Greening, Revitalization, and Health in South Wilmington, Delaware
Date
2022-08
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Delaware Journal of Public Health
Abstract
We highlight the potential for paradoxical impacts of green infrastructure integrated with urban
redevelopment. Absent directly addressing social inequalities in parallel efforts, green
infrastructure may lead to negative health outcomes of disadvantaged residents, including
eventual displacement. We present the research literature and reviews on this topic. We next
highlight the case of recent in-migration of higher-income Whites and others in South
Wilmington, Delaware, spurred on by high-end Riverfront redevelopment at Christina Landing.
This migration may obscure how greening efforts—such as a new wetlands park to control area
flooding—influence health outcomes in Southbridge, a low-income, African American
neighborhood also within South Wilmington. The area’s Census tract boundary, often used in
both health and equity assessments, is shared by these distinctive communities. When viewed
through the lens of inequality, greening can have multi-faceted impacts that structure health
outcomes. We underscore the importance of the mitigation of its potentially harmful effects.
Description
This article was originally published in Delaware Journal of Public Health. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.32481/djph.2022.08.013
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Citation
Perez, Victor W., and William Swiatek. “Greening, Revitalization, and Health in South Wilmington, Delaware.” Delaware Journal of Public Health 8, no. 3 (August 2022): 78–84. https://doi.org/10.32481/djph.2022.08.013.