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Kew Gardens vs Richmond Hill
Heat Vulnerability Index rating: Kew Gardens: 1 out of 5
Richmond Hill: 5 out of 5
Location: Maple Grove Park

In this instance, I wanted to bring attention to the fact that two neighborhoods, at just 1 mile apart, have the lowest risk rating (Kew Gardens) and the highest (Richmond Hill). It seems to be a glaringly clear example of systemic inequalities in urban planning.

“This park is located just east of Maple Grove Cemetery, a nondenominational burial ground founded in 1875 to ease overcrowding in Jamaica’s Prospect Cemetery. Built in 1668, Prospect was the first cemetery built in the Town of Jamaica, and is located at 159th Street and Beaver Road, just south of the current Long Island Rail Road tracks.”