Environmental Justice Tour Recap
Reflections on Climate Justice and Public Space
Our growing disconnection from nature has led to many of today’s environmental challenges; some of which are in our control and others are not. The consequences show up in everyday life: polluted air, extreme heat, lack of green space, noise pollution, and overall weakened community health.
Plants, parks, and green space more broadly, are powerful partners in addressing these environmental risks. They help reduce noise and air pollution, support local biodiversity, lower surface temperatures, and improve mental and physical well-being. In fact, a 2020 study conducted by Drexel University’s Engineers Without Borders students found that the area surrounding the Rail Park was 1.76°F cooler than a nearby control block with only 2.36% green space, compared to the Rail Park’s 16.67% green space.
Plants help manage stormwater, prevent erosion, lower energy costs, and provide us shade on sunny days. They create opportunities for community gathering and resilience, and in return, we can act in ways that support their health, like planting native species that attract pollinators.
Did you know that there are around 80 identified plant species along the Rail Park? These species serve as temporary habitats for migrating birds, mammals, and insects. The park is not only a green space for people; it's an active ecosystem supporting life forms that we may not even notice.
Last month, we hosted an environmental justice tour at the Rail Park, and in conversation, we reflected on our relationships to plants and to natural spaces more broadly. What does it mean to be in relationship with plants, animals, and each other through shared access to public green space? When we talk about public space, who is “the public?” Is “public space” only for humans or does it include non-human life as well?
Environmental justice traditionally focuses on the ways marginalized communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental harms. These harms can present as limited access to clean water, increased air pollution, and displacement due to new development. In addition to environmental justice, we also discussed ecological justice, which pushes us to go even further, acknowledging that plants, animals, and ecosystems also experience harm and deserve care and consideration.
On the tour, we discussed the history of the Rail Park, not just its industrial past or its present uses, but the communities (human and non-human) that began reclaiming the space after the train stopped running. Recognizing their presence challenges us to rethink what it means to share space, and what environmental and ecological justice can look like in practice.
