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Brownfields: a case study in partnering with residents to develop an easy-to-read print guide
C Zarcadoolas1, E Timm, L Bibeault
1Research Center for Environmental Studies, Brown University, 135 Angell St., Providence, RI 02912, USA. caz@brown.edu
Journal of Environmental Health
|July 20, 2001
Summary
This study shows how partnering literacy experts with residents creates accessible environmental health guides. This "cooperative composing" empowers communities in brownfields redevelopment planning.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Community Engagement
- Literacy Studies
Background:
- Environmental health information is critical but inaccessible due to declining literacy, cultural diversity, and scientific complexity.
- Effective communication strategies are needed to bridge the gap between complex environmental science and community understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a model for creating accessible environmental health materials through community-academic partnerships.
- To empower residents with information for meaningful participation in brownfields reuse and redevelopment planning.
Main Methods:
- A case study employing "cooperative composing" involving literacy experts, environmental scientists, and a panel of inner-city residents.
- Development of a community guide on brownfields issues tailored to a fifth-to-eighth-grade reading level.
- Iterative process with residents to determine desired information, appropriate language, and graphics.
Main Results:
- Successful co-creation of a low-barrier community guide on brownfields.
- Identification of effective strategies for tailoring complex environmental information to diverse audiences.
- Demonstration of resident engagement in environmental planning processes.
Conclusions:
- Informed and activated residents enhance equity and collaboration in environmental planning.
- Partnerships between communities and experts are vital for accessible and actionable environmental health information.
- Cooperative composing offers a replicable model for community-based environmental health communication.
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