MELVIN DELGADO and DENISE HUMM-DELGADO
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199735846
- eISBN:
- 9780199315864
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199735846.003.0011
- Subject:
- Social Work, Communities and Organizations
Community gardens, and more specifically those involving food security, have engendered community asset assessments with this sphere as a focus. Community gardens, as a result, can respond to a range ...
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Community gardens, and more specifically those involving food security, have engendered community asset assessments with this sphere as a focus. Community gardens, as a result, can respond to a range of instrumental community needs such as food security, places for intergenerational and interethnic contact, and community beautification. Expressive community needs, although much more difficult to measure but, nonetheless, equally important, can be met by having community gardens foster social capital bonding and bridging by providing a place and space for residents to gather and connect with each other. Furthermore, expressive needs can be fostered that cross generations, cultures, and knowledge and abilities pertaining to growing food.Less
Community gardens, and more specifically those involving food security, have engendered community asset assessments with this sphere as a focus. Community gardens, as a result, can respond to a range of instrumental community needs such as food security, places for intergenerational and interethnic contact, and community beautification. Expressive community needs, although much more difficult to measure but, nonetheless, equally important, can be met by having community gardens foster social capital bonding and bridging by providing a place and space for residents to gather and connect with each other. Furthermore, expressive needs can be fostered that cross generations, cultures, and knowledge and abilities pertaining to growing food.
Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520277762
- eISBN:
- 9780520959217
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520277762.003.0004
- Subject:
- Sociology, Migration Studies (including Refugee Studies)
Gardens are natural sites to congregate and converse and relax with others. In the urban community gardens of Los Angeles, some of the poorest, most marginalized newcomer immigrants gather to grow ...
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Gardens are natural sites to congregate and converse and relax with others. In the urban community gardens of Los Angeles, some of the poorest, most marginalized newcomer immigrants gather to grow homeland vegetables, share community ties, and build new places of belonging. This chapter focuses on life in these urban gardens, where undocumented immigrants who are excluded from other spaces of Los Angeles collectively transform discarded urban patches of ground into oases of freedom, belonging, and homeland connection. On previously abandoned lots, they are producing bountiful vegetables and herb patches, vibrant community connection, and places of great beauty. As they tend to their gardens, they are tending to themselves, practicing care of self, family, community, and the land.Less
Gardens are natural sites to congregate and converse and relax with others. In the urban community gardens of Los Angeles, some of the poorest, most marginalized newcomer immigrants gather to grow homeland vegetables, share community ties, and build new places of belonging. This chapter focuses on life in these urban gardens, where undocumented immigrants who are excluded from other spaces of Los Angeles collectively transform discarded urban patches of ground into oases of freedom, belonging, and homeland connection. On previously abandoned lots, they are producing bountiful vegetables and herb patches, vibrant community connection, and places of great beauty. As they tend to their gardens, they are tending to themselves, practicing care of self, family, community, and the land.
David J. Hess
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262012645
- eISBN:
- 9780262255486
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262012645.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
This chapter examines literature on agrifood studies, which is generally critical of the reformist aspirations of localism. It explains that agrifood literature provides valuable insights into the ...
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This chapter examines literature on agrifood studies, which is generally critical of the reformist aspirations of localism. It explains that agrifood literature provides valuable insights into the challenges of sustainability and social justice that localism as a pathway for change faces. It analyzes case-study materials on urban community gardening and urban nonprofit farms and discusses the sustainability and justice challenges of urban agriculture. The analysis shows that the government-oriented protest politics of variable scale and substantial concern with sustainability and justice issues can be found in this field of localist politics.Less
This chapter examines literature on agrifood studies, which is generally critical of the reformist aspirations of localism. It explains that agrifood literature provides valuable insights into the challenges of sustainability and social justice that localism as a pathway for change faces. It analyzes case-study materials on urban community gardening and urban nonprofit farms and discusses the sustainability and justice challenges of urban agriculture. The analysis shows that the government-oriented protest politics of variable scale and substantial concern with sustainability and justice issues can be found in this field of localist politics.
Melvin Delgado
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231160094
- eISBN:
- 9780231534253
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231160094.003.0011
- Subject:
- Social Work, Social Policy
This chapter focuses on community gardening as an intervention aimed at addressing obesity. Community gardens originally sprang up in the United States as a response to social and economic crises ...
