unue
Environmental Protection
Agency
Urban Sprawl Modeling,
Air Quality Monitoring,
and Risk Communication:
The Northeast Ohio Project
Your Air, Your Health
Your Environment.
News you can use.
EMPACT
Your Air
Your Health
Ytour Environment
News you can use
E M P A
Environmental Monitoring for Public Access
& Community Tracking
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Disclaimer: This document has been reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and approved
for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommenda-
tion of their use.
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EPA/625/R-02/016
November 2002
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
50% Recycled/Recyclable
Printed with vegetable-based ink on
>aper that contains a minimum of
'0% post-consumer fiber content
processed chlorine free
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Dr. Dan Petersen, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Risk Management
Research Laboratory, served as principal author of this handbook. Co-authors included Linda
Stein, Rachel Kaufman, and Mary Lalley of Eastern Research Group, Inc., an EPA contractor. EPA
would like to thank the following people for their input during the development of this handbook:
Tom Brody, U.S. EPA Region 5
William Davis, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency
Stephen Goranson, U.S. EPA Region 5
MaryAnn Lafaire, U.S. EPA Region 5
Jay Lee, Kent State University
Loretta Lehrman, U.S. EPA Region 5
Lyn Luttner, U.S. EPA Region 5
Adam Zeller, Earth Day Coalition
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PAGE
List of Figures v
List of Tables v
List of Abbreviations vi
c H APTE R l URBAN SPRAWL MODELING, AIR QUALITY MONITORING, AND
RISK COMMUNICATION: THE NORTHEAST OHIO PROJECT 1-1
1.1 Introduction 1-1
1.2 How To Use This Handbook 1-1
1.2.1 Road Map 1-2
1.2.2 Frequently Asked Questions 1-2
CHAPTER 2 THE NORTHEAST OHIO URBAN SPRAWL MODELING
PROJECT 2-1
2.1 Introduction 2-1
2.2 What Is Urban Sprawl and How Does It Affect Communities? 2-1
2.3 What Is Urban Growth Modeling and How Can It Be Used? 2-2
2.4 How Can an Urban Growth Model Be Developed? 2-2
2.4.1 Using GIS in Urban Growth Modeling 2-3
2.5 How the Northeast Ohio Urban Growth Model Was Developed 2-4
2.5.1 The Regional Case Study 2-4
2.5.2 The Sub-Regional Case Study 2-5
2.5.3 The Urban Growth Simulator 2-10
2.5.4 How Were Data for the Urban Sprawl Modeling Project
Gathered and Managed? 2-14
2.5.5 How Are Urban Growth Modeling Data Communicated
to the Public? 2-14
2.5.6 What Lessons Were Learned in the Northeast Ohio
Urban Sprawl Modeling Project? 2-16
c H AFTER 3 THE NORTHEAST OHIO AIR QUALITY MONITORING PROJECT 3-1
3.1 Introduction 3-1
3.1.1 What Is Time-Relevant Air Quality Monitoring? 3-1
3.1.2 The EPA AirNow Program 3-1
3.1.3 Overview of Air Quality Monitoring 3-1
3.2 Air Quality Information Available From the Northeast Ohio Project 3-2
3.3 How Are Air Quality Data Managed? 3-2
3.3.1 Data Collection 3-2
iii
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PAGE
3.3.2 Data Quality 3-4
3.3.3 Data Storage 3-4
3.3.4 Hardware and Software Used by NEOAIRTo Operate Its Air
Quality Monitoring Web Site 3-5
3.4 How Are the Northeast Ohio Project's Air Quality Data Communicated
to the Public? 3-6
3.4.1 How Does the Public Access Information
on the NEOAIR Web Site? 3-6
3.4.2 How Does the NEOAIR Web Site Display
Time-Relevant Data? 3-7
3.4.3 How Does the NEOAIR Web Site Display Historical Data 3-7
3.4.4 Is Air Quality Information Communicated in Ways Other Than
the NEOAIR Web Site? 3-7
3.5 Lessons Learned in the Northeast Ohio Air Quality Monitoring Project 3-7
CHAPTER 4 THE NORTHEAST OHIO COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT 4-1
4.1 The Northeast Ohio Communications Workgroup 4-1
4.2 What Does the Target Audience Need To Know? 4-1
4.3 Components of the Northeast Ohio Project's Outreach Plan 4-2
4.3.1 How Does the Northeast Ohio Project Communicate
Air Quality Information and Issues to the Public? 4-3
4.3.2 How Does the Northeast Ohio Project Communicate
Urban Growth Modeling to the Public? 4-4
4.3.3 The Northeast Ohio Project's Media Campaign 4-5
4.3.4 What Promotional Materials Were Created, and How Were
They Distributed? 4-6
4.4 Measuring the Success of the Outreach Campaign 4-7
4.5 Lessons Learned in the Northeast Ohio Communications Project 4-7
4.5.1 Diverse Membership Helps Create an Effective Organizational
Structure 4-7
4.5.2 Developing Educational Materials on Innovative Topics Like
Urban Sprawl Is Challenging but Worthwhile 4-7
4.5.3 Develop Long-Term Relationships With Partner Organizations 4-8
4.5.4 Consider Developing Outreach Materials in Multiple
Languages 4-8
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION 5-1
APPENDIX A Project Survey of Northeast Ohio Residents
iv
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FIGURE PAGE
2-1 Regional case study simulation 2-4
2-2 Procedures and algorithms 2-6
2-3 Continuous growth model 2-7
2-4 Managed growth (environmental protection) model 2-8
2-5 Controlled growth model 2-9
2-6a Northeast Ohio Urban Growth Indicator Simulator workspace 2-11
2-6b Sample simulation with no growth management strategies applied
(for Boston Heights, Summit County, Ohio) 2-12
2-6c Sample simulation with "Use Growth Boundary/Growth Center" and "Avoid
Critical Natural Areas (CNA)" applied (for Boston Heights, Summit County, Ohio) 2-13
2-7 EMPACT: Urban Sprawl in Northeast Ohio Web site 2-15
3-1 Northeast Ohio ozone levels, hourly average, stationary map 3-2
3-2 Example of data available in table format from the Northeast Ohio Project Web site 3-3
3-3 Historical ozone data (graph format) for the Northeast Ohio Project 3-3
3-4 Historical ozone data (table format) for the Northeast Ohio Project 3-3
3-5 Data flow for the data retrieval module 3-4
3-6 Web page flow chart for NEOAIR 3-6
3-7 Example of NEOAIR Web site "static" page of general air pollution information 3-6
4-1 Medical brochure developed by the Northeast Ohio Communications Project 4-3
4-2 The Northeast Ohio Project's air quality handbook 4-4
4-3 Bus board displayed on Cleveland-Akron transit authority buses 4-5
4-4 Logo developed for the Northeast Ohio Project 4-6
4-5 The Northeast Ohio Project's Abee mascot 4-6
OF
PAGE
3-1 Types of Information Included in the NEOAIR Database 3-5
3-2 NEOAIR Web Site Software 3-5
4-1 Outreach Materials Developed by the Northeast Ohio Project's
Communications Workgroup 4-2
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CNA critical natural areas
CO carbon monoxide
EDC Earth Day Coalition
EMPACT Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking
EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
GIS geographic information system
IIS Microsoft Internet Information Services
NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards
NAMS national air monitoring stations
NEOAIR Northeast Ohio Air Quality Online
NEOEDEN Northeast Ohio Environmental Data Exchange Networks
N©2 nitrogen dioxide
PAMS photochemical assessment monitoring stations
PM particulate matter
PSA public service announcement
SLAMS state and local air monitoring stations
SO2 sulfur dioxide
VOC volatile organic compound
VI
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1
URBAN SPRAWL MODELING, AIR QUALITY
MONITORING, AND RISK COMMUNICATION:
THE NORTHEAST OHIO PROJECT
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Communicating environmental and health risks to the public has increasingly become a responsibility of
local and state officials and private groups involved in environmental monitoring. People have come to
expect access to more information about local air quality, for example, and advances in environmental
monitoring and computer technology (such as the Internet) have made timely—sometimes daily—com-
munication of environmental conditions possible.
One program that addresses these new expectations and options is the Northeast Ohio Urban Sprawl
Modeling, Air Quality Monitoring, and Communications Project (hereafter called the Northeast Ohio
Project). The Project provides local environmental and health information useful to residents, local offi-
cials, community planners, and others in a 15-county region in northeast Ohio that includes the greater
Cleveland metropolitan area. Focus groups consisting of staff from state and local government agencies and
representatives of neighborhood, civic, religious, academic, development, banking, business, and environ-
mental groups had previously identified urban sprawl and environmental quality as the top regional
problems. The Northeast Ohio Project addresses the environmental impacts posed by urban sprawl (the
haphazard spreading of low-density development beyond a city's boundaries), provides near-real-time data
on air quality as it affects individual and public health, and conducts an extensive community outreach
program on sprawl and air quality issues.
The Northeast Ohio Project was part of EPA's 1996 to 2002 Environmental Monitoring for Public Access
and Community Tracking (EMPACT) Program, which helped communities provide the public with time-
relevant environmental and associated health risk information. Local governments involved in the program
identify and use effective methods to collect, manage, and distribute environmental health information in a
timely manner to the public. Handbooks such as this one then describe the experiences of municipalities
that have successfully accomplished these data collection and communication objectives so that other com-
munitites can learn from these projects.
1.2 HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOK
This handbook highlights the key components of the Northeast Ohio Project. Local officials and commu-
nity groups from other municipalities can use this information as guidance for establishing or expanding
their own environmental programs; residents of northeast Ohio can use this handbook to learn about and
access the Project's materials on urban sprawl and air quality in their area. The handbook is organized as
described below.
This handbook covers the three areas addressed by the Northeast Ohio Project:
• Urban sprawl modeling (Chapter 2). Urban sprawl has been associated with a number of
negative community impacts, including reduced air and water quality, traffic congestion, loss
of productive agricultural areas and natural habitat, and increased costs for new services such as
schools and water treatment systems. The Northeast Ohio Project developed case studies and models,
available through the Internet, so that residents and local officials can simulate potential future devel-
opment and better understand the implications of different growth management policies and
programs. The modeling results can be used for more comprehensive land-use planning efforts. In
addition to describing the case studies and models, Chapter 2 explains how the Project developed and
managed the models and its ecological and urban sprawl database and Web site.
