Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

V2x: Bringing Bikes Into The Mix, Stephen Fickas

TREC Final Reports

This project demonstrates how an inexpensive system (hardware and software) can add new functionality to existing signal controllers, giving bicyclists an efficient way to cross a controlled intersection. The system integrates three components: (1) a Bike Connect box that resides near the signal-controller and is connected to it, (2) an application that runs on a Bike Connect device (currently an iPhone) and requests a green light at the correct approach-distance, and (3) a cloud-based publish/subscribe (pub/sub) component that handles cellular-communication between phone app and box. One stumbling block for the project was a means to obtain reliable GPS data to …

Transferability & Forecasting Of The Pedestrian Index Of The Environment (Pie) For Modeling Applications, Kelly Clifton, Jamie Orrego-Onate, Patrick Allen Singleton, Robert J. Schneider

TREC Final Reports

This project focuses on making our measures, models, and methods more transferable to other locations. Specifically, we re-evaluate, compare and test our pedestrian index of the environment (PIE) measure using data resources more commonly available to planning agencies across the country. Next, we test the results of PIE and its input data in models of pedestrian mode choice for stability of estimation results within a region (intraregional) and between regions (interregional). This research is the next logical step in the MoPeD’s enhancement and is critical to enabling its utility beyond the Portland region. The results of this project show that …

New Pedestrian Modeling Tools: Growing Beyond The Portland Region, Kelly Clifton, Jamie Orrego-Onate, Patrick Allen Singleton, Robert J. Schneider

TREC Project Briefs

This project focuses on making our measures, models, and methods more transferable to other locations. Specifically, we re-evaluate, compare and test our pedestrian index of the environment (PIE) measure using data resources more commonly available to planning agencies across the country. Next, we test the results of PIE and its input data in models of pedestrian mode choice for stability of estimation results within a region (intraregional) and between regions (interregional). This research is the next logical step in the MoPeD’s enhancement and is critical to enabling its utility beyond the Portland region. The results of this project show that …

New Government For Today’S Portland: Rethinking 100 Years Of The Commission System, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Streets For Bikes: An Evidencebased Guidebook, Marc Schlossberg, John Rowell, Roger Lindgren, Dave Amos

TREC Final Reports

This project is a follow up to a successful previous NITC project and subsequent nationally distributed book, called “Rethinking Streets: An Evidence-Based Guide to 25 Street Transformations.” The success of the first book demonstrated a need for easy access to evidence-based transportation information that can be used by practitioners, community members, policymakers, educators, and researchers. This project produced a follow-up guidebook, but with a focus on streets redesigned to accommodate bicycle transportation in ways following current best practices. Whereas the first book purposefully focused on “average” street retrofit projects to communicate the normalcy of such projects around the country, this …

Vehicle To Infrastructure: Letting Cyclists Talk To Signals, Stephen Fickas

TREC Project Briefs

This project demonstrates how an inexpensive system (hardware and software) can add new functionality to existing signal controllers, giving bicyclists an efficient way to cross a controlled intersection. The system integrates three components: (1) a Bike Connect box that resides near the signal-controller and is connected to it, (2) an application that runs on a Bike Connect device (currently an iPhone) and requests a green light at the correct approach-distance, and (3) a cloud-based publish/subscribe (pub/sub) component that handles cellular-communication between phone app and box. One stumbling block for the project was a means to obtain reliable GPS data to …

From Knowledge To Practice: Rethinking Streets For People On Bikes, Marc Schlossberg, John Rowell, Roger Lindgren

TREC Project Briefs

For too long we’ve been building streets as though they have one function–to move cars quickly. The reality is that streets can to do more than just move cars. They can move people on foot, on bikes, on transit, without hurting vehicular throughput and safety. They can be more than a way to get somewhere else. Good streets are good places, too – public places where people meet, sit and socialize, conduct business, wander about, play, and more.