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This chapter focuses on community gardening as an intervention aimed at addressing obesity. Community gardens originally sprang up in the United States as a response to social and economic crises dating back to the late nineteenth century. When these gardens are planted and cultivated by the community, they achieve a variety of key social, economic, political, educational, and health-related goals. A social justice perspective adds an important dimension to community gardens, particularly in its emphasis on community inclusion and participatory democracy. This chapter begins with a historical overview of urban farming before defining the phrase urban garden program. It then discusses the history of urban community gardening and potential pitfalls of community gardening. It also presents case examples that illustrate how community gardens facilitate comprehensive approaches that successfully allow health promotion to be conceptualized along a range of dimensions, including social justice-inspired change.Less
This chapter focuses on community gardening as an intervention aimed at addressing obesity. Community gardens originally sprang up in the United States as a response to social and economic crises dating back to the late nineteenth century. When these gardens are planted and cultivated by the community, they achieve a variety of key social, economic, political, educational, and health-related goals. A social justice perspective adds an important dimension to community gardens, particularly in its emphasis on community inclusion and participatory democracy. This chapter begins with a historical overview of urban farming before defining the phrase urban garden program. It then discusses the history of urban community gardening and potential pitfalls of community gardening. It also presents case examples that illustrate how community gardens facilitate comprehensive approaches that successfully allow health promotion to be conceptualized along a range of dimensions, including social justice-inspired change.
Lindsay K. Campbell
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781501707506
- eISBN:
- 9781501714795
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501707506.003.0006
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Chapter five traces the network of actors and storylines involved in creating, advocating for (or resisting), and maintaining urban agriculture in New York City. First, it describes a brief history ...
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Chapter five traces the network of actors and storylines involved in creating, advocating for (or resisting), and maintaining urban agriculture in New York City. First, it describes a brief history of community gardening as a social movement in New York City since the 1970s. Then, it explores the vibrant material practices and varied narratives employed by a newer wave of civic practitioners engaging in urban agriculture from the 2000s to the present. The chapter parses this more recent trend into its various threads, which range from a focus on local food production, to commitments to food justice, to an interest in neighborhood stabilization and youth empowerment.Less
Chapter five traces the network of actors and storylines involved in creating, advocating for (or resisting), and maintaining urban agriculture in New York City. First, it describes a brief history of community gardening as a social movement in New York City since the 1970s. Then, it explores the vibrant material practices and varied narratives employed by a newer wave of civic practitioners engaging in urban agriculture from the 2000s to the present. The chapter parses this more recent trend into its various threads, which range from a focus on local food production, to commitments to food justice, to an interest in neighborhood stabilization and youth empowerment.
Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520277762
- eISBN:
- 9780520959217
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520277762.003.0006
- Subject:
- Sociology, Migration Studies (including Refugee Studies)
This chapter revisits themes developed in this book and discusses possibilities for rethinking and reinventing new models of garden making in Southern California, and metropolitan regions more ...
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This chapter revisits themes developed in this book and discusses possibilities for rethinking and reinventing new models of garden making in Southern California, and metropolitan regions more generally. It argues that Southern California has always been a place of reinvention, and it remains a place of promise and potential. Rather than trying to create a paradise, one can strive for diverse gardens that promote environmental sustainability and a kind of cultural sustainability that promotes social equality, upholds fair labor standards, and recognizes the need for green spaces of beauty in all neighborhoods and communities. In the United States, people are also embracing shared backyard gardening and challenging restrictive municipal codes and policies that mandate lawn. There is a new enthusiasm for organic vegetable gardening without pesticides and herbicides, for wall gardens in cities where space is tight, and even for removal of lawns. The chapter reviews some of these projects, looking at new efforts in private residential gardens, urban community gardens, and public spaces, all with an eye to keeping immigration and the Southern California region in focus.Less
This chapter revisits themes developed in this book and discusses possibilities for rethinking and reinventing new models of garden making in Southern California, and metropolitan regions more generally. It argues that Southern California has always been a place of reinvention, and it remains a place of promise and potential. Rather than trying to create a paradise, one can strive for diverse gardens that promote environmental sustainability and a kind of cultural sustainability that promotes social equality, upholds fair labor standards, and recognizes the need for green spaces of beauty in all neighborhoods and communities. In the United States, people are also embracing shared backyard gardening and challenging restrictive municipal codes and policies that mandate lawn. There is a new enthusiasm for organic vegetable gardening without pesticides and herbicides, for wall gardens in cities where space is tight, and even for removal of lawns. The chapter reviews some of these projects, looking at new efforts in private residential gardens, urban community gardens, and public spaces, all with an eye to keeping immigration and the Southern California region in focus.
Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520277762
- eISBN:
- 9780520959217
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520277762.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Migration Studies (including Refugee Studies)
This chapter sets out the book's purpose, which is to examine Southern California gardens through a migration lens. It argues that we cannot understand these gardens without acknowledging that nearly ...
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This chapter sets out the book's purpose, which is to examine Southern California gardens through a migration lens. It argues that we cannot understand these gardens without acknowledging that nearly all the plants, the people, and the water in Southern California have come from elsewhere. The book underscores the sociological implications of migration and gardens, unearthing social, cultural, and economic consequences of Southern California gardens. It shares what the author has learned in her study of paid immigrant gardeners in suburban residential gardens; urban community gardens in some of the poorest, most densely populated neighborhoods of Los Angeles; and the most elite botanical garden in the West. The remainder of the chapter sketches three claims that frame the present study; discusses why sociology has ignored gardens; and describes the methodology used in the study; and provides an overview of the subsequent chapters.Less
This chapter sets out the book's purpose, which is to examine Southern California gardens through a migration lens. It argues that we cannot understand these gardens without acknowledging that nearly all the plants, the people, and the water in Southern California have come from elsewhere. The book underscores the sociological implications of migration and gardens, unearthing social, cultural, and economic consequences of Southern California gardens. It shares what the author has learned in her study of paid immigrant gardeners in suburban residential gardens; urban community gardens in some of the poorest, most densely populated neighborhoods of Los Angeles; and the most elite botanical garden in the West. The remainder of the chapter sketches three claims that frame the present study; discusses why sociology has ignored gardens; and describes the methodology used in the study; and provides an overview of the subsequent chapters.
Amanda J. Baugh
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780520291164
- eISBN:
- 9780520965003
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520291164.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Chapter 3 considers some of the varied paths that led individuals and groups to work with Faith in Place. While the women and men I encountered during my fieldwork generally supported the ...
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Chapter 3 considers some of the varied paths that led individuals and groups to work with Faith in Place. While the women and men I encountered during my fieldwork generally supported the organization’s values and messages, additional factors also contributed to their religious environmental involvement. This chapter examines the diverse set of motivations participants brought to their work with Faith in Place, including factors related to religion, racial and ethnic identity, civic identity, and economic opportunity.Less
Chapter 3 considers some of the varied paths that led individuals and groups to work with Faith in Place. While the women and men I encountered during my fieldwork generally supported the organization’s values and messages, additional factors also contributed to their religious environmental involvement. This chapter examines the diverse set of motivations participants brought to their work with Faith in Place, including factors related to religion, racial and ethnic identity, civic identity, and economic opportunity.
Marianne E. Krasny and Keith G. Tidball
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780262028653
- eISBN:
- 9780262327169
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262028653.003.0011
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Three general steps move civic ecology practices from small local innovations to broader policy innovations: giving a label to the phenomenon (in our case “civic ecology”); becoming more effective as ...
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Three general steps move civic ecology practices from small local innovations to broader policy innovations: giving a label to the phenomenon (in our case “civic ecology”); becoming more effective as local providers of ecosystem services and contributors to community well-being through partnerships with scientists; and government and larger NGOs formulating policies that allow civic ecology practices to spread. Civic ecology practices are small social or “social-ecological innovations,” whereas larger NGOs and government agencies are policy entrepreneurs who shape the policy environment. Policy entrepreneurs can also bridge between multiple civic ecology practices and larger management initiatives to form regional adaptive and collaborative resource management systems.Less
Three general steps move civic ecology practices from small local innovations to broader policy innovations: giving a label to the phenomenon (in our case “civic ecology”); becoming more effective as local providers of ecosystem services and contributors to community well-being through partnerships with scientists; and government and larger NGOs formulating policies that allow civic ecology practices to spread. Civic ecology practices are small social or “social-ecological innovations,” whereas larger NGOs and government agencies are policy entrepreneurs who shape the policy environment. Policy entrepreneurs can also bridge between multiple civic ecology practices and larger management initiatives to form regional adaptive and collaborative resource management systems.
