Current Projects
Green Infrastructure for Urban Heat Islands Mitigation
“Going Green for a Cool, Healthy Jackson” – Farish Street Commons
$2 million funding generously provided by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and USDA Forest Service – Urban and Community Forestry Program
Click on image below to view the gallery of designs co-created with Farish Street District businesses and community residents.
Before
View1 from Farish Street
After
Design View1 from Farish Street
After
Design View Closeup
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View2 from Farish Street
After
Design View2 from Farish Street
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View3 from Farish Street
After
Design View3 From Farish Street
Farish1_Photo_logo
Inside Park View
Designs by Jackson Community Design Center of Mississippi State University. Copyright©2024 2°C Mississippi. All rights reserved.
Across the country, redlining and other state sanctioned segregation practices have resulted in longstanding inequities for black residents and other people of color. In the City of Jackson, where 82 percent of the residents are of African American descent and 31 percent live below the poverty line, this legacy is particularly profound. As climate change intensifies, these marginalized communities are the least prepared to adapt to higher temperatures. Many residents in these communities already suffer from many of the cardiac and pulmonary health challenges that sustained levels of heat and humidity can exacerbate.
The Farish Street project was chosen by community members based on two factors, (1)the Urban Heat Island data we collected for Jackson revealed that Farish Street is an extreme urban heat island, recording 10°F hotter than other parts of the city, and (2) Farish Street has historical significance.
Farish Street, sometimes referred to as a Black Wall Street was a center of Black business and culture that thrived in spite of the challenges of segregation and racism. Many organizations and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement lived and worked there, making Farish street a symbol of Black socio-political resiliency. With the advent of integration of public schools combined with the systemic underinvestment that followed, the street began to decline.
2°C Mississippi’s goal is to aid in the revitalization of Farish through a collaboration and coordination of partners that include:
- the Jackson Redevelopment Authority (the landowner)
- Jackson Community Design Center (MSU School of Architecture)
- Communities of Shalom (community organizing and support)
- Capa Strategies (offers climate research and industry-leading practices for managing the emerging risks of climate change)
In 2020, 2˚C Mississippi in partnership with the City of Jackson secured funding through NOAA’s Climate Program Office and the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) Technical assistance from CAPA Strategies for a community science urban heat island (UHI) mapping campaign was the first step of the plan for implementing a green infrastructure solution.
In August 2020, 2˚C Mississippi’s volunteers along with students from Jackson State University’s School of Public Health, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, School of Medicine and dozens of citizen scientists from Jackson worked together to collect data on heat distribution in the city. The campaign produced data that along with socio-economic evidence enables Jackson to maximize its investments in targeted, community-driven interventions. It also prvoided the evidence needed to focus efforts on mitigation strategies for Farish Street.
Urban Flood Control
West Jackson
$1 million funding from the Hilton Foundation and the EPA
Micro or pocket parks have been developed for the purpose of introducing nature into densely populated urban structures, in large cities such as NYC, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, where small spaces are converted into green oases to escape busy city life. Jackson does not have the same densely populated urban structure, but shares the need for microparks that can address a multitude of high priority needs in historically disinvested neighborhoods.
The system of micro parks that we are developing in Jackson transforms abandoned and dilapidated properties into nature based solutions to flooding. We believe that the system of micro-parks will provide both ecological and socioeconomic synergies in Jackson. We expect its cumulative effect to be transformative for the entire neighborhood, resulting in strengthened climate resilience capacity through storm water retention and flood control enhancement as well as mitigating extreme heat exposures.
Additionally, the micro parks will provide a spectrum of ecosystem services, cleaning runoff water, increasing air quality, and promoting biodiversity to name a few. Moreover, the microparks system can also boost local food production (community gardens), pollination gardens, and recreational options.
We also expect multiple socio-economic co-benefits. The transformation of abandoned lots into aesthetically pleasing spaces is expected to reduce crime rates, increase property values for homeowners in the community, while promoting local economic development, support community pride, and enhance well-being of its residents.
Clean Energy and Solar
2C˚Mississippi is working towards establishing the first low income community solar project in Mississippi with the goal of improving energy efficiency while lowering its cost.
In this effort we partnered with the Department of Energy through the National Community Solar Partnership and are receiving technical assistance from National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to establish Virtual Net Metering in the state.
Past Projects
Urban Heat Island Mapping
City of Jackson
Funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
and the National Integrated Heat Health Information System
In 2020, 2˚C Mississippi in partnership with the City of Jackson secured funding through NOAA’s Climate Program Office and the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) and technical assistance from CAPA Strategies for a community science urban heat island (UHI) mapping campaign.
In August 2020, 2˚C Mississippi’s volunteers along with students from Jackson State University’s School of Public Health, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, School of Medicine and dozens of citizen scientists from Jackson worked together to collect data on heat distribution in the city. The campaign produced data that along with socio-economic evidence enables Jackson to maximize its investments in targeted, community-driven interventions.
The data is publicly available, upon request at 2CMississippi@gmail.com.
Past Projects
Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan
City of Jackson
Funding from the EPA and the National League of Cities
This project was conducted in partnership with the city of Jackson, supported and sponsored by grants from the National League of Cities and the EPA.
The project involved developing a neighborhood level heat preparedness plan that focused on addressing local vulnerabilities in West Jackson. It was organized by Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) led by Team Leader (Mark McArthur), who worked closely with an At-home Resources Coordinator, Cooling Centers and Transportation Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinators and Communication Coordinators.
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Ridgeland, Mississippi 39157
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