The Myth of Green Development by VERONA TEO The San Francisco Bay Area, once home to diverse populations, has been constantly changing since the 1990s. Lower income families are moving away at increasing rates to seek more affordable housing. According to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, gentrification rates are higher in the Bay Area than anywhere else in the United States. Although there are many elements that affect population dynamics within cities, green gentrification is a recent phenomenon that has significantly shaped the region’s neighborhoods, 11 Fall 2020 / Perennial
cities, and populations. “Green gentrification,� also known as environmental or climate gentrification, is the process in which the implementation of eco-friendly amenities and environmental planning agendas increase property values and thus attract wealthier populations (Barcelona Laboratory for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability). While gentrification overall has been a topic of debate for quite some time, the idea of climate gentrification is one that has become more popular relatively recently.
