Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

An Evaluation Of The Federal Transition Incentives Program On Land Access For Next-Generation Farmers, Megan Horst, Julia Valliant, Julia Freedgood

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Next-generation farmers face immense challenges in securing land. In recent years, some state- and federal-level land access policy incentives (LAPIs) have been implemented to address these chal­lenges. In this paper, we assess the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), an initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program that is funded by Congressional farm bills. TIP offers landowners two years of financial incen­tives for leasing or selling to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher (categories of farmers defined by the U.S. Department of Agri­culture). In our study, we characterize TIP partici­pants to understand where and how TIP assists …

Using Disaster Surveys To Model Business Interruption, Maria Watson, Yu Xiao, Jennifer Helgeson

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Business interruption after disasters is an important metric for community resilience planning because has both economic and social consequences. Each additional day that a business is nonoperational further compounds lost revenue, wages, and lack of access to goods and services needed for recovery. Therefore, the use of surveys has grown in the literature as a way to capture the diverse information needed for modeling business disaster outcomes. However, variable inclusion and measurement can vary widely across studies, and there is a lack of guidance on how to structure surveys most effectively to facilitate this effort. This study fills these gaps …

Fight, Flight, Freeze: How Access To Support Shapes Tenant Responses To Eviction In Multnomah County, Natalie J. Cholula, Lisa Bates, Alex Farrington, Marisa Zapata, Colleen Carroll, Jacen Greene, Hadley Bates

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Facing eviction is a traumatic event that forces tenants into a fight, flight or freeze response. Our focus groups with Multnomah County tenants reveal that their responses to eviction are directly shaped by their access to support. Many tenants are unable to access formal support and therefore respond to eviction by freezing up or fleeing their home. Conversely, tenants who can access formal support—including rental assistance or legal assistance—exhibit a fight response, leveraging external support to challenge or avoid their eviction.

… And I Feel Fine, Lisa Bates

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

I had a little bit of a meltdown at a coffee break during the recent meeting of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning – North America’s gathering of university planning faculty. It’s not typically a high-key emotional atmosphere, but I was truly thrown for a loop by a photo display of past meetings. There I was, among colleagues, as we hosted the 2016 meeting in Portland. In the picture, taken about two weeks before the U.S. election, we are all grinning widely. I had passed out lapel pins with Michelle Obama making a side-eye face to all the members …

Perspectives On E-Scooters Use: A Multi-Year Cross-Sectional Approach To Understanding E-Scooter Travel Behavior In Portland, Oregon, Minju Kim, Nicholas M. Puczkowskyj, John Macarthur, Jennifer Dill

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Unique travel behavior patterns are observed as shared electric scooters (e-scooters) provided by private operators expand into U.S. cities. Three separate years of e-scooter ridership survey data from the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s E-scooter Pilot Programs were analyzed to ascertain the multi-year cross-sectional and demographic characteristics of e-scooter riders. A binary logistic regression model, descriptive statistics, and multiple regression model are used to analyze e-scooter mode substitution, trip purposes, and travel distance from 2018 to 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Since the introduction of e-scooter in 2018, respondents have been less likely to use their previous transportation, and especially vehicle …

Transportation Academies As Catalysts For Civic Engagement In Transportation Decision-Making, Nathan W. Mcneil, Keith Bartholomew, Matthew Ryan

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Citizen planning academies, which became popular in the 1990s, are increasingly being used in transportation planning and decision-making contexts. By making use of a longer-term, multiweek educational format, transportation academies have the potential to reduce barriers and enhance community capital leading to more meaningful and sustained government community interaction. This paper tracks the rise of transportation academies in North America, and provides a detailed look at two academies: one in Portland, Oregon with a 30-year history, and another recently launched in the Salt Lake City, Utah region. Postacademy surveys of participants provided data that illuminated whether the transportation academy model …

Evaluation Of Driver Comprehension And Compliance Of Red Colored Pavement Markings For Transit Lanes In Portland, Oregon, Nathan Mcneil, Christopher Monsere, Jennifer Dill

