Environmental Justice of Public Park Amenities and Accessibility in Madison, WI
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Running Head: Environmental Justice Environmental Justice of Public Park Amenities and Accessibility in Madison, WI Rebecca Bailey, Alexis Clausen, Eunji Kang, Caroline Shea University of Wisconsin Madison Environmental Justice 1 Environmental Justice of Public Park Amenities and Accessibility in Madison, WI Abstract This case study examines the relationship between demographics, park accessibility, and the quality of park amenities in Madison, Wisconsin. We use both quantitative and qualitative data seeking to answer the research question: is there a correlation between the socioeconomic status and racial demographics of a neighborhood and its inhabitants’ access to quality parks in the city of Madison. Unlike the classic geographic environmental justice issues that generally concern the imposition of harms, this case study evaluates the distribution of benefits. To answer this research question, it is vital to develop a series of Geographic Information System (GIS) data layers and subsequent analyses to reflect accurate racial and class distributions in the city. Using this GIS model, we chose seven community parks to study that are located in areas of various demographics to best represent Madison’s diversity. These parks include: Reindahl Park, Olbrich Park, North East Park, James Madison Park, Brittingham Park, Olin Park, and Elver Park. Surveying the parks to gather observational data consists of using a checklist to assess the amenities and their quality, as well as photographing the park and its amenities. Lastly, a Madison Park Department employee gives insight into the planning and maintenance of the city parks. The primary data from parks is quantified to conduct a statistical analysis and overlapped with GIS demographic data layers to answer the research question. We conclude the disparities between park amenities, park quality, and accessibility are not significant enough to prove there is discrepancy between socioeconomic status and access to quality parks. Keywords: accessibility, amenities, environmental justice, green space, quality Environmental Justice 2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................4 2. Literature Review........................................................................................................................ 6 2.1 Importance of Studying Environmental Justice............................................................ 7 2.2 Benefits of Green Spaces: Quality of Life.................................................................... 8 2.3 Accessibility of Parks................................................................................................... 9 2.4 Methods of Testing Accessibility in Literature............................................................ 9 2.5 Literature Results........................................................................................................ 13 3. Research Methods......................................................................................................................15 3.1 GIS for Park Selection................................................................................................ 16 3.2 Field Observations...................................................................................................... 23 3.3 Evaluation: Number of Amenities.............................................................................. 23 3.4 Evaluation: Quality of Amenities............................................................................... 24 3.5 Interview: Contextualizing Our Data.......................................................................... 25 4. Results....................................................................................................................................... 25 4.1 Number of Amenities.................................................................................................. 25 4.2 Quality of Amenities................................................................................................... 26 4.3 Photographic Comparisons......................................................................................... 27 4.4 Interview Implications................................................................................................ 38 4.5 Service Areas.............................................................................................................. 41 5. Discussion................................................................................................................................. 43 5.1 The Relevance of Service Areas................................................................................. 43 5.2 What the Results Mean................................................................................................45 6. Limitations.................................................................................................................................46 7. Future Research.........................................................................................................................48 8. Conclusion.................................................................................................................................50 Appendix A: Number of Amenities Spreadsheet.......................................................................... 51 Appendix B: Quality of Amenities Spreadsheet........................................................................... 54 Appendix C: Privacy Policy.......................................................................................................... 57 Appendix D: Interview Questions................................................................................................ 58 References..................................................................................................................................... 59 Environmental Justice 3 1. Introduction Residential access to parks is increasingly important for burgeoning urban populations because parks improve the quality of life, provide many physical and health benefits, enhance aesthetics, and create spaces for social integration (Wolch et al. 2014, 234235). However, access to quality parks and their benefits may not always be equal for all people. These inequalities can be seen where people of color and lower income populations reside within a city (Cutts 2009, 1315). The geographic distribution of people by socioeconomic class does not always give colored and lower income populations the same access to high quality parks that wealthier Americans are able to enjoy (Abercrombie et al. 2008). Not all parks throughout a city are going to be of equal quality, which is the nature of the issue. This study aims to reveal if there is an unfair correlation between quality park accessibility and neighborhood demographics in the city of Madison, Wisconsin. Figure 1: Location and park distribution map Environmental Justice 4 There are 206 parks located in Madison (Parks Division 2012). Figure 1 is a locator map showing the geographic configuration of the city’s parks. Our task is to collect information on a diverse selection of these parks in order to answer the question: is there a correlation between the socioeconomic status and racial demographics of a neighborhood and its inhabitants’ access to quality parks in the city of Madison? To answer this question, we conduct a case study of seven parks in Madison, WI: Reindahl Amund, Olbrich, North East, James Madison, Brittingham, Olin, and Elver. These seven parks represent geographically and demographically diverse areas of the city. Analyzing the number and quality of amenities at each park will help determine if there is a discrepancy between socioeconomic status and access to quality parks. The City of Madison Parks Department breaks the 206 parks down into three main categories: mini, neighborhood, and community. The seven parks in this study are all community parks. Choosing parks from only one category is necessary for maintaining consistency because there are differences in the number of potential park amenities across all three categories. Since community parks are the broadest category and serve the largest number of inhabitants, they have approval for the most amenities (Parks Division 2012). Community parks are defined as parks that focus on “meeting communitybased recreation needs as well as preserving unique landscapes and open spaces” and have staff that maintain, fund, and assist in running the space (Parks Division 2012). The literature that we chose in our research process will be used to understand the relationship between environmental justice and parks. Additionally, some of our literature is Environmental Justice 5 useful in exploring the various GIS techniques applicable to our project. The literature also shows how and why parks are important to a community, having an overarching theme of environmental justice and parks. 2. Literature Review Environmental Justice, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, “is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies” (Environmental Protection Agency 2014). The concept of environmental justice, or how environmental inequalities cause burdens for lowincome and/or nonwhite people, seems