Marianne E. Krasny and Keith G. Tidball
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780262028653
- eISBN:
- 9780262327169
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262028653.003.0002
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Broken places, also referred to as red zones, are places that suffer from poverty, crime, war, disaster, and environmental degradation. When they are created by sudden disturbances such as hurricanes ...
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Broken places, also referred to as red zones, are places that suffer from poverty, crime, war, disaster, and environmental degradation. When they are created by sudden disturbances such as hurricanes or war, we call them “sudden red zones.” When they are created gradually over many years by industries abandoning a city, leaving behind unemployment, poverty, crime, environmental contamination, and neglected open space, they are called “slow burn” declines. In some cases, a lake, city or other social-ecological system crosses a “threshold” after a sudden or slow-burn decline, where ongoing social and ecological processes are seriously disrupted. Community gardening in Detroit and Boston, memorial gardens after 9/11 in New York City, and community tree planting in New Orleans all demonstrate how civic ecology practices emerge in sudden and slow-burn broken places.Less
Broken places, also referred to as red zones, are places that suffer from poverty, crime, war, disaster, and environmental degradation. When they are created by sudden disturbances such as hurricanes or war, we call them “sudden red zones.” When they are created gradually over many years by industries abandoning a city, leaving behind unemployment, poverty, crime, environmental contamination, and neglected open space, they are called “slow burn” declines. In some cases, a lake, city or other social-ecological system crosses a “threshold” after a sudden or slow-burn decline, where ongoing social and ecological processes are seriously disrupted. Community gardening in Detroit and Boston, memorial gardens after 9/11 in New York City, and community tree planting in New Orleans all demonstrate how civic ecology practices emerge in sudden and slow-burn broken places.
Marianne E. Krasny and Keith G. Tidball
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780262028653
- eISBN:
- 9780262327169
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262028653.003.0009
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Governance refers to how multiple institutions and organizations influence policy. Governance institutions include not only city, county, state, and national governments, but also businesses, ...
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Governance refers to how multiple institutions and organizations influence policy. Governance institutions include not only city, county, state, and national governments, but also businesses, community groups, and small non-profit organizations, as well as large national and international NGOs like The Nature Conservancy, and multilateral organizations like the United Nations. Based on multiple studies conducted over many years on systems as different as policing and forest management, Elinor Ostrom concluded that, relative to top-down government, multiple layers of governance do not produce inefficiencies but rather enable societies to more effectively address complex challenges. This is because the various organizations bring a variety of ideas to the table, which become experiments that can lead to better solutions. Community organizations conducting civic ecology practices are one of many organizations involved in such polycentric governance systems. Additionally, civic ecology practices play a role in the civic environmental movement, which as opposed to the more antagonistic environmental movement that emerged in the 1970s, focuses on collaborations among the non-profit and government sector in environmental management and policy formation.Less
Governance refers to how multiple institutions and organizations influence policy. Governance institutions include not only city, county, state, and national governments, but also businesses, community groups, and small non-profit organizations, as well as large national and international NGOs like The Nature Conservancy, and multilateral organizations like the United Nations. Based on multiple studies conducted over many years on systems as different as policing and forest management, Elinor Ostrom concluded that, relative to top-down government, multiple layers of governance do not produce inefficiencies but rather enable societies to more effectively address complex challenges. This is because the various organizations bring a variety of ideas to the table, which become experiments that can lead to better solutions. Community organizations conducting civic ecology practices are one of many organizations involved in such polycentric governance systems. Additionally, civic ecology practices play a role in the civic environmental movement, which as opposed to the more antagonistic environmental movement that emerged in the 1970s, focuses on collaborations among the non-profit and government sector in environmental management and policy formation.
Amanda I. Seligman
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780226385716
- eISBN:
- 9780226385990
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226385990.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, Political History
Block clubs were primarily focused on making local improvements. Many block club activities centered on beautification projects. Vacant lots were common sources of concern to block club members ...
