Equitable Development in Action

What Makes Community-Driven Revitalization Models Work?

To advance both environmental justice and equitable development, EPA Region 4 hosted a series
of conversations with community change-makers to understand what strategies have helped
neighborhoods increase local wealth and opportunity while preventing gentrification. Visit the website
below to learn about success stories from a range of community-based organizations who are taking
revitalization into their own hands to increase affordable housing, education, economic opportunity,
and health.

Community Highlights

Groundwork Jacksonville | Jacksonville, Florida
The Mill District | Columbus, Georgia
Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, Inc.
Tampa, Florida

City of North Charleston, South Carolina
Regenesis | Spartanburg, South Carolina
Build UP | Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham Land Bank Authority & The Woodlawn
United Foundation | Birmingham, Alabama

These community change-makers are employing effective
community development models including:

National Affiliations
Purpose Built Communities
Community Development Organizations
Social Impact Assessment
Collaborative Problem Solving
• Build UP
Land Banks

These stories celebrate communities who are charting their own future
by adopting models that empower residents. These integrated solutions
invest in both the people and the place and build toward prosperity for
existing residents to address gentrification and environmental justice issues.
EPA invites interested communities to learn from these inspiring change-
makers and tap into EPA resources that can help take the next step to achieve
community-driven solutions.

To learn about successful
community-driven models,
visit the EPA Region A
brownfields website:

epa.gov/brownfields/region4

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