MINNEAPOLIS GREEN ZONES
What are the Minneapolis Green Zones?
The idea for developing a Minneapolis Green Zones initiative came from the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan Environmental Justice Working Group. A Green Zone is a place-based policy initiative aimed at improving health and supporting economic development using environmentally conscious efforts in communities that face the cumulative effects of environmental pollution, as well as social, political and economic vulnerability
Why were the Minneapolis Green Zones created?
Green Zones are an innovative policy to transform toxic hotspots into sustainable healthy neighborhoods. The concept was originated by grassroots environmental justice groups in California, with communities most impacted by pollution central to the policy development and planning processes. Areas where multiple pollution sources (“cumulative pollution”) – where people have been exposed to the toxic effects of pollutants from heavy industry, factories, and busy highways – are targeted. Studies across the country are showing these are disproportionately overburdening low income and communities of color.
The Green Zones are based on the fundamental principle that clean air to breathe and clean land are basic human rights, and should not be determined by income and race. Green Zones focus governmental and local business resources toward a just transition plan for overburdened communities toward a healthy place and economy. The three overarching goals of of Green Zones policies are to do no harm, to reduce the existing burden, and to invest in communities.
Where are the Green Zones?
To support the Green Zones Workgroup's data-driven decision making, a Minneapolis Population Characteristics and Environmental Indicators Map was created. The tool showed data by Census Tract for each of the eight priority issues selected by the Green Zones Workgroup: 1) equity, 2) displacement, 3) air quality, 4) brownfields and soil contamination, 5) housing, 6) green jobs, 7) food access, and 8) greening. The multiple data sets were turned on at once to show cumulative burden, identifying the Green Zones.