URBAN SPRAWL MODELING 1-1
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' Air quality monitoring (Chapter 3). Through a Web site, the Project provides the public with regional
near-real-time and historical data on levels of ozone and other pollutants. This information helps peo-
ple take appropriate actions to protect their health and the environment when air quality is poor. This
chapter describes the general process of air quality monitoring and explains how the Northeast Ohio
Project manages and reports its air quality data.
' Communications/outreach (Chapter 4), In addition to posting information on Web sites, the
Northeast Ohio Project has conducted communications and outreach efforts through ther media,
including a survey, medical and promotional brochures, handbooks for teachers and students, public
service announcements (PSAs) and news releases, bus boards, a mascot, and a logo. The Project has
distributed these materials to the general public through community events and medical offices, TV
and radio stations, newspapers, schools, transit authorities, libraries, recreation centers, and camps.
1 5? 1
I t fcy t I
Whether you are just beginning to think about a program to address urban sprawl or air quality issues or are
in the process of expanding your program, the following frequently asked questions may be useful.
Q; What is urban sprawl?
A: Urban sprawl is the extension of low-density residential, commercial, and/or industrial development into
rural areas beyond a city's boundaries that occurs with little or no prior planning on the community or
regional level. Several local and/or regional problems often occur as a result of sprawl, including degrada-
tion of air and water quality, increased traffic congestion, the decline of inner cities, higher costs for new
services (e.g., roads, schools, water systems), and loss of community character. See Chapter 2, Section
2.2, for more information about urban sprawl.
Q; What is urban growth modeling?
A: Urban growth modeling simulates potential future development scenarios and growth management
options. Such simulation can help you evaluate the impacts of growth on land and other resource use.
The growth management options that a model generates can show, for example, how much environmen-
tally sensitive area or farmland can be saved by managing growth rather than allowing sprawl to occur.
See Chapter 2, Section 2.3, for more on urban growth modeling.
i -:
CHAPTER 1
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:. What factors should be considered when using or developing an urban growth model?
1: The Northeast Ohio Project found five factors to be particularly important when developing its urban
growth models: cost, ability to work with available data, accessibility by the public or other audience,
understandability, and model validity. See Chapter 2, Section 2.4, for more information on these factors.
• Why is CIS useful for environmental modeling?
'. GIS (geographic information system) technology lets users overlay maps with several different kinds of
information on one another, creating new, more comprehensive maps. GIS provides a way to produce
visual displays of potential future land uses, population growth, and related environmental and other
impacts. The Northeast Ohio Project has used GIS to compare different future development scenarios and
growth management strategies and their effects. See Chapter 2, Section 2.4.1, for more on using GIS.
• What types of data might be useful for developing an urban growth model?
i The Northeast Ohio Project based its urban growth models on several types of environmental and
geospatial information, including: aquatic and terrestrial species/habitats, brownfields (i.e., abandoned or
underused commercial or industrial sites), demographics, flood plains, geology/soils, hydrology/surface
water, land use/cover, planning/zoning, pollution hazard, TIGER/Census, water quality, and wetlands
data. See Chapter 2, Section 2.5.4, for more information on types of useful data.
• What are some of the ways that an urban growth model can demonstrate the effects of different development
patterns?
i. Urban growth models often use build-out scenarios (e.g., projections of population growth) for an area as
one key set of data to help determine how much growth could occur (e.g., in terms of population den-
sity) and where it could occur (e.g., in terms of land areas used). Urban growth models can also help
users identify—and determine the acreage of—the most environmentally sensitive lands and farmland
that will be lost to development or saved through certain growth management practices. As is the case
with the Northeast Ohio Project model, these models can then show different ways of managing growth,
such as (1) minimizing the amount of development allowed on environmentally sensitive lands and/or
farmlands or (2) designating urban growth boundaries beyond which development can be restricted in
various ways (e.g., requiring cluster development, providing state funds only for development within the
boundary). See Chapter 2, Section 2.5, for more information on how the Northeast Ohio Project devel-
oped its growth models.
• What is time-relevant air quality monitoring?
i. It has become possible to report certain air quality information in near real time (e.g., hourly from 10
a.m. to 7 p.m.) and show trends, such as changes over a 24-hour period. EPA's AirNow program and the
Northeast Ohio Air Quality Monitoring Project provide such information. Having such time-relevant
information allows people to know when air quality in their area may be harmful and to take actions to
protect their health during that time. See Chapter 3, Section 3.1, for more information on time-relevant
air quality monitoring.
How can a time-relevant air quality monitoring project be developed and air monitoring data managed?
L Often, air quality monitoring stations with data management systems already in place to meet existing
regulations (e.g., for the Clean Air Act) can provide time-relevant data as well. Some municipalities that
decide to provide time-relevant data use this opportunity to update some of their systems (e.g., computer
hardware and software). Air pollutants typically monitored and reported (e.g., in the Northeast Ohio Air
Quality Monitoring Project) include ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and oth-
ers. See Chapter 3, Sections 3.2 and 3.3, for further details regarding the development and management
of air quality monitoring programs.
L
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How can urban growth models and air quality monitoring data be communicated to the public?
A: Web sites have become popular tools for reporting and communicating environmental information to the
public and other audiences. The Northeast Ohio Project has developed several Web sites, including one
that features the Project's "Urban Growth Simulator," which lets users develop and compare different
development scenarios. Another Project Web site provides air quality information and allows users to
view graphs, maps, and text data.
In addition to Web sites, it is often useful to develop other avenues of communication, since not everyone
has a computer and ready access to the Internet. The Northeast Ohio Project's Communications Workgroup
has developed a number of outreach materials, including handbooks on urban sprawl and air quality for
teachers and students, a brochure on the health effects of air quality (available to patients in doctors'
offices), bus boards, PSAs for both TV and radio, a promotional brochure, a logo, and a mascot. Consider
developing similar outreach materials in more than one language if doing so would be appropriate for your
audience. See Chapter 4 for detailed information on the Northeast Ohio Project's communication and out-
reach efforts for urban sprawl and air quality monitoring.
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2
THE NORTHEAST OHIO URBAN SPRAWL
MODELING PROJECT
2.1 INTRODUCTION
A key goal of the Northeast Ohio Urban Sprawl Modeling Project was to create a tool accessible to and
usable by the general public so that any citizen could simulate alternative future growth patterns in his or
her community. Achieving this goal involved developing a model that could be applied to a study area
within a 15-county region in northeast Ohio (the 15 counties are Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain,
Medina, Ashtabula, Portage, Stark, Summit, Wayne, Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Carroll, and
Holmes Counties), as well as to sub-regions of that area.
Northeast Ohio has undergone significant urban development in recent years. The potential negative effects
of this growth made clear the need for better planning. Seeking an appropriate growth management tool
for northeast Ohio, researchers used an EPA EMPACT grant to examine urbanization as an environmental
issue. The researchers reviewed existing environmental analysis and urban growth models and made a rec-
ommendation for a growth modeling program for the region.
2.2 WHAT IS URBAN SPRAWL AND HOW DOES IT
AFFECT COMMUNITIES?
Urban sprawl is the haphazard spreading of low-density residential, commercial, and/or industrial develop-
ment into rural areas near cities. Sprawling development often results in several potential community and
regional problems, including:
• Increased and insufficient land use and energy consumption
• Increased traffic congestion.
• Negative environmental effects, such as reduced air and water quality and loss of open space and
other natural gases
• Higher public costs for new facilities and services for the newly developed areas
(e.g., road construction, sewer/water systems).
• Loss of community character.
• The decline of inner cities as people leave them for sprawled areas.
See http://www.smartgrowth.org for more information on these issues. In recent years, urban sprawl has been
the focus of many geographic, economic, and sociological analyses. For example, a 1998 report entitled
Paying the Costs of Sprawl: Using Fair-Share Costing To Control Sprawl describes the fiscal and ecological
costs of sprawl (http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/articles/sprawl.shtml, 2002). Another study, Living on the Edge,
by researchers from Northern Illinois University and the American Farmland Trust, found that "scatter"
development leads to increased emergency response times for police, ambulances, and firefighters that may
exceed national standards (http://farmlandinfo.org/cae/scatter/e-loetoc.html, 1999).
Americans now rank concerns over sprawl and growth as high as traditional issues such as crime, according
to a study by the Pew Center for Civic Journalism. Survey participants in four cities (Denver, Tampa, San
Francisco, and Philadelphia) listed sprawl and traffic congestion as major community concerns. Sixty per-
cent of the participants in Denver cited sprawl as a top concern in an open-ended question, as did 47
percent in San Francisco and 33 percent in Tampa (http:llwww.pewcenter.orglaboutlpr_ST2000.html, 2000).
URBAN SPRAWL MODELING PROJECT z-i
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Around Cleveland, Ohio, land occupied by residential, commercial, and industrial uses increased by 33
percent while population decreased by 11 percent from 1970 to 2001 (Urban Sprawl in Northeast Ohio:
A Handbook for Educators and Their Students in Grades 4-8, produced by the Northeast Ohio Project).
To prevent or control urban sprawl, planners, public administrators, public officials, environmentalists, and
others have begun to monitor and seek to improve land-use decisions and regulations. For example, compre-
hensive (or master) planning is increasingly being used to help communities grow in ways that they choose
rather than undergoing random and undesirable development. Also, zoning changes have been recom-
mended for many communities to discourage sprawl and instead encourage smart growth. Simply defined,
smart growth involves better planning of economic and community growth in balance with local natural
and historical resources. Achieving better community growth might involve concentrating development
where infrastructure (schools, roads, sewer lines, transit systems) is already in place; reinvesting in older
communities instead of abandoning them to create new ones (through efforts such as EPA's brownfields pro-
gram); and preserving open space and community character, thus creating more liveable communities with a
higher quality of life (http://www.nrdc.org/cities/smartGrowth/nsolve.asp, 2001). Assessing the effectiveness of
smart growth planning tools, however, often requires relatively long-term evaluation. Therefore, some deci-
sion-makers and citizens have turned to urban growth modeling to improve and quicken the process of
evaluating planning efforts and smart growth strategies.
