Overcoming Scarcity: Turning Pavement to Parks in Cities

More than a century of racist and discriminatory planning policies has resulted in major disparities in the distribution of green space in cities across the United States. The communities lacking public open space are often the most vulnerable to public health risks, economic insecurity, and climate-related hazards such as flood and excessive heat. As new infill development in these urban neighborhoods exacerbates the demand for public open space, how can cities create new open space in the face of land and resource scarcity? How can pavement be turned into parks that contribute to more equitable and resilient cities?

Identify innovative strategies cities are deploying to create new green space in the communities that need them most. Case studies from Jersey City, New Jersey; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; and Denver illustrate how novel partnerships, innovative regulatory frameworks, restructured rights-of-way, and low-cost public interventions are creating high-performance green spaces that maximize social, economic, and environmental benefits for the communities they serve.