Sfe EnviroAtlas Community Summary Fact Sheet \ people 4 health 4 nature 4 economy www.epa.gov/enviroatl as Birmingham, AL and surrounding area Towns and cities rely on clean air, clean water, green space, and other natural amenities for economic sustainability and quality of life, yet their benefits are not always fully understood or considered in local decisions. EPA and its partners are producing EnviroAtlas to help communities better use environmental assets for public good. EnviroAtlas includes an online interactive mapping application that anyone can use. The interactive map contains over 300 maps available for the U.S., as well as 100+ fine-scale maps for selected U.S. communities about existing and potential benefits from the local natural environment. The EnviroAtlas community component is based on 1-meter resolution land cover data. Information derived from these data is summarized by census block groups; more spatially explicit map layers are also provided. This fact sheet highlights some of the many community data layers available for the featured area of Birmingham, Alabama. Background The EnviroAtlas boundary for the Birmingham area was determined using the 2010 Census definition of an Urban Area, hi addition to Birmingham, it includes Hoover, Pelham, and Trussville, as well as other towns within Shelby, St. Clair, and Jefferson Counties. The area measures 2,335 square kilometers, and encompasses 577 census block groups. The Birmingham area is in the Southern Limestone/Dolomite Valleys and Low Rolling Hills ecoregion. It has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers, mild winters, and abundant rainfall. Percent Land Cover in Community Area Water Impervious Soil & Barren Trees & Forest Grass & Herbaceous Woody Wetlands Emergent Wetland Sou(c«i Ewi, Oelwme, NWTEQ, TsmTcmv I frtwmap. increment PCorp . GeBCO, USGS. FAO. HPS, NRCAH. GeoBat*. KSN. Kadatfer NL Ordnance Survey. E»i Japan. MET), emI China (Hong KcngX smstiopo. and the GIS Use Community The area was historically vegetated with oak-hickory and oak-pine forests; however, much of the natural vegetation has been removed for urbanization. The leading industry sectors in the area are steel production and banking. The University of Alabama at Birmingham and its adjacent hospital are city's largest employers. The demographics of the Birmingham community area indicate that the potential exists for income and other disparities in the distribution of environmental assets. EnviroAtlas includes demographic maps that can help screen for potential health and well- being disparities resulting from disproportionate distribution of urban greenery. Birmingham Area Demographics 2010 Census Total population 763,628 Under 13 years old 16.93% Over 70 years of age 9.37% Other than white/non- Hispanic 52.82% Below twice the U.S. poverty level 37.20% CONTINUED ON BACK ~ ------- Ecosystem Services Overview In EnviroAtlas, the benefits humans receive from nature are grouped into seven categories that demonstrate the interconnectedness of these ecosystem services: • Clean air • Clean and plentiful water • Natural hazard mitigation • Climate stabilization • Recreation, culture, and aesthetics • Biodiversity conservation • Food, fuel, and materials (data available only for communities with farm land) Examples of some of the data included in EnviroAtlas are detailed below; Green Space and Trees Research indicates that physical and visual access to trees and other green space has positive physiological, cognitive, and emotional benefits. Lack of these resources in the places where we live, learn, work, and play can adversely impact human health and well-being. In the Birmingham community area: • There are 3,828 square meters of green space per person. • About 7,000 residents have less than 5 percent tree coverage within 50 meters of their home. • There are 11,647,432 tons of carbon stored in the local tree biomass, with an additional 519,514 tons sequestered annually. Carbon in the atmosphere is an important factor related to climate stabilization. • 7,750,169 kilograms of the common air pollutant ozone are removed from the air by local trees every year. Access to Parks Parks provide access to green space, encourage physical activity, and improve the livability and aesthetics of urban areas. Those who live closer to parks may be more likely to receive the multiple benefits associated with this proximity. Easily accessible parks are generally considered to be within 500 meters' walking distance, which takes less than 15 minutes for an average healthy person. • An estimated 20 percent of the Birmingham population has a park entrance within 500 meters" walking distance (dark and medium green areas in figure above). • An estimated 50 percent of the Birmingham area does not have a park entrance within 2 kilometers" walking distance (orange to red and grey areas in figure above). EnviroAtlas Tools and Features • Learn more about EnviroAtlas data: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-data • Search our data layers and access their fact sheets: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-dvnamic-data-matrix • Explore data for the Birmingham community area in our interactive mapping application: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-interactive-map • Use our Eco-Health Relationship Browser to explore ecosystems, the services they provide, and their benefits to human health and well-being: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-eco-health-relationship-browser • Contact us with questions about EnviroAtlas: https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/forms/contact-enviroatlas Proximity to Parks in Birmingham, AL Estimated walking distance to a park entrance (m) ¦ 250 ¦ 251 - 500 ¦ 501 - 750 751 - 1,000 1.001 -2.000 ¦ 2,001 - 3.000 ¦ 3,001-4,000 ¦ 4,001 - 5,000 > 5,000 EnviroAtlas combines maps, graphs, and other analysis tools, fact sheets, and downloadable data into an easy-to-use, web-based educational and decision-support tool. EnviroAtlas helps users understand the connections between the benefits we derive from ecosystem services and the natural resources that provide them. For more information, please visitwww.epa.gov/enviroatlas. March 2018 ------- |