Providing Winter Shelter Through Neighborhood Spaces & Partnerships: A Community‑Led Public‑Private Model

Utah State Research and Scholarship (Utah State University) · 2026-05-12

<i>Just</i> Distribution of Tree Canopy? A Digital Approach to Tree Equity

Journal of the American Planning Association · 2025-06-16 · 3 citations

Trees in U.S. cities are unevenly and inequitably distributed. To address this challenge, planners increasingly use digital tools to prioritize areas and communities for tree projects. The goal is to achieve tree equity wherein all populations have access to the benefits of urban trees. Here we identify limitations and opportunities in the operationalization of the tree equity concept via digital platforms. We call on planners using digital tools in urban forest planning to (1) incorporate data that capture the heterogeneity of spaces in which urban trees grow, (2) include and support marginalized communities in urban forest planning, and (3) couple digital tools with local community engagement across the life-span of tree-related projects.

Community Consultations to Support Scoping Review Knowledge Dissemination

International Journal of Qualitative Methods · 2025-01-09

Scoping reviews are a valuable form of literature review used to synthesize many types of evidence found in academic literature. Amidst the recommended best practices for conducting scoping reviews, little attention has been given to how to conduct community consultations as part of scoping review processes. The objective of this article is to describe one form that community consultation can take. As the final step in a scoping review project examining the stigmatization and discrimination of persons experiencing homelessness, our research team conducted a community consultation, designed as a Knowledge Café workshop, with 25 participants who had lived experiences of homelessness (past and present) or were service providers in the homelessness sector. The 3-hour workshop was conducted in a central public library with participants seated at different roundtables. The workshop was divided into four discussion periods during which participants described experiences, outcomes, or interventions related to the stigmatization and discrimination of persons experiencing homelessness. At the end of the workshop, participants completed a brief survey about the quality of the workshop, aspects that worked well, and what could be improved. Participants reported appreciating that the workshop provided a forum for combining research findings with personal stories, as well as opportunities to make or revive professional connections. Participants also reported that tangible event outcomes, a more future-oriented focus on solutions, and a longer event would have improved their experience. Study findings contribute to the literature on how to engage with community around collaborative problem-solving and the importance of incorporating diverse perspectives, fostering empathy and inclusivity, and translating ideas into actionable steps.

Author response for "Evaluating the accuracy of wolverine identification from photographs of snow tracks by expert observers in North America"

2025-05-15

Nature-Based Positive Youth Development for Black Children: The Intersectional Roles of Nature-Relatedness, Community, and Representation

Leisure Sciences · 2025-12-09 · 1 citations

Negotiating Masculinities in the Outdoors: Men’s Performances of Gender in Outdoor Adventure Activities

Leisure Sciences · 2025-07-30 · 2 citations

Indoor climbing and well-being of young adults: Perspectives among indoor climbers

PLoS ONE · 2025-04-29 · 1 citations

The ongoing mental health crisis among college students raises the necessity of further research on physical, mental, and social well-being; and the role that indoor climbing can play in fostering social connection and improving mental health while also increasing physical fitness. Indoor climbing has many health benefits. Increasing numbers of young adults are involved in indoor climbing; however, research on health and indoor climbing for young adults is lacking. The objective of this qualitative study was to describe indoor climbing and its relationship with the physical, mental, and social well-being of young adults based on perceptions among indoor climbers. Thirty indoor climbers age 18-25 were interviewed from October 2023 to December 2023. The interviews were transcribed and coded using thematic methods. Most participants agreed that indoor climbing positively affected all three areas of their well-being. Themes emerged showing that climbing facilitates a sense of connection, acts as a form of mindfulness, boosts overall mental health, and encourages healthier lifestyles. The results of this study suggest indoor climbing may be effective to promote health among college students and young adults.

