Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Perspectives From Frontline Organizations In The Portland Metro Region On Addressing Food Insecurity During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Megan Horst, Meg Grzybowski, Huijun Tan

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

See video of related event: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/metropolitianstudies/155/

The main goal of this project was to contribute to an understanding of how frontline-serving food security organizations in the Portland region adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies in 2020-2022 and how they addressed increased rates of food insecurity among the region’s residents. We discuss the experiences of these organizations in serving the region’s food insecure residents, the many adaptations they made in the past few years, barriers experienced, and positive and critical reflections on local government. We identify lessons learned and promising ideas for how to better prepare our region, in …

The Future Of Oregon’S Agricultural Land, Christy Anderson Brekken, Lauren Gwin, Megan Horst, Nellie Mcadams, Sheila A. Martin

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

Sixty-four percent of Oregon's farmland is expected to change hands in the next 20 years, yet many Oregon farmers are unprepared for succession. Simultaneously, beginning farmers are finding it harder to start farmers because of dramatically increasing land prices. These distinct but interwined challenges are addressed in a new research report from the Oregon State University Center for Small Farms, Portland State University's Planning Oregon/Institute for Metropolitan Studies, and Rogue Farm Corps. The study examines trends in land tenure and the effects they might have on Oregon's economy, rural communities, and environment. The report was in many ways inspired and …

Seeking Solutions To Long-Term Public Engagement In Rapidly Diversifying Communities: A Case Study In Washington County, Oregon, Meg Merrick, Andrée Tremoulet

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

This paper explores the challenges in engaging a rapidly diversifying public in county government decision-making. The State of Oregon recognized the importance of meaningful public engagement by naming it as the first goal of its landmark statewide land use planning system adopted in 1973. Washington County, which is part of Portland’s tri-county metropolitan region, is geographically large, historically white but, in recent years, rapidly diversifying. It is also largely suburban and includes the region’s largest unincorporated communities. In addition, Washington County includes significant agricultural activities and small rural communities.

State Of Clark County: Trends From Greater Portland Pulse, Sheila A. Martin, Portland State University. Institute Of Portland Metropolitan Studies

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

Clark County, Washington trends in population, income and wages, growth by industry and the future of work are compiled from data and demonstrated using Greater Portland Pulse.

Who Is Portland? Using Data To Understand The Portland Water Bureau Customer Base, Portland State University. Institute Of Portland Metropolitan Studies

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

This study is a demographic analysis of the Portland Water Bureau customer base in the Portland metro region.

State Of The Economy 2015, Portland State University. Institute Of Portland Metropolitan Studies

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

The first comprehensive report from Greater Portland Pulse was entitled The Path to Economic Prosperity: Equity and the Education Imperative. Published in July 2011, that report summarized the findings from the initial benchmarking of desired outcomes articulated by stakeholders and tracked on Greater Portland Pulse. The purpose of this briefing is to update some of the findings from the July 2011 report.

Promising Practices For Long-Term Community Engagement, Meg Merrick, Andrée Tremoulet, Tina Dippert

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

Washington County has initiated a planning process to rethink the structure and support system for its ongoing, long-term community participation program. The impetus for this planning process began with a fall 2014 announcement by the service provider that had supported the county’s Citizen Participation Organizations (CPOs) and the Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) for several decades, Oregon State University Extension, that it would no longer continue this role effective fall 2015. The planning process has since evolved into an opportunity to take a thorough look at the program and plan a system of engagement for the 21st century.

Washington County …

Where The Ends Don't Meet In 2014: Measuring Poverty And Self-Sufficiency Among Oregon's Families, Elizabeth Morehead, Sheila A. Martin

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

This report sheds light on the economic realities facing many of Oregon’s households and provides an initial picture of the extent of income inadequacy in Oregon. Although addressing this issue is challenging, it can be seen as encouraging that many householders with below-Standard incomes are already part of the workforce. It is possible that many householders have adequate levels of education and experience but face other barriers that keep their wages low or raise their expenses. Identifying and addressing such barriers is the next step in bringing household incomes and costs into balance.

Greater Portland Pulse Use Cases: Examples Of How The Community Used Gpp January 2013-June 2015, Elizabeth Morehead

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

Greater Portland Pulse (GPP) data is a valuable community resource that helps academics, government, reporters, community organizations, and private businesses better understand the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metropolitan area. With GPP’s 2014 website redesign, and increased presence on social media, GPP’s audience is rapidly expanding. GPP data is often: Cited in research studies, proposals to city councils, and strategic plans. Used to advocate for social change Used by government agencies and private sector businesses to promote economic development

Who Is Making Ends Meet In The Portland Region? A Profile Of Poverty And Self-Sufficiency Among Greater Portland Families, Jamin Kimmell, Sheila A. Martin

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

The Portland metro region economy is near a complete recovery from the damage of the Great Recession that began seven years ago. Unemployment in April of 2015 was 5.2 percent, cut in half from the 2011 rate of 10.5 percent. The region ranked among the top 10 metro region areas in the nation for employment growth in 2014.

