Urban Studies Commons^™

Getting Your House In Order: A Model For African-American Financial Education, Lisa K. Bates, Stacey Triplett

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Portland Housing Center (PHC) is a national leader in educating and creating first time homebuyers, with outreach efforts that bring diverse households to its services. However, in 2010, PHC recognized that African American customers were much less likely to buy homes, even when they received counseling. The Portland (OR) area’s African American homeownership rate was just 35% (compared to 65% for Whites) and actually declined from 2000 to 2010.

Working with an African American advisory committee and with research guiding development, implementation, and evaluation, PHC developed a comprehensive program around outreach and services to African Americans in the Portland …

Transit Justice For Youth In Multnomah County, Oregon: A For Youth By Youth Report, Lisa K. Bates

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

In May 2014, the MYC hosted young people at our first Youth Summit for Transit Justice. In this youth-led process, we brought together youth from across the county and adult policy-makers to address our region’s transit issues. It was an important step for building youth-adult partnership to improve transit access for young people in Multnomah County. In this report, we report on the Transit Justice Summit and the youth perspective on transit fares, access, and the importance of transit justice for the success of all youth in Portland and Multnomah County. This report was created from research we conducted to …

Science Fiction Cities, Carl Abbott

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This essay argues that cities can also be front and center as vividly imagined worlds whose characteristics play active roles that help to structure the arc of the story, forcing and constraining the choices that the characters make.

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

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Contesting The North Williams Traffic Operations And Safety Project, Amy Lubitow, Thaddeus R. Miller

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The North Williams Traffic Safety Operations Project, overseen by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), was proposed in 2010. With an initial budget of $370,000, the project was designed to reduce conflict between buses, bicycles and motor vehicles on North Williams Avenue and improve the overall safety and accessibility of the street. As is common practice, PBOT’s first step in this project was to organize a stakeholder advisory committee (SAC) of interested business owners, neighborhood association representatives, residents, and key stakeholders living or working along North Williams Avenue who would be tasked with advising the city on the project. However, …

Making Accessibility Analyses Accessible: A Tool To Facilitate The Public Review Of The Effects Of Regional Transportation Plans On Accessibility, Aaron Golub, Glenn Robinson, Brendan Nee

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The regional transportation planning process in the United States has not been easily opened to public oversight even after strengthened requirements for public participation and civil rights considerations. In the effort to improve the public review of regional transportation plans, this paper describes the construction of a proof-of concept web-based tool designed to analyze the effects of regional transportation plans on accessibility to jobs and other essential destinations. The tool allows the user to analyze disparities in accessibility outcomes by demographic group, specifically income and race, as required by civil rights-related planning directives. The tool makes cumulative-opportunity measures of the …

Assessing Soil Lead Contamination At Multiple Scales In Oakland, California: Implications For Urban Agriculture And Environmental Justice, Nathan Mcclintock

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

As urban agriculture grows in popularity throughout North America, vacant lots, underutilized parks, and other open spaces are becoming prime targets for food production. In many post-industrial landscapes and in neighborhoods with a high density of old housing stock, the risk of lead (Pb) contamination at such sites is raising concerns. This paper evaluates the extent to which soil Pb contamination may be an obstacle to the expansion of urban agriculture in Oakland, California. Using a combination of soil sampling at 112 sites, GIS, “hot spot” analysis, and reconstructed land use histories, the research reveals that soil Pb concentrations are …

Development And Sensitivity Testing Of Alternative Mobility Metrics, John Gliebe, James G. Strathman

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Oregon Highway Plan’s (OHP) mobility policies guide various planning and programming activities of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Among these activities are ODOT’s land use change review responsibilities under the Transportation Planning Rule, as adopted by the state’s Land Conservation and Development Commission. This report examines supplemental transportation performance metrics beyond the volume-to-capacity metric that currently supports OHP mobility policies. Selected supplemental metrics are empirically analyzed using a travel demand model calibrated for a Medford, Oregon study area.

