Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating The Planning And Implementation Of Major Transit Capital Projects In The Portland Region, Joseph Recker

PSU Transportation Seminars

The Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) discretionary New Starts program is the federal government's largest discretionary funding program. From heavy to light rail, from commuter rail to bus rapid transit systems, the FTA's New Starts program has helped to make possible hundreds of new or extended transit fixed guideway systems across the country, including most of TriMet’s light rail extensions and WES commuter rail. Beginning in 2001, FTA has required project sponsors to prepare a Before and After Study report on the effectiveness of planning and implementation of New Starts and Small Starts projects. The studies focus on five transit characteristics …

Cpaf Updates Vol. 15 Issue No. 12, Rowena Dt. Baconguis, Josefina T. Dizon, Chris Estallo, Cristeta A. Foronda, Blanquita R. Pantoja

CPAf Updates

In this issue:

• CPAf bags 2014 Parolan awards, 1
• Christmas Messages, 2

Spatial Thinking In Planning Practice: An Introduction To Gis, Yiping Fang, Vivek Shandas, Eugenio Arriaga Cordero

PDXOpen: Open Educational Resources

The goals of this textbook are to help students acquire the technical skills of using software and managing a database, and develop research skills of collecting data, analyzing information and presenting results. We emphasize that the need to investigate the potential and practicality of GIS technologies in a typical planning setting and evaluate its possible applications. GIS may not be necessary (or useful) for every planning application, and we anticipate these readings to provide the necessary foundation for discerning its appropriate use. Therefore, this textbook attempts to facilitate spatial thinking focusing more on open-ended planning questions, which require judgment and …

Evaluating The Level-Of-Service Of Protected Bike Lanes, Nick Foster

PSU Transportation Seminars

Summary: The most recent edition of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) contains analysis procedures for measuring the level-of-service (LOS), also referred to as quality of service, provided by an urban roadway to bicyclists. The method uses different design and operating features of the roadway segment (e.g. width, motor vehicle volumes and speeds) to assess an LOS grade of A (best) to F (worst). These procedures are used by planners and engineers to recommend how existing streets could be retrofitted or new streets designed to better serve people on bicycles (and other modes). However, the current HCM does not include methods …

Terrorism Abroad, Terrorism At Home: How Serious Is The U.S. Domestic Threat, Redd R.J.G Branner

Learning Showcase 2014

We often associate the events of 9/11 with terrorism in the United States. However, the U.S., in the homeland and abroad have long been the victims of domestic and international terrorism. Prior to 9/11, terrorism was not a part of our daily vocabulary or part of our daily news. Children born today will more than likely not know a life or vocabulary with social media and terrorism. Social media and terrorism? Through the use of social media terrorist groups such as ISIS have taken on a campaign of subversion to elicit interest from vulnerable populations, most commonly teenagers in a …

Emergency Management & Homeland Security In Higher Education: The Critical Need For Standardized Curriculum, Redd R.J.G Branner

Learning Showcase 2014

Over the past few decades, higher education has become an important factor in advancing organizations, as well as individuals advancing within their organization. There are many staple programs in higher education such as business administration, management and organizational behavior. These standardized programs have often been used by public servants to advance their careers. Public servants such as law enforcement officers and firefighters receive a more beneficial education attaining degrees designed specifically for their disciplines. Law enforcement personnel commonly use the criminal justice degree to advance their careers and Firefighters often use the Fire and Emergency Services degree to advance their …

Professionalization Of The Fire Service: There’S More To It Than Putting The Wet Stuff On The Hot Stuff, Redd R.J.G Branner

Learning Showcase 2014

Professional firefighting in the United States is often traced back to the 17th Century; most notably, the Boston fire of 1631. In the early days of firefighting, fire departments were, for lack of better words, social organizations. From the earliest firefighting operations consisting of bucket brigades, to the latest high-tech equipment designed to extinguish fires, firefighters have always been our heroes! We applaud them when they extinguish fires and save lives, we mourn them when they lose their lives. Firefighting is often thought of as putting the wet stuff on the hot stuff (water on fire); however, firefighting goes much …

