Program on the Environment

Understanding how a given community interacts with its environmental surroundings provides crucial insight into the efficacy of environmental policy affecting that community – especially in response to man-made or natural disasters. Many traditional factors can affect the quality of a governmental response, including the availability of funds; the current political environment; and the demographics and location of the community in question. Additional awareness of the community’s preferred environmental discourse adds a layer of nuance for decisionmakers in how best to approach a crisis response. A literature review combines elements of environmental psychology; polycentric and intentional/sustainable governance theories; and social movements research to build a framework around this novel approach to disaster response. Research was also conducted in the field with stakeholders of the Pike Place Market (PPM); located in the urban core of Seattle, Washington. As a historical district operating independently of the city government, the PPM provides a unique opportunity to assess and analyze the environmental values of its citizens. We predicted that the enclave nature of this community will produce values distinct from those of the greater regional population. Data analysis shows that the PPM community skews towards a preservationist discourse. Observations of the PPM’s governance structure supplements the theories discussed in the literature review and the results of the data analysis in formulating the practical aspects of a governmental crisis response.