Kelly

Singleterry
|2016|

GreenGumption
An Exploration of Community
Activated Green Spaces
and Social Capital

Abstract

PhilomenaKedziorski
McCollumParkRainGarden&DemonstrationGardens
WashingtonStateUniversity:SnohomishCountyExtension:
WSUSnoCoExtensionRainGardenProgramCoordinator
JaneLewis
SenatorHenryM.JacksonParkCommunityGarden
EverettParksandRecreation,RecreationSupervisor

InthefaceofagrowingpopulationinthePacificNorthwest,theneedforpublic
greenspaceinourrapidlyurbanizedenvironmentsisaconcernformanyplanners,
environmentalists,andcitizensalike.Communityactivatedgreenspacesareaway
toaddresstheseissues,aswellasspurcitizeninvolvement,andbuildsocialcapital
withincommunities.Thisprojectisatwopartendeavor.Theprimaryfocusstudies
thecommunitygreenspaceasanagentofsocialcapital.Iconductedinterviewswith
citizenleadersinSnohomishCountyregardingtheirinvolvement,andpersonal
sentimentssurroundingestablishedsites;focusingspecificallyonanyconnections
betweenthegreenspacesandsocialcapitalwithintheirrespectivecommunities.
Formyfinalproduct,Iofferasetofrecommendationsforcreatingfuture
neighborhoodgreenspaceswithstrongsocialcapitalelementsforanyaudience
interestedininitiatingasimilarprojectoftheirown.Thesecondaryfocusofthis
projectwastousetheconductedresearchtoinformtheplanningprocessforthe
revitalizationofaneighborhoodgreenspacesituatedonSnohomishCountyParks
Departmentproperty.Throughthisprocess,anunderstandingofthebenefitsof
neighborhoodparkplanning,communityorganizing,andsocialcapitalareclearand
tangible.

MarkHarrison
SenatorHenryM.JacksonParkCommunityGarden
EverettParksandRecreation,LandscapeArchitect/ParksPlanning&
CapitalDevelopmentManager
SusieSchaefer
EdmondsWildlifeHabitatNativePlantDemonstrationGarden
PilchuckAudubonSociety/EdmondsGardenClub
LauraHartman
MarthaPerrySnohomishCommunityFoodBankGarden
SnohomishGardenClub
SnohomishCountyGardenClubPresident
CarolRobinson
MarthaPerrySnohomishCommunityFoodBankGarden
SnohomishGardenClub
ParttimeGirlScoutsofAmericatroopleader

Purpose

KathyCarter
RosehillCommunityCenterQuiltGarden/PearTreePark
MukilteoWayGardenClub
RetiredU.S.Navynurse
PattyeSnyder
RosehillCommunityCenterQuiltGarden/PearTreePark
MukilteoWayGardenClub
HumanRelationsProjectManager

Whatdoescommunitymeantome?ThisisaquestionIhavebeenaskingmyself
sinceIstartedmyjourneyintheCommunity,Environment,andPlanningmajoratthe
UniversityofWashington.Courseaftercoursemyideasandnotionssurroundingthe
threemaintenantsoftheprogramhaveevolved,shifted,andstillleftmeaskingthe
samequestion.Whenitcamedowntoformulatingayearlongproject,Iknewwhere
myinterestswereleadingme.Mypassionsforenvironmentalactivism,mylovefor
thePacificNorthwest,tiedtogetherwithmyurgetoinspireotherssurfacedinthe
formofthisproject.IfeltasthoughIknewthebenefitsofpublicgreenspace,and
communityorganizingfrommyownperspectives,butIwantedtoshareknowledge,
andexperienceswithothersinmyowncommunityandproveitspositivitytobetrue.

ZsofiaPasztor
ParadiseValleyConservationAreaFarmerFrogHeadquarter
FarmerFrog(NGO)
Entrepreneur,Instructor,andDirectorofOrganization

KeyThemes

ResearchQuestion

AfterananalysisoftheALLofthequalitativedatacollectedfrommy
interviewees,somekeythemesemergedacrossthevarying
endeavors,revealingmultipleconnectionsbetweenpublicgreen
space,andsocialcapital.Enablingmetoformulatemyfinalproduct.

