Geography 367 Danielle Meyer Interim 2010 Landscaping and Home Values

Literature Review Lawns and gardens show the social and economic status of owners Large shrubs and trees hide a home Flowers and small shrubs show a home to the community Lawns with brown spots and unkempt lawns show A sense of social worthlessness to the owner Public detriment A front yard made up of ground cover including star jasmine, juniper, ivy, ivy-geranium is considered fancy or upper class Most commonly in high income areas By landscaping or planting a garden A person expresses commitment to the community A feeling of being a part of a community No lawn planting expresses individuality E. N. Anderson, Jr. argues that: Source: Anderson, Jr, E. N.. "On the Folk Art of Landscaping." Western Folklore 31.3 (1972): JSTOR. 9 June 2010.

Literature Review Landscaping improvements to a house or business are prospected to secure and retain economic investment National and regional regeneration strategies have strong economic focus on environmental renewal People opt to live and work in spaces that are congenial to their surroundings A person who has a nicely landscaped yard wants to be on a street with similarly landscaped houses Qualities of neighborhood environment are vital in building investment confidence Richard Walker, Anne Power and Kelly Martin argue that: Source: Walker, Richard, Anne Power, and Kelly Martin. "Gathering Evidence." Green Places 32 (2007): 16-17, 19. Wilson Web. 09 June 2010.

Hypothesis The amount and quality of landscaping will increase as home values increase in the City of Eau Claire.

Data Collection Field Work I collected data from three different areas of the city and then chose streets in groups of three in three different sections of the chosen area Assessors Records I then used the Eau Claire assessment records to determine the home value for each home from the data collected in my field work. No LandscapingShrubs Only Shrubs and Flowers Shrubs, Flowers and Stone Work Types of Landscaping Studied

The Designated Areas in Eau Claire Choose 3 different areas within the city of Eau Claire and then choose different income values within each section. (as shown by U.S. Census map) Some areas had more diverse income levels for a more diverse sample, especially in South Eau Claire however the Northwest and North East of Eau Claire had less diverse income levels therefore the samples were less diverse. $62,887 - $78,420$47,354 - $62,887$31,821 - $47,354$16,288 - $31,821 Income Ranges

My Landscaping Study Eau Claire, Wisconsin Type of Vegetation# of HomesPercentAverage Home Value None265.5$123,427 Shrubs Only $152,058 Shrubs, Flowers and Stonework $163,954 Shrubs & Flowers $164,503 Total474100

Percent of Houses with Landscaping Shrubs Flowers and Stonework ~ 416 McKinley Ave. Third Ward No Landscaping ~ 316 Roosevelt Ave Third Ward Shrubs and Flowers ~ 421 Cedar Street Northwest Eau Claire Shrubs Only ~ 2127 Carter Street Northeast Eau Claire Homes with no landscaping were 5.5% of total sample Homes with shrubs, flowers and stonework were 25.9% of total sample Homes with shrubs and flowers were 28.5% of total sample Homes with shrubs only were 40.1% of total sample

Landscaping and High Home Values Homes with shrubs & flowers had an average home value of $164,503 Homes with shrubs, flowers and stonework and an average home value of $163,954 Shrubs and Flowers ~ 429 McKinley Ave Home Value $224,200 Third Ward Shrubs, Flowers and Stonework ~ 315 Bartlett Court Home Value $204,500 Third Ward Shrubs, Flower and Stonework ~ 2705 Diane Lane Home Value $226,900 South Eau Claire Shrubs and Flowers ~ 2826 Prestige Court Home Value $336,000 Northwest Eau Claire

Landscaping and Low Home Values No Landscaping ~ 517 Cedar Street Home Value $68,900 Northwest Eau Claire Shrubs Only ~2826 Fifth Street Home Value $104,800 Northwest Eau Claire Homes with shrubs only had an average home value of $152,058 Homes with no landscaping had an average home value of $123,427 Shrubs Only ~ 2127 Carter Street Home Value $111,600 Northeast Eau Claire No Landscaping ~ 2311 Welsh Court Home Value $105,900 Northeast Eau Claire

Findings of Landscaping and House Values/Income levels Through both work in the field and research through the assessors office I have concluded that: Although many homes with low home values had little to no landscaping, homes with shrubs, shrubs and flowers and shrubs, flowers and stonework were distributed fairly evenly in regards to home values. Possible Problems with study Sample is too small Eau Claire is too homogeneous A larger city might produce a more diverse housing sample

Bibliography Anderson, Jr, E. N.. "On the Folk Art of Landscaping." Western Folklore 31.3 (1972): JSTOR. 08 June Duany, Andres, and Elizabeth Playter-Zyberk. "Neighborhoods and Suburbs." Design Quarterly (1995): JSTOR. 08 June "Eau Claire, WI - Online Property Assessment Database - Search." Invisible, Inc.. N.p., n.d. 7 June < Seth, M.K.. "Trees and Their Economic Importance." The Botanical Review 69.4 (2003): JSTOR. 9 June Walker, Richard, Anne Power, and Kelly Martin. "Gathering Evidence." Green Places 32 (2007): 16-17, 19. Wilson Web. 09 June Williams, H. Hamilton. "A Study of Landscaping in Negro Communities in the Southeastern States." The Journal of Negro Education 15.4 (1946): JSTOR. 09 June U.S. Census Data from Census CD 2000 Long Form