In the United States, people of color are disproportionally more
likely to live in environments with poor air quality, in close
proximity to toxic waste, and in locations more vulnerable to climate
change and extreme weather events.
In many vulnerable
neighborhoods, structural racism and classism prevent residents from
having a seat at the table when decisions are made about their
community. In an effort to overcome power imbalances and ensure local
knowledge informs decision-making, a new approach to community
engagement is essential.
In Resilience for
All, Barbara Brown Wilson looks at less conventional, but often
more effective methods to make communities more resilient. She takes
an in-depth look at what equitable, positive change through
community-driven design looks like in four communities—East Biloxi,
Mississippi; the Lower East Side of Manhattan; the Denby neighborhood
in Detroit, Michigan; and the Cully neighborhood in Portland, Oregon.
These vulnerable communities have prevailed in spite of serious urban
stressors such as climate change, gentrification, and disinvestment.
Wilson looks at how the lessons in the case studies and other
examples might more broadly inform future practice. She shows how
community-driven design projects in underserved neighborhoods can not
only change the built world, but also provide opportunities for
residents to build their own capacities.