Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has created opportunities for cities to close streets to automobile traffic in the name of public health. Although these interventions promise numerous benefits, neighborhood activists and scholars of color suggest they can perpetuate structurally racist inequities. In this Viewpoint, we implore planners and other city builders to think critically about the impact of these interventions by employing an environmental justice framework. Applying this framework in the open streets context exposes several potential paradoxes that arise. We conclude with a set of best practices that can help city builders transcend these paradoxes and extend this livability revolution to all.

摘要

COVID-19 大流行为城市以公共卫生的名义关闭街道禁止汽车通行创造了机会。尽管这些干预措施有望带来许多好处，但社区活动家和有色人种学者表示，它们可以使结构上的种族主义不平等现象长期存在。在这个观点中，我们恳请规划者和其他城市建设者通过采用环境正义框架来批判性地思考这些干预措施的影响。在开放街道环境中应用这个框架会暴露出几个潜在的悖论。我们总结了一套最佳实践，可以帮助城市建设者超越这些悖论，并将这场宜居革命扩展到所有人。