Urban Studies Commons^™

Relocation Of Homeless People From Odot Rights-Of-Way, Ellen M. Bassett, Andrée Tremoulet, Allison Moe

TREC Final Reports

This research project consists of an investigation of responses to homeless encampments on rights-of-way owned by Departments of Transportation (DOTs). While DOTs are not housing or social service agencies, their role as major public landowners involves them in dealing with the consequences of homelessness. The research goals included analyzing the prevalence of the problem, documenting how DOTs are responding, and culling from this data information that could be used as a basis for creating a best practices guide. The research included a single mixed-methods, in-depth case study, electronic surveys of practitioners and follow-up interviews. Products consist of two reports (included …

Omsi - Clinton: A Corridor For Invention And Innovation, Todd Borkowitz, Katherine Dahlin, Gena Gastaldi, Kyle Goodman, Lisa Harrison, Szilvia Hosser-Cox, Irene Kim, Shihui Liu, Qi Liu, Lindsey Menard, Julia Metz, Corrie Minor, Eve Nilenders, John Tomasini, John Verssue, Kate Washington

Urban Design Workshop

This project focuses on developing a vision for the corridor between two new MAX light rail transit stations at OMSI and Clinton Street, which are part of the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail (PMLR) project, connecting downtown Portland with north Clackamas County via southeast Portland.

This vision must be created with respect to the industrial sanctuary that flanks this stretch of light rail corridor to the west and the residential and light industry to the east.

This document is the product of a 2013 urban design workshop at Portland State University. The project builds upon three previous urban design workshops that focused …

Fresh Look Milwaukie: Downtown Road Map, Carine Arendes, Jeffery Butts, Ryan Lemay, Erica Smith, Iren Taran

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

The Fresh Look Milwaukie: Downtown Road Map project was a collaboration between ALIGN planning, City of Milwaukie staff, and over 300 fantastic Milwaukie community members, to plan for an improved Downtown. Through the project, City staff and ALIGN planning identified shared Milwaukie community values and analyzed how those values interact with current Downtown plans, as well as current physical and economic conditions. This document provides recommendations that are accompanied by concrete strategies to support a vibrant Downtown Milwaukie in the short and long-term future. The recommendations are the project team’s interpretation of community desires, transformed into policy direction and planning …

Not In Cully: Anti-Displacement Strategies For The Cully Neighborhood, Ricardo Banuelos, Brooke Jordan, Rebecca Kennedy, Danell Norby, Erik Olsen, Cary Watters

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

This document presents a set of strategies for preventing the displacement of low-income Cully residents as new investment comes in to the neighborhood. It was developed at the request of Living Cully: A Cully Ecodistrict, an innovative partnership of three community-serving organizations, Hacienda CDC, the Native American Youth & Family Center (NAYA) and Verde. In 2010, Verde established Living Cully as a strategy to introduce new environmental assets into Portland’s Cully Neighborhood. Living Cully reinterprets the ecodistrict concept as an anti-poverty strategy, as a means to address disparities by concentrating investments at the neighborhood scale. Cully suffers from many disparities: …

The South Kelso Revitalization Plan, Ashley Harris, Aaron Lande, Chris Myers, Beth Otto, John Verssue, Kate Williams

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

The city of Kelso has a rich history based in a strong community ethic, hard-working people, and an economy deeply rooted in the bounty of the natural environment. This economy has changed over the last several decades, however, and the difficult transition has left its mark on the community. South Kelso in particular- one of the four neighborhood quadrants- is battling its fourth generation of disinvestment and widespread poverty. To help the City revitalize South Kelso, the aim of the South Kelso Revitalization Plan is to give voice, strength, and direction to the concerns and priorities of the South Kelso …

Alley Allies, Scotty Ellis, Katie Hughes, Derek Dauphin, Sarah Isbitz, Shavon Caldwell, Liz Paterson

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

This is the guiding document for the project and sets the stage for the potential of alley re-use in the Foster Corridor. It includes: A 2020 vision statement; a project overview; context regarding the importance of alley revitalization; and our recommendations. The intended audience for this document is the leadership of the project, the non-profits and other organizations who will be involved in the project’s implementation, and the City agencies who will play a critical role in facilitating the successful repurposing of these alleys.

