Hunter Professors Marcotullio, Reinmann and Heris awarded NASA grant for Equitable/Just Greening for EEJ communities, NYC

Peter J. Marcotullio (PI, Department of Geography and Environmental Science), Andrew Reinmann (co-I, Advanced Science Research Center and Department of Geography and Environmental Science), and Mehdi Heris (co-I, Department of Urban Planning), all faculty at Hunter College, working with Janice Barnes (consultant, Climate Adaptation Partners) have been awarded a NASA grant focused on environmental equity and justice (ROSES  A.49 EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS: EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE). The proposal (Spatial and temporal variations in land surface temperature, vegetation, and socioeconomic and health characteristics in frontline EEJ neighborhoods in New York City: Integrating Scientific Study with Community Perspectives) also received letters of support from the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). The NASA program is new and encourages the use of NASA products for a “Landscape Analysis” that combines participatory data collection and assessment processes to increase NASA’s understanding of the equity and environmental justice (EEJ) landscapes. The research team will use these funds to examine how environmental frontline communities in New York City have changed over the past 40 years in terms of socio-economic, health, urban fabric, and biophysical characteristics and if climate and greening policies are associated with that change. This research is critical to generating a deeper appreciation of “climate displacement” and urban neighborhood change in the city. The grant was awarded through the Institute for Sustainable Cities at Hunter College and will cover research for a period of a year.