A Quantitative Sustainability Assessment: Effectiveness of Green-Blue Infrastructure in a Shrinking City

A Quantitative Sustainability Assessment: Effectiveness of Green-Blue Infrastructure in a Shrinking City

Catalina Freixas, Pablo I. Moyano Fernandez, J. Aaron Hipp

Washington University in St. Louis - St. Louis, MO - USA Keywords: shrinking city, vacant land, eco-urbanism, sustainability, triple bottom line.

Abstract Shrinking cities are not an anomaly, but an integral stage in urban evolution. This endemic condition affects post-industrial cities, resulting in a decline in population, economy and infrastructure. In response, eco-urbanists have encouraged a shift in planning goals, from population and economic growth to an increase in the quality of life for current residents via ecological sustainability. In St. Louis, a shift towards an ecological approach manifests through the implementation of eco-urbanism strategies such as community gardens, rain gardens, butterfly gardens, greenways and urban forests (blue-green infrastructure).

The Sustainability Office of Washington University in St. Louis and the Sustainability Office of St. Louis co-launched the Sustainable Land Lab Competition (SLLC) in November 2012. In line with the recently launched City of St. Louis Sustainability Plan, teams were invited to propose strategies for transforming vacant land in Old North St. Louis (ONSL) into assets that advance sustainability. The Sustainability Plan outlines the City's modified approach towards shrinkage: becoming a greener, healthier and more sustainable city through the implementation of eco-urbanism. Through the SLLC, five projects were implemented in ONSL, incorporating green-blue infrastructure to various extents. On-going research intends to measure performance of the green-blue infrastructure of these projects against a set of indicators, developed under the lens of the sustainability triple bottom line (TBL). Information is collected through the use of archival data, interviews with key informants, residents’ survey, and systematic observation. We hypothesize that the results will help determine i) direct and the resulting indirect short-term effects of the projects, ii) a comparison of the differences in performance (as measured by quantifiable indicators) between isolated initiatives and comprehensive initiatives involving synergetic networks, iii) the effectiveness of such projects in enhancing quality of life, as well as iv) the potential for replicability and scalability of these strategies.

Introduction

St. Louis as a Shrinking City

Shrinking cities are characterized by the decline of urban population and economic activity that results in excess spaces, buildings, and obsolete properties1. Pendall2, refers to this process as "thinning", while Rae3, defines the shrinking city as “undercrowded.” Both terms are defined by population loss and persistent and widespread housing vacancy. From 1950-2000, St. Louis ranked #1 in the top 25 most declining cities in the Northeast and Midwest,4. For the past 62 years the population of the city of St. Louis has declined from 856,7965 in 1950, to 318,1726 in 2012, a loss of 538,624 in absolute terms and 63 percentage-wise. This exodus was the result of several factors including deindustrialization, suburbanization, and white flight7. The decline in population density has resulted in disjointed areas, reflected as unplanned, or abandoned. Vacant land and decaying buildings are a result of more than 60 years of sustained demographic loss in the city8.

Today, St. Louis experiences many of the common difficulties of shrinking cities, including job losses in the metro area in every industry except education and health services9. Weeds, illegal dumping and rodent infestation10, food deserts11, and high crime rates12 plague the