Unfortunately, the benefits of this economic resurgence are not experienced equally. Ideally, economic recovery should lead to jobs and wages that enable Portland metro region families to earn enough to provide for their basic needs. Low unemployment cannot offer high quality of …

Global Portland:Trends From Greater Portland Pulse, Portland State University. Institute Of Portland Metropolitan Studies

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

In this report, Global Portland measures Greater Portland’s ties to the rest of the world. The data we use to quantify these ties include the following: Exports, which tell us the extent to which Greater Portland’s businesses are selling goods and services to countries outside of the United States. Foreign direct investment, which quantifies the extent of economic activity in Greater Portland due to investors from other countries. Foreign visitors, which describes the number of people who visit Greater Portland from other countries and estimates the amount of money they spend while they are here; Foreign-born residents, quantifying the number …

Global Portland: Trends From Greater Portland Pulse, Sheila A. Martin, Portland State University. Institute Of Portland Metropolitan Studies

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

The report measures Greater Portland's ties to the rest of the world in terms of exports, foreign direct investment, foreign visitors, foreign-born residents, and foreign students.

Sorting Out The Skills Gap: Analyzing The Evidence For A Shortage Of Middle-Skill Workers In The Manufacturing And Healthcare Industries In The Portland Region, Jamin Kimmell, Sheila A. Martin

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

The skills gap has garnered significant attention in popular discourse, research initiatives and public policy, both in the Portland region and across the country. Simultaneously, fewer and fewer people in the Portland region are earning self-sufficient incomes. The manufacturing and healthcare industries are often cited as promising pathways to self-sufficiency due to shortages of workers in middle-skill, middle-wage occupations. But the magnitude and distribution of worker shortages in these industries is far from certain, and alternative factors to explain hiring challenges—such as employer practices—are supported by some of the evidence. Existing skills gap research typically uses a single indicator of …

The Equity Baseline Report: A Framework For Regional Equity, Jared Franz, Cat Goughnour, Duncan Hwang, Kayse Jama, Meg Merrick, Andre Riley, Gerardo Vergara-Monroy

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

The Equity Baseline Report: A Framework for Regional Equity is an authentic community-led report resulting from a yearlong collaborative effort conducted by six local community based organizations (CBOs). The organizations were selected competitively to work under contract with Metro staff to identify, inventory, classify and recommend quantitative and qualitative evidence-based indicators and corresponding data sets that measure the varying degrees by which people experience equity in our region.

Informing The Plan - Incorporating Stakeholder Hopes, Dreams, And Concerns: An Assessment Of The Creekside District Master Plan, Meg Merrick

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

In April 2011, the City of Beaverton adopted its Civic Plan Central City Strategy (“the Civic Plan”). The Civic Plan provided a new understanding of the Central City. One of the Civic Plan’s most important strategic goals was the transformation of the Creekside District (an underutilized 50-acre site situated at the heart of the Central City) into a vibrant, sustainable, mixed-use community. The Creekside District master planning effort (that was supported by a HUD Community Challenge Grant) has built on the Civic Plan, Beaverton’s Community Vision (2010), the Beaverton Urban Renewal Plan (2011), and Metro’s 2040 Growth Concept.

The Creekside …

Demographic Analysis Of The Healthcare, Manufacturing, And Skilled Trades Industries, Elizabeth Morehead, Sheila A. Martin

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

While the American economy has been characterized by increasing labor-market polarization over the past decade, recent growth in mid-wage, mid-skill jobs holds promise for workers looking for an opportunity to earn a self-sufficient wage.

By July of this year, the economy had added over 900,000 middle-income positions, matching the pace of growth in high-wage fi elds, and outpacing growth in low-wage occupations. Many of these mid-wage and mid-skill jobs can be found in healthcare, production, and the skilled trades, specifi cally construction and extraction, and installation, maintenance, and repair.

Many of these jobs off er an opportunity to earn higher …

The State Of K-12 Education: Focus On Equity, Some Trends From Greater Portland Pulse, Portland State University. Institute Of Portland Metropolitan Studies

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

This report discusses the Portland Metropolitan region demography and how it relates to achieving greater economic justice. Requiring significant progress toward closing the achievement gap. Trends and data compiled include; Population by Age and Sex, Adult Education Levels, Student Achievement, High School Graduation Rates, Low Birth Weight, Language Spoken at Home, Child Poverty, and Homelessness,

Business Owner Outreach: Creekside District Master Plan, Meg Merrick, Brenda Martin

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

In April 2011, the City of Beaverton adopted its Civic Plan Central City Strategy (“the Civic Plan”). The Civic Plan provides a new understanding of the Central City. One of the Civic Plan’s most important strategic goals is the transformation of the Creekside District (an underutilized 50-acre site situated at the heart of the Central City) into a vibrant, sustainable, mixed-use community. The Creekside District master planning effort (that is supported by a HUD Community Challenge Grant) will produce a development program that integrates: suitable and affordable housing for existing and future populations; increased efficiency and connectivity of existing public …

Using Indicators Projects As Prompts For Exploring Equity: A Case Study Of Greater Portland Pulse, Meg Merrick, Diane Besser, Shelia A. Martin

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

This paper describes the process that the Greater Portland Pulse (GPP) initiated to incorporate the measurement of progress toward social equity into the project. While equity may appear to be a widely accepted priority for communities, the GPP process created a dialogue that was sometimes contentious but also profoundly educational for the participants revealing some of the complexities, not only of the issue of equity, but the challenges (particularly the inadequacy of available data) and trade-offs that are inescapable when using conventional data sets.

