Urban Studies Commons^™

Issue Brief: Auditing Your Town's Development Code For Barriers To Sustainable Water Management, New England Environmental Finance Center

Sustainable Communities Capacity Building

This issue brief is intended for town officials who want to understand how development regulations in their community affect local water resources. Municipal development codes – the set of regulations that control the built environment – can have a great influence on the availability of clean and healthy water for drinking, recreation, and commercial uses. This in turn affects the community’s social, environmental, and economic vitality.

Comprehensive plans, zoning codes, and building standards are just a few examples of regulations that intentionally or unintentionally regulate the way water is transported, collected and absorbed. Regulations that produce dispersed development or large …

Issue Brief: Saving By Mitigating, University Of Louisville, New England Environmental Finance Center

Sustainable Communities Capacity Building

Natural disasters can cause loss of life, inflict damage to buildings and infrastructure, and have devastating consequences for a community’s economic, social, and environmental well-being. Hazard mitigation means reducing damages from disasters.

Local governments have the responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their citizens. Proactive mitigation policies and actions help reduce risk and create safer, more disaster-resilient communities. Mitigation is an investment in your community’s future safety, equity, and sustainability.

Contesting Sustainability: Bikes, Race, And Politics In Portlandia, Amy Lubitow, Thaddeus R. Miller

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite decade old calls for a "just sustainability," urban sustainability policy and practice remains oriented toward environmental outcomes and eco-lifestyle projects. Notions of equity, justice, and inclusion continue to be marginalized in favor of technological solutions, such as green buildings, that are visible, easy to implement, and help to promote economic development. By examining a controversy over a bikeway development project in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in Northeast Portland, Oregon, this article explores how despite apolitical appeals to broadly shared values or visions of what a sustainable city ought to look like, sustainability projects can be—and perhaps should be—hotly contested. …

Urban Studies: Ecodistrict Research, Ethan Seltzer

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on the central ideas of EcoDistricts

Green Mind Gray Yard: Micro Scale Assessment Of Ecosystem Services, Erin Jolene Kirkpatrick

Dissertations and Theses

There is a spatial mismatch between the size of the area where people are living and the extent of land needed to ecologically support developed areas. More people are living in urban areas than any time in history, and the resources need to support cities have had to expand to try and meet the demands of increasing urban populations. However, areas of opportunity exist for urban areas to begin to positively contribute towards the available resources in a region. Because a large portion of urban areas is within private control, gaining a baseline understanding of how residents interact with ecosystem …

Understanding Urban Sustainability And Quality Of Life: A System Dynamics Approach, Abby Elizabeth Beck

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For an urban area to be sustainable, its resources cannot be depleted faster than they can replenish. If an urban area is to provide a high quality of life (QOL), it must offer and maintain an amenity package that satisfies its resident's preferences. Past studies on these topics all have a common thread: sustainability and QOL both pertain to people's relationship to capital. Capital is something that can accumulate and add value to a person or society. If sustainability and QOL are a function of people's relationship with capital, how they use it, deplete it, replenish it and transform it …

Slides: Unconventional Gas And Oil – Potential Air Emissions, John Imse

Air Quality Impacts from Oil and Gas Development (January 27)

Presenter: John Imse, Hydrogeologist, ENVIRON International Corporation presents an overview of the current methods for developing a shale play and the typical site operations

10 slides

Slides: Air Monitoring And Litigation Update, John Jacus

Air Quality Impacts from Oil and Gas Development (January 27)

Presenter: John Jacus, Partner, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, reviews recent litigation aimed at oil and gas development activities with respect to air emissions impacts, and also several recent and ongoing studies and ambient monitoring efforts focused upon air emissions from oil and gas activities

23 slides

Slides: Air Quality - Oil And Gas Development, Paul R. Tourangeau

Air Quality Impacts from Oil and Gas Development (January 27)

Presenter: Paul Tourangeau, Assistant General Counsel, DCP Midstream, LP and former Director, Colorado Air Pollution Control Division, addresses regulatory requirements and policies related to air emissions from the oil and gas sector, including recent and current initiatives at the state and federal level

8 slides

Slides: Hydrofracking: Air Issues And Community Exposure, Debra A. Kaden

Air Quality Impacts from Oil and Gas Development (January 27)

Presenter: Debra Kaden, Ph.D., Toxicologist, ENVIRON International Corporation, discusses air concentrations of chemicals of potential health concern surrounding oil and gas development activities, as well as temporal and spatial patterns of these chemicals in the ambient environment. Such information is necessary to evaluate possible health impacts of the drilling process on air in surrounding communities.

19 slides

Agenda: Air Quality Impacts From Oil And Gas Development, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Air Quality Impacts from Oil and Gas Development (January 27)

Oil and gas development and hydraulic fracturing have received enormous attention over the past few years, and most of that attention has focused on the potential impacts of such development on water quality. However, the potential impacts on air quality from oil and gas development have received far less public and media attention and discussion. This two-hour program will assess the current scientific knowledge, regulatory requirements and policies regarding the impacts on air quality from oil and gas development and will address current initiatives at the state and national levels to further regulate and control those impacts.