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Block clubs were primarily focused on making local improvements. Many block club activities centered on beautification projects. Vacant lots were common sources of concern to block club members because they were unsightly and attracted nuisances such as illegal drug use, garbage, and cars. Many block clubs transformed vacant lots into local assets such as gardens and playlots for children. In order to inspire neighbors to beautify their homes, block clubs regularly participated in larger institutional campaigns and competitions that offered prizes for the most attractive properties. Summertime projects focused on making improvements to buildings and sprucing up yards; in winter, block clubs held Christmas decorating competitions. Such campaigns sometimes promoted government action, such as when the City of Chicago launched an “Operation Pride” campaign. But they primarily depended on private, voluntary participation.Less
Block clubs were primarily focused on making local improvements. Many block club activities centered on beautification projects. Vacant lots were common sources of concern to block club members because they were unsightly and attracted nuisances such as illegal drug use, garbage, and cars. Many block clubs transformed vacant lots into local assets such as gardens and playlots for children. In order to inspire neighbors to beautify their homes, block clubs regularly participated in larger institutional campaigns and competitions that offered prizes for the most attractive properties. Summertime projects focused on making improvements to buildings and sprucing up yards; in winter, block clubs held Christmas decorating competitions. Such campaigns sometimes promoted government action, such as when the City of Chicago launched an “Operation Pride” campaign. But they primarily depended on private, voluntary participation.
Piers H. G. Stephens
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198758662
- eISBN:
- 9780191818585
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198758662.003.0012
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This chapter applies the author’s previous work on property rights justification to the significance of community gardens. After criticizing the traditional Lockean private property justification, ...
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This chapter applies the author’s previous work on property rights justification to the significance of community gardens. After criticizing the traditional Lockean private property justification, which emphasizes economic expansionism, it argues that the experiential basis for legitimate property ownership derives from “belonging,” a felt bond of lived experience over time between a person or group of people and an object, being, or place, and that this can be in tension with the Lockean abstract orientation the author calls “possession.” It is then argued: (i) that the combination of this orientation with technocratic politics has a powerfully reductive impact on contemporary life, making the goods of connection to nature tragically uncommon, and (ii) that certain types of belonging, exemplified by community garden practices, can offer rich, persuasive practical alternatives to the reductiveness of the current path.Less
This chapter applies the author’s previous work on property rights justification to the significance of community gardens. After criticizing the traditional Lockean private property justification, which emphasizes economic expansionism, it argues that the experiential basis for legitimate property ownership derives from “belonging,” a felt bond of lived experience over time between a person or group of people and an object, being, or place, and that this can be in tension with the Lockean abstract orientation the author calls “possession.” It is then argued: (i) that the combination of this orientation with technocratic politics has a powerfully reductive impact on contemporary life, making the goods of connection to nature tragically uncommon, and (ii) that certain types of belonging, exemplified by community garden practices, can offer rich, persuasive practical alternatives to the reductiveness of the current path.
Robert B. Stevenson, Arjen E. J. Wals, Joe E. Heimlich, and Ellen Field
Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781501705823
- eISBN:
- 9781501712791
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501705823.003.0006
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
This chapter considers an alternative socially critical perspective on environmental education, the emphasis of which is on the influence of cultural norms and structural features of society on ...
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This chapter considers an alternative socially critical perspective on environmental education, the emphasis of which is on the influence of cultural norms and structural features of society on people's environmental actions and the need for participatory approaches that engage citizens in creating and determining appropriate actions to realize their own vision of a sustainable urban environment. It describes emerging learning spaces, also known as “ecologies of learning,” that engage young and old urban citizens in participatory collaborative activities such as community gardening, critical place-based education in urban schools, and social media environmental interest networks. After providing a brief history of environmental education, the chapter discusses communicating information about and solving environmental problems. It then examines critical thinking about issues of quality of life and human-nature interrelationships before concluding with an overview of how to develop capacity for integrating environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable development.Less
This chapter considers an alternative socially critical perspective on environmental education, the emphasis of which is on the influence of cultural norms and structural features of society on people's environmental actions and the need for participatory approaches that engage citizens in creating and determining appropriate actions to realize their own vision of a sustainable urban environment. It describes emerging learning spaces, also known as “ecologies of learning,” that engage young and old urban citizens in participatory collaborative activities such as community gardening, critical place-based education in urban schools, and social media environmental interest networks. After providing a brief history of environmental education, the chapter discusses communicating information about and solving environmental problems. It then examines critical thinking about issues of quality of life and human-nature interrelationships before concluding with an overview of how to develop capacity for integrating environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable development.
