THE VALUE OF GOWANUS REZONING, ENVIRONMENTAL
CLEAN-UP ACTIONS, AND A PROPOSED ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE SPECIAL DISTRICT
GOWANUS NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION FOR JUSTICE | BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
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The Gowanus neighborhood in Brooklyn, NYC, which is centered around the Gowanus Canal, is undergoing significant changes. Beginning in 2020, the neighborhood is slated to be rezoned into a mixed residential, commercial, and manufacturing area. The rezoning process is expected to spur rapid property value growth. In addition, the neighborhood rezoning will result in significant additions to public and privately owned open space. Meanwhile, the Gowanus Canal, a designated U.S. EPA Superfund site, will soon undergo remediation. Cleanup will focus on the canal itself, as well as three former manufactured gas plant sites adjacent to the canal. The City of New York and the U.S. EPA, through the Natural Resource Damages Assessment process, have a critical opportunity to invest in accessible public space and green infrastructure as part of the rezoning and Superfund cleanup.
ADVANCING EQUITY
THROUGH TARGETED INVESTMENTS
Fifth Avenue Committee, Gowanus Canal Conservancy, and other community advocates in the Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice (GNCJ) are pushing the City to go above and beyond the current proposal to integrate a range of improvements, including investment in public parks and streetscapes; improvements to stormwater, sewer and flood management infrastructure; increases in vegetation and tree canopy; and investments in health and social resilience in public housing developments and the broader community. These proposed investments would build wealth and wellbeing among long-term residents who have borne the burden of contamination for decades.
It is estimated that $2 million in additional economic value would be generated by the GNCJ proposed neighborhood improvements, including:
$998,000 heat island mitigation
$395,000 environmental benefits
$377,000 mold remediation benefits
$27,000 physical activity benefits
$46,000 recreational benefits
$90,000 solar energy savings
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Banner Photo Credit: Rob Abruzzese, The Gowanus Canal, brooklyneagle.com
This project was completed in partnership with Fifth Avenue Committee and the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, with funding support from The Kresge Foundation.
Suggested Citation Page, R., Madsen, T. 2019. Gowanus: A Case for an Environmental Justice Special District and Beyond. Earth Economics. Tacoma, WA.
Fifth Avenue Committee, Inc. (FAC) is a community organization in South Brooklyn that advances economic and social justice by building vibrant, diverse communities where residents have genuine opportunities to achieve their goals, as well as the power to shape the community’s future.
Gowanus Canal Conservancy is dedicated to facilitating the development of a resilient, vibrant, open space network centered on the Gowanus Canal through activating and empowering community stewardship of the Gowanus Watershed.