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 Green Cities Research Alliance
Urban Natural Resources Stewardship
Sustainable cities through science, policy, and action
The Science Framework
Initial funding for Green Cities Research Alliance(GCRA) projects was provided by the U.S. Forest Service's PNW Research Station, State and Private Forestry, and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Four general research topics included (1) Urban Natural Resource Stewardship, (2) Landscape Assessment and Management, (3) Community Sustainability, and (4) Ecosystem Services. This initial framework sets the stage for a variety of science activities:
What will be studied?
Urbanized areas of the Pacific Northwest contain a mix of remnant native ecosystems
and cultivated landscapes. The region is also recognized for innovative approaches
to built and engineered environments, including green infrastructure systems.
All of the systems can become research settings. Goals of conservation, restoration,
and reconciliation may apply to any of these settings.
Who will be studied?
We are interested in studying the interrelationships of forests, parks, and
urban greening and environmental stewardship at all scales of human systems.
Interactions of nature and people occur at the individual level, such as lifestyle
choices that impact the land. Interactions also range to larger entities such
as institutions (that may set policy and regulations), to organizations such
as nonprofits that mobilize community members for stewardship projects.
Why is this research important?
We will collaborate to learn more about urban ecology, particularly about
the forest and water systems of the region. The agency and station typically
emphasize research that builds knowledge about biophysical systems. There
are many co-benefits that arise from human interaction with natural resource
systems. The co-benefits or sociocultural externalities of environmental stewardship,
for instance, may include community building or physical activity and better
health.
Contact for Information:
Kathy Wolf, Research Social
Scientist; USDA Forest Service and University
of Washington
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