Green infrastructure in schools: creating a network for stormwater management and student engagement and well-being
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2021-02
Advisors
Journal Title
Series/Report No.
UNC-WRRI;486
WRRI Project;19-08-S
WRRI Project;19-08-S
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
NC Water Resources Research Institute
Abstract
The two goals of this project were (1) to understand the spatial distribution of green
infrastructure (GI) in schoolyards and associated benefits across school districts and
communities that these school districts serve in North Carolina, (2) to understand how the
placing GI in schoolyards, which we refer to as green schoolyards, improve children’s access to
nature and its benefits through a case study in the City of Raleigh. This proposal addresses Focus
Area 3: Community Development and Stormwater/Watershed Management through engaging
children and teachers in public schools to better understand the existing capacity of GI on school
grounds and potential benefits to children and communities. Specifically, we addressed three
research questions: R1) Do schools enhance or mitigate inequities in children’s exposure to GI?
R2) Does greening schoolyards improve students’ perceptions of the benefits of schoolyards? and
R3) What factors predict children’s play in nature-rich areas as compared to traditional outdoor
places in schoolyards. For R1, we focused on tree canopy and total greenness across four largest
school districts in North Carolina, and for R2 and R3, we focused on nature-based elements in
individual schoolyards, the use of schoolyards by students and teachers and the perception of
students.
The results of this project highlight that (1) public elementary schoolyards provide
equitable exposure to tree canopy cover and total greenness, and public school systems are a
promising partner to expand GI and urban greening equitably; (2) students’ positive view of
schoolyards are more influenced by nature-based activities and teacher-led activities than
greening schoolyards alone; (3) teachers can play a considerable role in unlocking the benefits
that exist in green schoolyards by promoting children playing in nature-rich areas. Our findings
can serve as a decision support for better GI planning, design for stormwater management and
other co-benefits in partnership with schools.
Description
Keywords
Green infrastructure, Green schoolyards, Children and nature, Stormwater management, Environmental education