Environmental organizations have the capacity to shape urban nature landscapes through advocacy. However, most research on advocacy groups focuses on a broad understanding of urban systems with complex political, social, and occupational features. This study specifically focuses on the capacity of environmental organizations, who are closely networked with different levels of governance, to generate change in both policy and practice related to urban nature. First, we identified government and nonprofit organizations working on environmental issues within the Twin Cities. We then gleaned partners of these organizations and the nature of their functional relationships (e.g., collaboration, information sharing) from websites. Using social network analysis, we examined the landscape of environmental advocacy groups and how connections between these groups facilitate the flow of social and financial capital. This allows us to see the social pathways of how environmental advocacy happens across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan region, and where areas of overlap or gaps exist.