This document describes the development of the project during the planning phase, including the public engagement …

Lombard Reimagined, Kathryn Doherty-Chapman, Zef Wagner, Jake Warr, Jodi Jacobson-Swartfager, Rebecca Hamilton, Brian Hurley

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

From January to June 2013, Swift Planning Group worked with the Kenton, Arbor Lodge, and Piedmont Neighborhood Associations, residents and businesses in those neighborhoods, and the broader community to develop a vision for what the future Lombard should look like and how to get there. Lombard Street has long been considered a dividing line between neighborhoods where walking is not only unpleasant, but unsafe. Businesses line much of the street, but they have not always served the needs of surrounding neighborhoods. The Lombard community, however, is made up of passionate people who care about their neighborhoods. They are ready to …

Live It Up Downtown: A Framework For Housing In Downtown Oregon City, Jennifer Koch, Ryan Farncomb, Ian Matthews, Lina Menard, Kate Drennan, Derek Abe

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

Five to Nine Consulting was formed to work with Main Street Oregon City and the City of Oregon City to develop a framework for the reintroduction of housing into downtown Oregon City. The name “five to nine” is inspired by the idea of activating Oregon City’s downtown into a lively, dynamic, and attractive urban center beyond business hours.

This project was conducted under the supervision of Gil Kelly and Ethan Seltzer

The Metropolitan Dimensions Of United States Immigration Policy: A Theoretical And Comparative Analysis, Nicole G. Toussaint

Dissertations and Theses

Municipal unauthorized immigration policy, as an area of study, is underexplored. The literature is in the early stages of development, and little specific theory to guide research exists. To advance this emerging field, my study addresses two questions. First, what unauthorized immigration policies do local governments pursue, under what circumstances, and for what reasons? Second, what explains city-to-city variation in municipal responsiveness to the policy preferences and interests of residents without legal status?

The dissertation also presents a typology of municipal responsiveness to unauthorized immigrants, based on my exploratory research. To explain intercity differences in the policy processes and choices …

Urban Water As A Coupled System: Interactions And Feedbacks Among Climate, Land Cover, Water Governance, Heejun Chang

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on the changes in urban water systems and includes information on the relationship between water quality and property value, changes in land cover and dissolved oxygen, spatial variations of water temperature, and the need for integrative water and land planning.

Social Inclusion At The Neighborhood Level: The Community Partnership For Health And Equity, Veronica Dujon, Eileen M. Brennan, Jana L. Meinhold, Marion Sharp, Karen Cellarius

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This presentation will discuss the central role of social inclusion in promoting social sustainability and present our experiences with a university-community partnership focused on eliminating health disparities.

Urban Studies: Ecodistrict Research, Ethan Seltzer

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on the central ideas of EcoDistricts

Gentrification And Displacement Study: Implementing An Equitable Inclusive Development Strategy In The Context Of Gentrification, Lisa K. Bates

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study focuses on the effects on the housing market, particularly the loss of affordable housing. It builds upon earlier studies to consider a broader interpretation of displacement that encompasses not just when a household is forced to move by conditions that affect the dwelling, but also to take into account changes in the neighborhood as a whole. These neighborhood changes can result in a neighborhood’s inability to provide basic services that make it impossible to continue residency as a “voluntary” response. Housing in Portland is almost exclusively produced by the private sector, with a limited public sector role through …

Research And Development Of A Land Use Scenario Modeling Tool, John Gliebe, Hongwei Dong, Josh Frank Roll

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Transportation Planning and Analysis Unit (TPAU) developed a land use modeling tool called the “Land Use Scenario Developer in R” (LUSDR). LUSDR is a modeling tool, written in the “R” language, that may be used to predict and analyze regional land use changes probabilistically, creating a distribution of possible outcomes. It is designed to be integrated with travel demand modeling programs, making it potentially valuable for analyzing the interaction between transportation and land use when assessing various growth-policy and socioeconomic assumptions. This project is Phase 2 for Research and Development of a Land Use Scenario …

Consumer Satisfaction With Aging & Disability Resource Connection (Adrc) Services: Round 2, Diana L. White, Sheryl Elliott

Institute on Aging Publications

Aging and Disabilities Resource Centers (ADRC) are a program of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), and the Veterans Health Administration. They serve as a single entry point into the long-term services and supports systems for older adults and those with disabilities. The goal is to provide a coordinated system of information and access to those seeking long-term services and support, thereby minimizing confusion, enhancing individual choice, and supporting informed decision-making.

