Papers by Michele Romolini
Frontiers in sustainable cities, Mar 6, 2023
Increasingly, scholars, policy makers, and others have put forth that governance and management o... more Increasingly, scholars, policy makers, and others have put forth that governance and management of urban environments requires a consideration of cities as social-ecological systems, necessitating involvement from a broad range of actors. Yet the research on environmental governance and development of tools to support it is often completed for rather than with those responsible for carrying out the work. We examined a university-led research e ort on urban environmental stewardship in Los Angeles (LA), USA. A university urban research center conducted an environmental Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP) in Los Angeles County, which draws upon network analysis and GIS to better understand sustainability relationships, opportunities, and gaps. STEW-MAP is intended to be both a research study examining stewardship organizations across sectors, scales, jurisdictions and geographic space, as well as an application providing tools to facilitate collaborative environmental stewardship. We sought to contribute to a better understanding of how the process of STEW-MAP can leverage sustainability for a more relational ecology with cities approach. To evaluate the process of the LA STEW-MAP, we conducted our conceptual analysis of this stewardship tool by examining co-production of knowledge and co-production of place, drawing particularly from workshops with community partners that took place in and. This article will show that the LA STEW-MAP process can be improved to better operationalize a relational ecology with cities approach. This research contributes to the urban sustainability governance literature by focusing on how the process of the LA STEW-MAP can be a relational model and advance an ecology with cities' approach that captures and leverages multi-scalar interactions. KEYWORDS urban environmental stewardship, ecology with cities, social-ecological systems, stewardship mapping and assessment, engagement The interconnected spaces where environmental stewardship takes place can contribute to human health and wellbeing (Connolly et al., 2013). Ecosystems, and the services and benefits they provide through stewardship can contribute to making cities more resilient, sustainable, and livable (Tan et al., 2020). In understanding the place of natural ecosystems in cities, there has been a dynamic, interconnected discourse over the past 25 years that began as "ecology in cities", then "ecology of cities", "ecology for cities", and most recently "ecology
Cities and the Environment, Nov 16, 2017
Los Angeles, California is prone to extreme climate events-e.g. drought, wildfires, and floods-th... more Los Angeles, California is prone to extreme climate events-e.g. drought, wildfires, and floods-that are only expected to increase with climate change. The establishment of green infrastructure, including a stable urban forest, is a strategy to improve resilience not only to these events, but also to contribute to other environmental, social, and economic goals. To this end, cities throughout Los Angeles County have tree planting programs and policies aimed to grow and maintain their urban forests. Despite the policy objectives and management goals of such programs, we know surprisingly little about the spatial distribution of the existing urban forest, how and where the canopy has changed over time, or the composition of the population living in places of canopy change. To examine these questions, we conducted an analysis of the Los Angeles Coast based on land cover data derived from high-resolution aerial imagery and LiDAR. In addition to characterizing the overall percentages of existing and possible tree canopy in 2014, we also characterized the change in tree canopy from 2009 to 2014 with five measures of tree canopy and change: total canopy, persistence, loss, gain, and net change. We used market segmentation data to analyze the relationship between tree canopy and the composition of communities. Results indicated that tree canopy covered about 15% of coastal Los Angeles, but this cover was unevenly distributed throughout the study area. The parcel-level analysis of change indicated that while the canopy did not change much from 2009-2014, the changes that did occur were localized and would have been missed at a coarser scale of analysis. Using geodemographic segments, we found that higher-income lifestyle groups tended to have more tree canopy and less loss over time. Change within land uses was consistent with overall change. These high-resolution, high-accuracy data and analyses can support valuable tools to guide decision-making about urban forests, especially as it relates to social equity.
The parcel-level tree canopy assessment data produced by Galvin et. al (2019) was a fundamental p... more The parcel-level tree canopy assessment data produced by Galvin et. al (2019) was a fundamental part of this project. We are grateful to all of the participants from the City of Commerce who helped plan and participate in the tree summit. We hope this project helps you in growing Commerce's urban forest.
Landscape and Urban Planning, Dec 1, 2013
h i g h l i g h t s • We explore environmental stewardship network structures in Baltimore and Se... more h i g h l i g h t s • We explore environmental stewardship network structures in Baltimore and Seattle. • We combine network and spatial analyses to assess network/land cover relationships. • We find higher incomes and more groups in well canopied neighborhoods in Baltimore. • Home ownership is the principal explicator of tree canopy in Seattle. • We suggest enhanced methods for continued study of stewardship causes and outcomes.
Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, May 1, 2019
Urban parks are a vital resource. They provide a wealth of benefits that support the health and w... more Urban parks are a vital resource. They provide a wealth of benefits that support the health and well-being of the people who use them and the ecosystems in which they reside. In densely populated cities, parks are often the only nearby natural resource for local residents to engage with and learn about the environment. Place attachment-individuals' psychological and emotional connection to their local parks and natural areas-has been shown to be a precursor to engaging in volunteer stewardship activities. Yet the place attachment research to date has largely focused on non-urban recreation settings, such as national parks, leaving a large gap in understanding place attachment in urban settings and on smaller scales. This paper describes the results of a study conducted in the Baldwin Hills Parklands, a multi-use park system located in densely populated Los Angeles, CA, USA. A survey of 287 visitors revealed high levels of place attachment across the Parklands, and frequency of use was positively associated with level of place attachment. Among the highest rated sentiments were feelings of safety and peacefulness. Unexpectedly, drivers expressed greater attachment than those arriving on foot or other means of transportation. Visitors with higher place attachment were also more likely to be willing to participate in volunteer stewardship. Renters and lower-middle income visitors expressed lower levels of place attachment than homeowners and upper income visitors, while Latinx visitors had higher place attachment than non-Latinx visitors. The paper discusses the findings and their implications for management and future research on place attachment in urban parks. 1. Introduction 1.1. Research motivation As the world's population continues to urbanize, urban parks will be vital for individuals to form connections with the environment, serving as the only nearby natural resource for residents (Sharp et al., 2015). Urban parks have a range of benefits to communities (Konijnendijk et al., 2013), including ecological and environmental services such as diminished urban heat island effects and increased habitat to support biodiversity. Access to green areas can impact public health through increased physical activity and lower levels of certain diseases (Frumkin, 2003; Hartig et al., 2014; Kabisch et al., 2017). Parks may also benefit users and their communities psychologically and sociologically through diminished stress levels, increased social integration, more developed social ties, and reduced aggression (Chiesura, 2004; Kaplan and Kaplan, 1989; Ward Thompson et al., 2012; Adevi and Martensson, 2013). These benefits have been seen at the population level, and are particularly relevant for the elderly, less affluent socioeconomic groups, and women at home (Irvine et al., 2010). Overall, the human need for environmental experience is a significant reason urban parks are such critical resources. The emotional bond between people and the environments around them has been termed place attachment (Shumaker and Taylor, 1983). This peopleplace bonding (Altman and Low, 2012) results from emotions and feelings, or associations with an individual's environment (Hidalgo and Hernandez, 2001). The construct of place attachment has been explored in relation to the psychological functions that place provides for people. This includes place identity, which is how the place is integral to how people see themselves (
5. Stewardship Networks and the Evolution of Environmental Governance for the Sustainable City
Yale University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2019
Ecology and Society, 2013
By integrating the research and resources of hundreds of scientists from dozens of institutions, ... more By integrating the research and resources of hundreds of scientists from dozens of institutions, network-level science is fast becoming one scientific model of choice to address complex problems. In the pursuit to confront pressing environmental issues such as climate change, many scientists, practitioners, policy makers, and institutions are promoting network-level research that integrates the social and ecological sciences. To understand how this scientific trend is unfolding among rising scientists, we examined how graduate students experienced one such emergent social-ecological research initiative, Integrated Science for Society and Environment, within the large-scale, geographically distributed Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network. Through workshops, surveys, and interviews, we found that graduate students faced challenges in how they conceptualized and practiced social-ecological research within the LTER Network. We have presented these conceptual challenges at three scales: the individual/project, the LTER site, and the LTER Network. The level of student engagement with and knowledge of the LTER Network was varied, and students faced different institutional, cultural, and logistic barriers to practicing social-ecological research. These types of challenges are unlikely to be unique to LTER graduate students; thus, our findings are relevant to other scientific networks implementing new social-ecological research initiatives.
About the Project Tree Canopy: Tree canopy is the layer of branches, stems, and leaves of trees t... more About the Project Tree Canopy: Tree canopy is the layer of branches, stems, and leaves of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above. Land Cover: Physical features on the earth mapped from aerial or satellite imagery, such as trees, grass, water, and impervious surfaces. Exis ng Tree Canopy: The amount of urban tree canopy present when viewed from above using aerial or satellite imagery. Impervious Possible Tree Canopy: Asphalt or concrete surfaces, excluding roads and buildings, that are theore cally available for the establishment of tree canopy if improvements were made. Vegetated Possible Tree Canopy: Grass or shrub area that is theore cally available for the establishment of tree canopy. Not Suitable: Areas where it is highly unlikely that new tree canopy could be established (primarily buildings and roads).
