Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Theorizing More Inclusive Cities: A Relational Model Of Boundary Transformation And Urban Research Agenda, Leigh Graham

Publications and Research

To generate more inclusive environments for marginalized urban communities of color demands a strategy that privileges symbolic boundary change and uses it as the inroad towards spatial changes. This paper theorizes a three step relational process of a) communicative democratic activism, b) "multicultural" capital brokers providing access to the policy making process, and c) practices of community building that reflect the role of cities as key sites for sociospatial boundary transformation. An emphasis on discursive and ideational change, relying on communicative democratic processes steeped in historical, comparative analysis opens up our minds towards different classification schemes for stigmatized groups. Participating …

An Empirical Analysis Of Cost Recovery In Superfund Cases: Implications For Brownfields And Joint And Several Liability, Howard F. Chang, Hilary Sigman

All Faculty Scholarship

Economic theory developed in the prior literature indicates that under the joint and several liability imposed by the federal Superfund statute, the government should recover more of its costs of cleaning up contaminated sites than it would under nonjoint liability, and the amount recovered should increase with the number of defendants and with the independence among defendants in trial outcomes. We test these predictions empirically using data on outcomes in federal Superfund cases. Theory also suggests that this increase in the amount recovered may discourage the sale and redevelopment of potentially contaminated sites (or “brownfields”). We find the increase to …

Guiding Data-Driven Transportation Decisions, Kristin A. Tufte, Basem Elazzabi, Nathan Hall, Morgan Harvey, Kath Knobe, David Maier, Veronika Margaret Megler

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Urban transportation professionals are under increasing pressure to perform data-driven decision making and to provide data-driven performance metrics. This pressure comes from sources including the federal government and is driven, in part, by the increased volume and variety of transportation data available. This sudden increase of data is partially a result of improved technology for sensors and mobile devices as well as reduced device and storage costs. However, using this proliferation of data for decisions and performance metrics is proving to be difficult. In this paper, we describe a proposed structure for a system to support data-driven decision making. A …

Suburban Sprawl: Weaker But Still Alive, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

Review of The End of the Suburbs, by Leigh Gallagher.

Sustainability Policy’S Inherent Dilemmas – Exemplified Via Critical Examination Of The Las Vegas Metropolitan Sustainability Campaign, Kathryn A. Zimmerman

All Master's Theses

In response to a dual problem of critical water scarcity and rapid population growth, leaders of metropolitan Las Vegas implemented a region-wide, internationally marketed sustainability campaign. Preliminary studies found that, while sustainability policy attains its rhetorical goals, solutions initiated not only perpetuate but also purposefully expand the original dual problem to justify continuous water resource acquisitions. To examine this sustainability conundrum constructed by leadership—problem-perpetuation rather than problem-resolution—a critical examination in resource management asked two basic questions: what is being sustained and by what means? Via this inquiry, specific processes by which leaders perpetuate problems can be identified; and, so-informed, new …

Vcu's Green Richmond Research, Nadia Rentia

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

The impact of urbanization on the dogwood tree was the VCU junior Kaitlyn Parkman’s focus as she researched hundreds of trees in Richmond.

Paradoxes Of Democratisation: Environmental Politics In East Asia, Mary Alice Haddad

Mary Alice Haddad

This chapter examines environmental politics in four polities that run the full spectrum of political regimes: mainland China (authoritarian), South Korea and Taiwan (newly democratic), and Japan (mature democracy). The chapter argues that variation in environmental politics in each place resulted primarily from the timing of their environmental movements, with subsequent movements learning from predecessors and gaining increasing access to global NGO networks. Paradoxically, when environmental movements became linked to democratization movements (in South Korea and Taiwan), they also became linked to political parties, which hindered access to government policymaking when non-allied parties were in power.

