Tag: Green Space

Why I Loathe the High Line, and How Parks Became New York’s New Gentrification Tool

September 9, 2021 / odrozd

By Eve Lettau

When I tell people that the High Line is my least favorite park in New York City, their jaws instantly drop. I am aware that some view my opinion as blasphemous, but when we critically assess the High Line’s impact, it’s clear it wasn’t designed to benefit all New Yorkers.

Please, don’t get me wrong, it has some very good qualities. It has reinvented adaptive reuse as glamorous and inspired countless cities to revive their abandoned spaces. And yes, for those who only care about looks, the High Line is breathtaking. However, my disdain for the High Line is because City Hall has used parks and open space as a tool to rebrand neighborhoods as luxury. This only attracts more wealthy newcomers and displaces and excludes native New Yorkers.

The creation of the High Line began in 2004 when then-Mayor Bloomberg supported the creation of the West Chelsea Special District.[i] This zoning change cemented the High Line into the city’s zoning map and allowed for it to begin developing as a park. Coincidentally, it was during this time that Bloomberg and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYEDC), the city’s economic development arm, also began a covert operation to rebrand New York as a city of opulence.[ii]

The goal of the rebranding was to attract key investors and residents to the city. Bloomberg’s development strategy viewed New York City as a product with a distinct brand. Bloomberg and NYEDC decided — without input from New Yorkers — upon a brand of luxury.

As Julien Brash writes in Bloomberg’s New York: Class and Governance in the Luxury City, “If New York City is a business, it isn’t Wal-Mart…It’s a high-end product even a luxury product.” Knowing that rebranding was the principal economic development strategy during Bloomberg’s tenure, it isn’t hard to see that the unprecedented public spaces that have been created since are a direct manifestation of that policy.

Some may protest, “But public spaces and parks are good! We should be building more!” And they are completely right. However, the city should build parks in neighborhoods like Mott Haven and Bushwick, which the non-profit New Yorkers For Parks has found to be vastly underserved by open space.[iii] Instead, the city develops extravagant parks in places like Chelsea and Brooklyn Heights, which aid in rebranding entire neighborhoods and ultimately displaces families.

Governments should create parks to provide necessary open space to existing residents, not to catalyze real estate investment and attract a wealthier class. Since the High Line opened in 2009, the median household income of the surrounding area has increased from $80,747 to $141,672.[iv] This is an increase of about 23%, while the overall household income of New York City has only increased by 7%.

Anyone who visits the High Line (including the 7,000,000 annual visitors) can see this.[v] When walking along the path, one would expect to see beautiful views of the Hudson. In reality, it’s hard to see anything other than the backside of countless million-dollar apartments, which have sprouted up mere inches from the rail. This is not to mention the fact that the park has now finished its final stretch, which circumvents Hudson Yards, the largest real estate development in the history of the United States.

I’m sure the designers and community activists who fight tirelessly for these parks are well-intentioned. Unfortunately, what the High Line and many of New York’s other luxury open spaces say, is that only individuals in the highest income bracket are entitled to well-designed, highly programmed open spaces. What makes this statement even more gut-wrenching, is that it’s not just real estate developers and billionaires saying this, the city is too.

In 1961, Jane Jacobs wrote, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”[vi]

This directly translates to how the city should use parks and open spaces. The High Line and others like it, were developed because a small group of people decided what the city should be and who it should serve. However, public space is meant to be shared by the public—everyone.

To achieve this, parks and open space planning should be more participatory, focusing on the needs of every person in that community. Secondly, open space interventions should also be developed in areas that truly need them, not high-income neighborhoods in Manhattan. Lastly, both administrative and community-led tools like downzoning, rent controls, and 197A plans should be implemented to make sure that amenities like parks don’t displace existing communities.

Now, the next time the city promises a new park, regardless of where it may be, I hope you pay attention. Because at the end of the day, it is up to us, New Yorkers, to reclaim our public spaces.

[i] The High Line. History.

[ii] Brash, J. (2011). Bloomberg’s New York: Class and governance in the Luxury City. University of Georgia Press.

[iii] New Yorkers for Parks. Open Space Index.

[iv] U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table DP03. American FactFinder.

[v] Sim, J., Bohannon, C. L., & Miller, P. (2020). What Park Visitors Survey Tells Us: Comparing Three Elevated Parks—The High Line, 606, and High Bridge. Sustainability, 12(1), 121.

[vi] Jacobs, J. (1961). The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

Eve Lettau is a second-year Master’s student in City and Regional planning, studying equitable economic development. She’s passionate about how good jobs create access to good housing opportunities and vice versa. Originally from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, she received undergraduate degrees in Economics and Public and Urban Affairs from Virginia Tech. In her free time she spends time hiking with her 2 year old puppy or taking care of her much-too-large plant collection.

Edited by Amy Patronella

Featured image courtesy of Trey Ratcliff

From the Archives: Got Green Space?