1 P. Oswalt, “Introduction”, in Shrinking Cities. Volume 1. International Research, P. Oswalt, ed., Ostfildern-Ruit, Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2006, p. 16. 2 R. Pendall, “National Experts Convene at Cornell on the Thinning Metropolis: Conference Synopsis”, in Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, CP00A07, 2000. 3 D. Rae and D. Calsyn, "Undercrowding and the American City: Partial Draft Proposal", in Yale University’s Changing Cities Research Group, 1996. 4 J. B. Hollander, Sunburnt Cities: The Great Recession, Depopulation and Urban Planning in the American Sunbelt, New York, Taylor & Francis, 2011, p. 22. 5 “Table 18. Population of the 100 Largest Urban Places: 1950. 1998”, United States Census Bureau, accessed January 1, 2013, http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027/tab18.txt 6 “State & County Quickfacts: St. Louis, Missouri. 2010”, United States Census Bureau, accessed January 1, 2013, http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/29189.html 7 C. E. Gordon, Mapping decline: St. Louis and the fate of the American city, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008, p. 22. 8 W. Rybczynski and P. D. Linneman, “How to save our shrinking cities,” in Public Interest, 135, 1999, p. 35-38. 9 C. P. Aubuchon et al, “Eighth District Fares Better than Nation in Job Losses”, The Regional Economist, 18(1), 2010, p. 20-22. 10 "Geo St. Louis. A guide to geospatial data about the City of St. Louis", City of St. Louis Missouri, accessed January 1, 2013, http://stlcin.missouri.org/citydata/newdesign/index.cfm. 11 “Food Access Research Atlas”, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, accessed January 23, 2013, http://www.ers.usda.gov/dataproducts/foodaccess- research-atlas.aspx. 12 D. Fisher, “Detroit Tops The 2012 List Of America's Most Dangerous Cities”, in Forbes.com, October 18, 2012, http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2012/10/18/detroit-tops-the-2012-list-of-americas-most-dangerous-cities.

A Quantitative Sustainability Assessment: Effectiveness of Green-Blue Infrastructure in a Shrinking City

neighborhoods. In 2012, the city declared approximately $1.5 million in Total Direct and Overlapping Debt13. As a shrinking city becomes more unattractive14, the percentages of the poor, handicapped and elderly within the remaining population increases15, while those with the ability move out 16. Consequently, the fiscal difficulties associated with a reduced tax base become apparent, as the city cannot afford its own upkeep17. Several US cities affected by urban decline have adopted the vision of "shrinkage to greatness18” or “shrinkage as a new potential”. Usually this implies the idea that the shrinkage results in a new urban core, a compact city representing the ideal of … urban development 19. Cities’ policies reflect this by accepting decline and simultaneously reducing the empty housing stock and increasing green infrastructure through demolishing buildings and replacing it with green space. Bulldozing vacant homes reduces the costs of city services, eliminates safety hazards, and turns decaying lots into usable spaces20 and productive environments. The City of St. Louis has also employed some of these tactics. In 1972, fifty percent of the housing stock in the city was 50 to 70 years old. From 1965-1972, there was a net loss of 9,000 housing units while the total number of abandoned buildings was 1,500 because of a stepped up program by the city to demolish such buildings, using federal funds and money from the city budget21.

Eco-urbanism in St. Louis The emergence of movements and ideologies such as landscape urbanism22, urban agriculture23, and sustainable urbanism24 can be attributed to Ian McHarg's book Design with Nature, which inspired planners, architects and designers to aspire to for the integration

13 "2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report: Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2012", Office of the Controller, The City of St. Louis, St. Louis, 2012. 14 J. B. Hollander, “Moving Toward a Shrinking Cities Metric: Analyzing Land Use Changes Associated With Depopulation in Flint, Michigan”, Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research, 12, 2010, p. 137. 15 “Selected Economic Characteristics: St. Louis City, Missouri. 2011”, United States Census Bureau Data, accessed January, 2013, http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml. 16 J. B. Cullen and S.D. Levitt, “Crime, Urban Flight, and the Consequences for Cities”, The MIT Press. The Review of Economics and Statistics 81, 1999, p. 163. 17 R.W. Burchell and D. Listokin, " Property abandonment in the United States", in The Adaptive Reuse Handbook, Brunswick, Rutgers University, Center for Urban Policy Research, 1981, p. 386-410. 18 E. Glaeser, “Shrinkage to Greatness”, in Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Inventions Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier, New York, The Penguin Press, 2011, p. 64. 19 P. Oswalt, “Introduction”, p. 12. 20 E. Glaeser, “Shrinkage to Greatness”, p. 66. 21 K. R. Langsdorf, “Urban Decay, Property Tax Delinquency: A Solution in St. Louis”, The Urban Lawyer, 729(5), 1973, p. 730-731. 22 C. Waldheim, The Landscape Urbanism Reader, New York, Princeton Architectural Press, 2006. 23 A. Andraos and D. Wood, Above the Pavement: the Farm! Architecture & Agriculture at P.F.1, New York, Princeton Architectural Press, 2010. 24 D. Farr, Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature, Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons, 2007.