Elected To Lead, Betrayed By Greed: The Hoodwinking Of Constituents, Redd R.J.G Branner

Learning Showcase 2014

As we make our way to the polls during election season, we take several approaches: we have our mind made up on who we want to lead; we vote for the same party in all categories; or we are not sure about the candidates, but we vote safely. Our hopes are that we have collectively selected the candidate(s) that will lead us, advancing our best interests ethically. Most candidates are everyday people, cut from the same cloth as the constituents. As they campaign for our votes, there is no doubt that there goal in attaining office is to be a …

How Can We Improve Government Performance?, Alexander C. Heckman

Learning Showcase 2014

We expect our governments to tackle a diverse array of problems and take on a myriad of responsibilities. Often, we are frustrated at their apparent lack of success at doing so. What are the key factors that impact how effectively government agencies perform? Drawing upon my own empirical research and the public administration literature, I present a framework for thinking about the answer to this question, along with ideas for how to improve government performance. Specifically, I focus on the impact of management quality on government performance; including its interrelationship with other important factors such as resources, politics, and the …

Accessory Dwelling Units In Portland, Oregon: Evaluation And Interpretation Of A Survey Of Adu Owners, Jordan Palmeri

PSU Transportation Seminars

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are booming in Portland, Oregon. ADUs are small separate living units on single family lots that are often called granny flats or mother-in-law units. Over the last few years, fee waivers from the City of Portland have increased ADU development from 30 units per year to over 200 units. These discreet forms of density can offer a variety of environmental, social, and economic benefits to ADU owners and their communities. Many of these benefits, however, have always been speculated rather than substantiated by data.

In an effort to better understand the real impact or benefit of …

Links Between Public Transportation And Physical Activity, Brian Saelens

PSU Transportation Seminars

This seminar will explore the empirical evidence regarding the links between the use of public transportation and physical activity, with a specific focus on using integrated device and self-report methods to identify travel modes and physical activity.

U.S. State Department International Law Internship And Employment Presentation And Discussion, Michael E. Thurston Famu Diplomat-In Residence

Environmental and Animal Law

The Center for International Law & Justice presents a discussion and presentation by Michael E. Thurston, a Senior Foreign Service officer, who is currently serving as Diplomat-in-Residence based at Florida A & M University in Tallahassee. Mr. Thurston has served in Afghanistan, Burma, various locations in Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Mexico.

Torch (November 2014), Brandon Baldwin, Civil Rights Team Project

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Stepping Up: Burden Sharing By Nato's Newest Members, Joel R. Hillison Dr.

Monographs, Collaborative Studies, & IRPs

This book examines the burden sharing behavior of new NATO members. It makes the argument that new NATO members are burden sharing at a greater rate than older NATO members. It also suggests that NATO’s expansion did not lead to greater free-riding behavior in NATO, contrary to the predictions of the collective action literature. This analysis reveals that new NATO members have demonstrated the willingness to contribute to NATO missions, but are often constrained by their limited capabilities. This argument is supported using case studies, interviews with key NATO officials, and quantitative analysis of NATO defense expenditures and troop contributions.

Trick Or Treat(Ment)? : Impact Of Route-Level Features On Walk And Bike Decisions, Joseph Broach

PSU Transportation Seminars

Trick or Treatment? Impact of Route-Level Features on Decisions to Walk or Bike Summary: Some travel routes attract people walking and cycling, while others may scare them away. What features of street environments are most important, and how do available routes affect decisions to bike or walk on a specific trip?