May 15, 2020 / odrozd

This post was originally published by Anna Patterson on November 24, 2017. As COVID-19 has limited much of our activity and movement to our homes, many people are turning to the outdoors for a bit of refuge. Exploring the importance of green spaces- particularly on public health- this piece is once again relevant.

Planning for Preventative Health

Urban green space provides a place to escape the concrete and steel of urban city centers, spend time in nature, connect with others, and get moving. As Americans become increasingly sedentary, a push towards funding and implementing green space as a means of increasing individual health has gained traction. Doctors now write green prescriptions for patients to go walk at their local park three days a week or to visit the local farmers market weekly to purchase healthy local fruits and vegetables. Not to mention, green space is aesthetically pleasing and likely to increase property values. But planners and public health practitioners often underestimate the power of green space to prevent disease and serve as a promotive factor for physical, social, and emotional health.

In young children, green space promotes muscle strength, coordination, cognitive thinking, and reasoning abilities—all important aspects to the future health and success of children. Additionally, green space promotes cleaner air and increased exercise.

Research demonstrates that the relationship between green space and increased health outcomes is particularly strong for individuals from lower socioeconomic statuses. In large cities, elderly, youth, and those whose highest level of education was secondary benefited most from living near green space.

Research regarding the mental health benefits of green space is emerging. It is widely accepted in current Western culture that stress is ubiquitous. However, when a person is exposed to high levels of stress for long periods of time, the resulting toxic stress can wreak havoc on the body and result in negative health outcomes. Previous research demonstrates that the quantity of green space in a person’s living environment is linked to stress on the biological level. Individuals with less green space exhibited higher cortisol levels, an indicator of stress, than individuals who lived in greener environments.

Partnerships for Prosperous Green Spaces

Partnerships, especially between public health and city and regional planning practitioners, are crucial to the work of health equity. Ultimately, successful large-scale green space initiatives require investment from commercial, philanthropic, and government organizations.

High Line Park in Manhattan’s West Side exemplifies a successful, large-scale, public-private investment. Friends of the High Line, the conservation group that organized to save the old High Line railway, agreed from the start to pay the entire cost of operations of the park. In turn, the City of New York paid most of the construction costs for the park. Today, the park attracts over 3 million visitors per year and provides a unique and aesthetically pleasing landscape for residents and visitors alike to get their daily dose of green space.

640px-A_visit_to_the_High_Line_park — *High Line Park in New York City. Photo Credit: David Berkowitz*

Problems with the Popularity of Green Space

Admittedly, a multitude of factors contribute to the impacts that access to green space has on individual health outcomes. For example, residents who work odd hours or multiple jobs may not benefit as much from access to green space, since they are unable to utilize such spaces during daytime hours or have other priorities that take precedence.

Little research has been done on the effects of urban green space, which is traditionally built in blighted areas that have not been developed because of their high poverty rates and lack of surrounding attractions. How do residents interact with visitors to parks and green space built in low-income areas? Do residents have a voice in the building of such parks, which will not only literally change the landscape of the neighborhood, but create a gentrifying force that attracts trendy restaurants, rising property taxes, and increased traffic to the place they call home.

How Can Planners Participate in the Green Space Movement?

Ultimately, green space serves as a unifying force, fostering social health and understanding amongst individuals who might not otherwise interact. It provides a place to reflect, relax, and mentally recharge. The effects of green space on physical, mental, and social health are often overlooked.

Planners’ participation in the creation and conservation of green space requires advocating for and educating others about the benefits of green space, particularly for marginalized populations. Green space should be viewed not as a luxury or architectural aesthetic, but as a necessity. While preserving and maintaining green space, and particularly parks, is likely more expensive and less profitable than razing the land for an asphalt parking lot or strip mall development, the health benefits truly do add up.

*Photo Credit: Pixabay, Creative Commons.*

About the Author: Anna Patterson is a dual degree master’s student in the Department of City and Regional Planning and the Department of Health Behavior. Her scholarly interests include health and the built environment, vulnerable populations, and community development. Prior to coming to UNC, Anna worked as a program officer for a health foundation in Alamance County, NC. She likes American folk music, slalom water skiing, and hikes along the Haw River.

Featured Image: Coker Arboretum at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Source: Anna Patterson

Senior Honors Thesis: Greenspace and Health

April 8, 2020 / odrozd

By Lizzie Tong

In the decades to come, cities must grapple with a myriad of challenges – climate change, increasing population density, rising inequality – and develop mitigation strategies through smart urban design. Cities around the world, including Singapore, Vienna, and Shenzhen, have turned to greenspace as a way to address these concerns and improve overall quality of life for its citizens.

