Summary
Healthy Development without Displacement: Realizing the Vision of Healthy Communities for All
In recent years we have seen a surge in initiatives designed to improve health and safety through changes to community environments, with new investments in bike lanes, parks, urban trails, public transit, grocery stores, and more. Over time such investments, combined with shifting job and housing markets, can attract more development interest and increase the likelihood that low and middle income people and people of color get squeezed out of neighborhood housing and business markets rather than benefiting from new development and investments.
In this new paper, we explore: What can people working on “healthy community” issues—like active transportation, parks, healthy food, planning, public health, healthcare, and more—do in their own work to improve community conditions without contributing to gentrification and displacement?
With this paper we:
- Underscore the public health impacts of displacement
- Highlight some of the organizations, researchers, and communities leading this work, and publications that dive deeper into these issues
- Foster new alliances between those working on healthy community initiatives and affordable housing / anti-displacement
- Amplify the drumbeat for shared multi-sector action
- Aim to spark further discussion, collaboration, and innovation in the field