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Equitable Resilience in Climate Safe Cities: Impacts of Neighborhood-Level Community Engagement on the Perceptions and Actions of Cincinnati Residents

Roncker, Jessica
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1129-1451
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1703170592892649

Abstract Details

2023, MA, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences: Psychology.
Climate change is underway with its effects felt everywhere but the consequences vary greatly by location. Cities are crucial focal points as more than 265 million people, or 80% of the U.S. population, live in urban areas, making the ability of cities to adapt to climate change critical for the majority of U.S. citizens (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). Climate planning and policymaking in cities must recognize that disinvested communities with aging infrastructure and minimal tree canopy can expose residents to radically hotter temperatures than residents of other neighborhoods (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2008; Shandas et al., 2019; Hoffman et al., 2020) and is an example of how social and economic inequalities are exacerbated by climate change. Much climate planning to date has been top-down and city-wide, which overlooks neighborhood disparities and specific needs of communities, thus there is a need for research on equitable engagement strategies within cities that incorporate resident perspectives and share decision-making with residents. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the impacts of Climate Safe Neighborhoods (CSN), an equity-focused neighborhood-level climate planning program, on participating Cincinnati residents and resident and organizer perspectives on how CSN may promote community resilience in the face of climate change. 14 interviews with residents (n = 6) and organizers (n = 8) were analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to explore how resident perceptions about local issues changed through their participation in CSN, how CSN participation affected residents’ potential to act as advocates for their community, and barriers and catalysts to implementing locally relevant community change as identified by both residents and organizers of CSN. Key findings were that residents gained a deeper overall understanding of how climate issues in their community connect to each other and to their own personal lives, and those who built mutually respectful relationships with neighbors, community organizations, and city officials were more likely to act as climate resilience advocates. Notable factors named by residents and organizers for their capacity to sustain community change in this context include the ability to navigate institutional systems, the belief that one is able to understand and influence political proceedings, the use of framing that enables climate change concepts to appeal to people with different political backgrounds, and interventions that are planned and communicated alongside realistic timelines and methods to monitor progress of results, thereby setting shared expectations for the future. Findings are intended to help researchers and practitioners create procedural roadmaps for participatory climate planning that are aligned by principle but geography- and context-specific, that result in measurable and meaningful outcomes, and that ultimately alleviate disparities between neighborhoods.
Carlie Trott, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Stacie Furst-Holloway, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Anjali Dutt, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
100 p.
Behavioral Sciences
climate adaptation; urban resilience; urban climate planning; community engagement; community-based participatory research; psychology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Roncker, J. (2023). Equitable Resilience in Climate Safe Cities: Impacts of Neighborhood-Level Community Engagement on the Perceptions and Actions of Cincinnati Residents [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1703170592892649

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Roncker, Jessica. Equitable Resilience in Climate Safe Cities: Impacts of Neighborhood-Level Community Engagement on the Perceptions and Actions of Cincinnati Residents. 2023. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1703170592892649.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Roncker, Jessica. "Equitable Resilience in Climate Safe Cities: Impacts of Neighborhood-Level Community Engagement on the Perceptions and Actions of Cincinnati Residents." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1703170592892649

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1703170592892649
167
© 2023, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.