Greenspace can mitigate challenges like excessive urban heat. The urban heat island effect is a phenomenon in which the heat trapped in densely built environments raises summer city temperatures. This exacerbates air pollution and heat-related illnesses, which can disproportionately affect minorities and other vulnerable populations. Increased greenery lessens urban heat by providing shade to city residents, reducing dark, heat-absorbing surfaces, and contributing to overall lower city temperatures. Additionally, more tree canopy better filters particulates in the air, improving air quality and reducing the risk of respiratory-related illnesses. While it is clear that the benefits of greenspace improve the natural environment for city dwellers, greenspace is also linked to improving an individual’s physical and mental health by affecting one’s mood and behavior.

“Faces in the Fountain” Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Recent studies find a slight positive correlation between greenspace and overall health; however, the research fails to shed light on whether greenspace causes improved health. And if it does, what aspect of health – physical or mental – is it improving? My honors thesis research applies an econometric, fixed-effects analysis of cross-sectional data to determine the effect of greenspace on physical activity rates and social cohesion in Baltimore, MD. Exercise is an indicator of physical health while relationships, like social capital, social networks, and social cohesion, are indicators for mental health and well-being. The paper not only establishes a causal link between greenspace, physical activity rates, and social cohesion, but also seeks to address the inverse relationship between heat and income by analyzing how greenspace can be introduced to minimize health disparities and improve living conditions for Baltimore’s most vulnerable populations.

“Row of Houses in Baltimore” Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Why is a fixed-effects analysis important?

Traditional Ordinary Least Squared (OLS) regressions are not able to determine a causal link between greenspace and health because it fails to eliminate residential self-selection, non-random greenspace, and reverse causality, which are various types of estimation bias. These three estimation biases present endogeneity — internal factors that can be biasing the effect of greenspace on health. For example, residential self-selection assumes that individuals who prefer to exercise could intentionally move to areas of increased greenspace that facilitate exercise, causing a bias that overestimates the effect of greenspace on physical activity. Similarly, intentionally targeting increases in greenspace in certain neighborhoods (non-random greenspace) overestimates the benefits to health, further introducing bias that traditional OLS cannot capture. The Baltimore Sustainability Plan specifically states that the City of Baltimore intentionally targets greenspace development in low-income, African-African, and minority residential neighborhoods, which proves that non-random greenspace is an endogenous factor that makes it difficult to determine the causal link between greenspace and health. Finally, strong social cohesion levels could also encourage communities to band together to improve their own neighborhood’s greenspace. Thus, reverse causality, or the effect of social cohesion on greenspace is another example of bias that needs to be accounted for. Applying a fixed-effects analysis at the zip code and census tract level accounts for this type of endogeneity. Fixed-effects is an estimation technique that controls time-invariant, unobserved characteristics at a given geographic area, like community culture, an individuals’ perception of safety, retail environment, or features of the natural environment. Holding these unobserved variables constant reveals the causal link between the effect of greenspace on physical activity and social cohesion, removing bias caused by residential selection, non-random greenspace, and reverse causality.

“NDVI values in Baltimore 1999 to 2011”. Photo Credit: Lizzie Tong

What is the impact of greenspace on health?

The results find a small, positive association between greenspace and physical activity rates for individuals in Baltimore. This confirms the findings of previous research; however, the results of my research do not indicate a statistical significance. There are more promising results for social cohesion; there is a positive, statistically significant relationship between greenspace and social cohesion rates. Social cohesion is a composite variable measured by individual responses to the following characteristics on a scale from 1 to 5, from strongly disagree to strongly agree: whether the neighborhood is close knit, trusting, willing to help, and has strong problem solving abilities. Based on the individuals’ composite responses, the results find that a 10% increase in greenspace in a given zip code can cause a 1 point increase in the social cohesion index, suggesting that a moderate increase in greenspace can translate to a tangible change in neighborhood social cohesion.

Who benefits from increases in greenspace?

Not only do the results suggest that greenspace improves social cohesion rates broadly, but the results indicate significantly more beneficial effects for low-income populations. Individuals with lower income, lower levels of educational attainment, that do not identify as White exhibited greater increases in social cohesion rates than other demographics. The results confirm a hypothesis by Gordon-Larsen (2016) that suggests that an increase in the accessibility and availability of public amenities, like recreational areas, can improve health outcomes for lower-income, minority populations. In my research, a similar trend finds that increasing greenspace could be even more beneficial for low-income, minority demographics than for wealthier, Whiter demographics.

City Livability

Given these findings, cities can be more confident in their decisions to implement greenspace as a means to improve its residents’ health. Not only is there a direct causal link, but cities can evaluate a quantitative impact on their populations – a 10% increase in greenspace increases public perception of social cohesion by one index value. Further, the fixed-effects analysis eliminates any concerns of overestimating the effect of greenspace on health. Once all endogeneity is removed, the results still indicate a large, statistically significant increase in social cohesion rates. Thus, greenspace, which is already a viable solution in megacities internationally, is undoubtedly a key pillar of urban design that not only improves the natural environment, but also improves the final frontier of city liveability: human physical and mental well-being.

