Gentrification is often used to describe the economic impacts of urban development. However, racialized communities in particular disproportionately feel its detrimental impacts.
The British empire brought the practice of commons enclosure to Africa to claim land. Its effects continue today at sites like the Liesbeek River in Cape Town.
Our cities are filled with historical infrastructure long past its first usage. New ways of thinking about urban planning though can turn them into much needed green spaces.