Urban growth modeling uses actual data (when available) and theoretical assumptions about land uses and
environmental effects to produce growth-related scenarios (e.g., build-out analyses) for a given area. Using a
computer program carefully designed to simulate as closely as possible the actual process of past, current, and
potential future development, urban growth modeling can produce alternative development possibilities, dis-
playing the results in various tabular, map, or other formats.
For some time, the ability to apply theoretical growth models to actual land-use forecasting was limited by
the expense of assembling, managing, and manipulating the large quantities of data required for such proj-
ects. However, the recent development of and improvements to computerized digital geospatial databases
and the ability to manage and manipulate these databases using tools such as GIS has made it easier for citi-
zens and local officials to use land-use forecasting, including urban growth modeling.
By allowing current and future land uses to be examined, urban growth modeling can play an important
role in evaluating the impacts of growth on land and water resources. Additionally, modeling can provide
communities with a better understanding of the implications of different growth management policies and
programs and contribute to more comprehensive land use and resource planning efforts.
Clearly identifying the goals that you want a growth management program to achieve is one of the first and
most important steps in choosing an appropriate urban growth model. For the Northeast Ohio Urban
Sprawl Modeling Project, a major goal was to limit negative environmental impacts associated with urban
development. Thus researchers reviewed various environmental analysis computer models and approaches as
they relate to urban growth issues in northeast Ohio.
A literature review can be found on the EMPACT: Urban Sprawl in Northeast Ohio Web site
(http:llgis. kent. edulgislempactllit_home. htm).
There are many factors to consider when developing a new urban growth model or using an existing one. For
the Northeast Ohio Project, the following five factors (roughly in order of importance) were used to evaluate
10 fully operational noncommercial (academic) and commercial models:
Z«,
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• Cost.
• Ability to work with available data.
• Ability to reach a large audience (accessibility).
• Understandability.
• Theoretical soundness (validity).
These five factors are discussed below.
Costs associated with an urban growth modeling program include initial purchase (or development), installa-
tion, and maintenance. Cost is often the initial consideration in developing a new model or adapting an
existing modeling program. For example, although several of the commercial modeling packages fit the cri-
teria of the Northeast Ohio Urban Sprawl Modeling Project, they fell outside the budget. Additionally,
while some commercial packages the Project considered could be custom-made, the source code would still
have been owned by the manufacturing company: the user would have needed to work with the company
each time a change needed to be made. This would have increased cost and made it more difficult to make
the program fully accessible to the public.
Ability of the model to work with available data. The type of data a model uses must match the data available
for the study area and the types of information that the community wants to evaluate. For the Northeast
Ohio Project, it was important to have a model that worked with the existing CIS data set and was adaptable
to a specific study area within the 15-county northeast Ohio region so that the growth scenarios could be
modified to meet different local conditions or requirements.
Accessibility and understandability facilitate the key goal of making the model fully available to the public,
allowing citizens and public officials to view the impacts of various development policy choices. Therefore the
Project's modeling program was to be made accessible via the Internet, which meant that the model had to be
written in a programming language that was easily or direcdy adaptable for use on the Web. This requirement
excluded all packages that used copyrighted code. The model, including its assumptions and operations, also
needed to be easily understood by non-technical users.
The theoretical soundness of a model determines its usefulness in providing accurate, valid alternative growth
scenarios. Theoretical soundness, however, is almost inevitably inversely related to understandability. That is,
the more sound a system is, the more complex (and thus more difficult to understand) it usually is. When
choosing a model, one must weigh the degree of accuracy with the need for simplicity.
/. 1 I t* I)' IIN r»lrt 1W UU'ilAM trUU'* III »MUi»! i PflN
CIS is an innovative tool that can demonstrate current and future development conditions and simulate
possible growth scenarios, based on defined criteria and assumptions for development. By visually displaying
land and resource use alternatives, including potential environmental and cultural resource impacts, eco-
nomic implications, and potential use conflicts, CIS can help planners, public officials, and citizens better
manage growth.
CIS can combine layers of diverse information as geospatial data themes. It also lets users examine a broad
range of alternatives. An increasing number of municipalities, counties, state and federal government agen-
cies, and private groups are using CIS to help them make rational, ecologically sound decisions about
resource development, impact mitigation, and other environmental management issues.
When using CIS, be aware that creating a comprehensive CIS-based environmental database can often
involve a significant amount of time and money unless you can obtain already-existing data that are current,
easily interpreted, and cost-effective. Even when needed data do exist, they may be difficult to retrieve
because they are fragmented in different systems and databases managed by several public, nonprofit, and
private agencies.
Ui n'\M LtM! '\\vi_ Mr«i
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2.5 HOW THE NORTHEAST OHIO URBAN GROWTH
MODEL WAS DEVELOPED
After selecting an urban growth modeling program, the Northeast Ohio Urban Sprawl Modeling Project
developed two case studies to demonstrate the program's applicability on a regional and sub-regional level.
These studies show the usefulness of relatively simple simulation modeling and illustrate ways to identify or
develop a model that is suitable for different levels of detail (i.e., both the regional and sub-regional levels).
The Project also developed a more detailed Urban Growth Simulator. Both the case studies and the Urban
Growth Simulator are described below.
2.5.1 THE REGIONAL CASE STUDY
The regional case study of the Northeast Ohio Urban Sprawl Modeling Project was developed by EcoCity
Cleveland with assistance from researchers at Cleveland State University. It presents one possible land-use
development pattern for a seven-county region, based on various build-out scenarios. The regional case study
model is essentially a simplified sustainability study for the area. Its purpose is to show what residential urban
expansion in the region could look like based on a simple set of assumptions about where growth will occur.
(See Figure 2-1, a map that shows one possible scenario for projected population density and land use based
on a set of assumptions.) The program should not be used as a general guide to urban growth planning.
Users can download the program used for this case study from the Urban Sprawl in Northeast Ohio Web site
(http://gis.kent.edu/gis/empact/dwl_home.htm). They can also order it on CD-ROM from one of the study's
developers.
Figure 2-1. Regional case Study Simulation. Using the ArcExplorer program, researchers estimated
northeast Ohio's population densities for 2020. A comparison of the 1990 population density
map to this 2020 map indicates that urban sprawl will continue in the region if additional growth
management strategies are not implemented.
2-4
CHAPTER 2
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The sub-regional case study, like the regional study, is meant to give local citizens and officials a better
understanding of the implications of different growth policies. However the sub-regional case study exam-
ines the impacts of urban sprawl on farmlands and environmentally critical areas at a more local level—a
single county in northeast Ohio (Portage County). The case study is built on a model, called the Portage
Model, that uses GIS data layers along with various growth management tools and policies to simulate
future residential development patterns in Portage County. The model uses data sets that were readily
available for the study area, including data on:
• Generalized land use (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial, landfill) for a sample year in three
different decades.
• Farmlands.
• Zoning districts.
• Water and sanitary sewer-service areas.
• Roads and highways.
• Steep slopes.
• Surface waters.
• Critical natural areas. (The modelers created this data set by combining information on flood plains,
wetlands, natural heritage areas, and ground-water pollution potential).
• Population projections.
The sub-regional case study allows the user to view three possible future development patterns for Portage
County as a whole and for the individual townships within the county. Each pattern uses one of these three
growth management models:
• Continued growth model. This model assumes that growth and land development patterns continue to
follow current trends, policies, and zoning regulations. This is often used as the baseline model.
• Managed growth (or environmental protection) model. This model assumes that growth management
tools and incentives for altering land development patterns are adopted by all local governments within
a given county. For example, all communities would adopt zoning policies that prohibit residential
development in areas deemed environmentally sensitive. This model also assumes the same rate of pop-
ulation growth as the continuous growth model.
• Controlled growth model. This is the most aggressive of the three models. It assumes a lower population
growth and stricter growth management tools to promote reduced, more compact development.
These models were developed through complex mathematical equations and computer computations,
summarized in Figure 2-2 and described in the steps below.
The steps involved in developing the three growth management models for the sub-regional case study included:
• The computer model first overlays the various GIS data layers being used (land-use changes, wetlands,
etc.) to identify lands that are not yet developed but are zoned for development ("developable lands").
• The model then applies population forecasts and the criteria associated with the growth scenario being
modeled.
,.t«v»-tv, {•. !-«'v, . i. v:>< "• i. • r >•< ..« 2-5
-------
Growth
management program
Simulations of urban sprawl
Figure 2-2. Procedures and algorithms.
• The simulation continues until all potential development sites available are identified under the particu-
lar growth model being simulated (i.e., controlled, managed growth/environmental protection, or
continued growth model).
The results of the model are presented in maps displaying development patterns and summary tables of the
amount of farmland and critical natural areas lost to development (see Figures 2-3, 2-4, and 2-5).
The sub-regional case study program can be downloaded from the Urban Sprawl in Northeast Ohio Web site
(http:llgis.kent.edulgislempartldwljvome.htm) and can also be run online. (The regional study cannot be run
online because it relies on ArcExplorer, a map-browsing program that must be installed on the user's com-
puter; the sub-regional study does not use this software.)
The following maps (Figures 2-3, 2-4, and 2-5) show three possible development scenarios for the sub-
regional case study simulation for Aurora Township, Portage County, Ohio, for the year 2015. The Portage
Model was used to simulate three alternative growth build-out scenarios for all of Portage County and for
the individual townships within the county.
