Erika Svendsen is a Research Social Scientist with the US Forest Service Northern Research Station. Svendsen’s research focuses on how, when, where and why different urban actors use open space and greening as a way to gain legitimacy and socio-political power in both their local communities and the larger urban arena. She is the co-creator of STEW-MAP (the Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project) for New York City, a spatial assessment of locations and network relationships of over 5,000 stewardship groups. Svendsen holds a Ph.D. in urban planning from Columbia University.