of nature and its principles into the built environment. In 2010, Mohsen Mostafavi, published Ecological Urbanism, where he argues not only for the integration of ecological principles into the city but also a more comprehensive approach to reflect the complexity of the urban situation. Integration of other factors, such as the sociopolitical situation of a city, cultural aspects and aesthetic considerations, would also be necessary, as well as more pragmatic issues surrounding the realistic implementation of projects. Both the imperatives of nature and the city are considered. The eco-urbanism movement replaces the traditional mindset and goals of economic growth and expansion with sustainability and improved quality of life. The transformation of vacant plots into socially inclusive and environmentally sensitive proposals becomes an attractive and viable option due to the availability of abandoned land at low prices25. The widespread demolition of urban fabric suggested another urban design alternative: that large areas of the shrinking city might ultimately become a new form of landscape, with natural areas, suburban lawns, and even urban farms26.

Eco-urbanism strategies have become increasingly relevant in St. Louis, most notably reflected in the City of St. Louis Sustainability Plan (STLSP) 2013, officially adopted in January 9, 2013. The Plan attempts to direct the city towards triple bottom line (TBL) sustainability by emphasizing a holistic and comprehensive response to urban decay through pursuing economic prosperity, social equity and environmental health through a series of suggested strategies27. Eco-urbanism strategies such as greenways, parks and community gardens are included in the plan as feasible possibilities for vacant land. In addition, the City of St. Louis participated as one of the ten pilot cities whose sustainability efforts are currently being compiled, assessed and reported under the Sustainability Tool for Assessing & Rating (STAR) Community Rating System. STAR is a national sustainability framework, rating system, and software platform that weighs community level outcomes and the implementation and preparation of local actions, against a set of standardized sustainability objectives. These standards evaluate and quantify the improvement of livability and sustainability of US communities28.

Lastly, as part of the effort to promote the plan, the Mayor's Office also became involved with the Sustainable Land Lab Competition (SLLC) and the Sustainable Neighborhood Small Grant Competition (SNSGC) initiatives. The SLLC competition brief called for "innovative projects that can transform vacant lots into assets that advance sustainability29."

25 J. Dettmar, “Forests for Shrinking Cities? The Project 'Industrial Forests of the Ruhr'", in Wild Urban Woodlands: New Perspectives for Urban Forestry, I. Kowarik and S. Komer eds., Berlin, Springer, 2005, p. 273. 26 B. D. Ryan, Design After Decline: How America Rebuilds Shrinking Cities, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012. 27 City of St. Louis Sustainability Plan, Planning and Urban Design Agency, City of St. Louis Planning Commission, St. Louis, 2013, p. 11. 28 STAR Community Rating System: Technical Guide, STAR Communities, Washington DC, 2013, p. 6-8. 29 “Sustainable Land Lab: From Vacant to Vital”, Sustainable Lad Lab, accessed May 21, 2014, http://landlab.wustl.edu/

A Quantitative Sustainability Assessment: Effectiveness of Green-Blue Infrastructure in a Shrinking City

The Sustainable Neighborhood Small Grant Competition (SNSGC) was launched by the City of St. Louis in 2013 as an "opportunity for neighborhood organizations and community groups to propose projects that would help improve livability and enhance quality of life in their own community30."

