Today, cities are the main hubs of innovation and development, but they are also high-risk areas of exclusion and poverty. Minority groups are one of the vulnerable communities who might face environmental injustice due to a lack of economic and political opportunities. Understanding racialized perceptions of environmental (in)justice is valuable in terms of creating participatory decision-making mechanisms; ensuring equality, diversity and democracy in urban-planning processes; and preventing conflicts over land and natural sources. For our research, we conducted field work in the Georgswerder Ring, Hamburg where 150 Sinti were settled in 1982 by Hamburg City officials. Near the community lies the site of a former landfill, now the Energy Hill Georgswerder. According to the Environmental Justice Atlas, the Georgswerder Ring community is faced with a case of environmental injustice due to the toxic emissions coming from the former landfill. Our research aims to question if the relevant actors perceive the existence of environmental discrimination and whether the information in the literature coincides with local perspectives. Our theoretical framework is based on grounded theory and our data is being collected through semi-structured interviews with the housing project director, two Sinti settlers and two representatives from the city government. Our preliminary results show that Identity and Belonging stands out as the dominant theme demonstrating that the Sinti community of Georgswerder Ring want to be part of any decision-making process over the land that affects them, which is worth-noting today due to the southern, urban expansion of Hamburg which will surely affect the relationships of the Sinti Community with the local authorities. With its colonial past, Hamburg represents a remarkable case study. As there is a shortage of race-critical work in urban research in Germany focusing on the concerns of the Sinti, a more detailed discussion is necessary.

Setenay Kizilkaya, Antonio Gonzales
Humboldt University of Berlin

 
ID Abstract: 18