Z-6
CHAPTER 2
-------
Figure 2-3. Continuous growth model. This model assumes that population growth and
land development patterns continue to follow current trends. No new local development
policies or growth management strategies are implemented. The result is extensive,
random, sprawling development. Note the extensive "sim residential" areas, indicating
new residential development.
residential
commercial
puhlicj'inartutinnal
industrial
transportation
utilities
parka/open space
water
extractives
ap.fr acant
sim residential
sim commercial
sim industrial
roads
URBAN SPRAWL MODELING PROJECT
2-7
-------
Figure 2-4. Managed growth (environmental protection) model. For this model, the same
population growth is assumed as in Figure 2-3, but some growth management tools are
applied to restrict the amount of land used for new development. For example, no new
development is allowed in wetlands or other environmentally sensitive areas. The result is
more compact development.
residential
commercial
public/in aitutional
industrial
transportation
utilities
parks/open space
water
I r
ap.^acant
sim residential
sim commercial
sim industrial
roads
2-B
CHAPTER 2
-------
Figure 2-5. Controlled growth model. This model assumes a lower population growth
combined with more aggressive growth management strategies. The result is even more
compact development and the highest amount of undeveloped land. Note how new
residential development ("sim residential") occurs adjacent to existing residential areas.
residential
commercial
'publir/inaitLJtiDnal
industrial
transportation
'utilities
parks/open space
'water
extractives
ag./vacant
' sim residential
sim commercial
sim industrial
' roads
URBAN SPRAWL MODELING PROJECT
2-9
-------
The Northeast Ohio Urban Sprawl Modeling Project also developed an Urban Growth Simulator model,
which the Project used to provide more information and flexibility to users than the models used in the case
studies. The Urban Growth Simulator allows users (e.g., citizens, interest groups, government agencies,
planners) to project future changes in their communities and observe the implications of various strategies
for managing residential growth. A user can generate individual build-out scenarios and change available
data to view alternative future growth scenarios in map or table formats.
The Simulator is unique among available growth modeling programs in that it allows efficient simulations
of urban growth with minimal requirements of data from users. Its newest version can take simulated build-
out scenarios and calculate estimated nonpoint-source pollution as well as the amount of land used by
simulated growth in categorized soil types. This new version will be used in projects for Geauga County and
the Grand River Watershed in Ohio.
The Urban Growth Simulator was based on the Portage Model, described in Section 2.5.2. Like the sub-
regional case study, it uses extensive data sets so users do not have to compile their own data. However, the
Urban Growth Simulator is more robust than the Portage Model, allowing users to evaluate the effects of
implementing the following three growth management strategies:
• Avoid critical natural areas (CNA), CNA include wetlands, steep slopes, flood plains, areas surround-
ing endangered or threatened animal or plant species, and other areas considered environmentally
sensitive. Under this strategy, permits would not be granted for new development in these areas, and
thus CNA would be protected.
• Establish a growth boundary. Users can place a boundary on new development, making development
more compact by limiting it to a given area and reducing the impacts of sprawl.
• Maximize space. Requiring new developments to preserve more lands for open space might
involve reducing the lot sizes of new developments, cluster zoning, etc.
In addition to choosing a growth management strategy, Simulator users can modify two other variables that
affect the amount and form of development:
• Lot size. By defining lot sizes, users can choose the land area (in acres) that each new unit would need
in order to be built.
• Frontage or cluster development. Users can also choose to base their modeled development on either:
• Frontage, in which new developments of 5 to 15 units are built along streets, or
• Cluster development, in which new developments are built in subdivisions of 5 to 30 units
grouped together.
Figure 2-6 shows results from the Urban Growth Simulator in map and tabular form (see also
http:llempact.geog.kent.edu). Acreage of CNA and farmlands affected by simulated development is also shown
as an indication of how the environment is being affected.
2-1 a
-------
f Zetarn Out
r-0rT4g* Let Sue
r UP/!-; (unit)
I * Pick Acanthi CinUr
Indtuttn^l
G«OWTH
Ui« Cpwn &p«oi Growth
Avflld Firm Lanst
of '
Pl« . . t-jttor-i OP'-- ONCE. Most
5irn'jl*tior : vill tji.o jp to ;*va?al minut«f •
- BOSTON HEIGHTS
Figure 2-6a. Northeast Ohio Urban Growth Simulator workspace. This figure shows the Web page of the Urban
Growth Simulator (http://empact.geog.kent.edu), from which users can input various levels of development and
growth management strategies. The map on the right shows current development in the chosen township, in this
case Boston Heights Township in Summit County.
URBAN SPRAWL MODELING PROJECT
2-1 1
-------
Type of Land Use
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Total (acres)
250
100
1,350
Figure 2-6b. Sample simulation with no growth management strategies applied (for Boston Heights, Summit
County, Ohio). No growth management strategies were applied in this scenario, resulting in 1,350 acres
developed, including the loss of 53-5 acres of agricultural land and 57-75 acres of CNA.
2-1 2
CHAPTER 2
-------
Type of Land Use
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Total (acres)
110
100
1,210
Figure 2-6c. Sample simulation with "Use Growth Boundary/Growth Center" and "Avoid Critical Natural Areas
(CNA)" applied (for Boston Heights, Summit County, Ohio). In this case, the combination of two growth
management strategies led to less land being developed than in Figures 2-6a and b. A total of 1,210 acres
were developed, and no CNA were lost. To accommodate growth, however, 76 acres of agricultural land were
lost to development.
URBAN SPRAWL MODELING PROJECT
2-1 3
-------
A large amount of data is needed to create a valid urban growth model. The Northeast Ohio Project based its
urban growth models on many types of environmental and geospatial data: aquatic and terrestrial
species/habitats, brownfields, demographics, flood plains, geology/soils, hydrology/surface water, land
use/cover, planning/zoning, pollution hazard, TIGER/Census, water quality, and wetlands data, for example.
These data came from a variety of sources, including the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, EPA's
Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources (BASINS) project, the Northeast Ohio
Data Information Service (NODIS), Magic 2000 CD-ROM data, and the Northeast Ohio Environmental
Data Exchange Networks (NEOEDEN).
NEOEDEN was a project undertaken by four universities (Cleveland State University, Kent State
University, the University of Akron, and Youngstown State University) before the EPA EMPACT grant
began for the Northeast Ohio Project. The goal of NEOEDEN was "to create and maintain a data exchange
network for northeast Ohio, focusing on environmental and geospatial information" by collecting, process-
ing, and making available on the Internet a broad range of environmental and land-use data in a 14-county
northeast Ohio region (http://urban.csuohio.edu/~ucweb/neoeden/neoeden.htm, 2002). NEOEDEN sought to
inventory all relevant publicly available data for northeast Ohio by:
• Identifying programs or organizations that produce, manage, or disseminate geo-referenced environ-
mental data that could be incorporated into NEOEDEN.
• Determining what data each organization had, as well as the suitability of those data for inclusion in
the NEOEDEN database.
• Establishing priorities for collecting and documenting these data based on demand, geographic extent,
uniqueness, and other criteria to be determined by the NEOEDEN organizations and users.
• Identifying other data, currently unavailable in digital form, that might be suitable for the NEOEDEN
database.
In the course of the Northeast Ohio Project, NEOEDEN was expanded to incorporate additional CIS data
sets, database search software, and an Internet mapping server as part of the redesign of the Web site, allow-
ing users to view selected data sets in mapped format or as tables. Currently there are 364 geospatial data
sets on the NEOEDEN Web site. Of these, 32 are downloadable.
Data completeness and timeliness varies across the 15 Ohio counties included in the Northeast Ohio Urban
Sprawl Modeling Project. For some data sets, necessary information was based on assumptions, estimates,
and U.S. Geological Survey records on historical data. The researchers decided to include such data sets
because they felt that some users would still find the information helpful, even if it was incomplete. It is
hoped that the data inventory will continue to be completed and expanded.
2,5,5 Bl
TD
Comity planning commissions are one key mechanism for using and communicating information for the
Northeast Ohio Urban Sprawl Modeling Project. For example, Geauga and Portage Counties have used the
Northeast Ohio Project Web site to generate build-out scenarios that are used at various public meetings by
county residents.
site. Kent State University's Department of Geography hosts the EMPACT: Urban Sprawl in
Northeast Ohio Web site, a good resource for the public and local officials (http://gis.kent.edu/gis/empact/;
see Figure 2-7). The site describes the problems of urban sprawl and the usefulness of models and simulators.
2-1 4
-------
|> t* i— ff*«
^DEVELOPMENT OF
A COMMUNITY-ACCESSIBLE
URBAN SPRAWL
IMPACT A5SE55M E NT 5Y5TE M
Figure 2-7. EMPACT: Urban Sprawl in Northeast Ohio Web Site. (Source: http://gis.kent.edu/gis/empact/)
Users can also download the regional and sub-regional case study simulations from this site, as well as order
the regional study on CD-ROM. They can also run the sub-regional study as well as the Urban Growth
Simulator online at the site. (See Sections 2.5.1 and 2.5.2 for discussions of the case studies and Section
2.5.3 for a description of the Urban Growth Simulator). For quick reference, the Web site also provides
screen capture samples from the case studies.
Documentation for the Urban Growth Simulator. The Project, as part of its communications and outreach
effort, developed an Urban Growth Simulator Self-Guided Workbook that provides step-by-step guidance
through four simulations. The Workbook explains what each menu item is used for and how to use the
Simulator to achieve particular results. The Workbook can be downloaded from the Kent State University
Web site (http://empact.geog.kent.edu/workbook.html) or requested from the Kent State University geography
department.
Educational handbook. A workbook on urban sprawl, titled Urban Sprawl in Northeast Ohio: A Handbook
for Educators and Their Students in Grades 4—8, was created. It provides teachers with activities, information,
and resources to help them introduce the concept of urban sprawl into their classrooms. It also shows readers
how to use the Urban Growth Simulator, using sections from the Urban Growth Simulator Self-Guided
Workbook.
Seminars and training sessions. The Northeast Ohio Project offered seminars and training sessions to local
organizations from which Project researchers hoped to gather data sets.
URBAN SPRAWL MODELING PROJECT
2-1 5
-------
Chapter 4 discusses a variety of additional communications/outreach efforts conducted by the Northeast
Ohio Project.
IN
Some of the lessons learned in developing the northeast Ohio urban growth models included:
• Set realistic goals for data collection. Collecting comprehensive data from a variety of sources into one
data clearinghouse is a good concept, but can be difficult to achieve for a variety of reasons (discussed
below). It is important early in a growth modeling project to clearly define a realistic scope of data col-
lection and limit modeling efforts accordingly.
