Colorline — Yimeng Ding

The design and re-design of physical infrastructure in the United States is shaped by the long-haul battle of race, class, and power. Centered on Bushwick Inlet Park, the project envisions infrastructure reuse not simply as park-making, but as a tool for repairing historical inequities and redrawing "color lines" that have long shaped access to land, resources, and public life.

Through spatial mapping, historical document research, and data analysis, the project establishes an Equitable Impact Framework (EIF) under which the park reconnects historically marginalized Black and Hispanic neighborhoods to the waterfront, honors Indigenous and activist histories, and embeds equity into long-term governance and operation.

Study of the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS reveal the discrepancies between the DCP proposal and reality of the neighborhood currently, or "broken promises" of the 2005 rezoning. Nearly two decades passing since the accepted rezoning proposition, the creation of the park has not been immediate.

Data analysis was also conducted on the environmental and social impacts of park area (measured in the number of parks in each census tract in Kings County).

The quasi-experiment conducted shows that while parks positively impact air quality and rental rates, they do not significantly correlate with upward mobility, suggesting that the premium of park planning might lead to "green gentrification". It reiterates the importance on the equitable park development and governance to support current residents, beyond simply building more parks.

Link to full paper ↗