Small Business Resiliency (G.R.A.S.P)
sunset Park Green Resilient Improvement District
The Sunset Park Green Resilient Improvement District (GRID) is an association of small merchants geared towards revitalization and resiliency. Through the GRID, UPROSE has conducted outreach, recruitment, education, and leadership development of businesses; advanced a democratic governance structure; and has developed a climate resiliency toolbox. The GRID expands along Fourth Avenue to the waterfront, from 15th Street to 65th Street, where businesses face the greatest environmental and economic risks.
Business Innovations for Resilience and Community Health
As part of the Climate Justice Center, UPROSE formed an innovative team, Grassroots Research to Action in Sunset Park (GRASP), to develop a research project to study the hazardous chemicals present along the Sunset Park waterfront. We found that while there are many sources of pollution, small industrial businesses present an opportunity for close community engagement to find solutions to the threat of chemical releases. The GRASP team received funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to do a five-year Research to Action project. We are focusing on auto shops because of their prevalence along the waterfront and their importance to the local economy. We are working closely with these small businesses to reduce the risk of chemical releases during extreme weather events:
