An Exploration into Ecodistricts: Sustainable Urban Planning at the Neighborhood Scale Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

The United Nations’ 11th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is to “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, and resilient” by 2030 as cities represent “the future of global living” (“Goal 11”, 2015). It is impossible to overemphasize the importance, and the urgency, of this SDG. Urban spaces account for 70% of global carbon emissions and 70% of the global population will live in cities by 2050 (Lenhart, 2019). Cities are the key to unlocking the future of global climate action and socio-economic improvements. Sustainability, equity, climate action, and quality of life are all intertwined, and tackling one should produce the co-benefits of the others. 

One way in which American cities are addressing equitable sustainable development is through ecodistricts, an urban planning model that weaves together environmentally friendly practices and sustainable community development. This paper case studies four ecodistrict projects in America – Talbot-Norfolk in Boston; Capitol Hill in Seattle; Millvale in Pittsburgh; and Lloyd in Portland, with the goal of assessing what allows ecodistricts to flourish and what prompts them to fail. Those with higher levels of collaborative governance – defined as both stakeholder breadth and community involvement – were associated with higher levels of progress. All case studies experienced positive neighborhood transformation, but only Millvale and Lloyd experienced high progress. Other factors impacting ecodistrict success include the fit of the backbone organization, resident buy-in, funding, and larger staff. Ecodistrict progress was sometimes accompanied by concerns of green gentrification. Future ecodistrict urban models should pay heed to these concerns, and bolster policies to keep communities intact while creating neighborhood transformations.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents 

Introduction………………………………………………………..…..1 Ecodistricts……………………………………………….....…1 Literature Review……………………………………………………...2 Hypothesis…………………………………………………..…4 Data and Methods…………………………………………………..…4 Surveying the Ecodistrict Landscape……………………….....4 Case Selection………………………………………………....4 Defining Collaborative Governance ……………………….…5 Defining Ecodistrict Progress………………………...…….…8 Progress Indicators………………………………………….....8 Interviews with Ecodistrict Leaders………………………..….9 Other Data Sources………………………………………….....9 Data Acquisition Obstacles…………………………………...10 Case Study 1: Talbot-Norfolk Eco-Innovation Ecodistric…………….11 Case Study 2: Capitol Hill Ecodistrict…………………………………15 Case Study 3: : Millvale Ecodistrict ……………………………………20 Case Study 4: Lloyd Ecodistrict Ecodistrict……………………………24 Cross-Case Analysis……………………………………………………29 Conclusion …………………………………………………..…………31 Recommendations for Future Studies………………………………….33 References……………………….……………………………………..34 Appendix A……………………………………………………………..38

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Environmental Studies
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Urban and Regional Planning Political Science, Public Administration Environmental Sciences
Keyword	green city sustainable development urban planning ecodistricts
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Michael Rich, Emory University
Committee Members	Jola Ajibade, Emory University Eric Lonsdorf, Emory University

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