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many U.S. agencies have experimented with red colored pavement markings in transit lanes to enhance the message that they are restricted to transit vehicles. This study evaluates non-transit drivers’ comprehension of and compliance with red colored lane markings in transit priority lanes intended to communicate lane restrictions and appropriate turning and merging locations. Two complementary research methods were used: 1) an online survey of drivers’ comprehension of red colored pavement markings; and, 2) evaluation of video collected at locations pre and post installation of red colored pavement markings. In the survey, most drivers recognize the red pavement color as a …

Emerging Transformations In Material Use And Waste Practices In The Global South: Plastic-Free And Zerowaste In India, Katie Conlon

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study uses a qualitative approach to address limitations and blockages to current plastics reduction via semi-structured interviews with zero waste business practitioners in India. Although they are nascent, India is home to a budding zero waste community that is grappling with how to reduce plastics—via trial and error—and these stakeholders hold insights from lived experience on how plastic reduction can actualize in the Indian subcontinent. This research involved interviewing zero waste businesses and consultants and makers of plastic alternatives in India to understand their experiences with plastic reduction strategies. The key stakeholder interviews reveal key insights for moving forward …

Evaluating Differences Between Ground-Based And Satellite-Derived Measurements Of Urban Heat: The Role Of Land Cover Classes In Portland, Oregon And Washington, D.C., Vivek Shandas, Yasuyo Makido, Aakash Nath Upraity

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The distinction between satellite-based land surface temperature (LST) and air temperature has become an increasingly important part of managing urban heat islands. While the preponderance of urban heat research relies on LST, the emergence of a growing infrastructure of publicly available consumer oriented, ground-based sensor networks has offered an alternative for characterizing microscale differences in temperatures. Recent evidence suggests large differences between LST and air temperatures, yet discerning the reason for these differences between satellite-derived measurements of urban heat islands (UHI) and ground-based measurements of air temperature remains largely unresolved. In this study, we draw on an unusually robust and …

Encountering Berlant Part 1: Concepts Otherwise, Ben Anderson, Stuart Aitken, Felicity Callard, Kwang Dae (Misty) Chung, Jana Bacevic, Kathryn S. Coleman, Robert F. Hayden Jr, Stephen Marotta, Multiple Additional Authors

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

In Part 1 of ‘Encountering Berlant’, we encounter the promise and provocation of Lauren Berlant's work. In 1000-word contributions, geographers and others stay with what Berlant's thought offers contemporary human geography. They amplify an encounter with their work, demonstrating how a concept, idea, or style disrupts something, opens up a new possibility, or simply invites thinking otherwise. The encounters range across the incredible body of work Berlant left us with, from the ‘national sentimentality’ trilogy through to recent work on negativity. Varying in form and tone, the encounters exemplify and enact the inexhaustible plenitude of Berlant's thought: fantasy, the case, …

Factors Influencing Bike Share Among Underserved Populations: Evidence From Three Us Cities, Jennifer Dill, Jiahui Ma, Nathan W. Mcneil, Joseph P. Broach, John H. Macarthur

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

There is evidence that lower-income and people of color (POC) in the U.S. do not use bike share as much as higher-income and white people. Using data from residents living near stations in New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, our analysis examines reasons for these disparities. While smaller shares of POC are members (vs higher-income white people), large shares of POC are interested in bike share. Among POC, having positive attitudes about bicycling and having family and friends that use bike share are strong predictors of interest in bike share. POC are also motivated to use bike share for recreational reasons. …

50 Years And Counting: Why Environmental Preservation Is Embedded In Oregon Culture, Carl Abbott

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the years following World War II, suburban growth began consuming Willamette Valley farmland. Increasingly affluent families were snapping up vacation properties with mountain and ocean views. Oregonians in the latter half of the 1960s responded with conferences, reports and finger-wagging at the bad example of California. In 1969, the legislature acted with Senate Bill 10. The legislation established land-use regulation as a state concern, requiring local governments to develop land-use plans in line with 10 statewide goals. The intention was good, but the measure lacked teeth for monitoring and enforcement. McCall promised to fix the problems when he ran …

Equity And Exclusion Issues In Cashless Fare Payment Systems For Public Transportation, Aaron Golub, Anne Brown, Candace Brakewood, John Macarthur, Sangwan Lee, Abubakr Ziedan