Site selection criteria for homeless resource centers: A Salt Lake City case study

Cities · 2025-07-08 · 1 citations

This study analyzed the considerations guiding the site selection planning process for the development of Homeless Resource Center (HRC) facilities and programs serving persons experiencing homelessness (PEH). A total of 24 in-depth interviews were conducted with city planners, transportation planners, social workers, homeless service providers, and policy advisors. Findings indicate that key site selection factors included access to transportation and services, the availability and cost of land, and integration into local communities. Those involved in the planning process faced complex tradeoffs—balancing the needs of PEH with broader community concerns, while also navigating contentious political dynamics. The results underscore that thoughtful site selection is critical to enhancing opportunities for PEH, especially in terms of ensuring equitable access to transportation and support services. • Salt Lake City transitioned from a centralized to a decentralized model for homeless shelters through scattered-site Homeless Resource Centers (HRCs). • Community opposition led to the cancellation of one planned HRC, reducing available shelter beds. • Site selection prioritized transit access and integration into neighborhoods but was constrained by land availability and political decisions. • Lack of transit agency involvement during planning resulted in accessibility challenges for persons experiencing homelessness. • The study underscores the need for inclusive planning, transportation justice, and political transparency in decentralized shelter initiatives.

Evaluating the accuracy of wolverine identification from photographs of snow tracks by expert observers in North America

Wildlife Biology · 2025-06-10

North American wolverines Gulo gulo are a species of conservation concern across much of their range. The remote and rugged terrain they occupy has led to the development of various remote detection methods. While visual identification of wolverine tracks has a long history of use, it has recently been considered less reliable than other remote identification methods. We evaluated the ability of 29 observers to identify wolverine from photographs of snow tracks. Each observer reviewed 99 observations: 48 of wolverine and 51 of species whose tracks are confusable for wolverine. The identification of each observation used was independently verified by visual observation of the animal that made the tracks or genetic samples collected from the tracks that confirmed field identification. We compared the performance of observers based on their demographic characteristics and the details present in each observation. Observers demonstrated a low false‐positive error rate, cumulatively misidentifying observations of other species as definitively wolverine less than 1% of the time. The only clear demographic predictor of an observer's skill was their level of tracking certification via Cybertracker Conservation. Higher certification levels produced more positive detections of wolverine than did low or no certification. Observations with clear details in individual tracks produced the highest rate of positive detections. Depending on the level of certainty expected, observers detected 75–88% of wolverine observations that contained clear details in the tracks and clear track patterns, with a false‐positive error rate of 1.1–3.5%. While the error rate did not increase, positive detections occurred less in observations without morphological details in individual tracks or clear track patterns. Observers called these ‘unknown' more often. Our results indicate that observers can consistently distinguish wolverine from other species from photographs of snow tracks and refute the assumption that visual track identification is inherently unreliable.

The Management of Parks and Public Spaces in the Context of Unsheltered Homelessness: Perspectives from Three Key Stakeholder Groups

Journal of Park and Recreation Administration · 2025-03-02

People experiencing homelessness make extensive use of public greenspace, and recent years have seen increased interest in park agency-based strategies to ad-dress homelessness and its symptoms. However, there is a relative lack of litera-ture addressing the equitable management of these spaces with consideration for park users experiencing homelessness, and much of the existing work has been conducted from the perspective of a single user group. In this research we trian-gulate the perspectives of people experiencing homelessness, housed members of the public, and park district employees through a series of focus group inter-views. This work provides unique context and multiple angles of approach to a challenging issue as we seek to understand perceptions and priorities within the context of park and public space management. Specifically, we addressed three research questions focused on (a) the current and ideal role of a park and recre-ation agency in addressing homelessness in the community, (b) the characteris-tics of positive and negative interactions between agency employees and people experiencing homelessness, and (c) management priorities and challenges in this context. Our results indicate substantial common ground, some ambiguity, and a number of concrete priorities for equitably managing parks and public spaces in this context. All three stakeholder groups agreed that the current agency role was limited in scope, and largely focused on enforcement and quality control over parks and the recreation experience. Whereas park district employees advocated for a more proactive approach to homelessness, people experiencing homeless-ness and housed members of the community favored maintaining a limited role for the park district. Positive interactions mirrored those between park agency employees and other users, and were characterized by an emphasis on the essen-tial humanity of people experiencing homelessness, and the formation of long-term familiarity and relationships. Negative interactions on the other hand were largely related to enforcement of rules and regulations, and patterns of previous negative interactions. Safety was identified as the top priority by all three user groups, with the public also prioritizing a welcoming and aesthetically pleasing park environment. Key challenges included a lack of resources, and the complex-ity of the issue of homelessness.