William G. Wilson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226901459
- eISBN:
- 9780226901473
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226901473.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
As our world becomes increasingly urbanized, an understanding of the context, mechanisms, and consequences of city and suburban environments becomes more critical. Without a sense of what open spaces ...
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As our world becomes increasingly urbanized, an understanding of the context, mechanisms, and consequences of city and suburban environments becomes more critical. Without a sense of what open spaces such as parks and gardens contribute, it is difficult to argue for their creation and maintenance: in the face of schools needing resources, roads and sewers needing maintenance, and people suffering at the hands of others, why should cities and counties spend scarce dollars planting trees and preserving parks? This book demonstrates the value of urban green. Focusing specifically on the role of vegetation and trees, the book shows the costs and benefits reaped from urban open spaces, from cooler temperatures to better quality ground water—and why it all matters. While this book is a work of science, it does not ignore the social component. The book looks at low-income areas that have poor vegetation, and shows how enhancing these areas through the planting of community gardens and trees can alleviate social ills.Less
As our world becomes increasingly urbanized, an understanding of the context, mechanisms, and consequences of city and suburban environments becomes more critical. Without a sense of what open spaces such as parks and gardens contribute, it is difficult to argue for their creation and maintenance: in the face of schools needing resources, roads and sewers needing maintenance, and people suffering at the hands of others, why should cities and counties spend scarce dollars planting trees and preserving parks? This book demonstrates the value of urban green. Focusing specifically on the role of vegetation and trees, the book shows the costs and benefits reaped from urban open spaces, from cooler temperatures to better quality ground water—and why it all matters. While this book is a work of science, it does not ignore the social component. The book looks at low-income areas that have poor vegetation, and shows how enhancing these areas through the planting of community gardens and trees can alleviate social ills.
Amy Starecheski
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780226399805
- eISBN:
- 9780226400006
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226400006.003.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology
This chapter opens with an autobiographical introduction to the author’s experiences squatting at Casa del Sol in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx. The connections between squatting, ...
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This chapter opens with an autobiographical introduction to the author’s experiences squatting at Casa del Sol in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx. The connections between squatting, urban homesteading, and community garden activism are introduced through the story of the 1999 fight to preserve hundreds of community gardens. The questions raised through those experiences drive this research. The study of squatting makes the contested and dynamic nature of value, urban citizenship, claims on urban space, and property claims in particular, highly visible. In a neoliberalizing city, squatters’ initiative could be coopted into a discourse of individual responsibility. At the same time, squatters’ actions challenged neoliberal projects of privatization and commodification of urban space. While squatters claimed a right to the city based on their labor and their status as urban citizens, as new homeowners in an era where the social meanings of debt and homeownership were being renegotiated, they also used history and property rights to develop new ways of being part of the city. The chapter closes with a description of the research and writing process for the book, with an emphasis on the role of oral history methods, and an overview of the book’s structure.Less
This chapter opens with an autobiographical introduction to the author’s experiences squatting at Casa del Sol in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx. The connections between squatting, urban homesteading, and community garden activism are introduced through the story of the 1999 fight to preserve hundreds of community gardens. The questions raised through those experiences drive this research. The study of squatting makes the contested and dynamic nature of value, urban citizenship, claims on urban space, and property claims in particular, highly visible. In a neoliberalizing city, squatters’ initiative could be coopted into a discourse of individual responsibility. At the same time, squatters’ actions challenged neoliberal projects of privatization and commodification of urban space. While squatters claimed a right to the city based on their labor and their status as urban citizens, as new homeowners in an era where the social meanings of debt and homeownership were being renegotiated, they also used history and property rights to develop new ways of being part of the city. The chapter closes with a description of the research and writing process for the book, with an emphasis on the role of oral history methods, and an overview of the book’s structure.
