About Us
Urban Environmentalists empowers our network of 8,000 grassroots activists and coalition partners to transform cities and towns into more sustainable, human-centered, and just communities through land use policy reform. We are active nationwide, with chapters in California and Illinois. Urban Environmentalists is an initiative of the YIMBY Action network of over 50,000 pro-housing activists nationwide.
Some of the environmental benefits of dense cities with abundant housing include:
There are also related public health benefits such as climate resilience, more active transportation like walking and bicycling, and greater access to green space - especially for low income communities and people of color.
Sadly, the broader environmental movement has historically been silent on the importance of density and infill housing; it’s often even been co-opted by NIMBYs.
The Urban Environmentalists initiative is here to change that. Our chapters’ volunteer Leads and activists advocate for pro-housing political change through an environmental lens, grow the pro-housing environmental movement, take on leadership roles in their communities, and support our coalition partners in the fight for walkable communities with abundant housing. We also support fellow YIMBY Action chapters in strategically integrating environmental messages into their own advocacy.
Some of the environmental benefits of dense cities with abundant housing include:
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions due to reduced car use and car infrastructure
- Reduced pollution overall, and especially in formerly redlined communities
- Sufficient density to support high frequency, reliable transit
- More energy and material-efficient buildings
- Preservation of natural ecosystems outside of urban areas due to reduced sprawl
There are also related public health benefits such as climate resilience, more active transportation like walking and bicycling, and greater access to green space - especially for low income communities and people of color.
Sadly, the broader environmental movement has historically been silent on the importance of density and infill housing; it’s often even been co-opted by NIMBYs.
The Urban Environmentalists initiative is here to change that. Our chapters’ volunteer Leads and activists advocate for pro-housing political change through an environmental lens, grow the pro-housing environmental movement, take on leadership roles in their communities, and support our coalition partners in the fight for walkable communities with abundant housing. We also support fellow YIMBY Action chapters in strategically integrating environmental messages into their own advocacy.
Our Principles
Mastodon: @ urbanenviroca@sfba.social. Twitter: @UrbanEnviroCA, @UrbanEnviroIL.
Urban Environmentalists is part of the YIMBY Action network
Urban Environmentalists is part of the YIMBY Action network