EnviroAtlas people * health 4 nature 4 economy Community Summary Fact Sheet www.epa.gov/ en viroatl as New Haven, CT 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 New Haven, Connecticut. Background The EnviroAtlas boundary for the New Haven area was determined using the 2010 Census definition of an Urban Area. In addition to New Haven, it includes Meriden, Old Saybrook, and Orange, as well as other towns within New Haven and Middlesex Counties. The area measures 1,161 square kilometers, and encompasses 444 census block groups. The New Haven area is in the Long Island Sound Coastal Lowland ecoregion. It has a mild climate with very warm and humid summers and moderately cold winters. The area was historically vegetated with coastal hardwood forests; however, much of the natural vegetation has been removed for urbanization. The leading industry sectors in the area are education and health care. Yale University and Yale - New Haven Hospital are city's largest employers. The demographics of the New Haven 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 Swiw* Eta 0«toms». NAVTEO. TomTcnt, taMsmap, P Oxp. G68CO.U5-3S.FAO.HPS. NROAN.ION.Kj&uktf Mi.OmJuww) KjbMSUx, Sjrvey, Esri Japan. MET1. Ewi China (Hcr>g Korg). swastopo, and lie CIS User Community Percent Land Cover in Community Area Water Impervious Soil & Barren Trees & Forest Grass & Herbaceous Woody Wetlands Emergent Wetland greenery. New Haven Area Demographics 2010 Census Total population 578,536 Under 13 years old 15.06% Over 70 years of age 10,37% Other than white/non- Hispanic 32.96% Below twice the U.S. poverty level 22.72% 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 New Haven community area: There are 1,419 square meters of green space per person. About 1,600 residents have less than 5 percent tree coverage within 50 meters of their home. There are 5,307,743 tons of carbon stored in the local tree biomass, with an additional 53,980 tons sequestered annually. Carbon in the atmosphere is an important factor related to climate stabilization. 2,792,668 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 33 percent of the New Haven population has a park entrance within 500 meters' walking distance (dark and medium green areas in figure above). An estimated 40 percent of the New Haven 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 New Haven 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 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 Proximity to Parks in New Haven, CT 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 visit www.epa.gov/enviroatlas. March 2018 ------- |