Explore your community
In most cities, affluent neighborhoods tend to be the ones with the most trees. Lower income parts of the city almost always have the fewest. And it’s in these neighborhoods where the burdens of climate change, such as those listed below, fall most heavily.
- Higher levels of respiratory diseases, stress, cardiovascular illness and shorter life expectancy
- More extreme impacts from climate change including heat-related deaths
- Performance gaps on standardized educational tests
- Scant access to green space and parks
But you can't do it all at once
Start where success is possible.
To assure continuing progress and cement prospects for future funding, you may want to focus early investment on neighborhoods that have the social, organizational and leadership assets in place or emerging.
What might distinguish those places?
- Active block and/or neighborhood associations
- Local congregations active in community affairs
- Effective, engaged city council member or legislative representative
- Nearby college or university
- Local residents visibly active and respected in community
- Vocal citywide equity advocate(s)
- Past recognition for neighborhood-led initiatives
- Local schools, teachers offering environmental education
- Planned infrastructure upgrade, redevelopment project
- Local businesses, other companies support community initiatives