Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Publication Title

Community Development

Keywords

floating gardens, blue-green infrastructure, environmental justice, community engagement, Urban Rivers

Abstract

This study examines the social dimensions of Urban Rivers’ Free Kayak Days at the Bubbly Creek Floating Gardens in Chicago, Illinois. Floating gardens are a form of blue-green infrastructure that provide ecological benefits, including nutrient removal, habitat creation, and shoreline stabilization, while also offering recreational and educational opportunities. Guided by environmental justice scholarship, our interdisciplinary team conducted participant observation to evaluate whether Urban Rivers’ Freek Kayak Days effectively engaged residents from surrounding marginalized communities. Four themes emerged: (1) access and inclusion, highlighting reduced financial barriers but ongoing challenges related to safety perceptions, cultural relevance, and physical accessibility; (2) community engagement and awareness, emphasizing the importance of inter-organizational collaboration and targeted outreach; (3) environmental perceptions and education, showing how kayaking fosters place-based environmental learning despite lingering negative views of river health; and (4) social and recreational dynamics, illustrating the program’s ability to build social cohesion and promote mental well-being.

Funding Source

Illinois State Univeristy's College of Arts and Sciences funded this project. This article was published Open Access thanks to a transformative agreement between Milner Library and Taylor & Francis.

DOI

10.1080/15575330.2026.2687047

Comments

First published in Community Development (2026): https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2026.2687047. Supplemental information available on the publisher's site.

Download

Share

COinS