When Robert Moses built the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), he demolished historic neighborhoods, disrupted thriving communities, and displaced hundreds of thousands of residents—disproportionately people of color and immigrants. Eight decades later, sections of the BQE are crumbling, prompting discussions about repair and reimagination. As officials and communities consider the future of this artery, attention is turning to alternative ways to move goods and freight, revitalize neighborhoods, reconnect communities, and address environmental harm all while avoiding the pitfalls of gentrification and displacement.
“Green gentrification” refers to eco-friendly urban improvements that, while beneficial, inevitably increase property values and living costs, pushing out long-term residents. Join the Center for Brooklyn History, the Institute for Public Architecture, and the Brooklyn Heights Association for an evening exploring how green gentrification can be considered – and avoided – as we look towards the future of the BQE.
The event begins with a screening of The Story of the BQE, a documentary by architect Adam Paul Susaneck, Founder of Segregation by Design, produced by the Institute for Public Architecture. It is followed by a discussion with a panel of experts, activists, and stakeholders about the challenges of green gentrification and strategies to address them. Panelists include Dr. Frances Lucerna, Co-Founder of El Puente and Founding Principal of the El Puente Academy for Peace; Michelle de la Uz, Executive Director of Fifth Avenue Committee; Marc Norman, Associate Dean of the Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University; and Nilka Martell, Founder/Director of Loving the Bronx. Leading the conversation is Tiffany-Ann Taylor, Vice-President of Transportation at the Regional Plan Association.
A light reception will follow the program.