Northeast Ohio Storm Water Training Consortium Strategic Plan: 2012-2014, Claudette Robey

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Fiscal Review Of The Cleveland Public Library And Scan Of State And National Trends In Library Funding, Claudette Robey, Kevin O'Brien, Kyle Julien, Scott Winograd

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

The Next Steps Toward Consolidating Public Safety Dispatch Centers: Parma, Ohio, Daila Shimek, Scott Winograd, Kimberly Renee Vining, Eugene Kramer, Thomas Cozzens, Claudette Robey, Kevin E. O'Brien, Andrew Batson

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Operations Of Bay Village, Ohio, Daila Shimek, Kyle Julien, Scott Winograd, Claudette Robey, James Wyles, Kevin E. O'Brien

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Rebuilding After Hurricane Katrina: The Big Easy, And The Long Road Home., Jennifer S. Boucher

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The objective of this study is to analyze the influences of demographic patterns, planning politics and funding disbursement processes in rebuilding New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina's storm surge engulfed several neighborhoods of Orleans Parish Louisiana, on August 29th 2005.Immediately following the storm surge, national opinion makers began debating the possibility of shrinking the footprint of New Orleans, as part of the rebuilding process. Although recovery efforts were begun almost immediately, at the five year anniversary of the cataclysmic natural disaster more than a hundred thousand of New Orleanians are still displaced. Utilizing regression analysis as a quantitative measure and qualitative …

Human Sanitary Wastes And Waste Treatment In New York City, David J. Tonjes, Christine O'Connell, Omkar Aphale, R. Lawrence Swanson

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Henry Hudson first sailed toNew Yorkharbor 400 years ago. Since then,New York Cityhas both affected and been affected by water quality in greaterNew YorkHarbor. In this paper, we focus on sewers, sewerage, and sewage treatment inManhattanand their effects on theHudson River. It is clear that feedbacks among drinking water quality and quantity, population, public perceptions, regulations, and estuarine water quality exist, although their strength and character have varied over time. Early land uses damaged local water supplies found on ManhattanIsland. New Yorkthen began to exploit the large fresh water resources available to its north, which helped the City to expand …

Consolidated Public Safety Dispatch Centers: Us Case Studies, Daila Shimek, Scott Winograd, Kimberly Renee Vining

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report includes case studies of consolidated dispatch centers in the United States. Each case study includes descriptions of the governing and operating structure, consolidation process, funding and fee structure, and the successes, challenges and lessons learned by each entity. The results suggest that, although the experiences among consolidated dispatch centers varied, the elements that should contribute to a successful transition are strong leadership, communication with affected employees, ability to compromise, consistency in treatment of employees, development of standard operating procedures, stakeholder inclusion, and beginning consolidation with a clear plan that treats all participants as equal partners.

Consolidated Dispatch Center Feasibility Study: Ohio Case Studies, Daila Shimek, Scott Winograd, Kimberly Renee Vining

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report describes the outcome of case study research of consolidated dispatch centers in the state of Ohio. Each case study includes descriptions of the governing and operating structure, consolidation process, funding and fee structure, and the successes, challenges, and lessons learned by each entity. The results suggest that while the experiences among consolidated dispatch centers varied, the elements that should contribute to a successful transition are building strong relationships, involving a center director and other stakeholders (including affected employees) in the planning process, having a willingness to compromise, providing training for dispatchers developing of standard operating procedures, and establishing …

Feasibility Study Of Consolidating Public Safety Dispatch For The City Of Wooster, City Of Ashland, And Wayne County, Ohio, Daila Shimek, Eugene Kramer, Patrick Johnson, Scott Winograd, Kimberly Renee Vining, Thomas Cozzens, Kevin E. O'Brien

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

The Hydro-Ecology Of Everyday Life: Assessing The Social And Environmental Determinants Of Water Use In The Portland Region, Vivek Shandas

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

Driven in part by the imminent threats of population growth and climate destabilization, recent studies suggest that urban areas face severe water scarcity, with some areas in Australia and the United States already instituting moratoria on water use. While water managers traditionally avoid such crises by developing demand forecasts based on population estimates, technological developments, and weather predictions, their analysis are often at a regional scale with aggregate measures of water consumption. To date, there exists limited empirical evidence about how urban spatial structure and concomitant socio-demographic and temperature characteristics mutually interact to affect water demand at the scale of …

Local Land Use Scenario Formulation Using The Ipcc Sres Climate Change Scenarios Within Nevada, Scott Bassett

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

23 PowerPoint slides Convener: Darko Koracin, DRI Session 5: Climate Modeling Abstract: -Develop a methodology for downscaling SRES for use in land use drivers at a regional scale (metropolitan city scale) -Integrate land use drivers into urban growth models (UGMs) and land use change models -Link land use based demand models with river operations to assess potential future water allocations

