Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-k7p5g Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-10T00:39:48.589Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

RESEARCH ARTICLE: Gaining Ground: Green Infrastructure Attitudes and Perceptions from Stakeholders in Syracuse, New York

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2012

Kathleen Barnhill
Affiliation:
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York
Richard Smardon*
Affiliation:
Professor of Environmental Studies, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York
*
Richard Smardon, PhD, Faculty of Environmental Studies, State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210; (phone) 315-470-6576; (fax) 315-470-6915; (e-mail) rsmardon@esf.edu
Get access

Abstract

This research is part of an ULTRA NSF-US Forest service research grant addressing urban ecosystem metabolism in Syracuse, New York. This project explores local stakeholders' perceptions of green infrastructure (GI) and ecosystems services from both positive and detracting perspectives. Focus groups were used to elicit responses for a thematic analysis. Respondents displayed confusion about what ecosystems services are, as well as what GI is. Implementation barriers include costs (who pays), what the benefits are, unanticipated impacts, and scale of implementation.

Environmental Practice 14:6–16 (2012)

Type
Features
Copyright
Copyright © National Association of Environmental Professionals 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abrahams, P.M. 2010, May. Stakeholder's Perceptions of Pedestrian Accessibility to Green Infrastructure: Fort Worth's Urban Villagers (unpublished master's thesis). University of Texas, Arlington, 112 pp. Available at Research Commons Library, http://hdl.handle.net/10106/4937.Google Scholar
Ando, A.W., and Freitas, L.P.. 2009. Consumer Demand for Green Technology in an Urban Setting: The Case of the Chicago Rain Barrels. Social Science Research Network, 35 pp. Available at http://ssrn.com/abstracts=1440877.Google Scholar
Baptiste, A.K., and Lane, A.. 2009. Green Infrastructure Survey Report. Prepared for Partnership for Onondaga Creek. Onondaga Environmental Institute, Syracuse, NY, 14 pp.Google Scholar
Benedict, M.A., and McMahon, E.T.. 2006. Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes and Communities. Island Press, Washington, DC, 299 pp.Google Scholar
Cairns, J.J., and Pratt, J.R.. 1995. The Relationship between Ecosystem Health and Delivery of Ecosystem Services. In Ecosystem Health: New Goods for Ecosystem Management, Costanza, R., Norton, B. and Haskel, B.D., eds. Island Press, Washington, DC, 140250.Google Scholar
Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) & American Rivers. 2010. The Value of Green Infrastructure: A Guide for Recognizing Its Economic, Environmental and Social Benefits. American Rivers, Washington, DC, 73 pp. Available at http://www.americanrivers.org/library/reports-publications/the-value-of-green-infrastructure.html.Google Scholar
Cilliers, J. 2009. Future Directions in Urban Planning and Space Usage: Compensating Urban Green Spaces. Interdisciplinary Themes Journal 1(1), 10 pp.Google Scholar
Circerchia, A. 1996. Indicators for the Measurement of the Quality of Urban Life: What Is the Appropriate Territorial Dimension? Social Indicators Research 39(3):321358.Google Scholar
Costanza, R. 1992. Towards an Operational Definition of Health. In Ecosystem Health: New Goods for Ecosystem Management, Costanza, R., Norton, B. and Haskel, B.D., eds. Island Press, Washington, DC, 239256.Google Scholar
De Groot, R.S., Wilson, M.A., and Boumans, R.M.J.. 2002. A Typology for the Classification and Evaluation of Ecosystem Functions, Goods and Services. Ecological Economics (Special Issue: The Dynamics and Value of Ecosystem Services: Integrating Economic and Ecological Perspectives) 41(3):393408. Available at http://www.uvm.edu/giee/publications/deGroot_et_al.pdf.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunn, A.D. 2010. Siting Green Infrastructure: Legal and Policy Solutions to Alleviate Urban Poverty and Promote Health Communities. Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review 37(1):4166.Google Scholar
Floyd, M.F., Gramman, J.H., and Saenz, R.. 1993. Ethnic Factors and the Use of Public Recreation Areas: The Case of Mexican-Americans. Leisure Sciences 15(2):8398.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Freeman, H.L., ed. 1984. Mental Health and the Environment. Churchill-Livingstone, London, 490 pp.Google Scholar
