BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A new report finds a not-so-green pocket in the Green Mountain State– Burlington. Our Sophia Thomas asked experts why and what it means for the tens of thousands who live there.
Nearly 80% of Vermont is forestland, but that greenery tapers off in the confines of the Queen City.
Sarah Petit loves spending peaceful time outside with her daughter but that can be hard to find right outside her door in Burlington’s Old North End.
“Just simple stuff where you can go for a walk and take kids or take your dog and kind of get away from the road noise,” Petit said.
Petit’s neighbors share her frustration.
“I see like flower beds here, but not much other than that,” said Toma Bachelier of Burlington.
“I’d give us like a B-minus, B-plus some or a B, probably,” said Jacob Mushlin of Burlington.
A recent report from the Washington Post brings their concerns to light. It scored cities across the nation on their air and noise pollution, parks, waterbodies and trees, which can have a major impact on physical and mental health.
Vermont ranked highly overall, but Burlington was adequate at best with one zone ranking light.
“Burlington has a tremendous amount of open space, but I think in a state like Vermont, it’s really easy to neglect the cities, but that’s where the population is,” said Zoe Richards of the Burlington Conservation Board.
The report also found that denser, diverse urban areas with less money have less health-supporting nature. That rings true in Burlington, Vermont’s most populous city with a diverse population and lower median income compared to the rest of the state. Plus, renters– who make up more than half of Burlington’s population– often have little say in greening up their space. University of Vermont Researcher Trisha Shrum says that can make properties less affordable.
“That increase in housing values can lead to gentrification, which then has a really negative impact on the communities that are already living in these spaces,” Shrum said.
Meanwhile, Burlington’s conservation board is pushing the city to implement more natural solutions in its push toward net zero energy.
“It’s so much more cost-effective than many of these others are built cars, heat pumps, and it’s just very interesting that we’ve forgotten that basic thing,” Richards said.
Experts and residents say they hope to see more investment in Burlington nature-based climate solutions.