2019 SWCS International Annual Conference July 28-31, 2019 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1. Ecosystem Services and Environmental
Justice in an Urban Environment
Joseph A. Pellegrino, M.S.
City of Springfield, Massachusetts
Dr. Timothy O. Randhir
Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Dr. David V. Bloniarz
Director of Urban Natural Resource Institute, USDA Forest Service
Adjunct Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst

2. Agenda
► Introduction
► Study Area
► Methods
► Results and discussion
► Conclusions
2

3. Issues facing Urban Systems
►Urban Environments are on the rise. 54% of population
live in Urban Communities (2014) and is expected to rise
to 66% by 2050.
► Environmental quality is deteriorating
Air quality
Vegetation loss
Flooding
Photo: www.www.masslive.com/

4. ► Loss of ecosystem services
Trees – Canopy, Stormwater Prevention,
Aesthetic Value
Watershed - Deterioration of urban
streams, watersheds, ponds and lakes
► Increase in Environmental Justice issues
► White Flight from Urban Centers
4
Issues facing Urban Systems
Photo: D. Bloniarz, US Forest Service

5. Environmental Justice
► The Environmental Justice
criteria is compiled by the MA
Executive Office of
Environmental Affairs from the
2010 U.S. Census
5
Photo: J. Pellegrino
Photo: www.www.massmoments.org/

6. ► English Isolated – A household where all
residents speak English less than “Very
Well”
► Minority – A block group with greater than/
equal to 25% or more non-white residents
► Low Income – A household with a Median
Household Income less than $40,673
Photo: www.masslive.com
Photo: www.wikipedia.com

7. Study Area

8. Springfield
Pittsburgh
Study Location Context

9. Massachusetts
Springfield
Hampden County
Boston
Study Location Context

10. Springfield, Massachusetts
► Colloquially known as the “City of Firsts” and
“Silicon Valley of the Industrial Revolution”
• Invention of Basketball (James Naismith)
• Vulcanized rubber (Goodyear)
• Assembly of first motor vehicle (Duryea)
• Assembly line perfected (Springfield Armory)
• Freeze dried food (Birdseye)
• First radio broadcast (WBZ)
• First television broadcast (WWLP)
• First assembly line (Springfield Armory)
• First fire engine
• First motorcycle manufacturer (Indian)
► Post-industrial city that has seen economic
downturn
10
Springfieldsciencemuseum.org

11. 11
• 4th Largest City in New England
• Population 153,000 +/-
• 33 Square Miles
• Density 4,768/sq mi
• 570 Miles +/- of Roads
• 61,706 Housing Units
• 26.8% < Poverty Level
• Median Household income is $35,742
compared to state $70,954 (2016).
• Approximately 22% African-American
and 33% Hispanic
Springfield, Massachusetts
® Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.

12. Methods

13. Spatial Analysis ArcGIS
► The Environmental Justice criteria is gathered from
MassGIS. This information was compiled by Massachusetts
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs from
the 2010 U.S. Census
► Impervious Surface from MassGIS was used to determine
impervious surface percentages in EJ populations
► Land use from MassGIS is used to quantify the top 3 land
uses in EJ populations

14. Spatial Analysis i-Tree Canopy
► Quantifies given land
use types to determine
tree canopy in a given
polygon using
orthographic imagery
► i-Tree Canopy was
developed by the U.S.
Forest Service,
Northern Research
Station and key
research partners
14
www.itreetools.org

15. Relating EJ and Ecosystem Services
► The Environmental Justice criteria is gathered from
MassGIS. This information was compiled by Massachusetts
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs from
the 2010 U.S. Census
► Impervious Surface from MassGIS was used to determine
impervious surface percentages in EJ populations
► Land use from MassGIS is used to quantify the top 3 land
uses in EJ populations

16. Interviews
► Open ended interviews
were held in EJ
population in local
events
► Participants were asked
several open ended
questions to determine
ecosystem services
Photo: D. Bloniarz, US Forest Service

17. Results
and Discussion

18. 18
Language-based Environmental Justice (EJ)
Photo: www.masslive.com

19. 19
Income-based Environmental Justice (EJ)
Photo: www.citylab.com

20. 20
Minority-Based Environmental Justice (EJ)
Photo: D. Bloniarz, US Forest Service

23. 23
Credit: J. Pellegrino

24. Photo: D. Bloniarz, US Forest Service

25. “When there are more apartments, there is more
concrete and not as much greenery.”
Interview Summary
“When the South End was hit by the tornado of
2011 we lost so much greenery…”
“I am actually really nervous because I think
global climate change is here!”

26. What We Learned
► Tree canopy was lacking in
certain EJ neighborhoods
► Large amounts of impervious
surface city wide
► Natural preserves (Parks and
Conservation area) are vital in
terms of ecosystem services
as well as recreational and
aesthetic 26
https://www.seussinspringfield.org/sites/default/files/tile-
gallery/35Forest_%20Park.jpg
https://www.seussinspringfield.org/sites/default/files/tile-gallery/35Forest_%20Park.jpg
Photo: J. Pellegrino
Credit: www.suessinspringfield.org

27. Getting the Community involved
27
Photo: D. Bloniarz, US Forest ServicePhoto: D. Bloniarz, US Forest Service

28. Community Interaction through Citizen Science
►Partnering with State and
Federal Agencies
►Working with Grassroot
Organizations and Nonprofits
►Lobbying for grants to
improve EJ communities
28
Photo: D. Bloniarz, US Forest Service
Photo: D. Bloniarz, US Forest Service

29. Improving ecosystem
services in EJ communities
►City of Springfield continues
to leverage for funding
►Springfield’s Forestry Dept.
plants at a 2:1 ratio
►Greening the Gateway Cities
Springfield program planting
in EJ communities
Photo: D. Bloniarz, US Forest Service
Credit: City of Sommerville, MA

30. Conclusion
► Ej Communities with poverty, language, and minority
status barriers are having low ecosystem services in their
neighborhoods
► There is potential to improve ecosystem services in
environmental justice communities through citizen science
and urban forestry
► EJ communities should be a critical part in the planning of
ecosystem services in urbanized areas

31. Joseph A. Pellegrino, MS
Program Director
Greening the Gateway Cities Springfield
413-750-8022
JPellegrino@SpringfieldCityHall.com