Experiences of Urban Environmental Conditions in Socially and Economically Diverse Neighborhoods

ABSTRACT

Environmental conditions can vary widely in urban areas. Temperature, green space, air quality, and other parameters may have different patterns among and within cities. These conditions may also be experienced and perceived by residents in different ways, with implications for community development and social justice in the context of environmental change. This study examines in-depth interviews (N = 20) with residents from socially and economically diverse neighborhoods to understand this variability at a more meaningful scale than typically examined in the literature. Implications for social work, community development, and multidisciplinary efforts in the pressing area of environmental change are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Urban weather
• air quality
• green space
• environmental justice

Acknowledgments

We thank David Massey, Jackie Clay, and Stan Johnson for guidance on neighborhood selection; Jennifer Christian for assistance with data collection; Cathi Arwood for transcription services; and the study participants for their time and input. This study was supported by the University of Tennessee Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment.