Connections galore!

When I read the title for Chapter 4 in Roseland, I have to admit, I was pretty excited.  After having delved further into the chapter, I can draw so many parallels between this chapter and the topic I just discussed in my Urban Ecology class last week.

One of the main objectives of Urban Ecology is to try and reconcile natural ecosystems and processes within a human-dominated world, specifically in an urban setting.  So, for a small scale example, I'm looking out my window in my apartment, and I see a tree right next to the sidewalk.  How does the placement of the concrete affect the tree (its ability to grow, spread its roots, etc.)?  Urban ecologists are trying to intertwine the fields of natural and social sciences.

Anyway, last week, we read an article linked here (I can only access the abstract outside of OnCourse) that relates really well to Roseland's point about creating sustainable green spaces.  Specifically, the authors draw connections between the built environment and public health.  They also promote the idea of health-promotive environments, which contain ecological elements that contribute to the overall health and well-being of its occupants.  Another interesting fact they point out is that neighborhoods with certain attributes, like abundant green space or aesthetically pleasing aspects, encourage people to walk or bicycle, rather than drive.  This concept really relates well to our class, and specifically this chapter, because creating more green spaces in urban areas has a two-fold effect: it encourages people to choose healthier alternatives to driving a car, while also cutting down on pollution.  So that's pretty cool, and a win-win for everyone involved.

Besides all of Roseland's examples about cities creating initiatives that encourage more green space and more sustainable living, I thought I'd contribute one more.  Here is another awesome instance of someone really making a difference in her neighborhood, which happens to be the Bronx in NYC.  It's a great example of people in an area that really care about and want to see change happen.  This video is such an awesome story, so I hope you have the time to watch it, because it truly is inspiring.  :)

Personal Project Ideas

So, I've been having a little trouble coming up with a personal project.  I have a few ideas floating around, so I figured I'd throw them out there and get some feedback:

1) I'm interested in proposing a shift in the way my hometown deals with trash and recycling, something similar to what Bloomington does (free recycling, but you pay for trash pickup).  I was also considering something on a smaller scale, like convincing the local schools there to recycle more than paper, or something with the local businesses.  I'm really interested in pursuing this project, but I'm not sure if the timeframe is right.

2) If that project falls through, I'd like to try and convince my apartment complex to offer recycling.  There are a lot of dumpsters around, so it might be feasible to have one or two areas turned into recycle bins.

Anyone have thoughts or feedback?  Thanks!

Civic Engagement from a Rural Perspective

"Sustainable development must be participatory development... Sustainable development is thus about the quantity and quality of empowerment and participation of people.  Sustainable development therefore requires community mobilization, i.e., mobilizing citizens and their governments toward sustainable communities."
--Roseland, p. 27

Roseland ends his discussion in Chapter 2 by pointing out that change needs to begin at a civic level, with a bottom-up approach.  I completely agree that in order to enact change of any kind, citizens need to become more involved with democracy.  What is most interesting to me is how to get people to care enough about sustainability in order to become involved in the first place.

That is especially interesting to me, because I know that all of my classmates are interested in sustainability - or we wouldn't be in the class - and I know that most, if not all, students in SPEA would love to see a more sustainable world, but what about others?

For example, I come from an incredibly rural area.  The population of my town is roughly 3,000, and it's surrounded by farms on each side of town.  There has been little to no economic growth in the past 10 years, and most people commute to neighboring cities for their jobs, unless they live on a farm.  I'm sure that people in my town generally care about breathing clean air or helping to foster economic growth within the community.  But, there is very little being done to move toward a more sustainable city.  Case in point, when I was younger, the city enacted an affordable recycling program.  Then, a few years later, the prices rose to the point that people opted out because they felt it was too expensive.  Even now, it's a rarity to see a recycling bin waiting to be picked up.  And I'm sure that there are many other cities like my town.

I'm posing this question to you guys: How do we get people to change the way they think about the world, so they begin to think about long-term solutions, instead of only worrying about solving only the immediate problems?

I'm hoping that Roseland will offer, in subsequent chapters, ways to motivate people into mobilizing.  I would love it if the next time I came home, I saw more recycle bins up, but there needs to be a strong push from citizens in order for that to happen.