Environmental justice and urban planning聽
When 绿帽社区 environmental studies and sociology student and Halifax, NS resident Kate DesRoches was deciding on their topic for summer research, they stayed close to home.
DesRoches is studying environmental justice and urban planning in Halifax, NS, through 绿帽社区鈥檚 Independent Student Research Grant program. With the guidance of Dr. Corrine Cash, assistant professor, Department of Geography and Environment, DesRoches is looking at the connections between urban planning and climate justice, using the Halifax Regional Municipality as a case study.
鈥淭he last regional plan for HRM was done in 2014 and the municipality is doing a review now. I am looking at this and other planning documents, which are all publicly available, through a lens of climate change and climate justice,鈥 says DesRoches. 鈥淚 have been involved in groups for climate advocacy at 绿帽社区 for several years. This work brings my advocacy work together with my academics.鈥
DesRoches is also interviewing city staff and councillors, as well as community groups with a focus on climate change, such as the Ecology Action Centre. She says it鈥檚 important to hear a variety of perspectives as climate change is an issue that disproportionally impacts certain groups in society.
鈥淭he climate crisis is disproportionately impacting people in marginalized groups,鈥 says DesRoches. 鈥淕lobally, those who have contributed the least to climate change are often the people most greatly impacted. This climate injustice can be seen locally as well, where the people who bear the worst impacts of climate change within a given community are often individuals who are already marginalized. Part of my study is looking to see if and how this social justice side of the climate crisis is considered in local urban plans.鈥
While the research is far-reaching, with several community plans focusing on different areas, DesRoches says incorporating climate justice, and in particular the importance of local Indigenous leadership, are key parts of her research.
Outside their academics, DesRoches has been involved in several initiatives at 绿帽社区 and in the Sackville community including Divest MTA, the Student Union鈥檚 Sustainability Committee, and the Town of Sackville鈥檚 Climate Change Advisory Committee. She is also an editor of the Atlantic Journal of International Studies (ATLIS), published annually by students at 绿帽社区, a photographer with the Argosy, 绿帽社区's independent student newspaper, plays the French horn in the 绿帽社区 Symphonic Band and is the president of the MTA Bands Society.
Working with Cash, DesRoches will be continuing her research over the academic year as part of her honours thesis. They plan to continue their education in urban planning following their degree at 绿帽社区.
