College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/1598

The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Environmental Justice

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    DESIGNING FOR THE PEOPLE: A PARTICIPATORY DESIGN APPROACH FOR DUANE AVENUE PARK
    (2022) Stokes, Bridget Allison; Kweon, Byoung-Suk; Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA); Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Health disparities in physical, psychological, and social well-being are known to exist among underserved and marginalized populations, and although it is widely accepted that public parks and greenspaces can provide these physical, mental and social benefits, underserved and minority communities are more likely to have an unequitable distribution of quality parks. Quality and maintenance of parks are important because neglect of existing parks can cause parks to be dangerous and unwelcoming spaces that diminish the value and benefits that these greenspaces can provide for residents. Underserved communities cannot typically afford landscape architecture services and historically, residents of these communities have been left out of the decision-making process when funding for parks have been distributed. One way that these distributional and procedural environmental injustices can be solved is through the work of non-profit community development organizations that utilize community engagement tools. Using a participatory design approach, this thesis explores how to redesign Duane Avenue Park, a neglected park located in south Baltimore, Maryland. The park design will be used by a local non-profit, the Greater Baybrook Alliance, to write proposals for grant funding for the future implementation of the Park. By researching literature related to this topic, performing site inventory and analysis, and conducting thorough stakeholder and community engagement through surveys, in-person events, and one-on-one interactions, I created a proposed site plan that addressed the following design goals: Goal 1: Improve Perception of Safety & Discourage Negative Uses Goal 2: Design an Adventure Park that Encourages Play and Connections with Nature Goal 3: Create Spaces for Gathering and other Activity Generators Goal 4: Incorporate Public Art While this is not meant to provide evidence that one park can resolve all the issues a community faces, it can show that parks can be part of a larger community strategy that can help to address some issues such as health disparities, safety, and environmental justice.
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    Michigan School Siting Guidelines: Taking the Environment into Account
    (University of Michigan Deep Blue, 2020-07-03) Mohai, Paul; Kweon, Byoung-Suk
    Michigan currently does not have a statewide approach to school siting that takes into account environmental quality. In 2011, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released national voluntary School Siting Guidelines, calling on states to develop and implement their own school siting and environmental cleanup standards. A number of states have done so, and, with support from the Kresge Foundation, the Michigan School Siting Task Force — a group of scholars, policy professionals, Michigan legislators, and members of non-governmental organizations and Michigan’s school communities — has worked to identify tools and best practices that could facilitate healthy school siting decisions in Michigan. The purpose of this report is to explain the need for a school siting policy in Michigan, document the work of the School Siting Task Force, evaluate the resources available for developing a school siting policy, and provide recommendations for a school siting policy for the State of Michigan. This report documents that our work is intended to stimulate policy debate and timely concrete action among Michigan legislators, policy advocates, and school communities. Its ultimate goal is to galvanize state lawmakers to develop a statewide school siting policy in Michigan that safeguards students’ health and well-being.