Collecting and maintaining data for a growth management project can be expensive, in terms of both
time and money. To reduce this cost, the Northeast Ohio Project attempted to use readily available,
existing data sets to create a centralized database and avoid duplication of research. This effort, how-
ever, was itself challenging. The NEOEDEN team sent out questionnaires to various organizations and
agencies that had data sets useful to the project. The response rate was quite low, and much of the
information ended up coming from state agencies. Also, some organizations were unwilling to donate
their data or did not feel that they had the time to participate.
• Establish a good organizational structure at the start of the project, A good structure might include
having a single, lead entity, such as a state agency, oversee the project and set clear guidelines and
expectations from the beginning, rather than having different organizations responsible for various
aspects of a project. For example, a government agency could take on the responsibility of managing
the project and owning the resulting product, which would then have a place in the agency's annual
budget and possible continued funding and support; this system would help to ensure that the fre-
quent updates involved in data collection and maintenance are performed. If universities are involved,
their role could be to research and develop the product and then turn it over to a regional planning
committee or other government entity to sustain it. The product's creators could train government
employees in the use of the modeling programs and data maintenance. Community nonprofit organi-
zations are often good partners for conducting outreach.
• Obtain project involvement by high-level officials, such as mayors or county engineers, to help support
an urban growth modeling project. Several counties in northeast Ohio (e.g., Summit County) were
successful in promoting a collaborative effort on data collection, in part because they had such high-
level support.
• Consider developing case studies to showcase completed simulation models, for example for different
scales, such as at the regional (e.g., seven-county) and sub-regional (e.g., one-county) levels. The case
studies for the Northeast Ohio Urban Sprawl Modeling Project exemplified successful development
and growth management projections and illustrated a simplified method for performing modeling and
simulations.
• Possibly develop more than one product to fully serve various audiences. While a Web-based system is a
good avenue for those with ready Internet access, you may also want to create a stand-alone system
(such as a CD-ROM) that allows quicker data transfer than the Internet does. CD-ROMs have
another advantage: you can use them to meet the needs of advanced users (e.g., planners). A CD can
be created that contains more detailed or specific data than your Web system does. You can also sup-
ply sophisticated users with CDs containing modeling software (the "back end" of your online model)
to which they can add their own data. In addition, printed materials may be important to develop to
reach people without Internet or computer access.
The air quality monitoring component of the Northeast Ohio Project is discussed in Chapter 3. Additional
outreach and communications efforts conducted by the Northeast Ohio Project are discussed in Chapter 4.
z-i & CHAPTER 2
-------
3
THE NORTHEAST OHIO AIR QUALITY
MONITORING PROJECT
3.1 INTRODUCTION
The Northeast Ohio Air Quality Monitoring Project is one of the three key components of the Northeast
Ohio Project. The purpose of the Air Quality Monitoring Project is to provide public access to monitored
air quality data in 15 counties of northeast Ohio. This information is disseminated through the Project's
Northeast Ohio Air Quality Online, or NEOAIR, Web site (http://neoair.noaca.ohiou.edu/), which presents
near-real-time and historical air quality data. A dynamic interface allows users to select the type of data they
wish to view.
3. 1 .1 WHAT IS TIME-RELEVANT AIR QUALITY MONITORING?
Information on air quality can be provided to the public in near real time, depending on the frequency of
sampling and the speed of data retrieval and processing. Access to real-time data allows people to take
appropriate actions to protect their health and the environment. For example, when certain air pollutant
levels are high, normally healthy people may decide to limit outdoor activities and more sensitive popula-
tions (children, the elderly, people with breathing problems) may choose to stay indoors. Additionally, a
public that is aware of current pollution levels may be encouraged to take steps to reduce air emissions
through measures such as efficient electricity use, carpooling, and use of public transportation. Already
existing air monitoring stations (as described in Section 3.1.3) can often be used to conduct time-relevant
air quality monitoring and reporting programs.
3.1.2 THE EPA AIRNOW PROGRAM
The Northeast Ohio Air Quality Monitoring Project was derived from EPA's AirNow Program (see
http://www.epa.gov/airnow}, which provides the public with easy access to national and regional air quality
information. The AirNow Web site offers daily air quality forecasts as well as real-time air quality informa-
tion for over 100 cities across the United States, and provides links to more detailed state and local air
quality Web sites. The site also includes information on the health and environmental effects of air pollu-
tion, ways that people can protect their health and actions they can take to reduce pollution, and links to
EPA publications that highlight the environmental and health effects of air quality and explain the basic
science of ozone.
Currently, real-time AirNow air quality maps provide ozone levels for 38 states and parts of Canada.
During the ozone season (May through September in most areas, April through October in Ohio), these
maps are updated every hour. Users can view still-frame maps of 1-hour peak values, 8-hour peak values,
and forecasts. Animated maps of hourly averages are also available. Future plans for the AirNow site include
ozone mapping for the contiguous 48 states and real-time mapping of particulate matter. Ways in which
the Northeast Ohio Air Quality Monitoring Project has used and supplemented AirNow data for the
northeast Ohio region are discussed in Section 3.2.
3.1.3 OVERVIEW OF AIR QUALITY MONITORING
Under the Clean Air Act, states are required to establish air quality monitoring networks to measure ambi-
ent concentrations of pollutants for which National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) have been
established. These pollutants, known as criteria pollutants, are particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide
(NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and lead.
Ambient Air Quality Surveillance requirements (40 CFR Part 58) specify how often monitoring must
occur and where monitoring stations are to be sited.
AIR [DUALITY MONITORING PROJECT 3-1
-------
The monitoring networks consist of strategically located air monitoring stations and data collection, trans-
fer, and storage systems. The types of stations include state and local air monitoring stations (SLAMS),
national air monitoring stations (NAMS), and photochemical assessment monitoring stations (PAMS).
Information on pollutant concentrations is used to:
• Determine if an area is in compliance with the NAAQS.
• Develop strategies for controlling pollutant levels.
• Provide information to the public about local air quality.
Guidance for establishing a monitoring network can be found at the website
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/cpreldoc.html and in the following EPA documents:
PAMS Implementation Manual, EPA/454/B-93/051 (http://www.epa.gov/ttnamtil/pams.html)
Ozone Monitoring, Mapping, and Public Outreach, Delivering Real-Time Ozone Information to Your
Community, EPA/625/R-99/007
3.2 AIR QUALITY INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM THE
NORTHEAST OHIO PROJECT
The following information on ozone is available at the
Northeast Ohio Project's NEOAIR Web site:
• Near-real-time data, including hourly average
levels depicted on a stationary map and levels
for the previous 24 hours on an animated map.
A map of northeast Ohio with ozone levels is
shown in Figure 3-1. (See Section 3.4.2 for
further discussion of these maps.)
• Tabular presentations of current data at each of 18
air monitoring stations, as shown in Figure 3-2.
• Historical data, shown on maps, tables, and
reports. Examples of historical data are shown in
Figures 3-3 and 3-4.
The NEOAIR Web site differs from the AirNow Web site
Figure 3-1. Northeast Ohio ozone levels, hourly average,
stationary map.
in that it lets users view northeast Ohio in greater detail and thus obtain information on air quality at more
specific locations. Real-time levels for non-ozone pollutants are also included on the NEOAIR Web site.
3.3 HOW ARE AIR QUALITY DATA MANAGED?
The same monitoring and data management systems used to meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act
can often be used as the basis for other air monitoring programs. The NEOAIR Web site, for example, relies
on existing monitors to provide data, with PM2 5 monitors added as part of the Air Quality Monitoring
Project.
3.3.1 DATA COLLECTION
Air monitoring infrastructure that is already in place for data transmission to meet regulatory requirements
(e.g., 40 CFR Part 58) can often be used for other data collection and reporting purposes, such as a local
near-real-time air quality monitoring and reporting program and Web site. For example, the Ohio
Environmental Protection Agency collects data from the air monitoring stations in northeast Ohio for
transmission to the U.S. EPA. The same data are automatically transferred to NEOAIR every 2 hours
during ozone season.
3-2
CHAPTER 3
-------
> An Munrwrt
3S.Jl*F» 11
«6«i:-pn JO
Figure 3-2. Example of data available in table
format from the Northeast Ohio Project Web site.
__ ,j ,
air
• Air Mnnnnm,
Figure 3-3. Historical ozone data (graph format) for the
Northeast Ohio Project.
i Air Quality DM« M Vmrtna
Figure 3-4. Historical ozone data (table format) for the
Northeast Ohio Project.
AIR QUALITY MONITORING PROJECT
3-3
-------
As a preliminary step in developing the Northeast Ohio Project's air monitoring system, Project staff
reviewed the existing air quality monitoring network to identify any deficiencies. As a result, data loggers
and modems at the monitoring sites were upgraded.
Data received from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency are automatically reformatted, evaluated,
prepared for presentation, and stored in a database. The database is then accessed to supply data in response
to Web site user queries. The general flow of data is shown in Figure 3-5.
Client
Raw data
Ohio EPA
Client request/server
response (HTML)
NEOAIR Web server
(IIS)
SQL query
called by ASP
H
D
Formatted data
SQL database
Format
processing
It is important to ensure the quality of data collected before it is reported to the public. Data entry errors
can produce erroneous data, as can malfunctioning or inoperable monitors.
Data received by NEOAIR are checked automatically. Data are identified as erroneous if reported values are
outside expected ranges or have changed at greater-than-expected rates. The Web site does not report data
identified as erroneous. Instead, it shows the data as not available, indicated by "-999" in the text or by a
gray area on maps.
The data for the NEOAIR Web site are stored in a database using a Microsoft SQL server. There are seven
different kinds of information in the database, as shown in Table 3-1.
-------
TABLE 3-1. TYPEB INFORMATION INOL.UDED IN THE NEDA1H
Monitors
Ozone peak values
Ozone exceedances
S02 peak values
S02 exceedances
CO peak values
CO exceedances
Monitor name, monitor ID, EPA region, county, latitude, longitude, land use, location type,
available information, and time period.
Daily 1-hour and 8-hour peak values, monitor ID, and date for each of the 18 ozone monitors.
Produced from the peak value data to save data retrieval time. Contains 1-hour and 8-hour
exceedances, monitor ID, and date for each of the 18 ozone monitors.
Daily 1-hour peak values, monitor ID, date, 1-hour max, and 24-hour max for each of the
10S02 monitors.