Featured Image: “Luiseninsel Großer Tiergarten Berlin” Photo Credit: Tobias Nordhausen, Flickr Creative Commons

About the Author: Lizzie Tong is a senior studying economics and computer science at UNC, with an interest in applying data science to solve challenges tied to urban sustainability. After graduating, she will be working as a research assistant for the Community Development and Policy Studies Team at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys trying her hand at oil painting, running, and new Bon Appetit recipes.

REPOST: What Exactly Is “Local Food”? Ten Answers for North Carolina and Beyond

August 31, 2018 / odrozd

We all need to eat. Each of us deserves access to affordable, healthy, and culturally appropriate nourishment. But food influences more than just individual health.The way in which food is grown (such as the use of pesticides, how animal waste is managed, and the type of crops grown) affect soil, air, and water quality, which in turn affect the health of the environment and people living nearby. Agricultural policy influences whether a farming community prospers, and whether farmworkers earn enough money to afford food and shelter for their families. Despite hearing about farmers’ markets and seeing promotions for local food in grocery stores, many people are still unsure about what it is or why it matters. Here are ten ideas to get you started.

1. Why do we call it a food “system”?

A food system is made up of all of the inputs—like seeds, fertilizer, land, machinery, trucks, and fuel—and work that contribute to growing, processing, packaging, transporting, selling, consuming, composting, and managing waste that is associated with food. (The American Planners Association’s definition is more or less the same.) Some conceptions of the food system also include the economic, social, and political influences on those processes. You can visualize the food system with this great graphic from Nourish.

2. What is a local food system?

A local or regional food system is, you guessed it, a food system that is contained within a defined geography – this could be anything from a region like “the Northeast portion of the United States” to state, county, or city boundaries – and it is up to the person saying “local” to define the region. Anything more specific, and even the USDA throws up its hands. “Local” does not have any legal or regulatory definition. Defining local and regional food systems is contentious because the phrase “local food” is used to shape what people want food systems to look like, and because it is a powerful marketing label. This is just the first in a series of debates about the definition of local food. Some people expect that foods that are marketed as “local” have other characteristics, such as being organic, grown at a small farm, sold through a farmers market, non-GMO, or certified as humanely treated livestock. None of these expectations are actually implied by the phrase “local food.”

Cattle grazing in Alamance County, North Carolina. Source: Sophie Kelmenson

3. Which branding claims matter?

Sometimes food manufacturers advertise products with characteristics that do not have any particular legal meaning, like “natural.” This practice is known as “greenwashing,” or making claims that make a product sound environmentally friendly but do not actually mean anything. Greenwashing can increase prices and change purchasing patterns, and it is a huge challenge for local food. It’s hard not only to know what all the different “local food” labels mean, and even harder to confirm that food products are actually compliant with those labels that have a specific meaning. Food companies know that, and many want to keep it that way. Luckily, there are online resources that tell you which claims are real, which are not, and what they actually mean.

4. Is local food actually better?

It depends on what you mean by “better”. There is no doubt that eating more vegetables is healthier. When it comes to health and environmental benefits of organic or local, you’ll have to do your own research! Agricultural production practices and the definition of local food vary from place to place, so the environmental and health effects of local food also vary from place to place. The research literature about the impacts of local food is still emerging, but early reports indicate benefits from increasing local business activity, increased cultural and community connectivity, and improved environmental stewardship.¹

5. Our food system has been controversial for generations. Why the focus on local food now?

The United States industrial food system consolidated immensely in the past fifty years, concentrating land ownership and sales into the hands of a few. Our current food system functions like a factory because it maximizes returns instead of quality. Recent spotlights on all kinds of problems within our food system, from food safety concerns about e. coli, to outrage about pink sludge in our chicken nuggets, to competing claims about nutrition, to campaigns against large farm industries distorting our political process, to abusive workplace environments for farm laborers, have all made people question where food comes from. One of the best ways to know whether your food is safe, healthy, and otherwise unproblematic, is to buy it directly from a farmer who you know and trust.

Mountainside farm in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Credit: Sophie Kelmenson

6. Are farmers markets the only way to support local food systems?

Farmers’ markets are rather spectacular places – you can meet farmers who grew the food that you will eat! The food you buy might taste better, too, because growers can harvest farmers market produce later, allowing it to mature more and gain flavor. You can also learn about new foods and enjoy the company of others in your community. However, markets are not open during all of the times people want to shop (farmers have to farm, too!). You might have noticed that there are more white and wealthy customers at farmers markets than at the typical grocery store, and farmers markets do not offer all of the products we need to cook at home. Some of us don’t have time or the know-how to cook at home. Farmers markets are great, but there are lots of reasons to make sure that there are other ways to buy and consume local foods.

