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Risky Business: Sustainability and Industrial Land Use across Seattle’s Gentrifying Riskscape

Author

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  • Troy D. Abel

    (Huxley College of the Environment on the Peninsulas, Western Washington University, P.O. Box 1699, Poulsbo, WA 98370, USA)

  • Jonah White

    (Department of Geography, Michigan State University, Geography Building, 673 Auditorium Rd., Room 116, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA)

  • Stacy Clauson

    (Department of Environmental Studies, Western Washington University, MS 9085, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA)

Abstract

This paper examines the spatial and temporal trajectories of Seattle’s industrial land use restructuring and the shifting riskscape in Seattle, WA, a commonly recognized urban model of sustainability. Drawing on the perspective of sustainability as a conflicted process, this research explored the intersections of urban industrial and nonindustrial land use planning, gentrification, and environmental injustice. In the first part of our research, we combine geographic cluster analysis and longitudinal air toxic emission comparisons to quantitatively investigate socioeconomic changes in Seattle Census block-groups between 1990, 2000, and 2009 coupled with measures of pollution volume and its relative potential risk. Second, we qualitatively examine Seattle’s historical land use policies and planning and the growing tension between industrial and nonindustrial land use. The gentrification, green cities, and growth management conflicts embedded within sustainability/livability lead to pollution exposure risk and socioeconomic vulnerability converging in the same areas and reveal one of Seattle’s significant environmental challenges. Our mixed-method approach can guide future urban sustainability studies to more effectively examine the connections between land use planning, industrial displacement, and environmental injustice. Our results also help sustainable development practitioners recognize that a more just sustainability in Seattle and beyond will require more planning and policy attention to mitigate obscured industrial land use conflicts.

Suggested Citation

  • Troy D. Abel & Jonah White & Stacy Clauson, 2015. "Risky Business: Sustainability and Industrial Land Use across Seattle’s Gentrifying Riskscape," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-36, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:11:p:15718-15753:d:59323
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Fengbao Liu & Xigang Zhu & Jianshu Li & Jie Sun & Qinshi Huang, 2019. "Progress of Gentrification Research in China: A Bibliometric Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-28, January.
    3. Bingqing Li & Zhanqi Wang & Feng Xu, 2022. "Does Optimization of Industrial Structure Improve Green Efficiency of Industrial Land Use in China?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-18, July.
    4. Amanda Pavan & Sue C. Grady & Igor Vojnovic, 2023. "Racial and ethnic disparities in exposure to risk-screening environmental indicator (RSEI) toxicity-weighted concentrations: Michigan Census Tracts, 2008–2017," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 13(2), pages 221-239, June.
    5. Fei Xie & Shuaibing Zhang & Kaixu Zhao & Fengmei Quan, 2022. "Evolution Mode, Influencing Factors, and Socioeconomic Value of Urban Industrial Land Management in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-33, September.
    6. Yehua Dennis Wei, 2016. "Towards Equitable and Sustainable Urban Space: Introduction to Special Issue on “Urban Land and Sustainable Development”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-9, August.
    7. Susan Spierre Clark & Monica Lynn Miles, 2021. "Assessing the Integration of Environmental Justice and Sustainability in Practice: A Review of the Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-23, October.

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