From the non-profit sector, Gateway Greening and the Great Rivers Greenway District have played a central role in promoting eco-urbanism strategies through community gardens and greenways, respectively. Similarly, Pruitt-Igoe Now held the Pruitt-Igoe Now competition, which called for design proposals that could re-imagine the 57-acres site that once held the infamous Pruitt-Igoe public housing project31. While this competition did not explicitly stress sustainability, many proposals included eco-urbanism strategies.

The Sustainable Land Lab Competition The first Sustainable Land Lab Competition (SLLC) was part of the Sustainable Cities Conference co-organized by the Mayor's Office and the Sustainability Office of Washington University in St. Louis. The competition invited teams to transform vacant land into two-year lease living laboratories showcasing innovative ideas with integrated strategies for transforming vacancy, one of St. Louis region's greatest challenges. Competition entries were encouraged to meet TBL sustainability as defined in the STLSP. The SLLC provided seed funding to kick-start the implementation of finalist projects under the Sustainable Land Lab initiative. Old North St. Louis (ONSL) was chosen as the pilot neighborhood. The Sustainability Office worked closely with the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group (ONSLRG), a non-profit organization pursuing a comprehensive revitalization plan for the neighborhood. Plans progressed on April 9, 2013, with the selection of six projects to proceed on five lots (two finalists merged their projects due to synergies in their approach): Our Farm (Bistro Box/ Renewing Roots Urban Farm), Chess Pocket Park, Mighty Mississippians, Sunflower+ Projects, and HUB: Hybrid Urban Bioscapes. However, only five SLLC projects remained after Renewing Roots Urban Farm withdrew its commitment to the Land Lab in May 2014. These remaining five projects are assessed in this paper based on the triple bottom line (TBL) sustainability criteria: economic prosperity, environmental health and social equity.

Methodology

Identifying proposal elements

Due to the significance of TBL sustainability to the LLC, the five finalist projects included a number of green-blue infrastructure, in the form of eco-urbanism strategies. A

30 "About the Sustainable Neighborhood Small Grant Competition" City of St. Louis Missouri Sustainable Neighborhood Initiative, accessed May 21, 2014, http://sustainableneighborhood.net/about-the-sustainable-neighborhood-small-grant-competition/ 31 C. Prost, “Design competition aims to revive Pruitt-Igoe site”, in STLBeacon, July 11, 2011, https://www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/15732/design_competition_aims_to_revive_pruitt_igoe_site.

classification system developed by Freixas and Moyano32 aided in identifying strategies within the proposals. Projects were then classified based on intended use: productive landscapes or recreation and leisure areas, or both.

Eco-urbanism strategies Eco-Urbanism Productive Landscapes

Cell of table Recreation & Leisure Areas

Community (vegetable) garden Pollinator nectaring garden

Flower garden Fruit tree Apiary

Livestock breeding ground Poultry farm

Organic composting area Remediation/brownfield reclamation

Stormwater management Biofuel production site

Solar cell farm Wind farm

Riparian floodplain Waterfront/watercourses

Plaza/quadrangle/Sitting area Playground

Recreational trail/ Greenway Street art

Sports field Dog park

Pocket park Urban forest/Woodland

Wildlife observation Bird watching

Fishing Table 1. Eco-urbanism strategies

Each project’s strategy for advancing eco-urbanism was assessed and conjectures were then made on the indicators that each project was most likely to show significant impact on.

Developing Indicators Indicators addressing TBL sustainability were developed in order to assess the SLLC projects. An indicator is an easily identified characteristic of a society that can be measured, varies over time, and reveals underlying aspect of social reality33. Commonly used indicators are those that are derived from official statistics (material) and from community values and goals (immaterial)34 , and lead to specific quantitative or qualitative measuring tools, respectively.