Improved Pedestrian Safety At Signalized Intersections Operating The Flashing Yellow Arrow, David Hurwitz, Christopher M. Monsere

TREC Final Reports

In some jurisdictions, protected left-turn phasing has been replaced with the flashing yellow arrow (FYA) for protected/permissive left turns (PPLTs) to reduce delay. However, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the conflict between pedestrians and the permissive left-turning vehicle. This presentation summarizes the results of research conducted with a high-fidelity, motion-based driving simulator and mobile eye-tracking equipment to study the effects of the opposing traffic, the presence and walking direction of pedestrians, and the number of section heads to display the FYA on driver performance. To accomplish this research, a six-intersection simulated environment was created. In total, …

Development, Deployment, And Assessment Of A New Educational Paradigm For Transportation Professionals And University Students, Christopher M. Monsere

TREC Final Reports

Traditionally, engineering coursework has been delivered in a lecture-based format with accompanying exercises assigned for time outside of class. The activity-based approach to learning aims to keep students engaged in and responsible for their own learning processes. This approach has been shown to be more effective than conventional teaching approaches in terms of long-term retention of the educational material.

Vocational Rehabilitation: Return On Investment In Oregon, Jeff Renfro, Janai Kessi, Ayesha Khalid, Hudson Munoz

Northwest Economic Research Center Publications and Reports

This report estimates the return on investment of rehabilitation programs administered by Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation Services.

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 …

Carbon Tax And Shift: How To Make It Work For Oregon's Economy., Jenny H. Liu, Jeff Renfro, Janai Kessi, Hudson Munoz

Northwest Economic Research Center Publications and Reports

This study analyzes a carbon tax and tax shift in Oregon as a means of reducing market inefficiencies by placing a meaningful price on carbon emissions. This study shows that a carbon tax can reduce distortionary income taxes, and provide new revenue opportunities for Oregon. By taxing carbon emissions and reducing Corporate and Personal Income tax rates, Oregon can reduce the negative incentives created by income taxes while generating revenue and reducing carbon emissions. The report shows that putting a price on carbon in Oregon can result in reductions in harmful emissions and have positive impacts on the economy.

Assessing The Potential Contribution Of Vacant Land To Urban Vegetable Production And Consumption In Oakland, California, Nathan Mcclintock, Jenny Cooper, Snehee Khandeshi

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

As urban agriculture grows in popularity, researchers are attempting to quantify its potential contribution to local food systems. We present the results of a vacant land inventory conducted in collaboration with the HOPE Collaborative, a multi-stakeholder, community-based initiative in Oakland, CA, USA. Vacant lots, open space, and underutilized parks with agricultural potential were identified using GIS and aerial imagery. Using visual interpretation, we identified 1201 ac (486.4 ha) of public land and 337 ac (136.4 ha) of private land that could potentially be used for vegetable production. Based on USDA loss-adjusted consumption data, we calculated the potential contribution of these …

Measuring The Performance Of Transit Relative To Livability, Marc Schlossberg, Jennifer Dill, Liang Ma, Cody Meyer

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This project sought to understand the relationship between urban form, transit service characteristics, and ridership measured at the stop level. Most previous work in this area has looked at these issues separately, by either linking system performance (e.g. on-time performance, cost, etc.) to ridership or exploring the connection between urban form (e.g. density) and transit use. This project synthesized these disparate approaches. While transit service characteristics (e.g. frequency, travel time, etc.) are important to help individuals reach their desired destinations, most transit users are pedestrians at the beginning and end of any transit trip. Therefore, focusing on the walkable zone …

New Census Data Show Poverty On The Rise In Oregon And Nationwide, Jason R. Jurjevich, Jack Byerly

Publications, Reports and Presentations

The U.S. Census Bureau’s latest Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), released in December 2012, show an increase in poverty in Oregon and nationwide from 2010 to 2011. During this period, the nation’s poverty rate rose from 15.3 percent ( /- 0.1 percent) to 15.9 percent ( /- 0.1 percent), while the rate in Oregon rose sharply from 15.8 percent ( /- 0.3 percent) to 17.3 percent ( /- 0.4 percent). Both the national and state increases are statistically significant. In 2011, Oregon had the sixteenth highest rate of poverty (tied with Oklahoma) among the fifty states and the …

Developing An Oregon Access Management Best Practices Manual, Karen Dixon, Xiang Yi, Lacy Brown, Robert Layton