7. What are my other options?

Fortunately, grocery stores, institutions like our home university, UNC, and K-12 schools have all started to purchase local food. Some state and local governments mandate that a certain percentage of food procurement must be from local sources. These institutions provide critical support to local food systems, as they provide large-scale demand, price stabilization, and access to wider markets. You can also join a Community Supported Agriculture program to purchase local food without visiting a market, or purchase food from a local food hub or cooperative.

8. Can local food improve food access and justice?

We have a long way to go in order to make safe and healthy food affordable and accessible to everyone. There are many challenges to changing the built environment so that people may purchase food nearby, shifting food policy so that vegetables are more affordable than Twinkies, altering migrant farmworker policy to prevent health problems, or requiring animal waste be managed in a way that doesn’t put people at risk of exposure. Some local food initiatives address these challenges, but food access and justice are not necessarily central to the concept of local food.

9. What about food systems policy?

The Federal Farm Bill is the ultimate source for learning about American food policy. Additionally, local, state, and federal government policies support an array of programs that increase access to local food. For example, now low-income individuals may use SNAP/EBT benefits at farmers markets. The federal government also provides support for infrastructure for warehousing, packing, processing, and distribution, all of which are also necessary to sell more local food in more places.

10. What does local food look like in North Carolina?

The state has a long farming history, plenty of farmers markets, and an innovative local food program for public schools. The state ranks eighth in agricultural production, primarily through livestock and poultry. Food produced and sold locally represents a small but growing portion of agricultural sales. A number of celebrity chefs who promote local food call North Carolina home, such as Aaron Vandemark of Panciuto and Andrea Reusing of Lantern. The New York Times recently wrote about the “food sisterhood of North Carolina,” describing the passion and creativity of women developing an innovative local food economy.

Small-scale farming in Alamance County, North Carolina. Source: Sophie Kelmenson

Local, regional, and national food production systems are complicated and interconnected, which makes interventions challenging. Solutions, like the systems themselves, will vary in size, goals, and format. Understanding community needs and opportunities is a great place to start, as well as collaborating with existing efforts to support food systems. Organizations such as the Center for Environmental Farming Systems already communicate with community partners to research and support local food in North Carolina. Impactful planning initiatives could include: protecting farmland and fisheries; increasing access to infrastructure for processing, storage, and distribution; and creating lending opportunities to upgrade technology and production size.

To me, good food is more than delicious. Good food is produced in ways that enable ecologically, financially, and socially positive outcomes for producers (all of the people who handle the food along the way to my plate) and consumers. As consumers, we should be aware of the food we eat. As planners, we must think critically about how to how to support good food systems. Go forth, eat good food! Please.

¹Dunning, Rebecca. Research-Based Support and Extension Outreach for Local Food Systems. Center for Environmental Farming Systems, August 2013.

About the Author: Sophie Kelmenson is a master’s student in the Department of City and Regional Planning. Her studies focus on economic development and food systems.

Got Green Space?

November 24, 2017 / odrozd

Coker Arboretum at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Source: Anna Patterson

Planning for Preventative Health
Urban green space provides a place to escape the concrete and steel of urban city centers, spend time in nature, connect with others, and get moving. As Americans become increasingly sedentary, a push towards funding and implementing green space as a means of increasing individual health has gained traction. Doctors now write green prescriptions for patients to go walk at their local park three days a week or to visit the local farmers market weekly to purchase healthy local fruits and vegetables. Not to mention, green space is aesthetically pleasing and likely to increase property values. But planners and public health practitioners often underestimate the power of green space to prevent disease and serve as a promotive factor for physical, social, and emotional health.
In young children, green space promotes muscle strength, coordination, cognitive thinking, and reasoning abilities—all important aspects to the future health and success of children. Additionally, green space promotes cleaner air and increased exercise.
Research demonstrates that the relationship between green space and increased health outcomes is particularly strong for individuals from lower socioeconomic statuses. In large cities, elderly, youth, and those whose highest level of education was secondary benefitted most from living near green space.
Research regarding the mental health benefits of green space is emerging. It is widely accepted in current Western culture that stress is ubiquitous. However, when a person is exposed to high levels of stress for long periods of time, the resulting toxic stress can wreak havoc on the body and result in negative health outcomes. Previous research demonstrates that the quantity of green space in a person’s living environment is linked to stress on the biological level. Individuals with less green space exhibited higher cortisol levels, an indicator of stress, than individuals who lived in greener environments.

Partnerships for Prosperous Green Spaces
Partnerships, especially between public health and city and regional planning practitioners, are crucial to the work of health equity. Ultimately, successful large-scale green space initiatives require investment from commercial, philanthropic, and government organizations.
High Line Park in Manhattan’s West Side exemplifies a successful, large-scale, public-private investment. Friends of the High Line, the conservation group that organized to save the old High Line railway, agreed from the start to pay the entire cost of operations of the park. In turn, the City of New York paid most of the construction costs for the park. Today, the park attracts over 3 million visitors per year and provides a unique and aesthetically pleasing landscape for residents and visitors alike to get their daily dose of green space.

