Coney Island Urban Waterfront Governance
Monica Palta, PhD, and Anne Toomey, PhD, assistant professors in the ESS department, teamed up on a project to investigate the social-ecological dynamics of urban waterfront governance along the Coney Island Creek in Brooklyn. The creek is currently the site of an active combined sewer outfall, which results in raw sewage and stormwater bypassing treatment plants and overflowing directly into the creek during storms.
Assistant Professor Palta is carrying out an ecological study of the creek, with a specific look at the extent and sources of nutrient pollution in the system, and whether filter feeders in the creek (mussels, oysters) are effectively removing this nutrient pollution.
Assistant Professor Toomey has been documenting the social-cultural uses and perceptions of the water quality of the creek. Various Pace students and alumni have been involved in this research, including Brielle Manzolillo ’17, Christina Thomas ‘19, Elaina Kovnat ‘20, and Tatyana Graham ‘21.
Recent Posts
Read Dr. Toomey’s “Facts Don’t Change Minds – Social Networks, Group Dialogue, and Stories Do”
In this blog post, Dr. Anne Toomey shares four ways researchers can engage with findings from the social sciences to better communicate their work.
Read Dr. Finewood’s newest paper assessing barriers to accessing GSI incentive programs in the US
In a paper published in the Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, Dr. Finewood and colleagues take an equity planning approach to assess barriers to accessing green stormwater infrastructure incentive programs.