Addressing Changing Demographics In Environmental Justice Analysis, State Of Practice, Aaron Golub, Les Brown, Michael Grant, Nathan Mcneil, Charles Ryerson, Matt Gray, Stephanie Lonsdale, Madison Levy

TREC Final Reports

This report documents how metropolitan planning organizations (MPO), State departments of transportation (DOT), and other transportation agencies are adapting Environmental Justice (EJ) analysis techniques to understand transportation impacts in communities undergoing rapid demographic change. The report also highlights national demographic trends, showing significant change in the size and location of low-income and minority households. These changes are documented in a series of State- and county-level maps demonstrating absolute and percent change in minority populations, low-income populations and limited English proficiency populations between the 1990 – 2010 decennial census periods. Based on the state of practice review, the report also highlights …

Reside Vancouver: An Anti-Displacement Plan, Jihyeon Kim, Malia Knapp-Rossi, Jeff Lance, Joseph Meyers, Aster Moulton, Tay Stone

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

Thread Community Planning is a group of six PSU graduate students commissioned by the City of Vancouver, WA to create an anti-displacement plan (Reside Vancouver). With significant public investments on the horizon, Reside Vancouver identifies areas within Vancouver with high concentrations of residents vulnerable to displacement, and recommends equitable, community-informed strategies the City can employ to help mitigate displacement now and in the future.

The public brochure is available in the Additional Files below.

Ready Streets, Parkrose And Argay: Community Report, Kerry Aszklar, Jaye Cromwell, Bryan Nguyen, Joey Posada, Sabina Roan, Sophie Turnbull-Apell

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

How will people get around after a major earthquake? The Ready Streets project examines ways to create a strong, connected, and disaster-resilient mobility network in the Parkrose-Argay neighborhood of Portland, as well as replicable criteria for future neighborhoods. This is accomplished by examining the existing conditions of the area, working with community members to determine key destinations and priorities, and formulating recommendations to the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

The 1 page brochure for the public is available in the Additional Files below.

Geography In Laser-Light: Using Lidar To Map The Metroscape, Justin Sherrill

Metroscape

Forms part of the recurring series Periodic Atlas of the Metroscape.

This issue of the Periodic Atlas will look at the rising prominence and capabilities of lidar, and how local researchers are using the technology to change the way we see, measure, and manage our region.

Life Expectancy, Institute Of Portland Metropolitan Studies

Metroscape

Using Center for Disease Control data, we can visualize the spatial distribution of life expectancy estimates. For reference, the life expectancy of an average adult within the United States born in 2016 is 78.6 years. In the Portland Metropolitan region, 34 percent of the population lives in tracts with an average life expectancy below the United States average. These tracts are clustered largely in east Portland and Gresham. Future research should consider exploring other factors related to life expectancy such as race, income, and education.

Forms part of the continuing series Indicators of the Metroscape.

Making The Connection: Municipal Broadband Meets A Need In The Portland Metropolitan Area, Eavan Moore

Metroscape

Internet access has become critical to participating in modern American society, yet the private market is no closer to serving low-income and rural Americans.

In May 2018, the City of Hillsboro announced it would go ahead with a publicly owned and operated, affordable, gigabit-speed Internet service for the entire city. Multnomah County Commissioners voted for a feasibility study of their own in June. The Port of Ridgefield, Washington, has big hopes for its own fiber optic project. Meanwhile, the city of Sandy, Oregon, has been running its own municipal broadband service for the last six years.

What’s driving this wave? …

Riverside Parks, Institute Of Portland Metropolitan Studies

Metroscape

A brief overview of the development of riverfront parks in the Portland Metropolitan Area, including the new Waterfront Park in Vancouver, WA that opened in September 2018.