High Line Park in New York City. Photo Credit: David Berkowitz https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidberkowitz/3692427372/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32426040

Problems with the Popularity of Green Space
Admittedly, a multitude of factors contribute to the impacts that access to green space has on individual health outcomes. For example, residents who work odd hours or multiple jobs may not benefit as much from access to green space, since they are unable to utilize such spaces during daytime hours or have other priorities that take precedence.
Little research has been done on the effects of urban green space, which is traditionally built in blighted areas that have not been developed because of their high poverty rates and lack of surrounding attractions. How do residents interact with visitors to parks and green space built in low-income areas? Do residents have a voice in the building of such parks, which will not only literally change the landscape of the neighborhood, but create a gentrifying force that attracts trendy restaurants, rising property taxes, and increased traffic to the place they call home.

How Can Planners Participate in the Green Space Movement?
Ultimately, green space serves as a unifying force, fostering social health and understanding amongst individuals who might not otherwise interact. It provides a place to reflect, relax, and mentally recharge. The effects of green space on physical, mental, and social health are often overlooked.
Planners’ participation in the creation and conservation of green space requires advocating for and educating others about the benefits of green space, particularly for marginalized populations. Green space should be viewed not as a luxury or architectural aesthetic, but as a necessity. While preserving and maintaining green space, and particularly parks, is likely more expensive and less profitable than razing the land for an asphalt parking lot or strip mall development, the health benefits truly do add up.

Photo Credit: Pixabay, Creative Commons.

About the Author: Anna Patterson is a first-year dual degree master’s student in the Department of City and Regional Planning and the Department of Health Behavior. Her scholarly interests include health and the built environment, vulnerable populations, and community development. Prior to coming to UNC, Anna worked as a program officer for a health foundation in Alamance County, NC. She likes American folk music, slalom water skiing, and hikes along the Haw River.

Black Diamond: a UNC alumni-curated Third Space in downtown Greensboro

October 28, 2016 / odrozd

Cities are centers of activity and development with landscapes that reflect the ever-evolving pace of our lifestyles. The evolution of human activity is marked by the built environment we impose on the natural landscape. As the pace of societal change increased—whether from the horse to the car, the telegraph to the smartphone, the general store to the shopping malls—our built environments were molded to accommodate our latest lifestyle preferences. At some point along the way, we began to lose our relationship with open spaces and, consequently, our connection with one another.

Urban isolation. Credit: MVMXVM

As a group of recently graduated UNC-Chapel Hill students, we decided to move to Greensboro and join UNCG graduate David Myers to bring to life our dream of a more connected community.

David Myers (left) and Thais Weiss (right) talk at Black Diamond. Photo: Gray Johnston

Black Diamond: a Public Backyard aims to restore and rekindle these connections that our bustling lifestyles have neglected. Black Diamond is an emerging third space, a place where folks can engage, learn, and re-connect through outdoor activities in a casual atmosphere. We’re located between two Greensboro neighborhoods, along the edge of downtown and directly adjacent to the future Downtown Greenway.

photo-of-downtown-greensboro_google-maps

Black Diamond (located at the gray marker) is blocks from downtown Greensboro. Source: Google Maps

DeAngelo Bowden is a Greensboro native, and attends Appalachian State University. He is completing his capstone project at Black Diamond. Photo: Gray Johnston

We are creating a place that encourages people to slow down and reconnect in ways that are meaningful to them. Whether it be through gardening, music, art, yoga or potluck dinners—our public backyard provides people the resources they need to reconnect with one another and their environment. On a larger scale, we see our public backyard as part of a growing movement that is recapturing and redefining the value of open spaces as third spaces.

Third spaces are public places on neutral ground in a community where people can gather and interact. In contrast, the first and second spaces are home and work. Third spaces host the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated gathers of individuals.[1] While these spaces have typically been defined as coffee shops, bars or sidewalks, the growing third space movement is being translated to open urban spaces.

Although open space is limited in many cities, what these third urban spaces lack in acreage, they make up for in terms of social value. Since many first and second spaces operate within our fast paced lifestyles, they subsequently encourage the development of our built environments, and often at the expense of open space. The value in redefined third spaces is that they operate outside of fast paced lifestyles and encourage the preservation of open spaces.

As a third space, Black Diamond values the preservation of open space. Photo: Gray Johnston

We moved to Greensboro because we see in these almost two acres of land the opportunity to reimagine what urban living is. Greensboro is affordable, culturally diverse, centrally located in North Carolina, relatively walkable and bikeable, and has preserved much of its greenery. Like-minded people and projects are popping up all around the city, such as Greensboro Project Space and Forge Greensboro! The people, their projects and the 5 Universities in the city amount to a fertile environment for collaborations.