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many transit agencies in the United States plan to automate their fare collection and limit–or even eliminate–the use of cash fares, with the goals of expediting boarding, collecting data, and lowering costs. Yet about 10% of US adults lack a bank account or credit card, and many rely on restrictive cellphone data plans or do not have access to the internet or a smartphone. These riders will find it difficult to access transit in the future. This paper examines transit users’ experiences with fare technologies using a survey of riders in three cities. Our analysis reveals which riders are most …

Congested Sidewalks: The Effects Of The Built Environment On E-Scooter Parking Compliance, Rob Hemphill, John Macarthur, Phil Longenecker, Garima Desai, Lillie Nie, Abbey Ibarra, Jennifer Dill

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

With the proliferation of electric scooters (e-scooters) in cities across the world, concerns continue to arise about their parking spots on sidewalks and other public spaces. Research has looked at e-scooter parking compliance and compared compliance to other mobility devices, but research has not yet examined the impacts of the built environment on parking compliance. Using a field observation dataset in Portland, Oregon, and novel GIS data, we attempt to understand the spatial distribution of e-scooter parking and the impact of built features on parking compliance, offering recommendations for policymakers and future research. The results of our study show that …

Intermediate Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Prices Of Housing Near Light Rail Transit: A Case Study Of The Portland Metropolitan Area, Sangwan Lee, Liming Wang

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study explored the dynamics of a residential property value premium for proximity to a light rail transit (LRT) station in the intermediate term (roughly two years) since the pandemic. We applied a longitudinal quasi-experimental design using repeat sales data from the Portland Metropolitan Area, Oregon. Our results indicate that the effect of the pandemic on prices of housing near LRT stations differs between single-family and multi-family markets. Since the pandemic outbreak, there has been no statically significant difference in the price appreciation between singlefamily (SF) housing within an LRT service area and otherwise similar SF homes; however, for multi-family …

Transit And Active Transportation Use For Non-Commute Travel Among Portland Transit-Oriented Development Residents, Jennifer L. Dill, Nathan W. Mcneil

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Transit-oriented development (TOD) seeks to promote non-single occupancy vehicle travel by placing dense residential and mixed-use buildings near high-capacity, high-frequency transit. Most research to date on the impact of TODs on travel behavior has focused on commute trips; however, many trips are for non-work purposes, and a sizable portion of the population does not commute to work. This study utilizes a set of surveys, conducted between 2005 and 2019 in the Portland OR region to assess factors associated with whether or not, and how often, TOD residents walk, bike, or take transit for home-based non-work trips. Findings show that about …

Exploring Associations Between Multimodality And Built Environment Characteristics In The U.S., Sangwan Lee

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study demonstrated associations between multimodality and built environment characteristics, and proposed policy implications for fostering multimodal travel behaviors. It conducted a U.S. nationwide analysis using ordinary least square regression and gradient boosting decision tree regressor models with American Community Survey 2015–2019 5-year estimates and the United States Environmental Protection Agency Smart Location Database version 3.0. Notable findings were as follows: First, built environment characteristics were found to be statistically significant predictors of multimodality across the U.S. Second, certain features were identified as having considerable importance, specifically including population density, regional accessibility, walkability index, and network density, all of which …

Empowering Local Practitioners To Collect And Report On Anthropogenic Riverine And Marine Debris Using Inexpensive Methods In India, Katharine A. Owens, Jaya Divakaran Sarasamma, Katie Conlon, Solomon Kiruba, Alwyn Biju, Niyathi Vijay, Manikandan Subramanian, Smitha Asok Vjayamma, Ayona Jayadev, Multiple Additional Authors

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article includes a review of the literature on marine debris in an Indian context and introduces a replicable, scientific, and inexpensive collection method to build capacity and inform policymakers. We share baseline data resulting from ten cleanups using these methods in India. This method was introduced in a 2019 workshop to train Indian researchers, leading to local-led collections in three states and two Union Territories (8 beaches, 2 riversides) yielding 33,474 individual pieces of debris weighing a total of 599.15 kg. Plastic was the most frequently found material at all ten collection sites, comprising from 45% to 89% of …

