The Role of Grassroots Movements in Urban Sustainability

该奖项是作为NSF社会、行为和经济学博士后研究奖学金(SPRF)计划的一部分提供的。SPRF计划的目标是为学术界、工业界或私营部门和政府的科学职业生涯培养有前途的、早期职业博士水平的科学家。SPRF奖项包括在知名科学家的赞助下进行两年的培训，并鼓励博士后研究员进行独立研究。国家科学基金会致力于促进科学界所有阶层的科学家参与其研究方案和活动，包括那些来自代表性不足的群体的科学家；博士后阶段被认为是实现这一目标的专业发展的一个重要水平。每个博士后研究员都必须解决推动各自学科领域向前发展的重要科学问题。在俄勒冈大学Laura Pulido博士的赞助下，这一博士后奖学金奖项支持一位早期职业科学家，他研究草根运动在城市可持续发展转型中的作用。在过去的二十年里，美国无家可归的人口大幅增加。与此同时，对环境的担忧也变得更加主流。因此，公共机构越来越多地肩负着管理冲突的任务，这些冲突导致或源于无家可归者生活在城市绿地中。作为回应，基层团体正在建立无家可归者休息区。也被称为帐篷城市或营地(与公共资助的公路休息区不同)，休息区现在存在于美国100多个城市。休息区通常包括在公共和私人土地上收集帐篷和临时避难所。它们通常由无家可归者管理，并为无家可归者提供一个安全的地方，为街头的日常生活提供一个安全的地方。然而，在绿色都市主义运动的背景下，很少有研究关注这些空间和社区。这个项目解决了三个问题：1)美国城市休息区的现状是什么？2)休息区社区与保护组织和公共机构之间的关系是什么？3)休息区社区在城市可持续发展的草根运动中扮演着什么角色？这项研究为寻求管理城市绿地和满足日益增长的无家可归人口需求的政策制定者和社区组织提供了见解。这项研究考察了一个由日益增长的主流环境意识、绿色城市发展和住房不稳定所定义的时代的城市社会生态变化。将关系/比较城市化理论整合到扩展的案例方法框架中，该项目需要对俄勒冈州波特兰的一个特定基层组织进行深入调查，该组织以在全美推广无家可归者休息区模式而闻名。然后，该项目从这个中心案例延伸到对美国休息区(N~140)的广泛调查，并对四个城市的休息区进行更深入的调查，这些城市是因为它们作为绿色城市的地位及其与中心案例的关系，以及它们在地区、更广泛的社会/EJ运动焦点和休息区发展阶段的差异。一项全国性的电话调查、面对面采访、观察和对市政文件和媒体报道的内容分析将导致对休息区社区在城市可持续发展转型中的作用的新映射。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award was provided as part of NSF's Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (SPRF) program. The goal of the SPRF program is to prepare promising, early career doctoral-level scientists for scientific careers in academia, industry or private sector, and government. SPRF awards involve two years of training under the sponsorship of established scientists and encourage Postdoctoral Fellows to perform independent research. NSF seeks to promote the participation of scientists from all segments of the scientific community, including those from underrepresented groups, in its research programs and activities; the postdoctoral period is considered to be an important level of professional development in attaining this goal. Each Postdoctoral Fellow must address important scientific questions that advance their respective disciplinary fields. Under the sponsorship of Dr. Laura Pulido at the University of Oregon, this postdoctoral fellowship award supports an early career scientist investigating the role of grassroots movements in urban sustainability transitions. Over the last two decades, the United State's homeless population has grown substantially. At the same time, environmental concerns have become more mainstream. As a result, public agencies are increasingly tasked with managing conflicts that result in and from homeless people living in urban green spaces. In response, grassroots groups are establishing homeless rest areas. Also called tent cities or encampments (and distinct from publicly funded highway rest areas), rest areas now exist in over 100 US cities. Rest areas typically involve a collection of tents and temporary shelters on public and private land. They are usually managed by and for homeless people, providing a safe place for daily life off the streets. Yet, little research has focused on these spaces and communities in the context of the green urbanism movement. This project addresses three questions: 1) What is the current geography of rest areas in US cities?, 2) What is the relationship between rest area communities and conservation organizations and public agencies?, and 3) What role do rest area communities play in grassroots movements for urban sustainability? This research contributes insights for policymakers and community organizations seeking to manage urban green spaces and address the needs of a growing homeless population. This study examines urban socio-ecological change in an era defined by growing mainstream environmental consciousness, green urban development, and housing precariousness. Integrating relational/comparative urbanism theory into an extended case method framework, this project entails an in-depth investigation of one particular grassroots organization based in Portland, Oregon that is known for its role in promulgating the homeless rest area model throughout the US. The project then extends from this central case to involve a broad survey of US rest areas (n~140) and a deeper investigation of rest areas in four municipalities selected for their status as green cities and their relationships to the central case, as well as for their variations in region, broader social/EJ movement foci, and rest area developmental stages. A national phone survey, in-person interviews, observation, and content analysis of municipal documents and media coverage will result in a new mapping of the role of rest area communities in urban sustainability transitions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.