Data From: How Will Autonomous Vehicles Change Local Government Budgeting And Finance? Case Studies Of On-Street Parking, Curb Management, And Solid Waste Collection, Benjamin Y. Clark

TREC Datasets and Databases

Datafiles

Parking Occupancy Datasets: These CSV (comma separated values) datafiles include parking occupancy data from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). Each of the 11 datafiles indicates the time period that it includes, with dates ranging from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2017. Each file contains 6 months of data on block-by-block occupancy of paid parking. The number of available spaces were calculated from this dataset in addition to the median and mean occupancy rates for each Tract. City data documentation indicates the following about the dataset: “The City of Seattle has created an on-street paid parking occupancy …

North Bend School District Enrollment Forecast 2019-20 To 2028-29, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

This report presents charts comparing historic and forecast enrollment in the North Bend School District for the 2009-09 to 2028-09 period. The enrollment history and forecast is broken down by grade and year, and includes the actual number of registered students in the district. It also presents data for birth cohorts and kindergarten enrollment forecasts. Finally, the report offers statistics for population, housing, social and economic profile for the district based on 2000 and 2010 census profiles.

Tigard-Tualatin School District Enrollment Forecasts 2019-20 To 2028-29, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Joshua Ollinger

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

This report presents the results of a demographic study conducted by the Portland State University Population Research Center (PRC) for the Tigard‐Tualatin School District (TTSD). The study includes analyses of population, housing and enrollment trends affecting the District in recent years, estimates of the impacts of housing development on TTSD enrollment, and forecasts of district‐wide and individual school enrollments for the 2019‐20 to 2028‐29 school years.

Preserving Small Farms In Gales Creek, Oregon: An Interview With Gales Creek Residents, Nathan Williams

Metroscape

Nathan Williams conducts interviews with several residents of rural Gales Creek, Oregon, discussing the problems faced by small farmers and challenges for farmland preservation.

Modeling Changes In Public Transit And Private-For-Hire Usage When Implementing A Spatial Tax, Ty Lazarchik

REU Final Reports

Private-for-Hire (PfH) transportation options, such as Uber, Lyft, and taxicabs, are consistently growing in popularity. With this expanded utilization, cities are struggling to maintain usage of their public transit systems. While PfH transportation has been heavily researched, there is a need to further study how its effects on transit usage may be minimized. In this paper, previous work in traffic modeling and analysis of transit and PfH differences are expanded to develop an agent-based decision model in order to simulate and analyze the effectiveness of implementing a location-based tax in and around the city center of Portland, Oregon. The results …

Washington County: Tobacco Retail License Impact Analysis, Peter Hulseman

Northwest Economic Research Center Publications and Reports

This report estimates the economic impact of introducing tobacco retail licensure in Washington County, in the context of ensuring compliance with Tobacco 21 (SB 754) by using license registration to create a database of tobacco retailers.

Lake Oswego School District Population And Enrollment Forecasts 2019-20 To 2028-29, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Joshua Ollinger

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

This report presents the results of a demographic study conducted by the Portland State University Population Research Center (PRC) for the Lake Oswego School District (LOSD). The study includes analyses of population, housing and enrollment trends affecting the District in recent years, and forecasts of district‐wide school enrollments for the 2019‐20 to 2028‐29 school years. Following are some of the highlights found in this report:

• Population and Housing Trends
• Housing and Enrollment
• Enrollment Trends
• Enrollment Forecasts

Changes In Farmland Ownership In Oregon, Usa, Megan Horst

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The ownership of agricultural land has important implications for food systems, the environment, farmer livelihoods, and rural economies, communities, and landscapes. This article examines the changing ownership of agricultural lands in the United States, specifically focusing on Oregon, a state with a history of family farm ownership. I first review historical and recent trends in farmland ownership, including private enclosure, consolidation, investor purchase, development, and rising farmland prices. Next, I examine the county records for all Oregon farm properties that sold between 2010 and 2015. I provide summary statistics about the volume and pace of transactions, price per acre, and …

Integrating Satellite And Ground Measurements For Predicting Locations Of Extreme Urban Heat, Vivek Shandas, Jackson Lee Voelkel, Joseph Williams, Jeremy Hoffman