Greenbaum, T.L. 1988. The Practical Handbook and Guide to Focus Group Research. D.C. Heath, Lexington, MA, 191 pp.Google Scholar
Grimm, J.M., Grove, J.M., Pickett, S.T.A., and Redman, C.L.. 2000. Integrated Approaches to Long-Term Studies of Urban Ecological Systems. Bioscience 50(7):571584. Available at http://schoolofsustainability.asu.edu/docs//papers/2000/Grimm_et_al_2000.pdf.Google Scholar
Haberl, H., Winiwarter, V., Andersson, K., Ayres, R.U., Boone, C., Castillo, A., Cunfer, G., Fischer-Kowalski, M., Freudenburg, W.R., Furman, E., Kaufmann, R., Krausmann, F., Langthaler, E., Lotze-Campen, H., Mirtl, M., Redman, C.L., Reenberg, A., Wardell, A., Warr, B., and Zechmeister, H.. 2006. From LTER to LTSER: Conceptualizing the Socioeconomic Dimension of Long-Term Socioecological Research. Ecology and Society 11(2), article 13, 34 pp. [online]. Available at http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol11/iss2/art13/.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henwood, K. 2002. Issues in Health Development: Environment and Health—Is There a Role for Environmental and Countryside Agencies in Promoting Benefits to Health? Health Development Agency, London, 16 pp. Available at https://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/documents/environmentissuespaper.pdf.Google Scholar
Heynen, M. 2006. Green Urban Park Ecology: Toward a Better Understanding of Inner-City Environmental Change. Environment and Planning A 38(3):499516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jaffe, M. 2011. Reflections on Green Infrastructure Economics. Environmental Practice 12(4):357365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jaffe, M., Zellner, M., Minor, E., Gonzalez-Meler, M., Cather, L., Minor, D., Ahmed, H., Elberts, M., Sprague, H., Wise, S., and Miller, B.. 2010. Using Green Infrastructure to Manage Urban Stormwater Quality: A Review of Selected Practices and State Programs. Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Springfield, 146 pp.Google Scholar
Johnson, C., Hartel, D., and Kuehler, E.. 2008. Do Latinos Inherit Green Space? A Case Study of Latino and White Contact with Urban Nature in Gainesville, GA. In 93rd ESA [Ecological Society of America] Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, August 3–8, 2008. Available at http://eco.confex.com/eco/2008/techprogram/P9189.htm.Google Scholar
Jones, K.J. 2009. Being Green Doesn't Need to Be Taxing: How New York Sate Law Is a Vanguard for Using Green Infrastructure. Pace Law Review 29(3):499509. Available at http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/plr/vol29/iss3/7/.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaplan, R., Austin, M.E., and Kaplan, S.. 2004. Open Space Communities: Resident Populations, Nature Benefit and Problems with Terminology. Journal of the American Planning Association 70(3):300312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krueger, R.A. 1994. Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA, 255 pp.Google Scholar
Kuo, E.F. 2001. Coping with Poverty: Impacts of Environment and Attention in the Inner City. Environment and Behavior 33(1):534.Google Scholar
LaBadie, K. 2010. Identifying Barriers to Low Impact Development and Green Infrastructure in the Albuquerque Area (unpublished master's project). University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 75 pp. Available at http://wrri.nmsu.edu/research/rfp/studentgrants08/reports/LaBadie.pdf.Google Scholar
Louv, R. 2008. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin, Chapel Hill, NC, 390 pp.Google Scholar
Macintyre, S., Maciver, S., and Sooman, A.. 1993. Area, Class and Health: Should We Be Focusing on Place or People? Journal of Social Policy 22(2):213234.Google Scholar
Mansor, M., and Said, I.. 2008. Place Attachment of Residents to Green Infrastructure Network in Small Towns. In Proceedings of the 9th SENVAR [Sustainable Environment & Architecture] & 2nd ISESEE [International Symposium & Exhibition in Sustainable Energy & Environment] International Conference: Humanity + Technology, 325–340.Google Scholar
Mansor, M., Said, I., and Mohamed, I.. 2008. Sense of Well-being from Experiencing Green Infrastructure Network in Small Towns. University of Technology–Malaysia, Joho, 10 pp. Available at http://ww.fab.utm.my/download/ConferenceSemiar/Culture-Spacer.pdf.Google Scholar
