‘Climate gentrifi cation’ will hit most of Queens hard
New report says heatwaves, fl oods and other weather woes will add to higher costs of living
BY MARK HALLUM
As if a growing lack of
affordability was not bad
enough, organizations are
hard at work in western and
central Queens to prepare
residents for the worst in the
face of climate change.
After studying how
residents in Jackson Heights,
Corona and Elmhurst
currently battle weather
events, the Regional Plan
Association (RPA) and Make
the Road NY are anticipating
possible displacement
through worsening heat
waves, flooding and older
buildings that will make it
more difficult for residents to
cope.
Robert Freudenberg from
the RPA told QNS that 20
percent of people in these
communities do not have air
conditioning and already
combat mold, flooding and
transit-related stress. But
the RPA is not sounding the
alarm without also providing
tips on how residents can stay
in place while taking on the
coming challenges.
“As heat waves happen, the
quote-unquote luxury of air
conditioning could become
an issue of life or death,”
Freudenberg said. “Buildings
are going to need more
repairs and attention and
this brought about the idea
that as we make buildings
better and prepare them for
climate change, could that
lead to a new wave of climate
gentrification?”
Freudenberg argues
that while the research for
the new study, “Equitable
Adaptation,” illustrates the
emergency that will be felt
by lower income brackets, it
also puts a human face to the
struggle that will be climate
change.
The distinction between
these communities and the
others, Freudenberg said, is
a high concentration of older
buildings.
“There are a few ways that
people are starting to look
at climate gentrification as
The sunset from Flushing Photo: Mark Hallum/QNS
a thing,” Freudenberg said.
“As we make areas safe from
flooding, will that then raise
the property values or raise
the rents and push people out,
make it more desirable for
people to live there? That’s
one side of it.”
As early as 2020, the
city can start to expect 26
to 31 days of over 90 degree
weather compared to the 18-
day average recorded between
1970 and 2000.
“If programs or building
managers adapt their
buildings to climate change,
that could be borne by the
rent-payer,” Freudenberg said.
“As we consider improvement
to things, as we adapt them
we have to make sure things
aren’t out of reach for the
people that live there.”
While central Queens may
not be beyond redemption
from climate change, many
waterfront communities may
see displacement from rising
sea levels no matter how well
residents prepare.
Transit may also be
presented with challenges as
many New Yorkers have seen
since Superstorm Sandy and
the subway crisis, and it could
impact people economically.
One way Freudenberg
said the city could prepare
for climate change better is
through green infrastructure
such as rain gardens, which
help minimize storm sewers
draining untreated water
into the sea and contributing
to pollution. But the real
point of green infrastructure
is that more vegetation means
less heat in communities.
More vegetation mean
cleaner waterways and cooler
communities.
Another suggestion from
the RPA is manage homes
better, such as closing
blinds during the day in the
summer or monitoring mold
to mitigate growth before it
becomes a problem requiring
professional help.
NY C IDEN T I F I C ATIO N C AR D
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TIMESLEDGER,24 MAY 17-23, 2019 QNS.COM
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