Civic stewardship of urban ecosystems: forms of community engagement with landscapes and places

Abstract

Worldwide, cities are grappling with aging infrastructure, shifting populations, and a changing climate, necessitating the use and expansion of green space in equitable and creative ways. Many are embracing a transition from the sanitary city (comprised of separate, siloed functions and grey infrastructure) to the sustainable city (comprised of regenerative, multi-functional systems, including green ihfrastructure) (Grove et al. 2015). While there is no set pathway to a sustainable future, it is clear that major transitions and transformations in built infrastructure, social infrastructure, and systems will be required (see, e.g., Markard et al. 2012; Turnheim et al. 2015). These sustainable systems require ongoing coordination and management. Municipal agencies often do not have the funding or human resources to maintain these systems alone and rely on a growing network of civic organizations and volunteers. The combined stresses of crowding due to global urbanization, budget cuts to public agencies, and environmental impacts are leading to challenges for urban governance. As we seek to steer cities toward sustainability, justice, and resilience-including through expanding and supporting green infrastructure, there is a crucial role for what we call "civic stewards" who engage in multiple functions and ways of caring for urban ecosystems.

Citation

Campbell, Lindsay K.; Landau, Laura; Johnson, Michelle; Svendsen, Erika S. 2019. Civic stewardship of urban ecosystems: forms of community engagement with landscapes and places. In: Chatterjee, Monalisa; Svyatets, Ekaterina, eds. Environmental issues and policy: exploring past, present, and future socioecological relations. San Diego, CA: Cognella Academic Publishing: 208-224. Chapter 14.