How Much Information Disclosure Of Building Energy Performance Is Necessary?, David Hsu

David Hsu

Many different governments have begun to require disclosure of building energy performance, in order to allow owners and prospective buyers to incorporate this information into their investment decisions. These policies, known as disclosure or information policies, require owners to benchmark their buildings and sometimes conduct engineering audits. However, given substantial variation in the cost to disclose different types of information, it is natural to ask: how much and what kind of information about building energy performance should be disclosed, and for what purposes? To answer this question, this paper assembles and cleans a comprehensive panel dataset of New York City …

Bypassing Equity? Transit Investment And Regional Transportation Planning, Kate Lowe

Kate Lowe, PhD

Regional planning may require a better understanding of multijurisdictional planning and equity within intergovernmental context. This research explores how intergovernmental context and metropolitan planning organization (MPO) activities impact rail proposals for low-income and minority communities. In two case studies, Boston and Miami, other government agencies determined the projects within MPO plans. In Boston, however, advocates leveraged agreements and federal rules to secure rail, and the MPO has developed extensive equity analyses. The cases exemplify the fiscal paradox that MPOs face—they have fiscally constrained plans but control little funding. Findings indicate the need to better relate multijurisdictional planning ambitions to intergovernmental …

Book Review: Neighbors And Neighborhoods: Elements Of Successful Community Design By Sidney Brower, Michelle Thompson

Michelle M. Thompson

This book would be useful as a complement to a fundamental text on community design and planning. The case studies expand the discussion beyond the design process while including the process of community bonding and relationship building. Brower’s interdisciplinary approach will make this book a useful text in social-science courses such as public policy, psychology, and urban planning.

The Irreconcilable Tension Between Dwelling In Public And The Regulatory State, Renia Ehrenfeucht, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris

Renia Ehrenfeucht

No abstract provided.

This Is My Front Yard!” Claims And Informal Property Rights On Sidewalks, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Renia Ehrenfeucht

Renia Ehrenfeucht

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Competition In Tiger: Lessons For Federal Funding And Public Administration, Kate Lowe

Kate Lowe, PhD

No abstract provided.

Globalizing Havana: World Heritage And Urban Development In Late Socialist Cuba (In Process), Matthew Hill

Matthew J. Hill

No abstract provided.

Commute Behavior Of And Accessibility For Low-Income Workers In Post-Katrina New Orleans, Kate Lowe

Kate Lowe, PhD

No abstract provided.

Ballot Box Planning: Implementation Of Rail Ballot Measures, Kate Lowe, Rolf Pendall, Juliet Gainsborough, Mai Nguyen

Kate Lowe, PhD

Metropolitan areas in the United States frequently finance new rail lines with local option taxes, and, as a result, rail plans and associated taxes often come before voters as ballot measures. Existing research finds that rail ballot measures are more likely to pass when taxes are linked to specific projects and planning has broad stakeholder involvement. Such studies, however, have not examined to what extent agencies implement voter-approved projects. This research fills this gap and finds the interrelated variables of ballot measure provisions, campaign supporters and strategies, and planned rail projects contribute to varied progress toward implementation in Denver, Houston, …

Evolution Of American Urban Society, 8th Edition, Howard Chudacoff, Judith Smith, Peter Baldwin

Judith E. Smith

The Evolution of American Urban History blends historical perspectives on society, economics, politics, and policy, while focusing on the ways in which diverse peoples have inhabited and interacted in cities. It tackles ethnic and racial minority issues, offers multiple perspectives on women, and highlights urbanization's constantly shifting nature.

Art, Public Spaces And Private Property Along The Streets In New Orleans, Renia Ehrenfeucht

Renia Ehrenfeucht

In this article, I investigate how and why a street art controversy that emerged in post- Katrina New Orleans was transformed from a dispute over property transgressions to a broader struggle over the meanings of art amidst the city’s devastated condition. The controversy began when a street art initiative by the New Orleans artist Rex Dingler invoked a backlash of anti-graffiti activism. In response, local artists began painting on the walls. When the locals were joined by artists from different cities, the discussion intensified about the merits of street art as well as commentary on and reflection of a city …

Curriculum Vitae, Michael Stone

Michael E. Stone

No abstract provided.