Additionally, this paper discusses some of the consequences of a process that, while incorporating equity values …

Defining, Tracking, And Displaying Regional Equity Conditions: Two Approaches From The Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan Region, Meg Merrick

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

This report explores the strengths and weaknesses of two significant regional indicator projects for the Portland‐Vancouver metropolitan area. Specifically, this paper focuses on the measurement of equity conditions at a regional scale. In 2003, the Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF), in partnership with Portland State University (PSU), launched the nation's first regional equity atlas endeavor that pushed the notion of equity to the forefront of regional discourse. Defined primarily in terms of access to opportunities, especially in spatial terms, the atlas took advantage of the analytical capabilities and graphic power of mapping and maps to convey its findings. Published …

Exploring The Intertwine: 1,250 Miles Of Parks, Trails, And Natural Areas, Ramona Denies

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

A new non-profit, the Intertwine Alliance, envisions a seamless network of urban parks and trails in the Portland/Vancouver metro area — one that would enhance, stitch together, and then expand, over 1,250 miles of existing bike and pedestrian trails, and involve 32 cities, 6 counties, and 2 states. Follow Ramona DeNies on the trail.

The Myth Of Portlandia, Sara Gates

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

An interview with Carl Abbott, professor of Urban Studies and Planning at PSU, and Karin Magaldi, chair of PSU's Theatre and Film Department, about Portland's recent trio of locally-filmed TV shows. How are they changing how the rest of the country perceives us? How are they changing us?

The Geography Of Home: A Preview From The Regional Equity Atlas 2.0, Meg Merrick, Kris Smock

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

A sneak preview of Equity Atlas 2.0, looking at housing in the region.

Estacada, Jeremy R. Young

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

Jeremy Young takes us "close to everything, but away from it all" in Estacada.

Seeking Sustainability And Affordability: Native American Housing In Se Portland, Leah Gibson

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

The Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) is working to create tryky affordable housing for the Native American community in Portland. Using an innovative stacked modular construction technology, Rey Espana of NAYA and Stuart Emmons of SERA Architects are creating sustainable and affordable housing that both respects tradition and is a model for the future.

Growing A Sustainable Portland Metropolitan Foodshed, Sheila Martin, Kathryn Doherty-Chapman, Robert Wise, Steve Foust, Kirsten Greene, Ellie Fiore, Ellen Wyoming, Clark Seavert, Rebecca Sullivan, Beth Emshoff, Anita Yap, Elise Scolnik, Bob Short

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

Project Description and Objectives: Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) provided funding for this study to examine key agricultural trends, identify producer needs and define strategies to strengthen the local food production system. The goals of the study are to: Define the Portland Metropolitan Foodshed; identify related agricultural and economic trends and develop a needs assessment based on input from producers and other stakeholders; assemble a regional toolkit of strategies to support evolution of a sustainable Portland Metropolitan Foodshed; work with the City of Damascus, Oregon to test the toolkit on a local level; Develop a research and educational …

At The Edge: University-Based Institutes And Their Communities, Ethan Seltzer

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

Like other efforts at institutional restructuring or innovation, the full-flowering of the modern urban university is a work in progress. Whether we can identify a formula for success, or not, remains to be seen. Nonetheless, universities are moving ahead to design and implement a wide range of university-community linkages and, in the process, are generating new insights into the extent to which universities and communities can substantively join in common purpose. This paper reports on the experience at Portland State University with the creation and first six years of operation of the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies.

What Chlorine Can't Kill: Cryptosporidium And Our Water Supply, Amanda Pampuro, Dylan Grimes

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

Does cryptosporidium lurk in Portland's water supply? Should Portlanders be worried? Amanda Pamparo and Dylan Grimes look at the issues involved in the controversy keeping Bull Run water safe.

The Landscape: Goose Hollow, Michael Burnham

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

Michael Burnham looks at the rich history of Goose Hollow.

Eastside/Westside.... The Changing Faces In Two Suburban School Districts, Kushlani De Soyza

Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Publications

Suburban school were once homegeneous; now, they are increasingly ethnically diverse. Kushlani de Soyza examines the reasons for this change, and the ways in which two suburban districts--David Douglas and Beaverton--are meeting the challenges of a multicultural student population.