Mansor, M., Said, I., and Mohamed, I.. 2010. Experiential Contacts with Green Infrastructure Diversity and Well-being of Urban Communities. Asian Journal of Environment Behaviour Studies 2:3348. Available at http://fspu.uitm.edu.my/cebs/images/stories/ajebs12may2010c3.pdf.Google Scholar
Mell, I.C. 2010. Green Infrastructure: Concepts, Perception and Its Use in Spatial Planning (unpublished PhD thesis). Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, 291 pp. Available at https://theses.ncl.ac.uk/dspace/bitstream/10443/914/1/Mell10.pdf.Google Scholar
Millennium Assessment. 2003. Ecosystem and Human Well-being: A Framework for Assessment. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Series. Island Press, Washington, DC, 245 pp. Available at http://www.maweb.org/en/Framework.aspx.Google Scholar
Morgan, D.L. 1988. Focus Groups as Qualitative Research. Sage, Newbury Park, CA, 80 pp.Google Scholar
Nassauer, J.I. 1992. Ecological Function and the Perception of Suburban Residential Landscapes. In Managing Urban and High-Use Recreation Settings: Selected Papers from the Urban Forestry and Ethnic Minorities and the Environment Paper Sessions—4th North American Symposium on Society and Resource Management, May 17–20, 1992, University of Wisconsin, Madison P.H. Gobster, ed. General Technical Report NC-xx, vol. 163. North Central Forest Experiment Station, Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture, St. Paul, MN, 55–60.Google Scholar
National Research Council. 2005. Valuing Ecosystems Services: Toward Better Environmental Decision Making. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 277 pp.Google Scholar
National Research Council. 2008. Urban Stormwater Management in the United States. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 593 pp. Available at http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12465.Google Scholar
Nielsen, T.S., and Hansen, K.B.. 2007. Do Green Areas Affect Health? Results from a Danish Survey on the Use of Green Areas and Health Indicators. Health and Place 13(4):839850.Google Scholar
Onondaga Environmental Institute (OEI). 2009, April. Onondaga Creek Conceptual Revitalization Plan: Draft Report. OEI, Syracuse, NY. Available at http://www.onondagaenvironmentalinstitute.org/OEIResources_OCRPDRAFT.html.Google Scholar
Palmer, J.F. 1984. Neighborhoods as Stands in the Urban Forest. Urban Ecology 8(3):229241.Google Scholar
Paton, K., Sengupta, S., and Hassan, L.. 2005. Settings, Systems and Organization Development: The Healthy Living and Working Model. Health Promotion International 20(1):8189.Google Scholar
Peng, W. 2011. Mapping Environmental Attitudes Toward Green Infrastructure Alternatives to Traditional Storm-water Management: A Case Study of Syracuse, NY (unpublished master's thesis). State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse.Google Scholar
Peng, W., Baptiste, A.K., and Speer, L.. 2010. Map-Based Modeling of People's Knowledge, Perceptions and Willingness to Participate in Green Infrastructure Alternatives to Traditional Storm-water Management: A Case Study of Syracuse. Presented at the 2010 Green Infrastructure Workshop: Growing Green Infrastructure in New York State and Central New York, Syracuse, NY, November 17–18. State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, 19 pp. Available at http://www.esf.edu/outreach/gi/symposium/documents/Peng_Baptiste_Speer.pdf.Google Scholar
Pincetl, S., and Gearin, E.. 2005. The Reinvention of Public Green Space. Urban Geography 26(5):365381.Google Scholar
Qureshi, S., Breuste, J.H., and Lindley, S.J.. 2010. Green Space Functionality along an Urban Gradient in Karachi Pakistan: A Socio-economic Study. Human Ecology 38(2):283294.Google Scholar
Rapport, D.J., Costanza, R., and McMichael, A.J.. 1998. Assessing Ecosystem Health. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 13(10):397402. Available at http://castor.oit.pdx.edu/sites/www.pdx.edu.sustainability/files/Rapport%20et%20al.%201998.pdf.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Redman, C.L., Grove, J.M., and Kuby, L.H.. 2004. Integrating Social Science into the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network: Social Dimensions of Ecological Change and Ecological Dimensions of Social Change. Ecosystems 7(2):161171. Available at http://www.ci.uri.edu/ciip/SummerPracticum/Docs2009/Redman_etal_IntegSocSciLTER_Ecosystems(2004).pdf.Google Scholar
Rusche, K. 2011. The Value of Green Infrastructure in Urban Quality of Life. In REAL CORP 2011. Change for Stability: Lifecycles of Cities and Regions—The Role and Possibilities of Foresighted Planning in Transformation Processes. 16th International Conference on Urban Planning and Regional Development in the Information Society, Essen, Germany, May 18–20. CORP (Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning), Schwechat, Austria, 1029–1037. Available at http://www.corp.at/archive/CORP2011_80.pdf.Google Scholar
Shandas, V., Nelson, A., and Arendes, C.. 2009. Integrating Education, Evaluation and Partnerships into Large-Scale Sustainable Stormwater Management Programs: Towards a Civic Ecology of Green Infrastructure—Opportunities for Expanding Public Involvement in Stormwater Management. In 2009 NAAEE [North American Association for Environmental Education] Conference Strand: Conservation Education, Portland, OR, October 7–10. NAAEE, Washington, DC, 7 pp. Available at http://web.pdx.edu/~vshandas/NAAEE_ConservationEducation.pdf.Google Scholar
Smardon, R.C. 1988. Perception and Aesthetics of the Urban Environment: Review of the Role of Vegetation. Landscape and Urban Planning 15(1-2):85106.Google Scholar
Smardon, R.C. 1989. Human Perception of Utilization of Wetlands for Waste Assimilation, or How to Make a Silk Purse out of a Sow's Ear. In Constructed Wetlands for wastewater Treatment: Municipal, Industrial and Agricultural, Hammer, D.A., ed. Lewis, Chelsea, MI, 287295.Google Scholar
Snider, S. 2002. Assessing Environmental Justice concerning Combined Sewer Overflows in Indianapolis, Indiana. Project Report G438. School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, 20 pp. Available at http://classwebs.spea.indiana.edu/dhenshel/V600/FinalGISReport.pdf.Google Scholar
Thaler, R. 1980. Toward a Positive Theory of Consumer Choice. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 1(1):3960.Google Scholar
Traver, R.G. 2009, March 19. Efforts to Address Urban Stormwater Runoff. Statement to Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, US House of Representatives. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 8 pp. Available at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ocga/testimony/Efforts_to_Address_Urban_Stormwater_Runoff.asp.Google Scholar
Tzoulas, K., Korpela, K., Venn, S., Yli-Pelkonen, V., Kazmierczak, A., Niemela, J., and James, P.. 2007. Promoting Ecosystem and Human Health in Urban Areas Using Green Infrastructure: A Literature Review. Landscape and Urban Planning 81(3):167178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 2009. Valuing the Protection of Ecological Systems and Services: A Report of the Science Advisory Board. Report EPA-SAB-09012. USEPA, Washington, DC, 129 pp. Available at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/F3DB1F5C6EF90EE1852575C500589157/$File/EPA-SAB-09-012-unsigned.pdf.Google Scholar
US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 2011. Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure. USEPA, Washington, DC. http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=298.Google Scholar
Van Kamp, I., Leidelmeijer, K., Marsman, K., and De Hollander, A.. 2003. Urban Environmental Quality and Human Well-being: Towards a Conceptual Framework and Demarcation of Concepts—A Literature Review. Landscape and Urban Planning 65(1-2):518.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wise, S., Braden, J., Ghalayini, D., Grant, J., Kloss, C., MacMullan, E., Morse, S., Montalto, F., Nees, D., Nowak, D., Peck, S., Shaikh, S., and Yu, C.. 2010. Integrating Valuation Methods to Recognize Green Infrastructure's Multiple Benefits. Center for Neighborhood Technology, Chicago, 21 pp. Available at http://www.cnt.org/repository/CNT-LID-paper.pdf.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO). 1948. Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization, as adopted by the International health Conference, New York, June 19–22, 1946.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO). 1998. City Health Profiles: A Review of Progress. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 40 pp. Available at http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/101062/E59736.pdf.Google Scholar