American Environmentalism and the City: An Ecosystem Services Perspective

This study traces the evolution of eight influential American environmental organizations and their relationship with, and conceptualizations of, ‘the city’ and ‘nature.’ Guided by the ecosystem services framework, the organizations’ urban-based initiatives were analyzed to determine what types of ecosystem services they emphasized and what the implications are for cities and environmental health. Results from historical, content, and interview analyses reveal the potential of the ecosystem services framework to unite the interests and efforts of multiple stakeholders, including urbanists, ecologists, economists, and environmentalists in a way that enhances both urban quality of life and conservation efforts overall

Sustainable Urban Park Systems

Lack of multi-dimensional, substantive research on city park systems has undermined the potential role of these public amenities in advancing urban sustainability goals. This study informs holistic policy, planning, and management of parks to balance the multiple goals of sustainability region-wide. A vision for a sustainable urban park system is introduced, informed by multidisciplinary thought and theory. This vision is then operationalized in the development of a quantitative method that examines four key dimensions of sustainability—physical, environmental, socio-economic, and built—across a citywide urban park system. The approach can be customized for use in other cities, but is here applied to Phoenix, Arizona as a proof of concept. Findings demonstrate how a multi-dimensional analysis of an urban park system can provide a more nuanced understanding of these complex human-environment systems, and provide a point of departure for sustainable urban park management and policy as well as future research concerned with balancing multiple sustainability goals in park planning and design

Integrating Ecosystem Services Into Urban Park Planning & Design

Urban parks, which include a variety of green, brown, and gray infrastructure (e.g. greenways, native desert parks, plazas), are key providers of ecosystem services within cities. Given the importance of urban ecosystem services to the social and ecological health of urban ecosystems, there is a growing consensus that ecosystem service considerations should be integrated into urban park planning, policy, and design. Yet this integration is limited by a lack of relevant, accessible tools and standards for implementation. To address these deficiencies the present study developed the Urban Park Ecosystem Services (UPES) tool. UPES an open-source, geographically contextualized planning tool and site design guidelines for systematically integrating multiple ecosystem service considerations into urban park planning. To maximize relevancy and accessibility to practitioners, the tool was based on an existing planning ordinance, already in use by planners. UPES was customized to an arid city using Phoenix, Arizona as a case study, but can be modified for use in other cities based on their specific geographic conditions and policy goals. UPES provides a starting point and foundation for the integration of ecosystem service considerations into urban park planning and design to maximize their benefits across an urbanized region