Geography 367Danielle MeyerInterim 2010

Landscaping and Home Values

Literature Review

Lawns and gardens show the social and economic status of owners Large shrubs and trees hide a home Flowers and small shrubs show a home to the community

Lawns with brown spots and unkempt lawns show A sense of social worthlessness to the owner Public detriment

A front yard made up of ground cover including star jasmine, juniper, ivy, ivy-geranium is considered fancy or upper class

Most commonly in high income areas

By landscaping or planting a garden A person expresses commitment to the community A feeling of being a part of a community No lawn planting expresses individuality

E. N. Anderson, Jr. argues that:

Source: Anderson, Jr, E. N. . "On the Folk Art of Landscaping." Western Folklore 31.3 (1972): 179-188. JSTOR. 9 June 2010.

Literature Review

Landscaping improvements to a house or business are prospected to secure and retain economic investmentNational and regional regeneration strategies have strong

economic focus on environmental renewal

People opt to live and work in spaces that are congenial to their surroundingsA person who has a nicely landscaped yard wants to be on a

street with similarly landscaped houses

Qualities of neighborhood environment are vital in building investment confidence

Richard Walker, Anne Power and Kelly Martin argue that:

Source: Walker, Richard, Anne Power, and Kelly Martin. "Gathering Evidence." Green Places 32 (2007): 16-17, 19. Wilson Web. 09 June 2010.

HypothesisThe amount and quality of landscaping will increase as home values increase in the City of Eau Claire.

Data Collection

• Field Work• I collected data from three different areas of the city and then chose streets in

groups of three in three different sections of the chosen area•Assessors Records• I then used the Eau Claire assessment records to determine the home value for

each home from the data collected in my field work.

No Landscaping Shrubs Only

Shrubs and Flowers Shrubs, Flowers and Stone Work

Types of Landscapi

ngStudied

The Designated Areas in Eau Claire•Choose 3 different areas within the city of Eau Claire and then choose different income values within each section. (as shown by U.S. Census map)•Some areas had more diverse income levels for a more diverse sample, especially in South Eau Claire however the Northwest and North East of Eau Claire had less diverse income levels therefore the samples were less diverse.

$62,887 - $78,420 $47,354 - $62,887

$31,821 - $47,354 $16,288 - $31,821Income Ranges

My Landscaping StudyEau Claire, Wisconsin

Type of Vegetation # of Homes Percent Average Home ValueNone 26 5.5 $123,427

Shrubs Only 190 40.1 $152,058 Shrubs, Flowers and Stonework 123 25.9 $163,954

Shrubs & Flowers 135 28.5 $164,503Total 474 100

Percent of Houses with Landscaping

Shrubs Flowers and Stonework ~ 416 McKinley Ave.Third Ward

No Landscaping ~ 316 Roosevelt AveThird Ward

Shrubs and Flowers ~ 421 Cedar Street Northwest Eau Claire

Shrubs Only ~ 2127 Carter StreetNortheast Eau Claire

• Homes with no landscaping were 5.5% of total sample•Homes with shrubs, flowers and stonework were 25.9% of total sample•Homes with shrubs and flowers were 28.5% of total sample•Homes with shrubs only were 40.1% of total sample

Landscaping and High Home Values

•Homes with shrubs & flowers had an average home value of $164,503•Homes with shrubs, flowers and stonework and an average home value of $163,954

Shrubs and Flowers ~ 429 McKinley Ave Home Value $224,200Third Ward

Shrubs, Flowers and Stonework ~ 315 Bartlett CourtHome Value $204,500Third Ward

Shrubs, Flower and Stonework ~ 2705 Diane LaneHome Value $226,900South Eau Claire

Shrubs and Flowers ~ 2826 Prestige CourtHome Value $336,000Northwest Eau Claire

Landscaping and Low Home Values

No Landscaping ~ 517 Cedar Street Home Value $68,900Northwest Eau Claire

Shrubs Only ~2826 Fifth Street Home Value $104,800Northwest Eau Claire

•Homes with shrubs only had an average home value of $152,058•Homes with no landscaping had an average home value of $123,427

Shrubs Only ~ 2127 Carter Street Home Value $111,600Northeast Eau Claire

No Landscaping ~ 2311 Welsh CourtHome Value $105,900Northeast Eau Claire

Findings of Landscaping and House Values/Income levels

Through both work in the field and research through the assessors office I have concluded that:

Although many homes with low home values had little to no landscaping, homes with shrubs, shrubs and flowers and shrubs, flowers and stonework were distributed fairly evenly in regards to home values.

Possible Problems with studySample is too smallEau Claire is too homogeneousA larger city might produce a more diverse housing sample

Bibliography Anderson, Jr, E. N. . "On the Folk Art of Landscaping." Western Folklore

31.3 (1972): 179-188. JSTOR. 08 June 2010.

Duany, Andres, and Elizabeth Playter-Zyberk. "Neighborhoods and Suburbs." Design Quarterly 2.164 (1995): 10-23. JSTOR. 08 June 2010.

"Eau Claire, WI - Online Property Assessment Database - Search." Invisible, Inc.. N.p., n.d. 7 June 2010. <http://www.bis-net.net/cityofeauclaire/search.cfm

Seth, M.K.. "Trees and Their Economic Importance." The Botanical Review 69.4 (2003): 321-376. JSTOR. 9 June 2010.

Walker, Richard, Anne Power, and Kelly Martin. "Gathering Evidence." Green Places 32 (2007): 16-17, 19. Wilson Web. 09 June 2010.

Williams, H. Hamilton. "A Study of Landscaping in Negro Communities in the Southeastern States." The Journal of Negro Education 15.4 (1946): 628-637. JSTOR. 09 June 2010.

U.S. Census Data from Census CD 2000 Long Form