Stormwater infrastructure plays a critical role in the environmental injustice experienced within communities, and often lack basic amenities and routine maintenance to ensure equitable management of infrastructure in low-income and communities of color. The transition from grey to green stormwater infrastructure presents an opportunity to not only account for cultural and spatial differences, but to incorporate multi-functional uses to potentially reduce health disparities in communities. In communities like East Tampa and Town ‘n’ Country, Florida, that have higher minority populations, there is need to address stormwater management and additional health disparities related to food access and nutrition. This work focuses on the disparities in the development of green and blue spaces for under-served communities and takes a bottom-up approach in addressing the communities' needs. Therefore, the goal of this research is to answer the following: How can environmental justice principles apply towards developing multi-functional stormwater infrastructure in Tampa’s communities of color? This study uses a mixed methods approach consisting of interviews with the community stakeholders to understand the history of stormwater management decisions and desired amenities towards retrofitting preexisting infrastructure. Secondly, this study considers potential water and soil quality conditions for feasibility of using green infrastructure for food production.  Preliminary results from community stakeholders through surveys and rain garden implementation, a type of green infrastructure, indicate the desire to use stormwater infrastructure for exercise and food production. Further quantitative analysis is needed to assess the combination between food production and green infrastructure to reduce nutrient loads into waterways and to also address food insecurity in the Tampa community. This provides great potential to both increase adoption of rain gardens at the household scale and contribute to a sense of community self-sufficiency.

Environmental justice and stormwater management: Tampa case study towards multi-functional stormwater infrastructure in coastal communities of color

2019 Fall National Meeting

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