Urban greening and displacement
16 cases in 9 countries, 1853–2024. Most cases: United States (4), India (3), Philippines (2), Uzbekistan (2), Kenya (1).
Nairobi River regeneration and riparian demolitions
After flooding in 2024, Kenya’s national government ordered homes along Nairobi’s riverbanks demolished on 48 hours’ notice. In 2025 the presidency launched a KSh 50 billion river regeneration programme that includes 50,000 housing units in reclaimed areas.
Philippines suspends Manila Bay reclamation works; two expected to resume
The Philippine environment department suspended all Manila Bay reclamation works in August 2023. Inquirer reported that dredging continued in Cavite afterwards, and a fishers' group said small fishers' income had fallen 80 to 90 percent.
Yashil Makon tree-planting programme in Uzbekistan
The government reported 872 million seedlings planted over four years under Yashil Makon, against an annual plan of 200 million. Prosecutor inspections in 2023, statements by the president in 2024 and 2026 and an Accounts Chamber audit in 2026 recorded seedlings entered in reports but not planted, planted without irrigation, or dried out.
Tree felling under the Tashkent moratorium: damage assessments, prosecutor cases and ministry counts
Uzbekistan's moratorium on felling valuable trees outside the state forest fund was made indefinite in 2022, with five-fold fines and doubled damage compensation. In Tashkent the ministry assessed damage of 1.46 billion soums for the Babur Street felling of October 2025, and prosecutors opened or brought cases under the Criminal Code over earlier fellings in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
Manila Bay rehabilitation resettlement and Pasig riverwalk
The Manila Bay rehabilitation programme has moved informal settler families away from the shoreline. A separate privately financed Pasig riverwalk plans temporary container housing for up to 10,000 families.
Delhi clears Yamuna floodplain homes for riverfront and biodiversity-park schemes
Authorities cleared about 550 homes at Bela Estate in 2018 for a biodiversity park and lake, and about 310 families were evicted without rehabilitation at Yamuna Bazar in June 2026. The clearances were justified as riverfront and biodiversity schemes on the Yamuna floodplain.
Chennai water-body restoration evictions and Perumbakkam resettlement
Since 2015, 19,817 families have been evicted from 83 settlements in Chennai, 95 per cent of them for water-body restoration. Of these, 12,045 families were resettled at Perumbakkam, which flooded six times in nine years.
Jakarta evictions, Ciliwung normalisation and the Giant Sea Wall
Civil-society counts record 113 forced evictions in Jakarta in 2015, and residents evicted under the Ciliwung normalisation programme later won a court ruling. In 2025 the Indonesian president approved a US$80 billion sea wall along Java's north coast.
Lagos waterfront evictions (Otodo-Gbame, Badia East) and Eko Atlantic
Lagos State demolished waterfront settlements, citing public health and the environment, while the Eko Atlantic project dredged and reclaimed land from the sea. Amnesty International recorded forced evictions that it said went ahead despite court orders.
Chicago 606 trail gentrification
A study by DePaul University's Institute for Housing Studies found prices rising 48.2% on the west end of Chicago's 606 trail. Median sale prices along the trail were reported at 97,000 dollars in 2012 and 462,000 dollars in 2018.
Sabarmati Riverfront Development (Ahmedabad)
Ahmedabad's Sabarmati riverfront project was presented as reclaiming the river for the city and won awards. Sources report thousands of families moved 7 to 15 km away and a river that downstream carries industrial effluent and sewage.
Cheonggyecheon stream restoration merchants (Seoul)
Seoul removed a highway and restored the Cheonggyecheon stream. Merchants displaced by the project were offered space in the Garden Five shopping centre outside the centre, where about 350 remained by 2014.
Riachuelo cleanup resettlement (Buenos Aires)
After a 2008 Supreme Court ruling made the cleanup of the Riachuelo basin binding, families living on the riverbank were to be rehoused. Twelve years after a 2010 framework agreement, 5,893 of 17,771 families had a completed housing solution.
Atlanta BeltLine
A green loop in Atlanta, the BeltLine, was launched with a 2005 commitment to 5,600 affordable homes. Fewer than 1,000 had been built by 2017, while nearby home values rose faster than the city's.
High Line property value effect (New York)
A 2020 study reported that homes within 0.1 mile of New York's High Line gained 35.3% more in value than homes in the 0.1 to 0.4 mile band. The cited sources measure prices, not the number of people displaced.
Seneca Village and Central Park (USA)
Central Park in New York was built between 1857 and 1876 on land that included Seneca Village, a community of about 225 people that was cleared in 1857. The park's neighbouring properties now carry a measured price premium.