Beyond Removal, Toward Repair: An Assessment of Restorative Justice and Gentrification Prevention in Reconnecting Communities Pilot Projects
Student Work
Casey Chung
June 2025
This study takes a closer look at two California communities: Pasadena and San Diego. Pasadena aims to transform the relinquished state Route 710 Northern Stub into either a series of parks or a civic plaza, while San Diego’s Mend the Gap project proposes two freeway lid parks over Interstate 5 to reconnect Barrio Logan and Logan Heights through improved pedestrian and bicycle access. Although these projects incorporate promising community engagement and equity frameworks, major gaps remain in enforceable protections, displacement mitigation, and community governance. Without proper safeguards, efforts risk perpetuating — if not actively contributing — to historical cycles of exclusion under a new banner.
