Professor University of St. Thomas St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
Abstract: In urban environments, marginalized communities typically have higher exposure to environmental hazards and limited access to the benefits of natural spaces. While economics is a contributing factor, this phenomenon can also result from policy decisions made by government bodies that have little or no representation from members of these marginalized communities. We examined four case studies involving environmental benefits or hazards from Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota, to characterize how decisions were made and how different communities were affected. First, we examine how different policies by two different local government entities in Minneapolis affect access to community garden plots by urban residents. The second case study focuses on a metal recycling facility located in a low-income neighborhood in North Minneapolis that operated for years despite repeated air quality violations that contributed to the highest rate of asthma hospitalizations in the state. The third and fourth case studies both focus on springs that are sacred to the Dakota people. One of these sites, Coldwater Spring, is managed by the National Park service and has allowed minimal input from the Dakota Community during planning and development of the park site. The other site, Wakáŋ Tipi, was an industrial dumping ground for nearly a century before being restored as a park through a community effort that now is led by indigenous community members. Collectively, these four case studies underscore how representation among government entities that make and enforce policies is an important factor in determining how marginalized communities interact with the urban environment.
