Cities, creeks, and erasure: stream restoration and environmental justice

Abstract

Stream restoration initiatives are examined using the framework of environmental justice. These projects seek to improve stream quality as well as provide benefits to communities. Restoration projects are engaging, educational, and they resonate with narratives of redemption. However, stream restoration projects have been located primarily in rural areas, despite the myriad benefits that might result from siting projects in urban areas. This article clarifies how environmental justice principles could be applied to stream restoration initiatives, and examines disparities in project locations in a single state, Pennsylvania, during the 1999–2004 time period. Several factors are identified to help account for disparities and missed opportunities, including: the relationship between nature, society, and injustice, the role of selected professions in the restoration endeavor, and the assumed linkages between ecosystem improvement and benefits to the community. Several alternative practices are proposed, and the potential benefits are discussed.

Source: resolved