A Web Mapping Blueprint to Empower Inner City Community Health & Green Space

Keywords: open source GIS, community engagement, green infrastructure
Session Type: Virtual Poster Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 02:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 03:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 62

Abstract

Camden City New Jersey has one of the highest poverty rates for a city of its size in the nation, has been designated an over-burdened community by the NJ DEP and has elevated indicators of lagging public health. The author propose that web mapping can be employed to equitably support disenfranchised communities. This poster documents the Camden Conservation Blueprint, a collaborative initiative of Rowan University, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation and the Nature Conservancy to provide residents as well as community groups, organizations and planners with the tools and information they need to work toward a healthy future for Camden. The Camden Conservation Blueprint provides open source and freely accessible web mapping tools that can be used to help prioritize green-space projects and advocate for equitable community improvements. The mapping reveals the geospatial relationships between parks and other green infrastructure and health indicator variables including asthma, obesity and heart disease among others. The tool aims to improve health outcomes for people living and working in Camden in order to facilitate increased access to green spaces and recreation opportunities, create new parks for underserved residents, advocate for increased funding and maintenance of parks and maximize space for urban gardening and healthy food initiatives.