Since arriving in May we have begun collaborating with a Guilford College student to build garden beds, an Appalachian State University student who is a Greensboro native for his capstone project, a UNCG researcher to install beehives, and both The Arc of Greensboro and The Arc of High Point for a community-based art project on our fence. We are also in search of donations to build a stage and a shaded area. Ultimately, we are using this space to creatively and critically engage our community.

To learn more about third spaces and our public backyard please visit our website or contact us via social media.

[1] http://www.pps.org/reference/roldenburg/

About the authors:

Gray Johnston was born and raised in Greensboro. As a recent graduate from UNC Chapel Hill with a BA in Environmental Policy, the idea of coming back home to work on a project related to the environment and community planted a seed in his head. After studying sustainable city design in Spain and Germany, Gray was inspired to pursue all of his passions and desires to live a sustainable life. He now works as an editor for Climate Stories NC, a multimedia storytelling project about North Carolinians whose lives have been affected by changes in the climate.

Thais Weiss was born and raised in Brazil and immigrated to the United States with her family in 2005. She is a recent UNC-Chapel Hill graduate with a double major in Global Studies and Geography. Thais has developed a strong interest in sustainable development and communities. In 2015, she traveled to Spain and Germany to study renewable energy and sustainable city design. Aside from being a member of Black Diamond, Thais is Administrative Assistant for the Global Engagement at UNC-Greensboro.

Molly Fisher is a recent graduate from UNC Chapel Hill where she studied geology and history. After studying sustainable cities abroad in Spain and Germany, Molly has become interested in the development of ecologically-minded communities. In addition to her work with Black Diamond, Molly is a Process Improvement & Quality Specialist for Classic Graphics, a manufacturing company in Charlotte.

What Exactly Is “Local Food”? Ten Answers for North Carolina and Beyond

March 21, 2016 / odrozd

1. Why do we call it a food “system”?

2. What is a local food system?

Cattle grazing in Alamance County, North Carolina. Source: Sophie Kelmenson

3. Which branding claims matter?

4. Is local food actually better?

5. Our food system has been controversial for generations. Why the focus on local food now?

Mountainside farm in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Credit: Sophie Kelmenson

6. Are farmers markets the only way to support local food systems?

7. What are my other options?

8. Can local food improve food access and justice?

9. What about food systems policy?

10. What does local food look like in North Carolina?

Small-scale farming in Alamance County, North Carolina. Source: Sophie Kelmenson

¹Dunning, Rebecca. Research-Based Support and Extension Outreach for Local Food Systems. Center for Environmental Farming Systems, August 2013.

About the Author: Sophie Kelmenson is a master’s student in the Department of City and Regional Planning. Her studies focus on economic development and food systems.

Public Space and Conscious Design: A Case Study

November 11, 2015 / odrozd

Think of your favorite public space. It could be the park near your childhood home. It might be the waterfront promenade where you run, or walk, or ride your bike at sunset. Perhaps it’s a busy downtown street. Now consider: what is it about this particular space that makes you happy? That makes you feel safe, comfortable, welcome, at home? It is likely that your favorite place was consciously designed to attract you to it, to keep you engaged with dynamic activities and programming, and to maximize social interaction: in essence, to create a cohesive sense of place.

The open space outside Weaver Street Market in Carrboro, NC. Photo Credit: Mia Candy

One of my favorite places in the small town of Carrboro that I now call home is the outdoor grounds at Weaver Street Market, a community owned grocery store. The space sits at the intersection of East Weaver Street and North Greensboro Street, and covers roughly 30,000 square feet of land. The site functions primarily as a place for patrons of the market to eat and drink, but the site has a multitude of other uses and is open to anyone, and is, as such, a truly public, open space.

Sitting and chatting at Weaver Street Market. Photo Credit: Mia Candy

I spend a lot of time in the space and enjoy its consistent vibrancy, but I recently set out to analyze why it works so well. Looking particularly for conscious design elements and social interactions, I spent a few hours walking around, sitting in, sketching, and photographing the space. What follows is a brief overview of my findings.

Author sketch of design elements and amenities in the space

The public space outside Weaver Street Market functions as the epicenter of the town. Its location at a central intersection as well as its proximity to varied retail and commercial activity and services brings a variety of residents into the space. However, the success of the space is that it encourages people to stay for hours on end instead of merely passing through.

Climbing trees at Weaver Street Market. Photo Credit: Mia Candy

A number of well-designed features of the space contribute to this comfortable and welcoming environment. The first is that it is primarily designed to encourage people to sit. The abundance of different types of seating options (benches, picnic tables, and small tables) and the shade and rain cover mean that the space offers places for anyone at virtually any time to sit and read, do work, meet friends, have a meal or a drink, or just people watch. It is also a space that encourages play: there is art to look at, trees to climb, and open space in which to run around, or dance, or play music.

