ULTRA-Ex: Collaborative Research: Urban Sustainability and Push-Pull Drivers of Residential Change: Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and the Chesapeake Bay

Georgetown University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This research addresses the question, "What is the relationship between environmental rehabilitation and urban revitalization?" More specifically, this research investigates the relationships between 1) urban sustainability policies, investments, and outcomes; 2) drivers of urbanization; and 3) long-term dynamics of urban residential neighborhoods. Three inter-related themes will be used to examine these relationships: a) urban forests and open space, b) environmental quality, and c) vector-borne diseases. These research themes are contextualized in a framework that considers vulnerability to climate change and environmental justice. To answer these questions, this research addresses several types of opportunities for theoretical advance in understanding urban systems. Traditional social analysis incorporates several "push-pull" factors such as crime, poor government services, and high taxes; expensive and deteriorating housing; small building lots, and racial tension; but there is little emphasis on environmental parameters. This project introduces a novel approach to push-pull driver analysis by incorporating environmental parameters, particularly at a fine resolution. In addition to examining long-term, social-ecological push-pull changes over time, this project explores the utility of a panarchy approach for understanding the relationship between environmental rehabilitation and urban revitalization at the neighborhood level. This project examines the dynamic understanding of neighborhood change from one phase to another: What causes neighborhoods to decline? What causes neighborhoods to reorganize, revitalize, and prosper? Dimensions of change are also examined. A focus on slow and fast changing variables and attention to both change and persistence correspond to an interest in types and rates of change. Numerous types of data and analyses will be employed, including hi-resolution, remotely sensed data, long-term Census data, parcel-level cadastral data, key-informant surveys, water and air sampling, and micro-habitat analysis. In addition to these data and analyses, three workshops - one for each research theme - bring together all of the members of the DC-BC ULTRA community. These workshops develop a Community of Practice that coalesces around the idea of just, sustainable cities and provides opportunities for interactions among constituencies and communication about research findings with multiple groups. This project adopts a fully integrated research-education-outreach model that includes researchers, students, and decision-makers. Researchers and managers collaborate in a full research-application cycle: a) identify questions, b) collect new data and share existing data, c) analyze data, d) interpret results, e) apply findings, and f) identify new questions. Students are engaged in relevant content through coursework and continue to work on the project through paid fellowships, internships, and capstone or thesis projects. Students are recruited from classes and across the DC Consortium and universities in the Baltimore region to apply for paid ULTRA research fellowships. ULTRA Fellows work directly with researchers and managers on projects, attend ULTRA workshops, and contribute to manuscripts. The broad array of opportunities in the natural and social sciences and from basic research to applied internships are designed to attract a diverse student group and diverse set of interests.