Delving Into Institutional Diversity Messaging A Cross-Institutional Analysis Of Student And Faculty Interpretations Of Undergraduate Experiences Of Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion In University Websites, Joanna C. Rankin, Andrew Pearl, Trina Jorre De St Jorre, Moriah Mcsharry Mcgrath, Sarah Dyer, Multiple Additional Authors

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recognizing that university statements about equity, diversity, and inclusion are often cosmetic, performative, or at best, aspirational, rather than indicative of on-campus realities, this project analyzes interpretations of student identity and diversity through publicly available materials. The primary purpose of this research was to investigate how university messages about equity, diversity, and inclusion, available through public websites, are interpreted by faculty and students. Using a students-as-partners approach, we identified and analyzed themes based on our own perceptions and understandings of each of five university websites University of Calgary (Canada), University of Alabama (USA), Deakin University (Australia), University of Exeter (UK), …

The 2019 Conference On Health And Active Transportation: Research Needs And Opportunities, David Berrigan, Astrid Dannenberg, Michelle Lee, Kelly Rodgers, Janet R. Wojcik, Behram Wali, Calvin P. Tribby, Ralph Buehler, James F. Sallis, Multiple Additional Authors

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Active transportation (AT) is widely viewed as an important target for increasing participation in aerobic physical activity and improving health, while simultaneously addressing pollution and climate change through reductions in motor vehicular emissions. In recent years, progress in increasing AT has stalled in some countries and, furthermore, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created new AT opportunities while also exposing the barriers and health inequities related to AT for some populations. This paper describes the results of the December 2019 Conference on Health and Active Transportation (CHAT) which brought together leaders from the transportation and health disciplines. Attendees charted a course …

Spatial Configuration And Time Of Day Impact The Magnitude Of Urban Tree Canopy Cooling, Miguel Alonzo, Matthew Baker, Yuemeng Gao, Vivek Shandas

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tree cover is generally associated with cooler air temperatures in urban environments but the roles of canopy configuration, spatial context, and time of day are not well understood. The ability to examine spatiotemporal relationships between trees and urban climate has been hindered by lack of appropriate air temperature data and, perhaps, by overreliance on a single ‘tree canopy’ class, obscuring the mechanisms by which canopy cools. Here, we use >70 000 air temperature measurements collected by car throughout Washington, DC, USA in predawn (pd), afternoon (aft), and evening (eve) campaigns on a hot summer day. We subdivided tree canopy into …

Mopping Up Or Turning Off The Tap? Environmental Injustice And The Ethics Of Plastic Pollution, Katharine A. Owens, Katie Conlon

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Opinion article

Decades of scientific research confirm that plastic pollution poses a threat to many species, to water resources, and to economies around the world (Laist, 1997; Barnes et al., 2009; Gregory, 2009; Teuten et al., 2009; Chen, 2015; Newman et al., 2015; Rochman, 2015). Experts demonstrate that oceanic plastic pollution is increasing at astounding rates (Eriksen et al., 2014; Geyer et al., 2017). Research indicates harmful levels of toxicity in everyday plastic items (SCP/RAC, 2020). Scientists find this issue so important that they have recommended plastics …

Marine Debris And Human Health: An Exposure Pathway Of Pops?, Katie Conlon

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although there are not any direct studies linking persistent organic pollutants (POPs) accumulated on marine debris to human health, there are numerous studies showing human health impacts from repeated and high level POP exposure, as well as studies that show POPs accumulate on plastic debris in the marine environment. With this knowledge, there is a need for greater awareness of the risks of POP exposure for those who handle marine debris regularly, especially in contexts of higher exposure such as those working in marine debris concentrated areas. Amongst the scientific community, understanding of the exposure risk might be high, but …

The Residential Property Value Premium Of The Proximity To Carsharing And Bikesharing Services: Evidence From New York City, Sangwan Lee, Aaron D. Golub

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

While significant existing scholarship has confirmed that accessibility to “macro” transportation systems, such as transit, creates some value for real estate, few studies have examined the capitalized effect of “micro” transportation modes on property values. Even, despite the increased ridership and market shares of carsharing and bikesharing services, empirical evidence on its property value capitalization effects of the emerging transportation services remains far less limited. In this context, this research examines the residential value uplift induced from the proximity to carsharing (Zipcar) and bikesharing (CitiBike) services in New York City by employing Spatial Durbin Models with sales transaction data that …