Research to date has focused on either large-scale areal measures like "miles of bike lane nearby" or else has considered only shortest path routes. Neither method is suited to capturing the impact of targeted route-level policies like neighborhood greenways. This session will present a new technique for measuring bike …

Development Of The Idaho Statewide Travel Demand Model Trip Matrices Using Cell Phone Od Data And Origin Destination Matrix Estimation, Ben Stabler

PSU Transportation Seminars

As part of the initial phase of development for the Idaho Statewide Travel Demand Model, Parsons Brinckerhoff developed a base year auto and truck trip matrix using AirSage cell phone OD data, a statewide network in Cube, traffic counts, and origin-destination matrix estimation (ODME) procedures. To begin, the 4000+ statewide zone system was aggregated into a 700 super zone system for collecting the cell phone OD data. Next, the cell phone data was collected for the month of September 2013 for the following market segments: Average weekday resident HBW, HBO, NHB, and visitor NHB trips. The cell phone trips were …

Examining The Role Of Internal Planning Decisions In Improving Transit Performance And Economic Outcomes, Michal Jaroszynski

PSU Transportation Seminars

Scholars and practitioners continuously seek best practices to increase transit ridership, efficiency, and modal share. The ongoing suburbanization and decentralization of U.S. metropolitan regions brings new challenges for accomplishing these goals. Investigating possible strategies for improving transit outcomes in the existing socioeconomic setting, scholars from the Florida State University have pointed to the role of internal performance factors. In a series of research studies, they have found that improving transit service characteristics, such as frequency, connectivity, regional coverage, intermodal integration, as well as decentralization of network structures, could result in increased transit ridership and productivity. These positive effects could be …

Using "Big Data" For Transportation Analysis: A Case Study Of The La Metro Expo Line, Mohja L. Rhoads

PSU Transportation Seminars

Access to a comprehensive historical archive of real-time, multi-modal multi-agency transportation system data has provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate how “big data” can be used for policy analysis, and to offer new insights for planning scholarship and practice. We illustrate with a case study of a new rail transit line. We use transit, freeway, and arterial data of high spatial and temporal resolution to examine transportation system performance impacts of the Exposition (Expo) light rail line (Phase 1) in Los Angeles. Using a quasi-experimental research design, we explore whether the Expo Line has had a significant impact on transit …

Cpaf Updates Vol. 15 Issue No. 10-11, Joanne V. Alvarez, Cristeta A. Foronda, Stella Concepcion R. Britanico, Angelica C. Javier, Guinevere T. Madlangbayan, Blanquita R. Pantoja, Stoix Nebin S. Pascua, Francisca O. Tan

CPAf Updates

No abstract provided.

Giving The Homeless Population A Chance To Become Healthier: An Initial Needs Assessment Of The Homeless Population Of Portland, Maine, Annarae Andresen, Oana Butnarasu, Jayme Keith, Sarah Kou, Dana Mccoy, Stephanie Sheehan, Jessica Takatsuki, Zoe Hull, Ian Imbert, Suzanne Dunn, Tara Lonneman, Marissa Prezanno, Catherine Bixby

Homeless Needs Assessment

Research poster stemming from IPEC mini-grant student project Homeless Needs Assessment. The project was designed to assess the greatest needs for people experiencing homelessness in Portland, Maine. UNE Students from several healthcare professions partnered together to provide a holistic approach to the community needs with hopes of developing and implementing intervention strategies. Goal was to conduct surveys of at least 100 homeless individuals.

Connor Hooper - Chicago Public Housing Demolitions And Individual Sense Of Political Belonging, Connor Hooper

Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program 2014

Brian Jacob and other scholars have pointed out how public housing in inner city areas has affected labor supply, student achievement, and a sense of belonging. However, little research has been conducted on how such particular public housing developments have shaped political orientations among low-income residents. The purpose of this research is to understand whether or not the individuals’ experiences with public housing demolitions across Chicago have affected voting participation, civic engagement, and political interest and efficacy among African-Americans who in the past have lived or currently live in Chicago public housing. Over 35 Chicago public housing residents who were …

Highway 68 Corridor -- Public Input On Safety And Transit, Michael Lindgren, Neil Linscheid, Kelly Asche

Center for Small Towns

The University of Minnesota, Morris | Center for Small Towns worked with the Highway 68 Corridor Coalition to gather input from citizens and publicly available data relating to safety and transportation issues along Highway 68 from Canby to Marshall, MN. The compiled information in this report will be used to inform the Minnesota Department of Transportation concerning future changes to the Highway.

