Funding Agency: USDA Forest Service, North Central Research Station.
Project Goals: To investigate the perceived benefits and outcomes of three brownfield to green space projects (Ping Tom Park & Senka Park in Chicago & Mill Ruins Park in Minneapolis) from the perspective of users and community members.
The specific objectives of the proposed research are:
- To investigate the benefits that the greening of brownfields brings to project users by gathering information on the users themselves, the types of activities taking place, and assessing whether these projects are fulfilling their needs;
- To identify the perceived on- and off-site benefits and problems that these projects bring to the surrounding community;
- To discover ways to enhance these benefits by gathering information on what users recommend for additional park facilities, recreation programs and greening projects and identifying any concerns or criticisms related to these projects;
- To examine both the ensuing benefits and the nature of project users in relation to the community at large.