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The emergence of urban heat as a climate-induced health stressor is receiving increasing attention among researchers, practitioners, and climate educators. However, the measurement of urban heat poses several challenges with current methods leveraging either ground based, in situ observations, or satellite-derived surface temperatures estimated from land use emissivity. While both techniques contain inherent advantages and biases to predicting temperatures, their integration may offer an opportunity to improve the spatial resolution and global application of urban heat measurements. Using a combination of ground-based measurements, machine learning techniques, and spatial analysis, we addressed three research questions: (1) How much do ambient temperatures …

Rescaling Air Quality Management: An Assessment Of Local Air Quality Authorities In The United States, Kelsea A. Schumacher, Vivek Shandas

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Institutional design for local air quality management is an underdeveloped area for research and practice. Although the United States has more than a century of organizational experience managing air quality at the Federal level, the recent years have seen a surge of interest in addressing municipal-scale solutions. Without information about the institutional designs, governance structures, and implications of localizing air quality management, practitioners may face challenges reducing population exposure to air pollutants. We offer a US national perspective on managing local air quality by assessing and surveying 117 local air quality authorities identified by the National Association of Clean Air …

Nature-Based Designs To Mitigate Urban Heat: The Efficacy Of Green Infrastructure Treatments In Portland, Oregon, Yasuyo Makido, Dana E. Hellman, Vivek Shandas

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Urban heat is a growing environmental concern in cities around the world. The urban heat island effect, combined with warming effects of climate change, is likely to cause an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events. Alterations to the physical, built environment are a viable option for mitigating urban heat, yet few studies provide systematic guidance to practitioners for adapting diverse land uses. In this study, we examine the use of green infrastructure treatments to evaluate changes in ambient temperatures across diverse land uses in the city of Portland, Oregon. We apply ENVI-met® microclimate modeling at the …

Adapting An Elementary School Nutrition Context Assessment For High School Settings And Students, Deborah H. John, Beret Halverson, Tia H. Ho

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The school nutrition context is comprised of supportive environmental features, programs, policies, and social relationships that shape students’ healthy dietary choices and patterns. When engaging students as change agents, advocates, and partners in making healthy nutrition choices easier, environmental assessment tools developed for adults may be too complex or inappropriately tailored for youth. Adolescents need practical, user-tailored tools that reliably measure the food and beverage environments they encounter in school to inform youth-led changes to the school nutrition context. To meet this need, an evidence-based school environmental assessment was adapted for use in high schools by students as evaluators. Cooperative …

Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership: Economic Impact Analysis January 2019 Update, Emma Willingham, Peter Hulseman, Hoang The Nguyen

Northwest Economic Research Center Publications and Reports

NERC's sixth report for OMEP, the direct, indirect, and induced impacts of the Partnership's contributions to local firms are estimated for the 2017 calendar year.

Cathedral Mobility: A Mobility Strategy For Cathedral Park Neighborhood 2019, Chad Vinson Tucker, Ian Clancy, Erik Memmott

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

The Cathedral Park Neighborhood is a wonderful area to live with beautiful parks and a vibrant commercial center. Unfortunately, the current transportation infrastructure makes it difficult to access everything this neighborhood has to offer without a car. A few of the transportation issues with which current residents must contend are:

• The neighborhood has no bike lanes or marked crosswalks.
• Several streets dead-end because of steep terrain issues.
• The steepness also makes it difficult or impossible for many people, including older persons or people with disabilities, to access the river and Cathedral Park.
• Many streets are unpaved and uncomfortable to use. …

Equity In Emergency Management, Sabina Roan, Jaye Cromwell

Metroscape

In the decade following Hurricane Katrina, advocates fighting for the rights of people with disabilities changed the field of emergency management. Their pressure on FEMA led to the establishment of legal and planning precedents to include the needs of the whole community in emergency management.(4) There is now a national, legal requirement to plan for people with disabilities and access and functional needs. Despite this important victory for people with disabilities, there have been no direct legal or policy actions that address the disproportionate response along racial and socio-economic lines.

The theory of social equity has its roots in social …