Student Seeking Feedback on Proposed Project: HOAs and Climate Change

JFron

Good Day Everyone,

This is my first post and I'm reaching out about a project I am working on this quarter as a senior geosciences student at SNHU. The class is Geoscience Methodologies and the project is a research paper that will contain an abstract, introduction, data collection methods, results, and conclusion. My proposed hypothesis is: HOAs, both county and neighborhood, directly and negatively impact climate change through deforestation, habitat loss/loss of biodiversity, water pollution, and soil degradation. 

What I was thinking on how to collect the data for this project would be to research a small HOA community in my area (I live in Atlanta so there are plenty everywhere) and then count how many yards in the neighborhood use sod as opposed to native grasses, how many have more than a certain number of trees in their front and backyard in relation to the surrounding area whether it was forested or not, going door-to-door to poll if any of them are spraying pesticides or hiring a pesticide company for their yards, ask if they experience any flooding or pooling around their properties during precipitation events. This is kind of where I've hit a dead end, I feel like I'm on the right track but wasn't sure if there was a better way to obtain this information. I am supposed to submit an outline by Sunday which includes my hypothesis and how I am seeking to present the data (arcgis pro). The class is only 8 weeks long so I don't have much time to obtain the data and figure out how to map it on gis. While I don't need responses by Sunday, as I can create an outline with what I have figured out so far, I would love any tips or suggestions that might help refine my data collection methods, presentation recommendations, or anything else that might be helpful.

 

Thank you,

Jesse Fron

Student Member - Atlanta, GA

blake.terhune

Human development of almost every kind has a direct, negative impact on climate change. It might be good to clarify that just because you're focusing on HOAs, that is only one of many developments that should be evaluated. Your hypothesis is focused on HOAs, but you are describing how you would survey home owners, which seems like it would kind of change the focus.

If you were to somehow gather HOA development and landscape requirements as set forth by the city or county, it might be better to analyze the effect of those requirements on climate change. Or maybe how many or how much of the HOA developments actually align with those requirements as built. You can still use geographic methods (GIS) to analyze current land use and land cover of HOAs to quantify adherence to city/county ordinance. This would also prevent you from having to go door to door, which is time consuming (and possibly dangerous).

Depending on the "climate awareness" level of the local ordinances, you could do some analysis to demonstrate what it would take (and what it would look like) for the HOA development ordinance to actually have a positive (or maybe less negative) impact on climate and the environment. In other words, find a way to make your research actionable! You could present your findings to your local government in an effort to initiate change.

Personally, I have a strong appreciation for anything that increases awareness and education for planting native. I love the idea that you are attempting to demonstrate the shortcomings of "traditional" HOA development and propose a new standard way of thinking, like planting native grasses (and trees, shrubs, and groundcover). Golf courses are also notorious for their negative environmental impact, so there's another possible target for your research.