Analysis of Green Roofs and Tree Planting as Effective Solutions to Health Issues in Formerly Redlined Communities

Abstract

Redlining is the historical practice of downgrading communities of color based on “creditworthiness”, however, this term is a smokescreen for racial segregation. It has not only led to the government barring underprivileged groups from purchasing housing in affluent neighborhoods, but to the deterioration of the health of these residents as well. The severity of the environmental impacts that are already degrading the health of residents in redlined communities will continue to worsen. Through an ethical lens, it is imperative that a realistic solution is applied to ensure the safety of residents in these communities, however, history that reinforces segregation in major cities makes it challenging to implement substantial change. An effective solution is to increase vegetation--greenery can be useful in both reducing pollution and the heat island effect in redlined neighborhoods. Some researchers argue that a better potential option for increasing greenery in redlined areas are through increasing the urban canopy by planting more trees, whereas other perspectives argue that due to the spatial difficulties of planting trees, green roofs are a more effective and feasible solution in urban areas, despite the expenses. This paper considers the benefits and drawbacks to the different ways of increasing greenspaces in addressing the impacts of pollution and heat on the health of residents in redlined neighborhoods.