Climate Gentrification

Concerned about climate change? One of the best things you can do is welcome taller buildings in your neighborhood. That’s because city dwellers use less energy and water than people living in the suburbs or rural areas. A recent bill in the California State Legislature proposed raising allowable height limits for new buildings near transit lines across the state. Residents in San Francisco and Los Angeles cried foul, and the bill died in committee. Environmentalists worried about climate change were some of the biggest critics of the proposed law. Others saw a green-tinged excuse for more gentrification and displacement. On the other side, Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman and other tech leaders favored the bill as a way to address the state’s affordability crisis.

Are you a YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) or NIMBY (Not in My Backyard)? Are environmentalists hypocrites if they oppose efforts to use one of the biggest levers to fight climate disruption? Does urban infill drive out people of color in the name of going green?

Join us for a conversation about shaping the future of Bay Area urban life in a hot and crowded world.