To develop these indicators, the study first reorganized the seven functional categories of the STLSP under the TBL. The relative importance of the category weighed on the TBL goals determined its association and position in the matrix35. The seven goal areas of STAR were then studied using the same process, while cross-referencing them with the functional categories of the STLSP. STAR provided methods for measuring these

32 C. Freixas and P. I. Moyano Fernandez, “Eco-urbanism: sustainable strategies for Vacant Land in St. Louis”, in EDRA 45. Building with Change, Conference Proceedings, McLean, The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), 2014, p. 73. 33 J. Scott and G. Marshall, A Dictionary of Sociology, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2009. 34 E. Giovannini et al, "A framework to measure the progress of societies", in OECD Statistics Working Paper Series, 34, 2009. Accessed June 26th, 2014, http://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=std/doc(2010)5&docLanguage=En. 35 City of St. Louis Sustainability Plan, p. 10-11.

A Quantitative Sustainability Assessment: Effectiveness of Green-Blue Infrastructure in a Shrinking City

indicators36. Lastly, indicators for the study were defined in each dimension of sustainability (social equity, environmental health, and economic prosperity) based on the organization above to fit the neighborhood scale addressed by the present study.

TBL Goal Functional Categories in City St. Louis Sustainability Plan37

Goals in STAR38 Indicators for Methods

Health, Well-being, & Safety: 1. Encourage Physical Activity, Fitness,

and Recreation 2. Advance Positive Behavior,

Nonviolent Conflict Resolution, and Crime Prevention

3. Increase Access to Healthy, Local Food, and Nutritional Information

Health & Safety: 1. Active Living 2. Safe

Communities Food Access & Nutrition

Health & Safety: 1. Physical

Activity 2. Crime &

Perception of Safety

3. Availability of Healthy Food

Urban Character, Vitality & Ecology Arts, Culture & Innovation Empowerment, Diversity & Equity: 1. Encourage Civic Engagement,

Transparency, and Leadership Education, Training & Leadership: 1. Nurture Leadership and Management

Capabilities in Business, Government, and Neighborhoods

Education, Arts & Community: 1. Community

Cohesion Equity & Empowerment: Civic Engagement

Community Building: 1. Neighborhood

Pride & Satisfaction

2. Beautification /Aesthetics

3. Civic Engagement

4. Outside Partnerships

5. Local Leader Development

Social Equity

Urban Character, Vitality & Ecology: 1. Preserve the City’s Historically and

Architecturally Significant Districts, Buildings, Landmarks, and Landscapes

Arts, Culture & Innovation Empowerment, Diversity & Equity: 1. Promote Youth Development,

Education, Engagement, & Empowerment

Education, Training & Leadership

Education, Arts & Community: 1. Historic

Preservation 2. Educational

Opportunity & Attainment

Economy & Jobs: Workforce Readiness

Education: 1. Local History

Awareness, Education & Appreciation

2. Skill Development

3. Participation in Educational Activities

36 STAR Community Rating System: Technical Guide, p. 15 37 City of St. Louis Sustainability Plan, p. 30-31. 38 STAR Community Rating System: Technical Guide, p. 15.

Education, Training & Leadership: 1. Increase Environmental Literacy Urban Character, Vitality & Ecology: 1. Strengthen Use, Access and

Programming of Civic Amenities, Public Spaces, and Streets

2. Support and increase the City’s Greenscape, including its Existing Park System and Urban Tree Canopy

Built Environment: Public Spaces

Eco-Appreciation: 1. Eco-Literacy 2. Connection

between Person & Environment

3. Intentional Open/Park Space

Health, Well-Being & Safety: 1. Reduce Toxins in the Environment 2. Promote Energy Efficiency and

