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Gensler | 22 Gensler | 23 <br />f.OCNC Experience & Qualifications f.OCNC Experience & Qualifications <br />Gensler Research Project: <br />Aligning Practice with Climate Justice <br />Gensler worked on a two-year research project focused on how we can bring <br />climate justice into our projects by engaging community partners. <br />We see drastic inequities in our cities in the form of <br />homelessness, blight, poverty, crime, and more. Over the course <br />of two years, Gensler’s research team explored climate justice, <br />which overlays the built environment with the effects of climate <br />change and social justice. Due to a long history of systemic <br />racism and injustice, we see a direct link between climate change <br />and the disproportionately negative impacts of climate change on <br />communities of color. Many neighborhoods, originally designated <br />by redlining policies “as undesirable, poorly maintained, and <br />vandalized” have gone decades without public investment, <br />leaving them more vulnerable to extreme weather events, heat <br />waves, and other climate-related disasters. <br />Through our research we realized there were many clear <br />differences between the way predominantly Black neighborhoods <br />are treated when compared to more affluent neighborhoods. We <br />looked at the areas of focus of the Climate Action Plan: Energy <br />Savings & Supply; Land Use; Transportation; Water Infrastructure; <br />and Air Quality. <br />This legacy of climate injustice is not likely to improve without <br />strategic changes in the realms of policy and design. How do we <br />address systemic inequities in our cities through the work we do? <br />• By understanding how things are and how they got that way <br />and recognizing that climate change is already exacerbating <br />existing issues. <br />• By understanding current efforts and the challenges they face <br />and building on the knowledge and experience of others. <br />• By becoming advocates and leaders in climate justice <br />action through equitable policy, community engagement, <br />collaborative partnerships, and the thoughtful integration of <br />our knowledge with the design process. <br />What is the role we might play in the design and construction <br />process? We believe the best place to start is by establishing <br />strong local partnerships with organizations currently working <br />on issues of climate justice in our communities. For design <br />professionals, community partnerships have the potential to <br />develop into real projects and support real change for local <br />neighborhoods. While every connection may not yield ground- <br />breaking results, every connection is a valuable step in the right <br />direction. With proper preparation and relationship building, <br />future progress can flourish. Work where trust is established <br />through relationships create greater impact. <br />Finding that the typical <br />design process does not <br />consistently prioritize <br />partnerships and climate <br />justice evaluations, the <br />framework shown here <br />has been developed <br />as a tool for design <br />teams to discover what <br />opportunities there may <br />be to integrate equitable <br />climate action into their <br />projects. It provides both <br />general waypoints and <br />more specific areas of <br />inquiry highlighting the <br />importance of strong <br />partnerships and early <br />action. <br />Docusign Envelope ID: EA417244-1B08-4F71-884E-045B78625FB7