Differential Access to Environmental Amenities and Disamenities
Location
USU Eccles Conference Center
Event Website
http://water.usu.edu
Start Date
4-5-2016 5:21 PM
End Date
4-5-2016 5:24 PM
Description
Martin Buchert, Douglas Jackson-Smith and Jordan Risley are co-authors (the website kept erasing the fields when trying to add multiple authors) Proximity to urban waterways and riparian areas has the potential to improve individual and community well-being in urban settings, but not all residents have equal access to these natural resources. In this poster, we explore how proximity and access to local water bodies in 23 urban neighborhoods are related to the awareness and use of these supposed environmental amenities by local residents. Building on results of a major household survey, we use field reconnaissance and spatial analysis of transportation networks to determine the relationships between proximity to watercourses and self-reported familiarity and use of these local waterbodies. We also explore how household socio-economic status is linked to proximity, and test whether the SES-proximity relationship is mediated by the type of waterway (small creek, river, or irrigation water conveyance canal). The findings demonstrate the existence of environmental justice challenges related to water-based green infrastructure within Utah's urban communities. The analysis also demonstrates the potential to integrate survey data with spatial analysis methods to better understand challenges of designing inclusive cities.
Differential Access to Environmental Amenities and Disamenities
USU Eccles Conference Center
Martin Buchert, Douglas Jackson-Smith and Jordan Risley are co-authors (the website kept erasing the fields when trying to add multiple authors) Proximity to urban waterways and riparian areas has the potential to improve individual and community well-being in urban settings, but not all residents have equal access to these natural resources. In this poster, we explore how proximity and access to local water bodies in 23 urban neighborhoods are related to the awareness and use of these supposed environmental amenities by local residents. Building on results of a major household survey, we use field reconnaissance and spatial analysis of transportation networks to determine the relationships between proximity to watercourses and self-reported familiarity and use of these local waterbodies. We also explore how household socio-economic status is linked to proximity, and test whether the SES-proximity relationship is mediated by the type of waterway (small creek, river, or irrigation water conveyance canal). The findings demonstrate the existence of environmental justice challenges related to water-based green infrastructure within Utah's urban communities. The analysis also demonstrates the potential to integrate survey data with spatial analysis methods to better understand challenges of designing inclusive cities.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2016/2016Posters/18
Comments
A poster by Melissa Haeffner, who is with Utah State University, iUTAH