TREC Final Reports

This report reviews an Oregon research effort to develop an Oregon Access Management Best Practices Manual. In particular, this research effort develops a resource to help transportation professionals quantify safety and operational effects of various access management strategies, provide measurable criteria to evaluate these access management techniques, and identify data collection practices necessary to successfully perform these assessments. It is the expectation that this manual can be used by engineers, decision makers, and educators to help the transportation community better understand the appropriate application of access management strategies and how to quantify benefits of the various access management options. This …

Closing The Gap: Developing A Transportation Curriculum For The Oregon Young Scholars Program: Project Summary Report, Carla Gary, Bethany Steiner, Chuck Kalnbach

TREC Project Briefs

This OTREC educational proposal links experiential and transportation education from the University of Oregon with minority youth during the Summer ‘08 two-week session of the Oregon Young Scholar’s Program (OYSP). The grant provides OYSP an opportunity to create a transportation based curriculum during the Summer ‘08 program with the ultimate purpose of increasing minority interest and hopefully eventual employment in transportation related fields. OYSP was developed in 2005 to nurture the potential of marginalized minority students, to prepare these students for higher education, and to increase the awareness of their parents or caregivers about what it will take for these …

Development Of Mobile Mapping Technology To Facilitate Dialogue Between Transportation Agencies And The Public, Ken Kato, Marc Schlossberg, James Meacham

TREC Final Reports

The goal of this grant was to take the technological innovations for deploying survey instruments to mobile phones, developed under a previous OTREC grant, and publish them as globally accessible mobile applications (apps) for use in a variety of transportation planning settings. Under this grant, three applications have been developed for three distinctly different user groups. The first, JLA Involve, was developed and deployed for JLA, a Portland, OR.-based public involvement firm, to support their work with the City of Tualatin, OR., in updating their Transportation System Plan (TSP). The second was developed and deployed for the City of Eugene, …

Enhancing Bicycle And Pedestrian Education Through Curriculum And Faculty Development, Lynn Weigand

TREC Final Reports

This project was intended to provide relevant curriculum on bicycle and pedestrian transportation that can be used by planning and engineering faculty to integrate these topics into their course offerings. We developed a module-based curriculum for bicycle and pedestrian planning and design that is current, relevant to practice, and adaptable for use in a variety of course offerings in engineering and planning departments. We also procured 33 new publications for the Millar Library to support coursework on this topic. In addition, a proposal to pilot a faculty development workshop was funded, allowing us to provide training and resources to transportation …

Revisiting Equity: The Hud Sustainable Communities Initiative, Lisa K. Bates, Marisa Zapata

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

In 1974, Norman Krumholz boldly called on planners to advocate for equity in public resource allocation and administrative practices. In 2010, the Obama administration’s HUD-DOT-EPA Sustainable Communities Initiative—specifically in the form of the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant

(SCRPG)—renewed this call for equity. But our review of the responses by thirteen grantees proved disappointing. The plans put forth by award winners recycle many of the activities from the Cleveland Policy Plan (CPP) without employing its overarching mission. Instead of boldness, we are left with a stark reminder about the lack of progress made since the City of Cleveland incited planners …

Oregon’S Electric Vehicle Industry, Jenny H. Liu, Jeff Renfro, Scott Stewart

Northwest Economic Research Center Publications and Reports

In 2012, Drive Oregon and the Portland Development Commission (PDC) commissioned the Northwest Economic Research Center (NERC) to undertake a study of Oregon’s existing EV cluster. This report has two goals: define what we mean when we talk about an EV cluster in Oregon, and characterize and measure the existing EV cluster in order to identify Oregon’s strengths and opportunities.

A Study Of Emergency Service Provider Costs For Chronically Homeless Persons In Washington County, Oregon, Scott Stewart, Janai Kessi

Northwest Economic Research Center Publications and Reports

Individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Washington County are a growing community challenge. Services provided to the homeless population have tended to focus on providing support in cases of emergency, and by doing so are unlikely to address the root causes of homelessness. There is a growing recognition nationally that concentrating on provision of emergency services might be both inefficient and unnecessarily expensive. Recognizing these issues locally, Vision Action Network (VAN) and its partners have taken the initiative to both better understand homelessness in Washington County and to encourage progress toward its solution. As one part of that effort VAN …