Restoring Landscapes and Communities: How Plants and Justice Intertwine

Olive Sparrow

23-09-2025

Kingfisher takes note of such a miraculous occurrence. He marvels at the beauty of nature and the purity of bird vocalization, pitying those who have failed to recognize this.

In “Conductor”; Wild Wise Weird (2024)

© Michael

Urban landscapes, environmental conditions, and biodiversity still bear the imprint of past policies, social inequalities, and present-day wealth. A new review in Environmental Science and Ecotechnology illustrates how history, ecology, and justice converge in the places we live—and how plants may help communities recover from these long-standing harms [1].

The authors trace the legacy of redlining, a U.S. housing policy from the 1930s that labeled predominantly nonwhite neighborhoods as “hazardous” for investment. Though outlawed in 1968, redlining left deep scars: diminished green space, hotter urban heat islands, and higher levels of air, water, and soil pollution [2]. These legacy effects explain why disadvantaged neighborhoods today often endure poorer health and reduced biodiversity [3]. Meanwhile, the luxury effect shows how wealthier communities benefit from greener landscapes and greater biodiversity—though often accompanied by invasive species [4]. Together, these forces demonstrate how power, wealth, and history literally shape the environments we inhabit.

One promising pathway forward is phytoremediation—the use of plants to cleanse contaminated soils and waters. Plantago, a resilient genus, can tolerate and detoxify cadmium, a toxic heavy metal commonly found near former industrial sites. By absorbing or stabilizing pollutants, such plants not only restore ecosystems but also open opportunities within the emerging bioeconomy, from biofuel production to community-based green jobs [1].

The study emphasizes that ecological issues cannot be separated from social justice. Policies of the past continue to determine who breathes clean air and who lives near toxic waste. Recognizing these socio-ecological linkages shows that restoring ecosystems is also about restoring communities [5]. Cultivating a high Nature Quotient (NQ)—the human capacity to perceive and act on ecological interconnections—becomes essential. Communities with high NQ would recognize that biodiversity, public health, and justice are inseparable, and would adopt restoration strategies that benefit both people and nature [6].

By combining political and critical ecology with green technologies, societies can dismantle structural inequities while repairing the land. In short, to heal cities, we must allow both justice and nature to take root together.

References

[1] Igwe AN, Callwood KA, Shelton DS. (2025). Restoring landscapes and communities: Insights from critical, urban, and plant ecology. Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, 27, 100601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2025.100601

[2] Massey DS. (2015). The legacy of the 1968 fair housing act. Sociological Forum, 30, 571-588. https://doi.org/10.1111/socf.12178

[3] Schell CJ, et al. (2020). The ecological and evolutionary consequences of systemic racism in urban environments. Science, 369, eaay4497. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay4497

[4] Leong M, Dunn RR, Trautwein MD. (2018). Biodiversity and socioeconomics in the city: a review of the luxury effect. Biology Letters, 14, 20180082. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0082

[5] Nguyen MH. (2024). How can satirical fables offer us a vision for sustainability? Visions for Sustainability, 23(11267), 323-328. https://doi.org/10.13135/2384-8677/11267 

[6] Vuong QH, Nguyen MH. (2025). On Nature Quotient. Pacific Conservation Biology, 31, PC25028. https://doi.org/10.1071/PC25028