The next presentation of the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast (CCRUN) Green Infrastructure, Climate and Cities Seminar Series will be held on Wednesday, October 1st at 4pm EST at Drexel University. Come join the discussion about the risks and opportunities presented to our urban communities by climatic extremes, and what decision makers, researchers, and practitioners are learning about how to address these issues.
Space is limited, so please RSVP for both in-person and webinar attendance at http://ccrun.org/seminars
Green Infrastructure and Environmental Health and Safety
Dr. Michelle Kondo and Dr. Austin Troy
Michelle Kondo, Ph.D. is a Research Scientist with the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, stationed in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Kondo specializes in evaluating the impacts of urban sustainability and stabilization initiatives on environmental hazards, public health and safety. Her current projects focus on green stormwater infrastructure and vacant-lot greening programs
Abstract:
Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) has been promoted as having public health benefits in addition to environmental benefits. However, limited evidence exists. We conducted a difference-in-difference analysis of the effects of green infrastructure installments on health and safety outcomes from 2000 to 2011 in Philadelphia, PA. Regression-adjusted models showed consistent and statistically significant reductions in narcotics-possession (18-27% less). Narcotics-manufacture was also significantly reduced. Health and safety considerations, such as reductions in certain crimes, should be included in future assessments of green infrastructure programs.
Austin Troy, Ph.D. is an Associate professor in the Department of Planning and Design, at University of Colorado Denver and Principal and Co-founder of Spatial Informatics Group, LLC, an environmental consulting firm in operation since 1998. He holds a BA in Anthropology from Yale College, a Masters in Forestry from Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and a PhD in Environmental Policy and Economics from University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Troy is author of The Very Hungry City (Yale University Press, 2012) and his research interest are land use policy, environmental planning, GIS, spatial analysis, remote sensing, land use change modeling and simulation.
Abstract:
The extent to which urban tree cover influences crime is in debate in the literature. Controlling for numerous potential confounders, this research found that a 10% increase in tree canopy was associated with a roughly 12% decrease in crime. When we broke down tree cover by public and private ownership, we found that the inverse relationship continued in both contexts, but the magnitude was 40% greater for public than for private lands.
**Austin Troy will be presenting remotely via webinar.