Doing work at Weaver Street Market. Photo Credit: Mia Candy

The space is also dominated by natural elements, materials, and textures: greens and browns, tree planters and grass, red brick facades and walkways, and wooden tables. These features make the space feel somewhat like a natural ‘sanctuary,’ and noise from the nearby intersection is softened by tree cover along its edge.

But design features are not enough. Weaver Street offers free wifi, garbage disposal (including recycling), restrooms open to the public, and night time lighting, all of which allow people to remain in the space for long periods of time. In addition, the space is easily accessed from all directions and by all modes of transit, with a multitude of places to park a bicycle or car.

Place to sit, garbage disposal, bike racks and proximity to a bus stop

Weaver Street Market, like many of our favorite spaces, is actively designed to bring people together for extended periods of time. For this reason, it goes beyond existing as a neutral space and becomes a vibrant, dynamic, and truly public place.

About the Author: Mia is our Managing Editor of Online Content here at Angles, and is a second year master’s student in the Department of City and Regional Planning at UNC. She grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, where she first developed an interest in urbanism and the complexities of urban development in emerging cities. Mia lived in New York City for two years, researching occupational and environmental health. Her research focuses on planning for public space and urban design, and implementing placemaking strategies in the developing world. Mia’s lifelong dream is to write a children’s book.

Sustainability Lessons from a German Neighborhood

September 8, 2015 / odrozd

Rather than working in opposition to natural forces, new American developments could follow Vauban’s example and plan with them.

Vauban is an ecologically-and socially-minded neighborhood of 5,000 in Freiburg, Germany. In many ways, Vauban is a successful case study in sustainable urbanism. There is academic agreement that the design at Vauban is outstanding. Nevertheless, as long as this style of living and outstanding design is prohibitively expensive for many, its benefits will be limited.

Vauban Land Use Plan. Courtesy: Vauban°de – Der Freiburger Stadtteil mit Flair und Lebensqualität, CC BY.

Tips
Many American cities are beginning their push toward sustainability with initiatives left and right. As they grow, it’s worth considering and planning what form growth will take. The following is a list of tips for American cities to borrow the best aspects of Vauban and learn from its mistakes.

Make sustainable living accessible and affordable.

Vauban has had difficulty in making housing affordable at a large scale. If its citizens want to include more income diversity in the community, they could consider price mechanisms to do so. Vauban could employ rent control, effectively preventing rent price from rising too quickly. Germany’s capital city—Berlin—created a rent ceiling earlier this month. In its law, landlords are prevented from increasing the rent by more than 10%.After WWI, many American cities created rent controls to protect tenants. Cities without rent controls that are undergoing gentrification might revisit the idea of creating or altering existing rent ceilings. Alternatively, cities could require new development to reserve 10% or more of its units as affordable housing.

Pursue transit oriented development.

Without a huge apportionment of space for cars, Vauban is able to commit more space to the public realm. In a Badische Zeitung survey, 14 in 15 community members expressed some type of support for Vauban’s nearly auto free principles. Development in Vauban has sprung up around its 3 tram stops, which connects the entire district to downtown Freiburg.American city officials in Portland, Oregon and Washington, D.C. have used TOD as an economic development tool. This concept has the ability to reshape and revitalize communities with greater mobility and economic opportunity.

Provide lots of green space that everyone can enjoy.

Residents of Vauban all live close to some kind of green space. A document published by the community claims that the areas five main parks, seen in the plan above, were created with citizen input.

Want to take a stroll along a quiet stream? Vauban is bordered to the south by Dorfbach, the village’s creek.

A stroll along Dorfbach. Photo Brian Vaughn

A stroll along Dorfbach. Photo Credit: Brian Vaughn

Rather than working in opposition to natural forces, new American developments could follow Vauban’s example and plan with them. 60 year old trees can be seen as having an important role in providing greenery and shelter, not as an obstacle.

Let the citizens tell you what they want.

It’s not always easy to please everyone, but the participatory democracy model has worked well for Vauban. Forum Vauban was formed in 1994, and a year later the City of Freiburg was utilizing their input to plan the community’s future. Though the Forum no longer exists, it left its mark on Vauban’s current urban form.Before selling huge tracts of land to real estate developers, local and state governments should consider the desires of the public. Community advocacy forums have the ability to reshape the style of development in the United States.

Further reading:
H. Fraker, The Hidden Potential of Sustainable Neighborhoods: Lessons from Low-Carbon Communities
S. Field, Europe’s Vibrant New Low Car(bon) Communities
City of Freiburg, Verkehrsberuhigte Bereiche (Traffic Calming Areas)

Brian Vaughn is a sophomore undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He studied and wrote about planning and energy issues in Spain and Germany during the summer, returning to North Carolina with a renewed invigoration to explore and discuss these issues as online content editor of the Carolina Planning Journal. Brian also writes for the Daily Tar Heel’s opinion page, and works with the Sierra Student Coalition’s coal divestment campaign.