• Learn about the launch of CREATE’s policy toolkit for preventing green gentrification and promoting social and environmental justice
• Be inspired by the stories of community leaders and justice scholars
• Network with individuals working to advance solutions to social and environmental problems

The pursuit of more sustainable and “green” cities threatens to leave some communities behind if actions are not taken to remediate past injustices and prevent cycles of disinvestment from transitioning to cycles of displacement.

The CREATE Initiative aims to disrupt patterns of social and environmental injustice in cities through community engagement and scholarship informed by community priorities. We are excited to launch the culmination of two years of this work through our policy toolkit “Sharing the Benefits of a Greening City”. Be among the first to preview the toolkit and collectively consider how it can be used to uplift existing environmental and housing justice commitments.

The event will include an esteemed panel:

• Iyekiyapiwin Darlene St. Clair – Associate Professor, St. Cloud State University; Multicultural Resource Center Director, St. Cloud State University
• Kirsten Delegard – Director, Mapping Prejudice Project
• Na’ Taki Osborne Jelks – Assistant Professor, Spelman College; Board Chair, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance; Co-Chair, Proctor Creek Stewardship Council; Appointee, EPA National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee
• Shannon Smith Jones – Executive Director, Hope Community, Inc.
• Tsega Tamene – Director of Community Health, Pillsbury United Communities

This event is free and appetizers and drinks will be provided. Space is limited so be sure to reserve a spot! Please contact Mira Klein at mrklein@umn.edu with any questions.

The CREATE Initiative advances research and education at the intersection of environment and equity through community engagement, interdisciplinary scholarship, and graduate training.

Funded by the University of Minnesota’s Grand Challenges Research Initiative, the Institute on the Environment, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and the McKnight Foundation, the CREATE Initiative addresses real world problems that impact equitable access to environmental amenities while fostering environmental, economic, and racial justice.