Building on our work to develop a vision for the future of urban green space in Northern Ireland, Useful Projects was appointed by the Northern Ireland Environment Link, the National Trust, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to measure the environmental equity of 11 towns and cities across Northern Ireland.
Targeting urban green space
At its core, environmental equity has the principle that all communities should have the same degree of protection from environmental hazards and be equally involved in decisions that affect the health of the territory in which they live.
The effects of climate change will bring disparities in environmental equity into sharper focus as those more susceptible to environmental risks will be disproportionately affected by rising temperatures and an increased frequency of flood events.
To ensure there is environmental equity, we must first identify those who face greater environmental risks than benefits as this will enable meaningful investment in green interventions.
Through this process, we calculated an Environmental Equity Index (EEI) using environmental and social data in a geographic information system.
The output of this work was a report detailing our methodology, including a set of maps and associated infographics, that are intended to assist decision-makers in targeting urban green space investment to areas in need.
