EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF AMAZON’S EXPANSION ON NYC COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Make the Road New York is the largest community-based membership organization representing immigrants and working-class people of color in New York State. Through its Workplace Justice team, the organization fights for the rights of all workers by organizing for workers’ rights, providing health and safety education and support, and advocating for policy and systems change. In the context of COVID-19 and forthcoming recovery efforts, Make the Road New York enlisted a team to evaluate the impact of Amazon’s NYC expansion on local communities and the climate. Since opening its first warehouse in Staten Island three years ago, Amazon has grown and spread its operations throughout the greater New York City area. The team engaged the impacted communities, investigated the felt impact of Amazon’s growth, and developed policy recommendations to inform a forward-looking legislative campaign.