Produced from the peak value table to save data retrieval time. Contains 24-hour
exceedances, monitor ID, and date for each of the 10 S02 monitors.
Daily 1-hour and 8-hour peak values, monitor ID, and date for each of the two CO monitors.
Produced from peak value table to save data retrieval time. Contains 8-hour exceedances,
monitor ID, and date for each of the two CO monitors.
BY
ITS
The NEOAIR Web site uses a workgroup server/workstation with the following attributes:
• CPU: Intel Pentium III.
• Memory: 128 MB.
• Hard disk: 10 GB.
Software used for the NEOAIR Web site is shown in Table 3-2
TABUE 3-2. NEQAIR SITE
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server or Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 4.0 or 2000
(a component of Windows NT or 2000)
Microsoft SQL Server 7.0
Microsoft Visual InterdevG.O
Macromedia Dreamweaver
UltraDev4.0
Mapinfo
Adobe Photoshop 6.0
Adobe Image Ready 3.0
Macromedia Fireworks 4.0
Java Development Kit 1.1
or higher version
DUALITY
3-5
-------
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fill
AWL "I i
L 1,1 A i K1
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Most functions of the NEOAIR Web site can be automated. Non-automated functions that require person-
nel include creating the 24-hour automated maps; creating or replacing maps and tables due to missing data
or errors; troubleshooting the server's HTTP and FTP service, as well as its overall performance; updating
and maintaining the Web server; updating Web pages; writing and updating programs; and testing new
programs, software, and procedures. It is estimated that these activities could require 10 hours or more
per week of a programmer's time and 3 hours per week or more of a system administrator's time.
now AWK Tin.
j r OH in
: ATI-, r ;< i
i nn* wt
ff.jrcrrf.i AH/
1-1 K p n i e i , i c y
t.
na
The NEOAIR Web site provides information on ozone, PM, CO, SO2, NO2, and ozone action days.
(The organization of the NEOAIR Web site is shown in Figure 3-6.) The public can access information in
two ways. "Static" pages provide general information on air pollution. Static pages are mainly textual and
do not require any input from the user, except the kind of information in which the user is interested.
An example of a static page is shown in Figure 3-7. "Dynamic" pages allow users to query the Web site
for specific time-relevant and historic data.
What pollutes our air? *
Ozone action days
Today's air quality
Your comments
Contact
Ozone
Paniculate matter
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen oxides
Carbon monoxide
Link to
www.noaca.org/
Environmental/Air_
Quality/Ozone_Action_
Day_Program/ozone_
action_day_program html
Today's air quality
Animation map
Air monitors
General comments
about the Web site
and contributions
for the same
Persons involved in
the design and
maintenance of
the Web site
Basic nature of the
pollutant, where it
'•'-* comes from, and its
! effects on the
I environment
; 1
Full-screen map
, illustrating air quality
I levels in northeast Ohio
s within the last 2 hours
I Full-screen map |
s illustrating the |
i progression of air |
! quality levels in 1
] northeast Ohio 1
', over the last 24 hours 1
Real-time air quality j
statistics, as well as i
historical statistics, i
reported by each of i
; the 18 air monitors |
! located in northeast Ohio |
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3-6
CHAPTER 3
-------
The NEOAIR Web site uses maps to display near-real-time concentrations of ozone across northeast Ohio.
Colors on the map represent ranges of ozone concentrations. The ranges are the same as those used by EPA
to define air quality (good, moderate, unhealthy for sensitive groups, unhealthy, very unhealthy) and the col-
ors are the same as those used on EPA's AirNow Web site. The NEOAIR maps differ from the AirNow maps
in that they show a smaller geographical area, providing greater detail. As mentioned previously, two types of
maps are available for ozone: a map showing hourly average levels across northeast Ohio (see Figure 3-1) and
an animated map showing levels for the previous 24 hours. Time-relevant data are also presented in a table
summarizing monitoring station data, as shown in Figure 3-2.
Non-ozone pollutant concentrations are sampled once per day, since they do not change as significantly over
the course of a day as ozone. Data for non-ozone pollutants are presented in a tabular format only: the mon-
itors are relatively sparsely located and do not necessarily represent overall regional conditions, since these
pollutants are not atmospherically generated.
Historical data are displayed in formats similar to those for time-relevant data. Maps of the average ozone
level for 1-hour periods are available as well as animated maps showing the change in ozone levels over 24-
hour periods going back to 2000. Historical data are also available for each monitor, as shown in Figures 3-3
and 3-4. The user can request reports on peak ozone values and ozone exceedances at each monitor going
back as far as 1985. Historical non-ozone data from continuous monitors are currently being added, and
data from non-continuous PM2 5 monitors may be added in the future.
N THE NEDA1H WEB SITE*5*
t I V B B B taw I T$ mm tanw J™\ B Q % T ™ taw sW* %MB$ B B tat® «s
The Northeast Ohio Project has used a variety of additional means to communicate the availability of air
quality monitoring data to the public, including:
• A medical brochure.
• An air quality handbook.
• Bus boards.
• Radio and TV PSAs.
• News releases.
These other forms of public outreach and health risk communication are discussed in Chapter 4.
•
The Project's experience in conducting and expanding its air quality monitoring program resulted in some
key lessons learned, including:
Schedule sufficient time frames for tasks when multiple agencies and organizations are involved, partic-
ularly when multiple groups are involved in developing Web site information.
Maintain working relationships with agency and group partners. Good working relations and
communication are especially important to an organization that is involved in only certain aspects of the
data flow, rather than being in control of the data it needs. Without good communication, timely access
to the data to be reported to the public (e.g., to be posted on the Web site) could be problematic.
QUALITY MONITORING PROJECT 3-7
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4
THE NORTHEAST OHIO
COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT
4.1 THE NORTHEAST OHIO COMMUNICATIONS
WORKGROUP
The Northeast Ohio Communications Workgroup consists of a diverse group of representatives of federal and
local government agencies, local environmental organizations, health agencies, and local universities. The
Workgroup was organized into a coordination committee and an advisory committee; the Earth Day Coalition
(EDC) was designated the lead organization for outreach. EDC was chosen as the lead because of its experience
with the target audience—inner-city, racially diverse communities of the Cleveland-Akron region in Ohio.
The Workgroup seeks to publicize the availability of the Northeast Ohio Project's air quality and urban sprawl
data and products to the greater Cleveland-Akron community, enabling citizens to make informed decisions on
day-to-day environmental and health concerns that can affect their quality of life.
4.2 WHAT DOES THE TARGET AUDIENCE NEED
TO KNOW?
To create a successful outreach campaign, the Communications Workgroup conducted a survey of
northeast Ohio residents to determine their information needs, knowledge level, and means of gathering
information. This questionnaire was used, for example, to assess the public's computer knowledge and pat-
terns of computer use and determine how to best present information to the target audience of low-income
and minority communities. It was important to learn which communication outlets (other than computers)
the target audience used, so that key information could be conveyed to community members who were not
computer literate. The survey questions are in Appendix A.
The survey was administered to a random sampling (100+ respondents with a +1-6.5% margin of error) of
the potential audiences that might use the Project's data. The Communications Workgroup followed up with
respondents and other participants at six in-depth community meetings. Survey results were compiled and
analyzed, and a report distributed to the Project steering committee.
Survey results included:
• The average inner-city resident was unaware of the environment-to-health link (less than 15 percent
cited awareness). The level of awareness of ozone issues, including Ozone Action Days, was quite low
(with less than 40 percent of the population aware), and knowledge of the health impacts of ozone was
very low (less than 8 percent).
• Over 20 percent of all households have one or more members diagnosed with a respiratory health con-
dition that could be exacerbated by high ozone or particulate levels.
• The number of households with respiratory concerns exceeded 35 percent.
• TV and radio are the major channels of daily information entering the household, with over
85 percent of participants using these media.
• Printed materials from or by the medical community are highly valued and preferred by the survey
respondents and meeting participants.
• Information needs to be relevant and immediate to have an impact on households' decision-making.
COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT 4-1
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COMPDNFNTS DF THE NDRTHFAST
fcsd U |V1 I U l^t Css 1^1 1 fcj U IT 1 n fans 1^1 U SrlL I ii Km/*®** Ł3 I
Outreach conducted by the Northeast Ohio Project's Communications Workgroup was quite extensive, as
shown in Table 4-1 and discussed throughout this chapter.
TABLE <*-1 . OUTREACH MATERIALB THE NQRTHEABT
Initial communications survey
Promotional brochure
Medical brochure, Your Air, Your Health,
Your Environment: News You Can Use
Educational handbook, Air Quality in
Northeast Ohio: A Handbook for
Educators and Their Students in
Grades 4-8
Educational handbook, Urban Sprawl in
Northeast Ohio: A Handbook for
Educators and Their Students in
Grades 4-8
Web site, Northeast Ohio EMPACT
Project (hosted by the Neighborhood Link)
Web site, EMPACT: Urban Sprawl in
Northeast Ohio (hosted by Kent State
University)
Urban Growth Simulator
Bus boards
Radio PSAs
Television PSAs
Mascot, Abee (Always Breathe EasiEr)
Logo
• Northeast Ohio Project
• Air quality and related health effects
• Air quality/air pollution
• Northeast Ohio Project
• Urban sprawl and its effect on
the environment
• Northeast Ohio Project
• Northeast Ohio Project:
-Air quality
- Urban sprawl
- Community outreach
• Urban sprawl and its effects on the
local environment and communities
• Urban sprawl
• Air quality
• Northeast Ohio Project
• Air quality and its health effects
• Northeast Ohio Project
• Air quality and its health effects
• Northeast Ohio Project
• Air quality
• Urban sprawl
• Northeast Ohio Project
• Northeast Ohio Project
• General public
• General public of northeast Ohio
(specifically inner-city residents)
• Educators (teachers, camp counselors)
• 9- to 13-year-olds in school and camps
• Educators (teachers, camp counselors)
• 9- to 13-year-olds in school and camps
• General public
• General public
• Local officials
• City/regional planners
• General public
• Students
• Local officials
• City/regional planners
• General public of northeast Ohio,
specifically residents in areas
identified as high-risk or
environmental justice neighborhoods
• General public
• General public
• Children
• General public
• Children
• Local officials
• General public
• Local officials and decision-makers
Unless otherwise noted, "general public" refers to residents of the 15-county area covered by the Northeast Ohio Project.
