Community Perceptions of Social and Health Impacts of Green Infrastructure Revitalization in South Wilmington, DE

• Tara Franks, Sociology, University of Delaware

• Victor Perez, Sociology, University of Delaware

The objectives of this research are to assess residents’ perceptions of the potential effects of a revitalized wetlands park in South Wilmington, DE, focusing on enhanced social cohesion and interactions, while also examining perceived health impacts and the perceived overall impact of the wetlands park on the community of Southbridge. To accomplish these goals, we employed 2-minute surveys, or brief, mostly close-ended surveys that quickly capture resident perceptions about social and health changes possibly resulting from the implementation of the Southbridge Wilmington Wetlands Park. We will present our preliminary results from the 2-minute survey effort and discuss the importance of our findings, as they relate to the effects of large-scale green infrastructure implementation in an impoverished, African-American community in Wilmington.