Sustainability Initiatives In East Bayside Neighborhood Portland, Maine, Garvan Donegan, Henry Heyburn, Caitlyn Horose, Matt Klebes, Jennifer Riley, Damon Yakovleff, New England Environmental Finance Center

Planning

This is a bundle containing research on sustainability initiatives that could be implemented in the East Bayside neighborhood of Portland, ME. These six essays were prepared by the Spring, 2010 Sustainable Communities Class known as CPD 602 at the University of Southern Maine. The class is part of the core curriculum of the Community Planning and Development program of the Muskie School of Public Service at the university. The instructor for the class was Samuel Merrill, Ph. D. who is also director of the New England Environmental Finance Center at the University. These papers were prepared in conjunction with Alan …

Assessing The Feasibility Of An Aerotropolis Around Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Executive Report, Claudette Robey, Daila Shimek, James Wyles, Brian A. Mikelbank, Jim Robey, Kevin O'Brien, Et.Al.

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report provides an assessment of the feasibility of developing an aerotropolis around Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Cleveland, Ohio. The report describes the methodology used to assess the feasibility, notes the needs and expectations of community stakeholders, profiles the challenges and successes of six emerging and potential U.S. aerotropolises, and discusses the operating experiences and challenges of 12 additional U.S. airports. Further, this report describes the demographic and economic aspects of the study cities, and discusses potential target industry opportunities. The findings suggest that it is feasible to develop CLE as an aerotropolis, and that CLE may not be suited …

Assessing The Feasibility Of An Aerotropolis Around Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Technical Report, Claudette Robey, Daila Shimek, James Wyles, Brian A. Mikelbank, Jim Robey, Kevin O'Brien, Et.Al.

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report provides an assessment of the feasibility of developing an aerotropolis around Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Cleveland, Ohio. The report describes the methodology used to assess the feasibility, notes the needs and expectations of community stakeholders, profiles the challenges and successes of six emerging and potential U.S. aerotropolises, and discusses the operating experiences and challenges of 12 additional U.S. airports. Further, this report describes the demographic and economic aspects of the study cities, and discusses potential target industry opportunities. The findings suggest that it is feasible to develop CLE as an aerotropolis, and that CLE may not be suited …

Assessing The Feasibility Of An Aerotropolis Around Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Appendices, Claudette Robey, Daila Shimek, James Wyles, Brian A. Mikelbank, Jim Robey, Kevin O'Brien, Et.Al.

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This is a companion report to the full technical report entitled, “Assessing the Feasibility of an Aerotropolis Around Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.” This report contains the supporting documents including interview scripts, focus group protocol, a reference list and glossary, cooperative economic development agreements, airport case studies, a map of physical property characteristics, and endnotes for the appendices.

South Burlington, Vt: Mixed-Use Comes To O’Dell Parkway, Ryan Neale, Brett Richardson, Richard Barringer

Planning

The proposed redevelopment of an underutilized property along major travel routes in South Burlington presents possibilities for infill development. The City of South Burlington, the developer, neighbors, and a variety of public and nonprofit financial partners work together to create a mixed-use residential/commercial development to meet a variety of housing and community needs. The case study describes the obstacles overcome to make redevelopment possible through zoning and regulatory changes, negotiation with local residents over traffic and other concerns, support from state and local housing advocates, and political leadership; as well as the development’s application of smart growth principles.

Feasibility Study: Consolidated Dispatch Center For Police, Fire And Ems Services, Daila Shimek, Ryan Foster, Holly Cooper, Kevin O'Brien, Claudette Robey, Caitlin Johnson

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report provides an assessment of the feasibility of consolidation of public safety dispatch for 14 communities in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The findings are that consolidation of dispatch services among the participating communities would reduce staffing costs by an estimated $1.7 million annually. Consolidation of services would reduce the duplication of services and redundant capital projects. Instead of the duplicate purchase of expensive equipment by several communities, the cost of large capital will be distributed over a larger base of beneficiaries. Centralization will reduce the physical blueprint of dispatch operations which in turn should reduce operating costs such as natural …

Flame, Furnace, Fuel: Creating Kansas City In The Nineteenth Century, Twyla Dell

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Though this work is a fuel and energy history of Kansas City from 1820 to 1920, it also provides a tool to describe and analyze fuel and energy transitions. The four parts follow the rise and fall of wood, coal and oil as their use grows to a peak and, in the case of wood, declines. The founding and growth of Kansas City as an “instant city” that grew from zero population to over three hundred twenty thousand in a hundred years embodies the increased use of fuels and energy in an urban setting and serves as a case study. …

Npdes Storm Water Training: Program: Closing Activity Report, Daila Shimek

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report discusses the outcome and evaluation of the training program conducted by the GLEFC and funded by the Ohio EPA’s Office of Environmental Education.