Case Study Evaluation Of Dynamic Traffic Assignment Tools, John Gliebe, Åsa Bergman

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

A case study was undertaken in order to evaluate the potential use of dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) tools by Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and its partner agencies. The objectives of this study were to provide insight into the nature of DTA models, to inform the program selection process, and to develop realistic expectations for potential DTA work plans. The overarching goal of this report is to describe the process followed and experiences of the study team in developing and testing DTA network models. Two available DTA programs were selected for in-depth analysis from a preliminary screening of available programs: …

Evaluation Of Bike Boxes At Signalized Intersections, Jennifer Dill, Christopher M. Monsere, Nathan Mcneil

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report presents a before-after study of bike boxes at 10 signalized intersections in Portland, Oregon. The bike boxes, also known as advanced stop lines or advanced stop boxes, were installed to increase visibility of cyclists and reduce conflicts between motor vehicle and cyclists, particularly in potential ?right-hook? situations. Before and after video were analyzed for seven intersections with green bike boxes, three intersections with uncolored bike boxes, and two control intersections. User perceptions were measured through surveys of cyclists passing through five of the bike box intersections and of motorists working downtown, where the boxes were concentrated. Both the …

Cultivating The Commons An Assessment Of The Potential For Urban Agriculture On Oakland’S Public Land, Nathan Mcclintock, Jenny Cooper

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This is an inventory of open space with potential for agricultural production on land both owned by public agencies and within the city limits of Oakland, California. The inventory was conducted between the summer of 2008 and spring of 2009 and is part of an ongoing movement to develop a more resilient, sustainable, and just food system in Oakland. This project aims to locate Oakland’s "commons"—land that is owned by public agencies and therefore a public resource—and assess the potential for urban agriculture (UA) on this land. We hope that this assessment can be used 1) to inform policy decisions …

Regional Travel Options 2007-08 Program Evaluation, Jennifer Dill, Stephan Brown

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

To help implement the Growth Concept, Metro’s Regional Travel Options (RTO) Program works to increase awareness of non-SOV alternatives and increase the provision of those alternatives. The program complements other strategies, including land use policies and infrastructure investment. The most comprehensive data available for this evaluation come from commute surveys of employees at work sites that participate in outreach programs offered by TriMet. All of the RTO evaluations have used these data as a benchmark for overall progress, though the data only captures commute travel. The 2008 data reflect the commute patterns of about 120,000 employees commuting to 549 worksites. …

A Brief Portrait Of Multimodal Transportation Planning In Oregon And The Path To Achieving It, 1890-1974, Carl Abbott, Sam Lowry

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This project was designed to outline transportation chapters of a planned written history of Oregon land use planning, written in ways that would make the transportation planning profession relevant to a popular audience. The writing would focus on stories from the profession, and on historical facts and events in Oregon transportation planning history that would surprise or enlighten popular reading audiences. Technology transfer would occur through publication of one or more written pieces of work.

The result is a topical and historical tale entitled "A Brief Portrait of Multimodal Transportation Planning in Oregon and the Path to Achieving It, 1890-1974." …

The Winners In China’S Urban Housing Reform, John R. Logan, Yiping Fang, Zhanxin Zhang

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Housing reform in China has proceeded on two tracks: privatization of public housing and development of a new private housing sector. During this period of transition, rents have remained relatively low in the remaining public housing, and purchase prices offered to occupants of public housing have been well below market prices. Although these rents and prices are partly based on known formulas, there is considerable variability in how much people pay for similar apartments. This study uses 2000 Census data to estimate the housing subsidy received by the remaining renters in the public sector and purchasers of public housing, based …

Equity Analysis Of Portland’S Draft Bicycle Master Plan – Findings, Jennifer Dill, Brendon Haggerty

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portland's current bicycle network has brought the city into the national spotlight as a leader in the provision of cycling infrastructure. As the city looks forward to 2030 with ambitions of becoming a truly world-class bicycling city, it is clear that if the Draft Plan is fully implemented, nearly all of the city will be covered by a dense network of bikeways. The question of equity in the future is therefore not so much one of network coverage or lack of coverage, but of project priority and timing of implementation. The current network, while outstanding relative to other cities, nevertheless …

Evaluation Of Short Duration Unscheduled Absences Among Transit Operators: Trimet Case Study, James G. Strathman, Joseph Broach, Steve Callas

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report analyzes factors contributing to short duration (one to three days) unscheduled absences among operators at TriMet, the transit provider for the Portland, Oregon metropolitan region. The analysis draws on a wide array of operator-specific information recovered by transit ITS technologies in combination with information from the agency’s human resources, scheduling, incident, and customer relations databases. The likelihood of an absence is estimated in relation to personal characteristics, employment status, aspects of assigned work, service delivery and performance indicators, temporal factors, and customer feedback. The findings can be used directly to support extraboard planning practices. More generally, the findings …

Evaluation Of The Oregon Dmv Medically At-Risk Driver Program, James G. Strathman, Hongwei Dong, Lois M. Bronfman

