Urban Environmental Conditions in Socially and Economically Diverse Neighborhoods

Background and Purpose. Urban environmental conditions—such as temperature, air quality, and the presence of green space—can vary widely. The human impact of this variability is of growing concern in many disciplines, including social work. Indeed, to strengthen social responses to environmental changes is one of ten Grand Challenges identified for the field. When analyzed at city or county levels, urban environmental variability is often associated with racial/ethnic and income disparities. In this emerging area, new research is needed that (a) examines environmental patterns at finer scales such as neighborhoods; (b) engages residents to understand their lived experience; and (c) uses multidisciplinary inquiry to improve practice relevance. This study addresses these gaps through a multidisciplinary, mixed methods examination of climate conditions and resident perspectives on the urban environment in four neighborhoods in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Methods. We selected study neighborhoods for their social, economic, and geographic diversity; including two low-income, one low-to-middle-income, and one upper-income neighborhood. Two climate-monitoring stations were installed in each neighborhood, collecting temperature data at 5-minute intervals. We also conducted in-depth interviews (N=20) with a purposive sample of residents across neighborhoods. Interviews examined perceptions of neighborhood environmental conditions and environmental impacts on individuals and households. Summer climate data (July to September 2014) were analyzed for neighborhood patterns and differences with paired t-test statistics. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed using descriptive and interpretive coding, and constant comparison methods.

Results. Climate analyses found statistically significant temperature differences across neighborhoods. The highest average daily temperatures were in the two lowest income neighborhoods, which have relatively less tree cover. Qualitative results identified four themes. Social and economic effects of weather extremes captures health and financial impacts, with negative impacts more often described by lower income participants. Social capital, power, and environmental change contrasts the experience of higher income participants networking for neighborhood environmental protection, with lower income participants often expressing less agency and fewer connections to resources for change. Understanding the environment through personal experience describes how many participants—regardless of socioeconomic background—rely on their own experiences to assess environmental risks (e.g., “These two women died of cancer. I had cancer. Do you reckon something’s in the water?”). Special needs of vulnerable groups refers to views across neighborhoods that children need safe green spaces to play; and that the elderly often need help with energy efficient weatherization, general “looking out for” during extreme weather, and access to green space for physical and mental health.

Conclusions and Implications. Findings suggest that urban environmental conditions—and the human impact and experience of those conditions—can vary among neighborhoods in the same urban context, often with implications for vulnerable or marginalized groups. For example, expanded access to energy efficiency and weatherization may benefit some lower income participants in this study, as could targeted organizing efforts around the human impacts of environmental change. As this emerging area continues to advance, social work leadership and collaboration on multidisciplinary teams can help ensure that solutions for environmental change benefit both natural and human environments.