4-2
1HAPTER -4
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4.3.1 HDW DDES THE NORTHEAST DHID PROJECT
COMMUNICATE AIR QUALITY INFORMATION AND
ISSUES TO THE PUBLIC?
The community survey described in Section 4.2 represents one of the first forms of community outreach
used by the Northeast Ohio Project. The survey results gave the project important information on how best
to educate the public on air quality issues and also introduced the concept of air quality to this audience.
Outreach efforts that followed the survey are discussed below.
4.3.1.1 MEDICAL BROCHURE DN HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH
AIR QUALITY
The survey distributed to community residents (see Section 4.2) indicated that many citizens of inner-city
northeast Ohio trust information from the medical community. Therefore, a medical brochure entitled Your
Air, Your Health, Your Environment: News You Can Use was produced to provide the general public with
information on air pollution and its effects in northeast Ohio.
The brochure, featuring a picture of a doctor and child on the cover
(Figure 4-1), discusses the six criteria air pollutants (lead, PM, ground-
level ozone, CO, SO2, and NO2), who is most at risk from air pollution,
and how to find out about daily air quality levels. Resources for more
information, including the Northeast Ohio Project's Web site, are listed in
the brochure. A total of 25,000 brochures were produced for at-risk indi-
viduals and distributed to the medical community throughout northeast
Ohio—registered nurses, county health departments, county hospitals,
children's hospitals, asthma clinics, elementary and middle schools, partic-
ipating universities, and nonprofit organizations.
4.3.1.2 AIR QUALITY HANDBDDK
Outreach to educators and students on air quality was accomplished
through Air Quality in Northeast Ohio: A Handbook for Educators and
Their Students in Grades 4—8. The handbook (Figure 4-2) includes
approximately 85 pages of background information, activities, experi-
ments, lesson plans, and resources on air pollution, air quality, and the
Northeast Ohio Project. Teachers reviewed drafts of the handbook during
its development. EDC members used the handbooks to conduct training
at camps and recreation centers.
Example handbook activities include an air quality flashcard game with
cut-out vocabulary cards provided, experiments incorporating observation
and math skills through data collection and analysis, and activities related
directly to the NEOAIR Web site. The handbook indicates appropriate
grade levels for each activity or experiment, along with educator notes that
refer to background information. EDC produced and distributed about
100 copies of the air quality handbook.
The air quality handbook was very well received in the education
community. School principals were enthusiastic about bringing the air
quality educational program to their schools because air pollution-related health problems (e.g., absences
due to asthma) affect so many of their students. Teachers were enthusiastic about free classroom
presentations and educational materials. Many schools requested additional copies.
Figure 4-1. Medical brochure
developed by the Northeast
Ohio Project.
COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT
4-3
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Air Quality
in Northeast Ohio
Jl HvMbook for
mni their Students fn Grades U-B
I iun
Highlights of the educational campaign related to the handbook
included explanations of ozone formation, which were very
successful with students. Also popular among children were
activities involving the Internet. Environmental games worked
well as a communications tool for camp children.
4.3.2 HDW DDES THE NORTHEAST
DHID PROJECT COMMUNICATE
URBAN GROWTH MODELING TO
THE PUBLIC?
A handbook and a Web site are two key communication tools
used by the Northeast Ohio Project to communicate urban
sprawl issues, as discussed below.
4.3.2.1 URBAN SPRAWL IN NORTHEAST
DHID HANDBOOK
Applying the framework of the air quality handbook, EDC cre-
ated a second teaching tool, Urban Sprawl in Northeast Ohio:
A Handbook for Educators and Their Students in Grades 4—8.
The design of this handbook is similar to that of the air quality
handbook. Teachers reviewed and commented on drafts of the
urban sprawl handbook before EDC finalized it. Fi9ure 4~2- The Northeast Ohio Project's air
quality handbook.
The sprawl outreach and education efforts focused on Cuyahoga
County. This is because Cuyahoga contains Cleveland, the biggest city in northeast Ohio and the one for
which the most local, relevant information (e.g., historical growth data) was available. Using this informa-
tion, EDC was able to include examples and activities directly related to the city in the handbook. A sample
activity from the urban sprawl handbook is a role-playing activity in which a fictional growth scenario ("You
live in a small community where a developer would like to put a shopping mall") is presented and students
are assigned various roles within a community. One role might be that of a local shop owner who does not
want additional commercial competition; another might be that of a town official who would like to bring
additional money and tourists to the area. The students play out the scenario, learning that there is not nec-
essarily a right or wrong solution to the situation and that sprawl is a complicated issue.
A section of the handbook covers the Urban Growth Simulator developed by Kent State University and
includes sections from the Urban Growth Simulator Self-Guided Workbook. (See Chapter 2 for a discussion of
the Simulator.)
As with the air quality handbook, 100 copies of the sprawl handbook were produced. Due to limited funds
for outreach, EDC will not be going into schools to conduct educational programs on sprawl, but is still
planning teacher meetings to introduce educators to both handbooks. For example, EDC met with teachers
from "gifted and talented" programs in 15 to 20 schools in Cuyahoga County in February 2002.
4.3.2.2 URBAN SPRAWL IN NORTHEAST OHIO WEB SITE
Another means of communicating the issues of urban sprawl to the public is the EMPACT: Urban Sprawl in
Northeast Ohio Web site, hosted by Kent State University (http://gis.kent.edu/gis/empact/). This Web site
provides an overview of issues related to sprawl and includes background on the usefulness and creation of
urban growth models. It also links to the Urban Growth Simulator, through which users can view different
potential growth scenarios for their community. (See Chapter 2 for more information on urban growth
modeling and this Web site.)
4-4
CHAPTER 4
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http://EMPACT.nhlink.net
News You Can Use
4.3.3 THE NORTHEAST DHID PROJECT'S MEDIA CAMPAIGN
In addition to outreach specific to the Project's air quality monitoring and urban growth modeling efforts, a
general media campaign was undertaken to inform people of the existence of the program. The media cam-
paign included bus boards, PSAs, news releases, development of a logo and mascot, a promotional brochure,
and a Web site, as described below.
4.3.3.1 BUS BOARD CAMPAIGN
Thanks to the cooperation of transit authorities in the
Cleveland-Akron area, over 270 buses were outfitted with
boards carrying the message, "News You Can Use: Your Air,
Your Health, Your Environment." (See Figure 4-3.) As part of
the bus board design, a mascot named Abee pointed to the
Web site address (http://EMPACT.nhlink.net). (Abee is described
in Section 4.3.4.2.) While ultimately successful, bus board
development took longer than expected. The Communications
Workgroup learned that it is important to give transit authori-
ties enough time (4 to 6 weeks) to develop bus board programs.
4.3.3.2 PUBLIC SERVICE
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Radio PSAs were developed by EDC and broadcast on 28 radio
stations. The PSAs were 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-second versions of
the same basic announcement, each describing the Project in a
different degree of detail. Most of the stations carrying the PSAs
were FM stations, but Cleveland's most popular station, an AM
station that covers sports, also aired the announcements.
A PSA for television, written and produced by EDC, was also
part of the outreach campaign. EDC originally planned to pro-
duce this television announcement using a private vendor. After
learning it would cost between $5,000 and $6,000 to create this
one piece, EDC went to the four major networks in the greater Cleveland area (NBC, FOX, ABC, and
WUAB) to see if any would be willing to sponsor the PSA. All four networks offered to produce the com-
mercial for free, but each wanted sole use of the commercial. The Coalition chose NBC because they offered
the most extensive package—two interviews and a Web link as well as the announcement itself.
The PSA aired on the local NBC affiliate throughout the summer, mostly in the afternoons and on week-
ends. It took about 1 day to film the PSA's segments and 1 day to edit them into a single announcement.
The two interviews were held on NBC's "Noon News" program, which airs between 12:00 and 12:30 p.m.
on weekdays. The interviews lasted about 5 to 6 minutes and were also shown throughout the summer. The
second interview included Abee, the mascot. NBC added a link from its Web site to the Northeast Ohio
Project's Web page.
4.3.3.3 NEWS RELEASES
A series of news releases was developed and distributed to over 100 media outlets (including television, radio,
and print publications) in the greater Cleveland area via an in-house electronic fax system. An additional 20
major print publications and TV stations received copies via postal mail. The releases announced the
Northeast Ohio Project's Web site and information provided by the project; the Regional Transit Authority
bus board campaign; the school outreach programs; and Abee, the Northeast Ohio Project mascot.
Your Air, Your Health,
Your Environ men I,
Figure 4-3. Bus board displayed on
Cleveland-Akron transit authority buses.
COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT
4-5
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EMPAC1
Lnvnonrnan'al Krto™1anng ^or Pubic
Access or-m Cotttmumly
4.3.3.4 DUTCDME DFTHE MEDIA CAMPAIGN
Overall, the media campaign was successful, but not as widespread as originally planned due to the limited
availability of personnel. The Northeast Ohio Project's educational outreach programs run by EDC staff
were in higher demand than expected (see Section 4.4), leaving less staff time to focus on media outreach.
4.3.4 WHAT PRDMDTIDNAL MATERIALS WERE CREATED,
AND HDW WERE THEY DISTRIBUTED?
4.3.4.1 PROJECT LDGD
To increase visual recognition of the program, the Northeast
Ohio Project created a logo (Figure 4-4), which was featured on
all of the Project's handbooks, brochures, Web sites, and promo-
tional items.
4.3.4.2 MASCOT NAMED ABEE
A mascot was also produced as part of outreach efforts to younger
audiences. Named Abee (Always Breathe EasiEr), this friendly
green dinosaurian character (Figure 4-5) often wears the
Northeast Ohio Project's logo on her chest. Abee appeared on
local television stations, at schools, and at EarthFest 2000, where
she greeted dignitaries such as the Secretary of Health and
Human Services and a congressman. The mascot was also promi-
nently featured in each of the educational handbooks. She also
appeared (often along with the logo) on magnets, t-shirts, and a
hand stamp, which were handed out at events such as EarthFest.