Frontiers in Sustainable Cities
Executive Summary In recognition of the critical moment facing the Silver Lake community as it un... more Executive Summary In recognition of the critical moment facing the Silver Lake community as it undergoes the development of a new Reservoir Master Plan, the Loyola Marymount University Center for Urban Resilience (LMU CURes) was invited by the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council (SLNC) to conduct a study to provide sound information to support these efforts. A comprehensive study would likely span multiple years, and would include wildlife, green infrastructure, and social research to analyze the options available to Silver Lake to plan and implement an open space policy. This report focuses on Phase 1, a pilot survey of individuals intended to collect foundational data about the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of those stakeholders who currently utilize the area. Conducted in late 2018 and developed in consultation with the SLNC, the pilot survey gathered 249 in-person public intercept surveys and 1014 responses to a publicly available online survey. Two public meetings informed mo...
Expanding current definitions of environmental stewardship through organizational mission statement analysis
Ambio
Stewardship Mapping And Assessment Project (STEW-MAP)
BioScience, 2020
The Earth's population will become more than 80% urban during this century. This threshold is... more The Earth's population will become more than 80% urban during this century. This threshold is often regarded as sufficient justification for pursuing urban ecology. However, pursuit has primarily focused on building empirical richness, and urban ecology theory is rarely discussed. The Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) has been grounded in theory since its inception and its two decades of data collection have stimulated progress toward comprehensive urban theory. Emerging urban ecology theory integrates biology, physical sciences, social sciences, and urban design, probes interdisciplinary frontiers while being founded on textbook disciplinary theories, and accommodates surprising empirical results. Theoretical growth in urban ecology has relied on refined frameworks, increased disciplinary scope, and longevity of interdisciplinary interactions. We describe the theories used by BES initially, and trace ongoing theoretical development that increasingly reflects the hybrid biological...
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2016
, M. (2016). Network governance for large-scale natural resource conservation and the challenge o... more , M. (2016). Network governance for large-scale natural resource conservation and the challenge of capture. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 14(3), 165-171.
Leveraging environmental stewardship mapping and assessment research as a relational process for ecology with cities
Frontiers in Sustainable Cities
Increasingly, scholars, policy makers, and others have put forth that governance and management o... more Increasingly, scholars, policy makers, and others have put forth that governance and management of urban environments requires a consideration of cities as social-ecological systems, necessitating involvement from a broad range of actors. Yet the research on environmental governance and development of tools to support it is often completed for rather than with those responsible for carrying out the work. We examined a university-led research effort on urban environmental stewardship in Los Angeles (LA), USA. A university urban research center conducted an environmental Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP) in Los Angeles County, which draws upon network analysis and GIS to better understand sustainability relationships, opportunities, and gaps. STEW-MAP is intended to be both a research study examining stewardship organizations across sectors, scales, jurisdictions and geographic space, as well as an application providing tools to facilitate collaborative environment...
5. Stewardship Networks and the Evolution of Environmental Governance for the Sustainable City
Science for the Sustainable City, 2019
About the Project Tree Canopy: Tree canopy is the layer of branches, stems, and leaves of trees t... more About the Project Tree Canopy: Tree canopy is the layer of branches, stems, and leaves of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above. Land Cover: Physical features on the earth mapped from aerial or satellite imagery, such as trees, grass, water, and impervious surfaces. Exis ng Tree Canopy: The amount of urban tree canopy present when viewed from above using aerial or satellite imagery. Impervious Possible Tree Canopy: Asphalt or concrete surfaces, excluding roads and buildings, that are theore cally available for the establishment of tree canopy if improvements were made. Vegetated Possible Tree Canopy: Grass or shrub area that is theore cally available for the establishment of tree canopy. Not Suitable: Areas where it is highly unlikely that new tree canopy could be established (primarily buildings and roads).
The parcel-level tree canopy assessment data produced by Galvin et. al (2019) was a fundamental p... more The parcel-level tree canopy assessment data produced by Galvin et. al (2019) was a fundamental part of this project. We are grateful to all of the participants from the City of Commerce who helped plan and participate in the tree summit. We hope this project helps you in growing Commerce's urban forest.
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Papers by Michele Romolini