Green Spaces...Human Spaces

We are a species of technology: smartphones, smart televisions, immersive VR, and immersive digital sound. Our work spaces are centered on technology: emails, PowerPoint presentations, and WiFi nodes.  Our outdoor spaces are built to service that which services our technology: roads to workplaces, data towers, and powerlines. It's hard to ignore the fact that we've become distant from the fact that we are, well, human.  We're biological, and our spaces, indoor and outdoor, isolate us more and more from the biological environment that is our home.  And we cannot deny that this has affected us in profoundly negative ways.  But how do we take that step back from our technocentric spaces and back towards spaces that connect us naturally with our world, spaces that are green which can ease our stressful and hazardous isolation from nature?  The first step in studying and humanizing our green spaces.

For The Humanities Collaborative at EPCC-UTEP, we have put together own very own Our Humanizing Green Spaces group.  Our group is comprised of a diverse team of different fields in STEM: Nathalia, an Architecture student at El Paso Community College (EPCC) and a returning student fellow of the Humanities Collaborative, Christian, an Electrical Engineering student at EPCC who recently transitioned to a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP); Fan, a math professor at EPCC with a background in engineering.

Nathalia’s architectural perspective brings a unique understanding of the meaning and symbolism behind buildings. Her experience in the Humanities Collaborative has broadened her approach to problem-solving and communication. Christian’s decision to pursue Civil Engineering was driven by a newfound interest in areas such as City Planning, Environmental Engineering, and Urban Development. His diverse background in both electrical and civil engineering brings a unique perspective to our team. Fan’s background in mathematics and engineering provides a strong foundation for analyzing complex problems from an interdisciplinary perspective. Together, we are focused on understanding the impact of green spaces on the residents of El Paso, Texas, and Los Angeles, California.

Our experience with the humanities project has been enlightening and eye-opening, and we have gained profound insights into the importance of green spaces. We were surprised to discover many accessible yet previously unrecognized green spaces. Moving forward, we plan to visit some of these spaces to deepen our understanding and engagement with these essential community assets.

Research shows a constituent association between exposure to the green space and lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, which suggests that spending time in nature can have positive impact on mental health. These environments provide a soft-focus environment that allows the brain to rest and recover from the demands of directed attention by creating more natural and open environments that elevate people's attitudes. The green spaces, or third spaces, where people can gather outside of the homes and workplaces, also offer significant mental health advantages. Public libraries, in particular, serve as valuable third spaces for social interaction, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness. They also foster a sense of community and belonging, definitely providing access to information and support.

Over the last few months, we focused on researching what green spaces and third spaces are.  Based on our research, we define the green space as a public local space with vegetated area, water features for aesthetic, or recreational purposes such as parks, garden, natural landscapes, public libraries. These areas also qualify as third spaces where people can gather outside of their homes and workplaces, offering ecological, social, and health benefits.

Our initial research involved identifying and locating the green spaces in El Paso and Los Angeles counties base on our definition using the Geographic Information System (GIS).  During this phase, our team began exploring the use of GIS systems to analyze and display location-specific information, enhancing our research skills to present data to the public efficiently. Nathalia gathered the data on the green spaces on the Los Angeles County. She discovered an impressive number of green spaces despite the Los Angeles’ dense population. However, she noted that many parks and spaces are private, limiting public access. It’s unfortunate that some of these areas, though pleasing and potentially beneficial, either charge entry fees or are entirely inaccessible to the general public.

Meanwhile, Christian focused on El Paso County, exploring how green spaces function in a differently populated and structured environment. As a team, we discovered many areas we did not know were open to the public. This highlighted the importance of exploring different types of green spaces and their potential benefits in various urban settings. Our next step is to compare these data in order to understand their differences.

Subsequently, our team embarked on designing and creating social media platforms to promote our findings, which will go live at the end of 2024. Christina took charge of the website, while Nathalia handled Instagram and logo design.  The logo aims to promote the expansion of green spaces and demonstrate their role in humanizing urban areas. Nathalia incorporated images of buildings, sidewalks, and diverse families engaging in these green spaces. As a team, we discussed the components of the logo and ensured it represents our definition of the green spaces. The design process highlighted challenges, particularly the time required to finalize the logo, which includes rooftop gardens to symbolize green integration in urban setting.

An important aspect tied to our study is city planning.  Our findings over the past few months illustrate how urban planning influences the creation of green and third spaces. One significant development that has reshaped the urban landscape and affected these spaces is the modern suburb.

Throughout the last century, cultural, economic, and policy-driven forces have greatly influenced suburban growth in the United States. Suburban communities developed following World War II as families sought for affordable housing outside of congested cities. They are known for their lower population density and car-dependent lifestyles. This rapid suburban expansion resulted from developers being able to build single-family houses due to the availability of land and the construction of roadways. Because of its negative effects on the environment, society, and economy, this development paradigm has drawn criticism.

El Paso, like most American cities, has been rapidly expanding over the last sixty years, and suburban developments have become the norm. Most of the big new projects that we see focus solely on expanding the existing roadways and generating car-dependent infrastructure, adding more traffic to the already congested streets.

The suburban development's over-reliance on automobiles is a major problem as it leads to a rise in air pollution, traffic congestion, and greenhouse gas emissions. These problems are made worse by the fact that many suburban communities lack of public transit, which result in forcing inhabitants to drive great distances for employment, school, and errands. The suburban sprawl also takes up a lot of land, which results in deforestation, the loss of wildlife habitats, and a rise in the amount of water demand for landscaping. Additionally, this development paradigm tends to produce homogenous communities with limited socioeconomic diversity and the potential for racial and economic segregation.

To combat the negative effects on suburban sprawl, sustainable development, equity, and livability must be prioritized. The idea of "smart growth" was developed to promotes compact, walkable communities with a mix of housing, employment, and services, is one possible remedy. Suburban communities can lessen their carbon footprint and enhance the quality of life for its citizens by developing neighborhoods that promote bicycling, walking, and using public transportation. Additionally, this would lessen the need for large parking lots and road networks, making more green space and environmentally beneficial land use possible.

Another key strategy is zoning for mixed-use areas, which integrates residential, commercial, and industrial zones, reducing the necessity for driving. Including affordable housing in these areas can foster greater socioeconomic diversity and help address inequality.  Additionally, local governments and developers should prioritize renewable energy sources and sustainable building practices, such as incorporating green roofs, solar panels, and energy-efficient materials into new developments. Emphasizing the preservation of natural landscapes and including parks and trials can enhance livability and conservation efforts. Affordable housing can also promote greater socioeconomic variety and aid in addressing inequality issues by being included in suburban regions.

In conclusion, reevaluating the traditional expansive, car-centric suburban development model is crucial for making suburban in the United States vibrant, equitable, and environmentally friendly. Through smart growth, mixed-use zoning, sustainability initiatives, and focus on diversity, suburban areas can transform into thriving communities.

Fan Chen, Faculty Fellow 2024-2025

El Paso Community College, Humanities Collaborative at EPCC-UTEP

Banner Image Credit

El Paso Downtown Deck Plaza Foundation

https://www.downtowndeckplaza.org/