Abee helped create project recognition: people recognized her and
associated the promotional materials with the Project after meeting
her at community events.
4.3.4.3 PRDMDTIDNAL BROCHURE
The Northeast Ohio Project also developed a promotional
brochure that describes the Project's three components: real-time
air quality monitoring, urban sprawl modeling, and community
outreach activities. This color, glossy brochure describes various
ways for people to obtain the information available on the
Project's Web site. Approximately 25,000 brochures were pro-
duced and distributed to county libraries, Northeast Ohio Project
partners, universities, the Ohio Department of Recreation,
camps, schools, and transit authorities participating in the bus
board program.
4.3.4.4 PROJECT WEB SITE
The Northeast Ohio Project's Web site (http://EMPACT.nhlink.net)
summarizes the Project's initiatives and links to all three project
components (air, communications, sprawl), as well as the EPA home
page and the Web pages of partner organizations. The Project's Web site is hosted on a local server, the
Neighborhood Link. (The Neighborhood Link is a partnership between the City of Cleveland, Cleveland
State University, Ameritech, and the Neighborhood Centers Association. It was designed pro bono by the
firm Luttner and Yachannin Advertising.) Note that the Web site is available at all Cleveland public
libraries, recreation centers, and neighborhood computer centers.
Figure 4-4. Logo developed for the
Northeast Ohio Project.
Figure 4-5. The Northeast Ohio Project's
Abee mascot.
4-6
CHAPTER 4
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One of the best ways to measure success is to establish goals at the outset of a project and then determine
whether they were reached. The Northeast Ohio Project's Communications Workgroup did just this.
The Workgroup used the community survey (see Section 4.2) to identify the needs of the community and
the methods by which the target audience receives its information. As a direct result of those findings, bus
boards were placed on the routes identified as hotspots or environmental justice neighborhoods likely to
include the target audience.
Results from the survey also showed that target populations are very trusting of the medical community and
get most of their health information from hospitals, doctors, and health organizations. Therefore, the
Communications Health Workgroup developed a medical brochure (see Section 4.3.1.1) that was placed in
hospitals and doctor's offices to maximize its availability to the target audience. Thus the initial survey
helped the Project increase its credibility for community members.
The success of the educational programs was fairly easy to determine by the enthusiastic response from both
schools and camps. The original plan was to conduct the program in four schools. Due to the program's
popularity, however, EDC ended up running it in eight schools, plus recreation centers and camps, reaching
more than 1,500 children aged 9 to 13. Teachers and camp counselors are still requesting the return of the
program and speakers. Unfortunately, funding is currently unavailable to run the program. The handbooks
are available, however, and teachers continue to use them.
Teachers commented that they would like to see more programs like the air quality program. It was this
response that encouraged EDC to create the urban sprawl handbook. When EDC approached educators
about reviewing that handbook, the teachers were eager to participate and provide comments.
The Northeast Ohio Project's Web site received its maximum number of "hits" (visits to the site) when the
media and Regional Transit Authority bus board outreach were being conducted, indicating that these cam-
paigns were successful. Since that time, hits have declined somewhat.
4. S 1 DiVFRSE MEMBERSHIP HFLP1
"y •» ««»# •» 8 (tad* 8 "I? IBS™ RTi terf Sas® 8 ™ 8 tarai H ™ H i™«P tarai B *- taJ 8 B 8 B B B IBS™ Saw it 1
The diversity of members in the Communications Workgroup helped to ensure that a range of viewpoints
from the community and other stakeholders was heard and included in decision-making. The Workgroup's
diversity produced some differences of opinion about what specifically should be communicated. The group
therefore spent time, before launching the outreach campaign, coming to a common decision on a clear
message. The fact that they reached this early consensus—that air pollution, particularly ozone and its
health effects, is a priority concern—was helpful throughout the outreach project. Designating a lead organi-
zation to develop ideas and present them to the group also helped create consistency and stability.
IS
Gathering information and developing educational activities on urban sprawl for children in grades 4 through
8 can be challenging because little information is available about this topic for this age group. The topic of
urban sprawl may be more appropriate for older students, but EDC was mandated to develop a single
handbook targeted to the same grade levels as those covered by the air quality handbook. Furthermore,
teachers felt that while sprawl is a difficult concept for children, it is a worthwhile topic to explore.
COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT 4-7
-------
EDC therefore spent time finding relevant educational activities, resulting in the project taking longer than
expected. Ultimately, EDC chose activities on related topics—e.g., associated environmental issues such as
air pollution and water quality—and added urban sprawl components to these activities.
When communicating innovative topics, emphasizing key concepts that may not be intuitive can be impor-
tant. For example, for the topic of urban sprawl, it was important to convey that sprawl can and often does
occur in areas of no or low population growth (e.g., Cuyahoga County). The concept that land use for
development is outpacing population growth may be a difficult but important one for many people (includ-
ing children) to grasp.
•3, »a i,/ e. v e. L, u r* su u m t
1 w cs
If possible, rather than simply dropping off literature at various organizations, try to develop longer term
relationships with partner groups and others using your materials. For instance, EDC found that developing
relationships with schools and camps was an effective outreach strategy.
4,5,4 CONSIDER DEVELOPING OUTREACH MATERIALS 111
EDC received numerous requests for their materials to be translated into Spanish and Chinese. When plan-
ning your project, consider developing materials in more than one language, especially if your audience is
multiethnic.
•4-s CHAPTER -4-
-------
In summary, the Northeast Ohio Project focuses on three areas: urban sprawl, air quality, and public
outreach related to the environmental risks associated with sprawl and poor air quality. The Project's
urban growth model provides a tool for examining the environmental impacts of sprawl (such as
increased traffic, which contributes to unhealthy air pollutant levels) and identifies possible growth scenar-
ios that communities can implement to reduce such impacts. Urban sprawl and its ecological and human
health effects make up a rapidly growing and changing field of study. A Web search on "urban sprawl" will
reveal numerous articles and sites about this topic on local and national scales.
The Northeast Ohio Project's near-real-time measurements of regional air quality let residents know when
air quality is poor; people can then choose to avoid or minimize certain activities that may increase their
health risk on days with poor air quality. Finally, the numerous communications and outreach materials
developed by the Project, such as Web sites, brochures, and logos, successfully inform area residents of the
urban growth modeling tools and air quality information available through the Northeast Ohio Project.
Communities in other areas of the country may want to consider developing similar regional programs.
For more information about the Northeast Ohio Project, email Dan Petersen at
Petersen.Dan@epamail.epa.gov or Stephen Goranson at Goramon.Stephen@epamail.epa.gov.
P J NI ', I P P11 ( J N
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APPENDIX A
Project Survey of Northeast Ohio Residents
-------
SURVEY OF NORTHEAST OHIO RESIDENTS
)en-ended questions
What issues are you concerned about ( e.g., household/maintenance, economy, natural
resources)?
Does your child or someone in your family have a persistent cough?
Health questions
Is your health: D Excellent II Good Fair Poor
Does anyone in your family have asthma? Who: Q ) Sex: male Age:Q_
female
How long? Q_
What are the symptoms?
Do symptoms change with: a) time of day: DYes DNo If yes, then when is it
worse? (
b) where you are: indoors outdoors
If yes to asthma: have you seen a doctor about this? DYes 13 No
Are you currently getting medical help? Yes QNo
Does anyone in your family have other breathing problems?
.?
Who: (, Sex: male C Age:
female D
How long? C
What are the symptoms?
Do symptoms change with: a) time of day: DYes CD No If yes, then when is it
worse? f
b) where you are: indoors outdoors
If yes to other breathing problems: have you seen a doctor about this? D Yes D No
Are you currently getting medical help? Yes No
APPENDIX A A-I
-------
I Does anyone in your family get colds, have a cough? Who:(^_ _J Sex: D male D female
Age: (~ ~} How long? (^
What are the symptoms? C~
Do symptoms change with: a) time of day: Yes No If yes, then when is it
~
worse
b) where you are: indoors Q or outdoors
If yes to colds, cough: have you seen a doctor about this? Q Yes D No
Are you currently getting medical help? Q Yes Q No
How aware are you?
How good is the air in your neighborhood? (check one):
D Excellent D Good D Fair D Poor DBad
Over the past 5 years has the air quality in your neighborhood been improving or
getting worse? Is it:
D Much better II Better About the same II A little worse H Worse
What are the things that contribute to how clean or dirty the air is in your neighbor
hood? Such as:
D business and industry
D traffic congestion
D availability of parks and open space
H illegal trash dumping
D hospital/other incinerators
D powerlessness due to low or medium income level
D ethnicity/race
D political commitment to environmental issues
D other (what?)
In your opinion, is there a link between air pollution and your family's health?
Yes No Specific comments:
In your opinion, is there a link between indoor air pollution and your family's health?
Yes No Specific comments: \~
A-z APPENDIX A
-------
How informed are you?
Where do you get information about community issues?
How often do you talk to your doctor, clinic, or health professional? (
What are your sources of general information?
Ask about each type: Ask specific outlet/name:
How often?
(#1 = primary; #2 = used
daily, #3 = used 3x/week)
#1 #2 #3
TV
radio
newspapers
Internet
community meetings
word of mouth
800 number
other
C
c
c
c
)
Do you have computer Internet access? Yes No Where ?
Do you use the Internet for medical or other information? Yes No
Would you like to get day-to-day information on outdoor air quality? Yes D No
In what form should we give it to you (e.g., TV, print-brochure, radio, etc.)?
If we brought outdoor air quality information to you to help you better predict your
asthma attacks, would your activities and quality of life change? ] Yes DNo
How?("
APPENDIX A
A-3
-------
Personal information
Name (_
Family figure: mother/father
Which neighborhood
Are you interested in attending
If yes: Address Q_
Phone: (h) C
) Age ( } Sex: Q male C female
grandparent
) Residence in the
a small group meeting in your
D City(
}(w) C
Would you be willing to name your general income level:
D above $10,000 above $20,000 Q above $40,000 D
_) other
last 5 years: Yes No
neighborhood? D Yes D No
) Zio( )
)
above $60,000
A-4
APPENDIX A
-------
8-EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Research and
Development
National Risk Management
Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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November, 2002
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