Utilize Cleaner Forms of Energy 3. Minimize Landfill-Bound Waste

Climate & Energy: 1. Waste

Minimization 2. Greening the

Energy Supply Equity & Empowerment: Environmental Justice

Environmental Improvement: 1. Toxin Removal 2. Litter

Reduction 3. Waste

Reduction 4. Use of

Alternative Energy

Environmental Health

Urban Character, Vitality & Ecology: 1. Promote Urban Conservation and

Revitalization of the City’s Unique Biodiversity and Natural Resources

Infrastructure, Facilities & Transportation 1. Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2. Manage Stormwater and Wastewater

to Protect and Enhance Property and Natural Systems

3. Advance Health and Resource Efficiency in Buildings

Built Environment: 1. Community

Water Systems Climate & Energy: 1. Greenhouse Gas Mitigation 2. Resource Efficient Buildings 3. Resource Efficient Public Infrastructure Natural Systems: 1. Green

Infrastructure 2. Invasive Species 3. Natural

Resource Protection

Water in the Environment

Eco-System Management: 1. Local

Biodiversity 2. Use of Local

Materials 3. Greenhouse

Gas Mitigation 4. Stormwater

Management

A Quantitative Sustainability Assessment: Effectiveness of Green-Blue Infrastructure in a Shrinking City

Cost-Benefit

Analyses of New Projects: 1. Startup Costs 2. Costs of

Leaving Land Vacant

3. Local Tax Revenue

4. Operation Costs 5. Direct Income

Economic Prosperity

Urban Character, Vitality & Ecology: 1. Support Designated Districts that

Focus on Job Creation and Economic Prosperity

Prosperity, Opportunity & Employment

Built Environment: 1. Infill &

Redevelopment Economy & Jobs: 1. Business

Retention & Development

2. Local Economy Quality Jobs & Living Wages

Neighborhood Capital: 1. Reinvesment/

Redevelopment 2. Job Creation

Table 2. Developing Indicators.

Identifying measuring tools for indicators Four possible methods of measuring indicators were identified to evaluate TBL: Resident Survey (A), Systematic Observation (B), Key Informant Interview (C) and Archival Data (D). Existing surveys that examined similar indicators were used as a framework to help formulate the resident survey. Modifications were then made to individual questions from the existing surveys in order for them to be better applicable to the scope of the project.

For some of the indicators to be measured via systematic observations, investigators will physically survey the site in order to make a record of the presence of their observation subjects. Where possible, this record will be both quantitative (counting the amount of the subjects present) and spatial (recording the location of the subject at the time of observation). The knowledge of specific key informants would be needed in order to measure many of the indicators. These key informants will be interviewed for both quantitative and qualitative data. These interviews will provide an added advantage of potentially providing additional information that might otherwise be overlooked in the study. Lastly, other indicators may be measured through GIS Data, municipal records, and the open records of non-profit organizations or other relevant groups, which can be used to obtain quantitative archival data sources.

Ongoing Research

Assigning measuring tools to indicators

Appropriate measuring tools were chosen to measure each indicator as shown in Table 2. Occasionally, two or more measuring tools may be used for the same indicator so as to either obtain a better understanding of the project on various scales (a generic overview versus in-depth information) or to allow the cross-referencing of results.

Measuring Tools

TBL Goal Indicators

A B C D Physical Activity x x Crime x x x

Health and Safety

Availability of Healthy Food x x x Neighborhood Pride x Beautification /Aesthetics x x Civic Engagement x x x x Outside Partnerships x

Community Building

Local Leader Development x Local History Awareness, Education & Appreciation

x

Skill Development x

Social Equity

Education

Participation in Educational Activities

x x x

Eco-Literacy x Connection between Person & Environment

x Eco-Appreciation

Intentional Open/Park Space x Toxin Removal x x Litter Reduction x x Waste Reduction x

Environmental Improvement

Use of Alternative Energy x x x Local Biodiversity x x Use of Local Materials x x Greenhouse Gas Mitigation x x

Environmental Health

Eco-System Management

Rainwater Management x x Startup Costs x Costs of Leaving Land Vacant x Local Tax Revenue x Operation Costs x

