National Center for Smart Growth

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/21472

The National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) works to advance the notion that research, collaboration, engagement and thoughtful policy development hold the key to a smarter and more sustainable approach to urban and regional development. NCSG is based at the University of Maryland, College Park, housed under the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, with support from the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, the A. James Clark School of Engineering, the School of Public Policy, and the Office of the Provost.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Climate Change

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Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    The Connection between Mental Health and Climate Change in Maryland’s Youth Population
    (2023-05) Kosowsky, Jason; Jamison, Erin; Reed, Allison; Richards, Mia; Pearson, Shannah
    Climate change and mental health are two relevant topics in modern society. Climate change affects a variety of constituents both physically and mentally. The correlation between climate change and mental health, specifically for young people, must be examined more closely. There is currently minimal research to establish whether climate change impacts youth mental health in Maryland. What has been established is that climate change is anxiety-inducing. It can cause people to worry about the future and engender feelings of hopelessness. To expand, “People who are experiencing anxiety about climate change (or eco-anxiety) will feel genuine distress that can limit their daily activities and lead to serious depressive and anxious symptoms” (Léger-Goodes, et al. 2022). The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) would like to better understand this correlation, and understand connections between young people, climate change, and mental health in Maryland. This capstone project aims to design surveys that apply extensive research about survey methodology and survey question design. This project also offers implementation recommendations if DNR chooses to pursue these surveys. To provide more context, this paper and the surveys focus specifically on the Baltimore area, which experiences natural disaster flooding at much higher rates compared to other locations in Maryland. There are different types of stress-causing natural disasters; this report looks at flooding because it’s common in Maryland areas that border a body of water. Many of our student peers have experienced increased levels of flooding in their towns. Increased flooding levels can cause stress for youth and create long-lasting trauma in their lives. Further, by 2045 Baltimore is projected to face more than a 10-fold increase in the number of tidal floods each year, because of sea level rise alone (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2016).
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    Maryland Waterways and Public Recreation: Crafting an Effective Survey to Inform Future Policy and Programming for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources
    (2023-05) Chan, Hannah; Dhankhar, Ela; Rockman, Danielle; Pearson, Shannah
    This study investigates the most effective way for Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to survey for data on park visitors’ perceptions of climate change and its impacts on their park experiences. The DNR lacks information on Marylanders’ perceptions of climate change, particularly how in relation to their park experiences. The DNR also wants to gather information about general usage and experience at Maryland parks. This study seeks to identify the best way to collect that data. The information is gathered with consideration of the DNR’s efforts to expand and adapt park programs and to improve outdoor recreation spaces with additions such as safety signage. The report’s findings, survey questions and recommendations are based in a literature review on crafting effective surveys, informational interviews with three park managers, consultation with a survey expert, and a field-tested a questionnaire.
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    Oxford 2100: Adapting to Climatic Changes
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2021) Ada, Micaela; Callahan, Erin; Reise, Matthew; Shah, Jainee; Sandknop, Erin; Bentley, Daniel; Seiz, Audrey; Mejias, Aliya; Shteinberg, Debrah; Smith, Marci Anne; Myers, David
    This project, supported by the National Center for Smarth Growth’s Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), provides the Oxford community with a visual glimpse of their newly-imagined port town in the year 2100. Students responded to projected sea level rise of 3.5 feet as identified by the Town of Oxford and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Coastal Planners. In addition to a change in mean sea level, students considered mean higher high water (MHHW) above sea level to explore planning and design-scale interventions to inform Oxford’s strategies on climate-sensitive development. The design of this hypothetical intervention focused on sea level rise, as well related factors such as pluvial hydrology, saltwater intrusion, and storm surge.
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    Bioclimatic Design: Research at Assateague State Park
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2021) Benham, Austin; Bernstein, Ben; Centeno, Cristhy; Dandy, Selina; Defngin, Marcelino; DeGroff, Andrew; DiBella, Nicholas; Edwards, J. Chase; Gursoy, Talha; Habib, Samanty; Haider, Almas; Islam, R. Maisha; Jamero, Samantha; Jenkins, Talisha; Kaku, Upasana; Konan, Yan; Lee, Jihee; Loh, Marco; Long, James; Mencer, Abigail; Mirza, Farasat; Mora, Miguel; Perla, Vincenza; Rangel, Miguel; Register, Austin; Roberts, Lea; Smith, Jamal; Spencer, Abigail; Tram, Judy; Vargas, Daryl; Vazquez, Carlos; Binder, Michael P; Gardner, Amy; Gabrielli, Julie; Hu, Ming; Storm, Kevin
    Through their work with the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland (UMD), the Maryland Department of Natural Resources commissioned this report from the university’s Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS). This research study, conducted in a graduate level design studio, began with a shared vision that people and nature can co-exist in a mutually beneficial relationship. Angela Baldwin, Park Manager at Assateague State Park, and her colleagues from NOAA, the Maryland Park Service, the Chesapeake Coastal Service, and other DNR offices, challenged the University of Maryland team to test this vision in the design of a new day use facility for Assateague State Park, a much-beloved, special place that is increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The climate crisis requires architects to deepen their understanding of resilient design strategies. These range from place-based climate-responsive knowledge rarely taught in schools of architecture, to more technically advanced tools such as computer energy modeling, efficient mechanical equipment and on-site renewable energy.