Grant Application: Homeless Needs Assessment Project, Annarae Andresen, Oana Butnarasu, Jayme Keith, Sarah Kou, Dana Mccoy, Stephanie Sheehan, Jessica Takatsuki, Ian Imbert, Zoe Hull, Tara Lonneman, Marissa Prezanno, Suzanne Dunn

Homeless Needs Assessment

IPEC Mini-grant application for funding of UNE student project Homeless Needs Assessment. The Homeless Needs Assessment Project was designed to assess the greatest needs for people experiencing homelessness in Portland, Maine. UNE Students from several healthcare professions partnered together to provide a holistic approach to the community needs with hopes of developing and implementing intervention strategies. Goal was to conduct surveys of at least 100 homeless individuals.

Cpaf Updates Vol. 15 Issue No. 9, Cristeta A. Foronda, Stoix Nebin S. Pascua, Francisca O. Tan

CPAf Updates

In this issue:

• Local CC Vulnerability Assessment Tool presented in CSPPS seminar, 1
• Research on extension modalities kicks off phase 2, 2
• CPAf professor and alumni bag awards in Indonesia, 3
• CPAf students awarded in APEAEN conference, 4

Torch (September 2014), Brandon Baldwin, Civil Rights Team Project

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Political And Socio-Economic Change: Revolutions And Their Implications For The U.S. Military, John R. Deni

Monographs, Collaborative Studies, & IRPs

Dramatic political, economic, and social changes across both the Greater Middle East and Latin America over the last several years—in some instances revolutionary, in others evolutionary—have had profound implications for global security generally and U.S. security specifically. Policymakers in Washington are hence confronted with the issue of how to respond to the various changes in these disparate regions in order to safeguard U.S. interests, promote Western values, and shape the security environment into the future. Whether and to what degree U.S. policymakers can influence the unfolding changes and shape outcomes remains to be seen. But if Washington is to achieve …

Cpaf Updates Vol. 15 Issue No. 7-8, Rosmelia K. Raymundo, Damcelle T. Cortes, Lily T. De Castro, Guinevere T. Madlangbayan, Stella Concepcion R. Concepcion, Stoix Nebin S. Pascua

CPAf Updates

In this issue:

• CPAf professors win NAST Outstanding Scientific Paper award, 1
• Recounting Harvard experience, 2
• Dr. Ocampo receives the UPAA Distinguished Service Award, 3
• CPAf administrative staff attend seminars, 4
• CPAf staff attend back-to-back workshops, 5
• CSPPS Seminars Series tackles Organic Agriculture, 6
• New Appointments, 7
• Prof. Medina retires after 33 years of teaching, 8

Focal Point, Volume 28, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

Between one–third and one–half of young adults with mental health challenges have co-occurring substance use issues. This issue of Focal Point examines treatments and supports for this population.

Visual Propaganda And Extremism In The Online Environment, Cori E. Dauber, Carol K. Winkler

Monographs, Collaborative Studies, & IRPs

Visual images have been a central component of propaganda for as long as propaganda has been produced. But recent developments in communication and information technologies have given terrorist and extremist groups options and abilities they never would have been able to come close to even 5 or 10 years ago. There are terrorist groups who, with very little initial investment, are making videos that are coming so close to the quality of BBC or CNN broadcasts that the difference is meaningless, and with access to the web they have instantaneous access to a global audience. Given the broad social science …

Winning Safer Workplaces: A Manual For State And Local Policy Reform, Rena I. Steinzor

Book Gallery

We set out to compile a list of rules and policies that could be implemented by state and local governments to provide better protections for U.S. workers. This manual includes more than two dozen such ideas, organized into thematic chapters:

Chapter 1: Empowering Workers, with proposals designed to strengthen workers' individual and collective power to demand changes in their workplaces;
Chapter 2: Making Sure Crime Doesn't Pay, with ideas for strong enforcement of workplace health and safety rules that will punish bad actors and deter similar behavior;
Chapter 3: Strengthening Institutions, with recommendations intended to bolster government agencies' efforts to …