In Rust Belt states like Wisconsin, disadvantaged communities declined as a result of a shift away from industrialization.
A federal grant program could help cities replace old concrete with green spaces and other sustainable construction measures.
The City of Janesville will hold three public hearings in September to prepare to apply for a $20 million Environmental Protection Agency grant focused on environmental justice.
Jimsi Kuborn, the city’s economic development director, said while they are trying to redesign the old General Motors and JATCO site, they also want to offer a better future to surrounding neighborhoods that suffer from low incomes and other side effects.
“Here, trees are growing in the middle of the asphalt and fences are falling down,” said Kuborn. “So we have to create a green opportunity here, a green field for new development and new opportunities.”
She said this could include new energy-efficient housing and the possibility of solar projects.
The GM site was demolished shortly before the pandemic, and this particular EPA grant does not cover the necessary soil remediation work.
However, Kuborn stressed the importance of promoting environmentally friendly development so that neighborhoods are not faced with problems such as excessive stormwater runoff from these legacy sites.
Kuborn said cities like Janesville aren’t the only ones facing this problem.
“We’ve seen in many places in the U.S. that things have been moved offshore,” Kuborn said. “Some things have been moved back onshore, and communities are left sitting on these run-down assets.”
Janesville has encountered obstacles, including working with a private company to completely clean up the GM site and remove remaining concrete.
Since the plant closed, the county in which the city is located has seen job growth in other sectors, and a recent report from the Brookings Institution outlined how the region was able to survive without relying solely on heavy industry.
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