Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Land Cover Change and Its Impact on Flooding Upstream of Hartford Connecticut

Nathan A BruceDr. Carol Atkinson-Palombo (Advisor)Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Land Cover Change and Its Impact on Flooding Upstream of Hartford ConnecticutInitial Research QuestionWhat are the broad spatial and temporal patterns of land cover change upstream from the city of Hartford over the past twenty years, and how have they affected storm-water runoff?What are the broad spatial and temporal patterns of land cover change upstream from the city of Hartford over the past twenty years, and how have they affected storm-water runoff?

My intention was to answer this question using both imagery and other GIS data and at the end provide a series of maps showing the changes in land cover and also concurrently the changes in water runoff and drainage 2Core Project

The project I proposed most closely relates to the research being lead by Dr. Joseph Bushey where there objective is .

To assess green design alternatives to reduce transportation impacts on combined sewer loading and Green House Gas emissions. Green Low-impact in transportation design strategies reduce runoff loading prior to generation and can also enhance community desirability, livability, and potentially property values.

My analysis of temporal land cover change would serve to enhance to research being done for this project. 3AccomplishedExisting GIS data for the project was collected and processedCensusSoilsWatershedsImageryThe initial stages of analysis were completed.

4The Study Area

The primary area that is off concern in this project is the Blue Hills neighborhood of Hartford which is locate in the northwest most corner of the city. The reasoning behind choosing this area is that there has been noted issues with flooding and there is limited resources being allocated to solve the issue.5Call to Action

6Blue Hills Civic Association

Revised Research QuestionHow can academics work in conjunction with community groups and policy makers on issues of societal importance?What GIS-based information and analysis will help BHCA effectively respond to the call to action?

Blue Hills Civic Association as already begun to take action on the issue of flooding in their neighborhoodThe action taking has been limited to raising awareness and surveying the community but no hard data or spatial analysis was performed by the group do to lack of resources. Instead of going off and doing an individual project it seemed more beneficial to work along with the Blue Hills group.Now we are in the process of creating a co-operative plan to tackle the issue of flooding in the neighborhood.I will offer support in the form of providing data that can be used in a report being put together to submit to the city government

8My InvolvementI will provided access and assistance with GIS information and softwareThe data I have acquired will further be enhanced by community surveys from BHCA

The association does not have access to the Software and Data necessary to perform a GIS analysis so that is where I will come in.Data mentioned before will be used but the analysis will be further enhanced by survey data.By teaming up with the Blue Hills Civic Association I will be able to have access to data they collect by going door to door and surveying the citizens of the neighborhood.

9Current StatusSet of priorities and a strategic plan to set into motion specific interventions that are needed.This project is intended to model how community, academia, and policy-makers can partner to effect social change.Will form the foundation of a large grant focused on healthy communities.The Black Caucus has met recently and come up with a set of priorities and a strategic plan to set into motion specific interventions that are needed in the BHCA community. [GRASSROOTS/BOTTOM UP]This projectworking with BHCA on GIS-based analysis as a tool to inform community-based organizationsis intended to model how community, academia, and policy-makers can partner to effect social change.Will form the foundation of a large grant (possibly to Housing Urban Development Sustainable Communities or EPA) focused on healthy communities.

10

Graphic showing how health disparities, achievement gap, economic disparities, faith based communities, CBC (Congressional Black Caucus) responses

12The Future of My ResearchFrom now until the end of the spring semester when I graduate I will be continuously involved in this project and with the Blue Hills Civic Association in producing this report and model that will be submitted to the State and Federal Congress. The intention is to have the model be adopted nationally.