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Oregon is one of six states with requirements for mandatory reporting of drivers with medical impairments. In 2003, the state’s mandatory reporting program, administered by Oregon Driver Motor Vehicles (DMV) Services, was revised to cover an extensive range of cognitive and functional impairments. This report examines the safety risk of persons treated in Oregon’s revised Medically At-Risk Driver program. The incidence of crashes and traffic offense convictions before and after license suspension is documented and compared to crash and conviction incidence of persons treated in the DMV’s voluntary medical reporting program. Comparisons are also made to a representative sample of …

Initiative For Bicycle And Pedestrian Innovation, Jennifer Dill, Lynn Weigand

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation aims to advance the field of bicycle and pedestrian transportation through four primary mechanisms: (1) developing and pursuing a collaborative research agenda that more directly informs practice and and involves students through dissertation research and fellowships; (2) translating relevant research into a format and language that is more useful to practitioners, and making that research available through technology transfer; (3) developing more holistic approaches to the education and training of planners and engineers; and (4) supporting community-based outreach and education, to promote awareness of bicycle and pedestrian issues statewide and nationally. This proposal …

Epistemological Pluralism: Reorganizing Interdisciplinary Research, Thaddeus R. Miller, Timothy D. Baird, Caitlin M. Littlefield, Gary Kofinas, F. Stuart Chapin Iii, Charles L. Redman

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite progress in interdisciplinary research, difficulties remain. In this paper, we argue that scholars, educators, and practitioners need to critically rethink the ways in which interdisciplinary research and training are conducted. We present epistemological pluralism as an approach for conducting innovative, collaborative research and study. Epistemological pluralism recognizes that, in any given research context, there may be several valuable ways of knowing, and that accommodating this plurality can lead to more successful integrated study. This approach is particularly useful in the study and management of social–ecological systems. Through resilience theory's adaptive cycle, we demonstrate how a focus on epistemological pluralism …

An Anatomy Of A Community-University Partnership: The Structure Of Community Collaboration, W. Barry Messer, Kevin Kecskes

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portland State University for the past twelve years has been engaged in a transformation of its general education program and a renewal of its urban mission. A major thrust of this reform has focused on broadening the involvement of students and faculty in community-based learning and scholarship. Curricular and administrative changes have significantly raised the presence of the university in the community and resulted in numerous academic units actively engaging in community collaboration. The collaboration has proven to be an important platform by which the university has expanded its boundaries into the community through actions involving many challenges to the …

Evaluation Of The Oregon Dmv Driver Improvement Program, James G. Strathman, Thomas J. Kimpel, Paul Roland Leistner

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report provides an evaluation of the Oregon Department of Transportation-Driver and Motor Vehicle (DMV) Services Driver Improvement Program (DIP), which was substantially changed in 2002. Prior to 2002, the DIP was organized around four progressive steps involving advisory letters, warning letters, probation, and suspension. The current program is organized around two steps: restriction and suspension. The timeline to the steps in the current program have also been shortened. To evaluate the current program, driver records of persons suspended between January and July of 2004 were examined in relation to a sample of Oregon’s driving population. The incidence of crashes …

A People's Plan For Overcoming The Hurricane Katrina Blues: A Comprehensive Strategy For Building A More Vibrant, Sustainable, And Equitable 9th Ward, Richard Hayes, Ken Reardon, Lisa K. Bates

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Peoples’ Plan is a strategic action plan for the recovery of the 9th Ward. We’ve created it based on conversations with residents – some struggling to return home, others intent on remaining in a neighborhood that has always been there own. The Peoples’ Plan provides a thorough assessment of what must be done to provide recovery in one of the hardest hit areas of the City, and provides a recovery model for all badly flooded areas. Our Plan seeks to transform the 9th Ward as it is rebuilt. The proposed transformation will be resident-driven and will provide improved employment …

Helping Everyone Have Plenty: Addressing Distribution And Circulation In An Hours-Based Local Currency System, Jonathan Lepofsky, Lisa K. Bates

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper summarizes research conducted by the authors who served as the ad-hoc Disbursement Task Force created by NCPlenty, Inc., the non-profit managing agency for a local currency system in central North Carolina, USA. NCPlenty, Inc. began printing a scrip-based local currency called the PLENTY in October 2002. The PLENTY, or Piedmont Local EcoNomy Tender, is based on the Ithaca HOURS currency and has faced circulation and distribution issues similar to other HOURS-based systems in the US. While at the start of the PLENTY’s first year of circulation the number of participating individuals and businesses nearly doubled and a vibrant …