LAND SWAP ENVIRONMENTAL ANIMATION

Date: 2023 May
Instructor: Joshua Mosely
Team: Zihan Li, Gerado Rami, Agustina Hufschmid
University of Pennsylvania

This is an educational animation on environmental justice and community empowerment. In this video, we delve into the vital concept of land swap and children's education as powerful tools for assisting vulnerable communities in securing government support. We'll explore how these strategies not only enhance understanding but also pave the way for communities to advocate for their rights and a sustainable future. In this collaboration with EW community, we shed light on these crucial aspects of environmental justice, equipping communities with the knowledge and empowerment they need to make a meaningful difference in their lives and the world around them.

Picture your home…

Picture it 30 years from now

What do you see?

Maybe you see family and friends, enjoying each other’s company, creating new memories.

Your home protects you and the people you love.

Is climate change in the picture?

For millions of residents along rivers, in deltas and coastal areas, climate change is already knocking on the door and the future looks wet.

Can their homes be protected? Sure, but it’s very expensive and investment choices tend to amplify existing patterns of racial injustice. Which neighborhoods get protected? Which don’t?

And let’s get real. Will that sea wall be high enough in the long term? And do we really want to wall in the entire urban coast?

Sometimes you just have to ask: Wouldn’t it make more sense to give people the opportunity to move—to buy them out?

Now here’s a paradox: communities in vulnerable neighborhoods are often more socially resilient than communities that take their protective infrastructure for granted. That’s why resilient communities reject individual buy-outs. Dealing with legacies of racial land-use policy and environmental injustice has bound them together. The community is their home.

That’s where land swaps come in.

Imagine a city that owns undeveloped land nearby at a higher elevation. What if the city offered to build residents new homes on that land in exchange for homes in the flood zone?

The city could convert the abandoned terrain into an urban wetland by giving water more room. A natural retention basin stores carbon, promotes biodiversity, and can be enjoyed for recreation.

At the same time, the city could seize the opportunity to build sustainable homes for communities that have long faced adversity. Work with the community to enact their vision and co-create a model of socially just climate adaptation. Make them whole.

There are benefits for local governments, as well. New wetlands alleviate downstream flooding. Residents would be out of harm’s way and no longer require emergency funding. Homeowners in thriving, healthy neighborhoods pay their taxes.

When it comes to climate protection for neighborhoods in areas increasingly susceptible to flooding, land swaps are a viable option. It turns out making amends for histories of social injustice is good climate policy. Let’s make climate adaptation a good memory.

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