Genesis At Work: Advancing Inclusive Innovation Through Manufacturing Extension, Nichola Lowe, Greg Schrock, Ranita Jain, Maureen Conway

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

US manufacturing is struggling with both a productivity and job quality challenge. These challenges are interconnected, reinforcing the need for increased coordination of economic and workforce development efforts. This article outlines the evaluation findings of a novel business-facing initiative called the Genesis Movement, to understand its role in reshaping the workforce experience within small- and medium-sized manufacturing businesses in Chicago, Illinois. Spearheaded in 2014 by the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), Genesis starts with the premise that workforce practices are central to business operations, productivity, and competitiveness—and therefore, manufacturing extension services need to promote improvements to job quality in support …

Does Gender Climate Influence Climate Change? The Multidimensionality Of Gender Equality And Its Countervailing Effects On The Carbon Intensity Of Well-Being, Christina Ergas, Patrick Trent Greiner, Julius Alexander Mcgee, Matthew Thomas Clement

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The carbon intensity of well-being (CIWB) (a ratio measuring the amount of CO₂ emitted per unit of life expectancy at birth) is an increasingly popular way to measure the ecological efficiency of nations. Although research demonstrates that economic development typically reduces this efficiency, little research has explored the extent to which social equality improves it. This study uses panel data for 70 nations between 1995 and 2013 to assess how various aspects of gender equality affect the ecological efficiency of nations. We estimate a series of Prais-Winsten regression models with panel-corrected standard errors (PCSE) to assess how increases in …

Translating Land Justice Through Comparison: A Us-French Dialogue And Research Agenda., Megan Horst, Nathan Mcclintock, Adrien Baysse-Lainé, Ségolène Darly, Flaminia Paddeu, Coline Perrin, Kristin Reynolds, Christophe-Toussaint Soulard

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this discussion piece, eight scholars in geography, urban planning, and agri-food studies from the United States (US) and France engage in a bi-national comparison to deepen our collective understanding of food and land justice. We specifically contextualize land justice as a critical component of food justice in both the US and France in three key areas: access to land for cultivation, urban agriculture, and non-agricultural forms of food provisioning. The US and France are interesting cases to compare, considering the differences and similarities in their colonial and agricultural histories, persistent and systemic race and class-based inequities in land access, …

A Social Systems Approach To Sustainable Waste Management: Leverage Points For Plastic Reduction In Colombo, Sri Lanka, Katie Conlon

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Global plastic production continues to increase at an exponential pace, and global waste projections show waste generation rising by 70% by 2050. Plastic waste connects to all social processes, especially within the context of urbanization and development; urban planning and land management; GHG emissions; labor; social equity; public health; rural-to-urban migration; increasing population; increasing consumption; climate change; etc. The focus of this research is an analysis of plastic waste management practices in Sri Lanka applying systems thinking, with a goal to better understand the social and ecological impacts of plastic waste in Sri Lanka. This research fills a gap in …

Integrating Diverse Perspectives For Managing Neighborhood Trees And Urban Ecosystem Services In Portland, Or (Us), Lorena Nascimento, Vivek Shandas

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Municipalities worldwide are increasingly recognizing the importance of urban green spaces to mitigate climate change’s extreme effects and improve residents’ quality of life. Even with extensive earlier research examining the distribution of tree canopy in cities, we know little about human perceptions of urban forestry and related ecosystem services. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the variations in socioeconomic indicators and public perceptions by asking how neighborhood trees and socioeconomic indicators mediate public perceptions of ecosystem services availability. Using Portland, Oregon (USA) as our case study, we assessed socioeconomic indicators, land cover data, and survey responses about …

Plastic Roads: Not All They’Re Paved Up To Be, Katie Conlon

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The growing, global plastic waste crisis is sparking a myriad of solutions from disparate fields. One such end-of-use solution is the application of plastic waste for paving roads. This solution is marketed as a win-win option for plastic waste, use the single-use waste material to pave roads and save money, and simultaneously tackle the accumulated plastic waste. Paving with plastic is occurring globally, but has been especially appealing in the global south contexts where waste management infrastructure is lacking, and pressure to do something about the plastic waste is high. However, there are several environmental and social considerations to paving …