Tobestinformtheplanningprocess,andpublicmeetingsfortheHemlockAcres
GreenSpace,IformulatedaresearchquestionthatIwascurioustoknowthe
answerto:

Keythemesthatemergedacrossintervieweeresponses:

What is the connection

between public green spaces
and social capital within
communities?

Handson,demonstrativelearningopportunities
KnownPurpose
Leadershipopportunities
Communalknowledgebase
Localizedaccess
Beautificationcomponents

Recommendations

Literature

FormyfinalproductIhavecreatedasetofrecommendationsforcreatingfuture
communitygreenspaceswithstrongsocialcapitalelements.These
recommendationshavebeeninformedbymyresearch,andinterviewswith
communityleaders.Thisinformationhasaidedtheplanningprocessandpublic
meetingsfortheHemlockAcresGreenSpace,andcouldbeusedspecifically
foranyaudienceinterestedininitiatingasimilarprojectintheirowncommunity.
Ihaveorganizedthisinformationunderthethreedefiningcategoriesof
Knowledge,Strength,andBeauty

Ihitthegroundrunningduringthefallbyreallydiggingintotheliteraturepertaining
tomyresearchquestion.Illsayrightnow...Therewasalotofliterature.Ilearned
aboutthehistoryofthetermsocialcapitalanditsfunctionwithincommunities.I
learnedaboutcommunitywellness,andtheconnectionsbetweenhumans,andthe
naturalenvironmentaroundus.Then,finally,tonarrowmyscopeofresearch,and
tostayinlinewiththegoalsoftheHemlockAcresProjectwithParks&Recreation
specifically,Ifocusedmyresearchononealternativeformofactivated,publicgreen
spaceknownasthecommunitygarden.Fromthere,Iwasabletodecidewhat
exactlyIwantedtostudy,whatkindofpeopleIneededtotalkwith,andwhat
informationIwaslookingfor.

Tostart,wehaveKnowledge
Theoverwhelmingresponsefromintervieweesstressedtheimportanceand
needforlearningopportunitieswithintheirrespectivegreenspaces.
Theresearchshows,thatcommunityactivatedgreenspaceswithintentional
avenuesforlearningisdirectlyconnectedtosocialcapital.
Somespecificcomponentswouldbe:

Methodology

Intergenerationalsharingofknowledge
Demonstration
Skillbuilding
Biggerpicturelearningandgrowth

FormymethodologyIconductedinterviewswithcitizengardenleadersinSnohomish
Countyregardingtheirinvolvement,andpersonalsentimentssurroundingestablished
communitygardensites;Ididso,focusingspecificallyonanyconnectionsbetween
thegreenspacesandsocialcapitalwithintheirrespectivecommunities
Iwantedtointerviewcommunityleaderswhoareinvolvedwithvaryingtypesof
establishedcommunitygardenprojectsacrossthecounty.Iwasgiveninterviewee
suggestionsfrommymentorsKevinTeague,andKristinKelly.DuringJanuary,Isent
outemails,madephonecalls,andbytheculminationofmyoutreach,Ihad9
communityleaderslinedupforinterviews.Thesixsitesthatwereresearchedinvolve
varyinggovernmental,private,andnonprofitformsofcreation,functionand
management.

Interviewees

Movingontothenextcategory,wehaveStrength
Iuseitasatermtodescribepowerandresilience.Mental,physical,and
spiritualstrength.Creatinggreenspaceswiththeopportunityfor:
Empowerment
Ownershipofsite,localization
Leadershipopportunities,stewardshipofsites,andaccessforall!
Andthenfinally,carryingoutaknownPurposeforthesite.EachleaderIspoke
withknewrightoffthetopoftheirheadthemissionfortheirindividualsites
whichIbelievedirectlycorrelatestothesustainabilitythateachprogramhas
achieved.

Mukilteo'sPearTreePark

HemlockAcresGreenSpace
RosehillCommunity
CenterQuiltGarden

Lastbutnotleast,wewilltouchonBeauty
Toundervaluetheimportanceofaestheticswouldbeabigmistakewhen
activatingacommunitygreenspace.Tofeelbeautyisonething,toseeand
andunderstandthehardworkthatcancreateathingofbeautyisapowerful
thing.Creatinggreenspaceswithanemphasison:

Restiveelements
Reflectivecomponents
Designelements
Areallstrongsocialcapitalelementsforactivatingacommunitygreenspace.