ULTRA-Ex: Collaborative Research: Urban Sustainability and Push-Pull Drivers of Residential Change: Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and the Chesapeake Bay

本研究探讨了“环境修复与城市振兴之间的关系是什么？”更具体地说，本研究探讨了1)城市可持续发展政策、投资和结果之间的关系；2)城镇化驱动因素；3)城市住区的长期动态。将使用三个相互关联的主题来审查这些关系：a)城市森林和开放空间，b)环境质量，c)病媒传播疾病。这些研究主题在考虑气候变化和环境正义脆弱性的框架中进行了背景化。为了回答这些问题，本研究提出了几种理解城市系统理论进步的机会。传统的社会分析包含了几个“推挽”因素，如犯罪、糟糕的政府服务和高税收；昂贵而破旧的住房；建筑面积小，种族关系紧张；但是很少强调环境参数。该项目引入了一种新的推拉驱动器分析方法，通过结合环境参数，特别是在精细分辨率下。除了研究长期的社会生态推挽变化外，该项目还探索了层次化方法的效用，以理解社区层面的环境修复与城市复兴之间的关系。这个项目考察了从一个阶段到另一个阶段对社区变化的动态理解：是什么导致了社区的衰落？是什么导致社区重新组织、振兴和繁荣？变化的维度也被检查。对缓慢和快速变化的变量的关注以及对变化和持久性的关注对应于对变化的类型和速率的兴趣。将采用多种类型的数据和分析，包括高分辨率遥感数据、长期人口普查数据、包裹级地籍数据、关键信息调查、水和空气采样以及微型生境分析。除了这些数据和分析之外，还有三个研讨会——每个研究主题一个——将DC-BC ULTRA社区的所有成员聚集在一起。这些研讨会形成了一个实践社区，围绕着公正、可持续城市的理念，并为选区之间的互动和与多个群体的研究成果交流提供了机会。该项目采用全面整合的研究-教育-推广模式，包括研究人员、学生和决策者。研究人员和管理人员在一个完整的研究-应用周期中合作：a)确定问题，b)收集新数据并共享现有数据，c)分析数据，d)解释结果，e)应用发现，f)确定新问题。学生通过课程作业参与相关内容，并通过带薪奖学金、实习和毕业论文项目继续从事项目工作。学生从班级、DC财团和巴尔的摩地区的大学中招募，申请付费ULTRA研究奖学金。ULTRA研究员直接与研究人员和项目管理人员一起工作，参加ULTRA研讨会，并为手稿做出贡献。自然科学和社会科学领域的广泛机会，从基础研究到应用实习，旨在吸引不同的学生群体和不同的兴趣。

This research addresses the question, "What is the relationship between environmental rehabilitation and urban revitalization?" More specifically, this research investigates the relationships between 1) urban sustainability policies, investments, and outcomes; 2) drivers of urbanization; and 3) long-term dynamics of urban residential neighborhoods. Three inter-related themes will be used to examine these relationships: a) urban forests and open space, b) environmental quality, and c) vector-borne diseases. These research themes are contextualized in a framework that considers vulnerability to climate change and environmental justice. To answer these questions, this research addresses several types of opportunities for theoretical advance in understanding urban systems. Traditional social analysis incorporates several "push-pull" factors such as crime, poor government services, and high taxes; expensive and deteriorating housing; small building lots, and racial tension; but there is little emphasis on environmental parameters. This project introduces a novel approach to push-pull driver analysis by incorporating environmental parameters, particularly at a fine resolution. In addition to examining long-term, social-ecological push-pull changes over time, this project explores the utility of a panarchy approach for understanding the relationship between environmental rehabilitation and urban revitalization at the neighborhood level. This project examines the dynamic understanding of neighborhood change from one phase to another: What causes neighborhoods to decline? What causes neighborhoods to reorganize, revitalize, and prosper? Dimensions of change are also examined. A focus on slow and fast changing variables and attention to both change and persistence correspond to an interest in types and rates of change. Numerous types of data and analyses will be employed, including hi-resolution, remotely sensed data, long-term Census data, parcel-level cadastral data, key-informant surveys, water and air sampling, and micro-habitat analysis. In addition to these data and analyses, three workshops - one for each research theme - bring together all of the members of the DC-BC ULTRA community. These workshops develop a Community of Practice that coalesces around the idea of just, sustainable cities and provides opportunities for interactions among constituencies and communication about research findings with multiple groups. This project adopts a fully integrated research-education-outreach model that includes researchers, students, and decision-makers. Researchers and managers collaborate in a full research-application cycle: a) identify questions, b) collect new data and share existing data, c) analyze data, d) interpret results, e) apply findings, and f) identify new questions. Students are engaged in relevant content through coursework and continue to work on the project through paid fellowships, internships, and capstone or thesis projects. Students are recruited from classes and across the DC Consortium and universities in the Baltimore region to apply for paid ULTRA research fellowships. ULTRA Fellows work directly with researchers and managers on projects, attend ULTRA workshops, and contribute to manuscripts. The broad array of opportunities in the natural and social sciences and from basic research to applied internships are designed to attract a diverse student group and diverse set of interests.