Public Perception & Green Infrastructure Katie Barnhill SUNY ESF PI: Richard C. Smardon

Project Overview Part of the NSF ULTRA project – SUNY ESF & USFS Ecological consequences of population & economic changes of ‘rust belt’ cities Assessing these urban spaces for source of ecologically & socially sustainable future Socio-ecological metabolism

Human Dimensions What is the public perception of ecosystem services & green infrastructure across time and space in the city of Syracuse? Historical perspective: (Palmer & Smardon 1988)  ‘some people don’t like trees!’ Concern with spatial & longitudinal shifts

Literature Base Environmental Psychology – relationship between neighborhood landscape & quality of life Environmentally significant behavior – what will drive people’s decisions, changing behaviors Prospect Theory – in decision making, people will be risk averse

Methodology Focus groups July 2010 Surveys Statistical & geospatial analysis: differences & similarities across neighborhoods

Results Misperceptions of terms Financial concerns Renters v. homeownership Citizen motivation (lack thereof) Perceived disconnects

Misperception of Terms Ecological/ecosystem services – Participants had simply never heard the term(s) Green Infrastructure – Most participants thought it was government-delivered service (infrastructure) – Vs. ecosystem services

Financial Concerns Costs of green infrastructure installations Maintenance costs Mostly concern for individual homeowners

Home Ownership High renter rates in the city – residents do not have the capacity to implement many of these features Should we then look at neighborhood initiatives on public lands in areas with high renter rates?

Community Pride Community involvement – same people taking initiative repeatedly. Getting broader participation Appreciation for existent greenspaces preventing vandalism

Perceived Disconnects What is needed in the city & surrounding communities vs. what gets delivered/done by local governments

Conclusions Identified some potential environmental education needs – ecosystem services & green infrastructure Possible low hanging fruit identified – High rates of rental properties  shift focus – Greenspaces Problem of citizenship engagement & Perceived disconnects Opportunities for community visioning

Acknowledgements NSF ULTRA Syracuse Center of Excellence Primary Investigator: Richard C. Smardon