2006 BES Annual Meeting Presentation and Poster Abstracts

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Reading the landscape: exploring history of buried floodplains and socioeconomic conditions for storm water management in the Gwynn Falls Watershed
 
Williams, Yvette
Co-Authors: Yvette M. Williams
 
Abstract: From her recent article, “Restoring Mill Creek: Landscape Literacy, Environmental Justice and Urban Planning and Design”, Anne Whiston Spirn gives a compelling narrative of a neighborhood shaped by both the hazards of a buried floodplain and a complex history racial discrimination and socioeconomic decline. Sprin introduces the concept of “landscape literacy”, the ability to read both the natural and social processes of a landscape as well as recognize its liabilities, resources and opportunities. Drawing from Sprin’s concept of “landscape literacy”, this poster explores historical patterns of buried floodplains and the socioeconomic conditions of the lower Gwynn Falls Watershed. Future research will address questions such as these: “What relationships exist between buried floodplains, property values, and socioeconomic conditions? “What are the connections between these factors and ecosystem services? The investigation will provide areas of further study for storm water management for low income communities.