Led by: Forrest Fleischman and Kristen Nelson
Current Team Members: Meghan Klasic (Postdoc), Audrey Robeson (Graduate Student), Claire Lister (Undergraduate Student), Adam Brodsky (Undergraduate Student), Madyson Hoese (Recent Graduate)
Past Team Members: Elana Zien (Graduate Student), Shanell Lovelace (Graduate Student), Maeve Christlieb (Undergraduate Student), Emma Grover (Undergraduate Student)
Overview of Research
Although much is known about policies and practices that might protect the environment, the effectiveness of these policies and why some communities adopt them while others do not is unclear. MSP has numerous local governments, many of which have adopted innovative environmental policies and practices. We are taking advantage of this diversity to study how people advocate for improved environmental outcomes, helping to identify effective strategies. We are especially interested in understanding the continued disparities in environmental quality based on race and class in MSP -- their history as well as the advocacy strategies that can overcome them.
Current Projects
Municipal Ordinance Analysis
We are analyzing municipal ordinances across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area to understand the formal institutions around governing urban nature, including what is required, enforcement and penalties for non-compliance, and who can be involved in shaping municipal rules of nature.
Contact: Meghan Klasic, Kristen Nelson
Team: Meghan Klasic, Kristen Nelson, Claire Lister, Emma Grover, Adam Brodsky, Mady Hoese
Municipal Case Studies
We are conducting interviews across a selection of municipalities in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area with the general public, municipal staff, and interest groups. Our goal is to understand how municipal rules of nature are put into practice, including both formal (ordinance) and informal (social norms) rules. We are also interested in whether and how the public and interest groups are advocating for changes in urban nature governance.
Contact: Audrey Robeson, Forrest Fleischman
Team: Audrey Robeson, Forrest Fleischman, Elana Zien
Residential Bee Lawn Survey
In collaboration with the UMN LTER team working on the Effectiveness of Pollinator Habitat, we conducted a survey of residents across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area to ask them about their yard management approaches, their opinions and experiences with bee lawns specifically, and their involvement in advocating for particular types of yard/lawn management.
Contact: Meghan Klasic, Kristen Nelson
Team: Shanell Lovelace, Meghan Klasic, Kristen Nelson
Undergraduate Initiatives
Environmental Justice Interest Group Census
We are creating a database of nonprofit and governmental environmental justice interest groups that are active across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.
Contact: Forrest Fleischman
Team: Molly Seligman, Forrest Fleischman
Municipal Comprehensive Plans and Media Coverage
We are collecting and analyzing comprehensive plans from municipalities across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area along with media coverage of the development of these plans.
Contact: Meghan Klasic, Kristen Nelson
Team: Maeve Christlieb, Meghan Klasic, Kristen Nelson
Presentations and Workshops
Presentations
Klasic, M., Nelson, K., Fleischman, F., and A. Robeson. 2022. “The path of least resistance: opportunities for public participation in shaping municipal urban nature rules.” 2022 October. International Association of Society and Natural Resources (IASNR) Virtual Conference. Part of submitted panel: How social factors shape urban nature and result in unequal benefits and burdens to residents: The case of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Robeson, A, Fleischman, F., Klasic, M., and A. Robeson. 2022. “Urban nature governance in practice: the case of community engagement and education-based enforcement in Brooklyn Park, MN.” 2022. October. International Association of Society and Natural Resources (IASNR) Virtual Conference. Part of submitted panel: How social factors shape urban nature and result in unequal benefits and burdens to residents: The case of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Klasic, M., Nelson, K., Fleischman, F., and A. Robeson. 2022. “Who shapes municipal governance of nature? A study across Minneapolis-St. Paul.” 2022 June. International Association of Society and Natural Resources (IASNR) Conference. San José, Costa Rica.
Workshops
“Coproduction of Knowledge and Justice..” 2022 September. Long-Term Ecological Research All Scientists Meeting. Asilomar, CA. [Workshop Organizer with Arizona and Florida LTER Programs]
“Introduction to Environmental and Social Justice.” 2022 September. Long-Term Ecological Research All Scientists Meeting. Asilomar, CA. [Workshop Organizer with Arizona and Florida LTER Programs]
“Urban Nature, Governance, and Advocacy in Brooklyn Park, MN: Preliminary Findings.” 2022 May. Brooklyn Park, MN.
Publications
Reports
Lovelace, S., Klasic, M., and K. Nelson. 2022. “Residential Bee Lawn Survey Summary Report: A study of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Region.”
Non-Peer Reviewed Articles
Fleishman, F., Robeson, A., Zien, E., Klasic, M., Nelson, K., and M. Seligman. 2022. “Prioritizing Crises in Small Cities: A Look at Nature and Climate Change Advocacy in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Area.” CURA Reporter.