture, history and the arts that might be otherwise overlooked. Sheila previously owned a successful San Francisco-based historic preservation consulting firm, and was a Main Street director on both coasts. She has been a volunteer or board member on multiple nonprofit organizations supporting public art, culture, and social responsibility.