Conceptual Framework For Using Gis In Building Community Capital Towards Sustainability, Sungsoon Hwang

Sungsoon Hwang

Sustainability—balancing fundamental human needs with ecological resilience—has been embraced as an overarching policy goal. And communities have been called to participate in the process of attaining that ideal. Community-based organizations (CBOs) can benefit from using GIS in building community assets and developing sustainability initiatives. However, GIS, has not been used widely for these purposes in CBOs yet. In this chapter, I illustrate how geographic information (such as maps) can be useful in community development drawing from community GIS projects, and explain how theories of sustainability and spatial thinking can be utilized in community-based efforts towards sustainability. CBOs can monitor and …

How To Make America Walkable, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

Review of Walkable City, by Jeff Speck

2014 Cnu Blog Posts, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

2014 Planetizen Blog Posts, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

Civic Infrastructures Of Innovation And Inclusion? Reflections On Urban Governance In Canada.Pdf, Allison Bramwell, Neil Bradford

Allison Bramwell

University Community Partnerships, Jonathan G. Cooper, Zeenat Kotval-K, Zenia Kotval, John R. Mullin

Jonathan G. Cooper

University-Community Partnerships have been recognized as a valuable contribution to both the academic community and our cities and towns. In the words of Henry Cisneros, former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Design secretary, “The long-term futures of both the city and the university in this country are so intertwined that one cannot—or perhaps will not—survive without the other.” Increasingly, colleges and universities are bringing their time, energy and resources to bear on local problems. They are using their other physical, financial and intellectual capital to facilitate economic development, provide social services, technical assistance and create opportunities for applied research.

Suburban Sprawl: Weaker But Still Alive, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

Review of The End of the Suburbs, by Leigh Gallagher.

Environmental Justice 2.0: New Latino Environmentalism In Los Angeles, Eric D. Carter

Eric D. Carter

This paper presents the results of ethnographic research conducted with several environmental justice (EJ) organisations in Latino communities of Los Angeles, California. Traditional EJ politics revolves around research and advocacy to reduce discriminatory environmental exposures, risks, and impacts. However, I argue that in recent years there has been a qualitative change in EJ politics, characterised by four main elements: (1) a move away from the reaction to urban environmental "bads" (e.g. polluting industries) in the city towards a focus on the production of nature in the city; (2) strategies that are less dependent on the legal, bureaucratic, and technical "regulatory …

Interfacing Citizens’ And Institutions’ Practice And Responsibilities For Climate Change Adaptation, Christine Wamsler, Ebba Brink

Christine Wamsler

Climate change poses a serious challenge to sustainable urban development, placing many cities at risk. Climatic conditions are changing to such an extent that the capacity of urban institutions and associated governance systems to deal with climatic extremes and variability is being reduced. New approaches for urban climate change adaptation are thus urgently needed.

There is an increasing consensus that local-level capacities are critical for successful adaptation to climate change and the achievement of sustainable development. However, knowledge about local-level capacities is scarce, and regulatory frameworks are often ambiguous in terms of assigning (complementary) responsibilities for adaptation to institutions and …

Growing Food To Grow Cities? The Potential Of Agriculture For Economic And Community Development In The Urban United State, Laura Wolf-Powers

Laura Wolf-Powers

New York City's Community-Based Housing Movement: Achievements And Prospects, Laura Wolf-Powers

Laura Wolf-Powers

A contribution to the book about the relationship of community-based activism to planning, this paper, highlights the experience of community-based not-for-profit housing organizations in New York City and their relationship (from the 1970s through to the present) with that city’s elected officials and executive agencies. I argue that in New York City, community-based organizations have unambiguously added strategic value in the social housing arena, becoming part of the production system and governance framework for the city's affordable housing. Moreover, their political participation and advocacy have helped to bring about many of the policies that currently structure this system. Their role …