Bringing Just Green Enough Down to Earth: Limits and Possibilities for Anti-Gentrification Park Planning

Problem, research strategy, and findings: While many low-income neighborhoods lack adequate access to green space, new park investments can increase housing costs, driving resident fears about gentrification. In this case study we examined the planning process for a new park in Minneapolis (MN) amid heightened gentrification concerns. Drawing on interviews and document review, we identified the discursive strategies adopted by planners and community members to navigate gentrification concerns while advancing environmental justice goals. In particular, the term just green enough (JGE) served to foreground concerns about potential displacement pressure and feelings of exclusion, ultimately resulting in several park plan elements explicitly aimed at minimizing green gentrification. We observed that JGE was limited to the park and was commonly interpreted to mean low-income communities must constrain their aspirations, ultimately undermining the potential for reparative park investments. Takeaway for practice: Our case suggests that in practice JGE is vulnerable to being interpreted as deficit oriented and limited to the borders of the park, regardless of the concept’s original intent and elaboration in the literature. Our findings signal a collective hunger for novel planning concepts and tools that center the needs of vulnerable residents while meaningfully integrating greening, housing, and employment, suggesting a need for ongoing experimentation. The case of JGE also serves as an example of the potential unintended consequences of how academic concepts are translated into planning practice.