Environmental Justice Implications of Urban Park Discourse, Development, and Use

open_access
Open Access
Author:
Mullenbach, Lauren
Graduate Program:
Recreation, Park and Tourism Management
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
January 29, 2020
Committee Members:
Andrew Justin Mowen, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Andrew Justin Mowen, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Birgitta L. Baker, Committee Member
Brendan Derrick Taff, Committee Member
Kathryn Jo Brasier, Outside Member
Brendan Derrick Taff, Program Head/Chair
Keywords:
Environmental Justice
Discourse
Urban Parks
Growth Machine
Abstract:
This dissertation comprises three studies which 1) critically explored discourse produced by leaders in urban planning and parks and recreation, 2) analyzed press coverage of urban park projects, and 3) assessed outcomes of social contact in urban parks to ascertain potential environmental injustices. The first study used critical discourse analysis to analyze the rhetoric and actions of dominant urban park professionals, organizations, advocates, and planners, and found that their discourse resembles New Urbanism, with similarly unjust potential outcomes for communities. The solutions proposed, in pursuit of more integrated communities, may not achieve desired outcomes and simultaneously introduce procedural and recognition injustices. The second study used comparative thematic analysis to analyze press coverage of landmark urban park investments (i.e., the High Line, Klyde Warren Park, and the Rail Park) to understand how the media portray urban parks, and found some evidence of growth machine boosterism, evidence of a common cultural narrative of parks as a universal good, as well as some opposition to the parks. The third study conducted statistical analyses of survey data from park users and non-users and failed to entirely support or entirely refute the notion that social interaction in parks and public spaces is associated with interpersonal trust. This dissertation supports ideas about parks as drivers of economic growth, describes the nature of dominant urban park discourse— including its main message and rhetorical strategies—and shows marginal empirical support for its main message.