Cost-Benefit Analyses of New Projects

Direct Income x Reinvesment/ Redevelopment x x x

Economic Prosperity

Neighborhood Capital Job Creation x

Table 3. Measuring Tools for Indicators. (A) Resident Survey. (B) Systematic Observation. (C) Key Informant Interview. (D). Archival Data

A Quantitative Sustainability Assessment: Effectiveness of Green-Blue Infrastructure in a Shrinking City

Determining blue green infrastructure in the competition proposals of the Land Lab competition finalists

Sustainable Land Lab Eco-urbanism strategies Our Farm

(Bistro Box + RR

Farm)

Chess Pocket Park

Mighty Mississippi

ans

Sunflower+ Project

HUB: Hybrid Urban

Bioscapes Productive Landscapes Community veg. gardens x x x Pollinator nectaring gardens x Flower gardens x x x Fruit trees x Apiaries Livestock breeding grounds Poultry farms Organic composting areas x x Remediation x Rainwater management x x x x Biofuel production sites x Solar cell farms x Wind turbines Recreation & Leisure Areas Sitting areas/plazas x Playgrounds x Walking trails x Street Art x x Sports fields x Dog parks Pocket parks x Urban forests Greenways

Table 4. Eco-urbanism Strategies in ONSL Projects

Future Plans

Collecting Data through Measuring Tools

As of today, only conjectures can be made on the effects these projects will have on the indicators of triple bottom line sustainability. There has not been enough time to assess the long-term effectiveness of the proposals due to the relatively recent implementation of the projects and the lack of established assessment methodologies based on TBL sustainability criteria.

Recently, Freixas, Moyano and Hipp have been working to develop a methodology for such assessment, which this paper documents. Of the measuring tools proposed, the Resident Survey is schedule to be conducted at the end of June 2014. The survey aims to assess changes in the quality of life of the residents by the implementation of eco-urbanism strategies based on TBL sustainability. It is hypothesized that this will allow the

team for a better understanding of the impact of blue/green infrastructure on the livability of the city.

Future plans to assess the projects through the other three measuring tools are pending as the team in currently seeking for additional funding. It is hoped that with the development of this methodology, the effects of the five SLLC projects can be comprehensively evaluated in the near future in order to verify the conjectures of the study and determine the possibilities for replicability, scalability and longevity of the proposals.

Refining a replicable methodology The methodology documented here is built as a flexible framework for assessing neighborhoods in general. Hence, it needs to be tested to ensure that the same methodology can be applied effectively to other neighborhoods apart from ONSL. The results from our tests can then be used to further refine and perfect our methodology for use in other neighborhoods within St. Louis and other cities. As part of this effort, the Residential Survey will be tested in ONSL and two control neighborhoods, one with and one without eco-urbanism strategies, within the study boundaries. After conducting the survey, we will refine it as one of the measuring tools for our methodology. It is expected that future research will include the study of other neighborhoods within St. Louis as well as other shrinking cities to compare the efficiency of blue/green infrastructure in different contexts, as well as to perfect the proposed methodology.

Researching synergistic relationships Due to the high number of eco-urbanism strategies in the region, synergistic approaches within the city will require special consideration as a new research question. Many eco-urbanism strategies either are or can be affected by other eco-urbanism strategies, either unintentionally or intentionally. For an example, a stormwater catchment area can store and provide water for the irrigation of community gardens, local eco-urbanism strategies may share a volunteer listserv, or a pollinator garden can boost produce of nearby community gardens. It is hypothesized that using a synergistic approach that will encourage beneficial synergies between strategies will result in projects that tend to be more resilient, as their survival is grounded on other projects creating a network of interdependent opportunities. Future research on this hypothesis will likely use the results of the present study to compare efficiency between isolated strategies and strategies linked in synergistic networks.

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A Quantitative Sustainability Assessment: Effectiveness of Green-Blue Infrastructure in a Shrinking City

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