Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

The Landscape: Sherwood, Elizabeth Mylott

Metroscape

A brief look at the community of Sherwood, Oregon, highlighting the town's landmarks, features and future prospects.

Stimulus And Response: Is The Recovery And Reinvestment Act Working For Us?, Elizabeth Morehead

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

From the beginning, the Recovery Act has received mixed reviews. Skeptics worry about wasteful government spending and a crushing national debt while proponents argue that it is the only way to dig out from the recession. Locally, reaction has also been mixed. While some local leaders have enthusiastically embraced the Recovery Act, others are frustrated by its restrictions and see the program as a missed opportunity to effect real and permanent change. Additionally, several projects within the metroscape have received negative attention on both a local and national scale, causing embarrassment and raising questions about the judgment of those involved …

Black And White And Read All Over: Print, Profit, And Passion - An Interview With Peter Bhatia, Ben Lundin

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

Few industries appear as precarious in today’s economy as newspapers. Once the main source of information for millions of people, printed papers now have to compete with a variety of alternative forms of information gathering and reporting. The ink-stained wretches of yore now lock horns with anonymous bloggers, pompadoured TV anchors on 24-hour news channels, YouTube, and social media for the attention of a fickle public. Among the threatened giants of the old media is The Oregonian, one of the state’s oldest businesses. We sent Ben Lundin, an awardwinning freelance journalist who worked as a staff writer for three Louisiana …

Sherwood School District Enrollment Forecasts, 2010-11 To 2014-15, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Vivian Siu, Megan Robertson

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

This report presents the results of a demographic study conducted by the Portland State University Population Research Center (PRC). The study includes analysis of population, housing and enrollment trends affecting the Sherwood School District (SSD) in recent years and forecasts of district-wide and individual school enrollments for the 2010-11 to 2014-15 school years. Total K-12 enrollment in the District increased by 215 students (4.7 percent) between Fall 2008 and Fall 2009, reaching 4,748 students. For the fourth consecutive year, percentage gains were greater at both of the secondary levels than at the elementary level, as the students who contributed to …

Forest Park: A Call To Action, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Population Dynamics Of The Portland-Vancouver Msa, Webb Sprague, Emily Picha

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

This article offers a descriptive overview of population dynamics in the Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The MSA includes five of Oregon’s 36 counties–Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill, as well as Clark and Skamania counties in the state of Washington (see Figure 1). (In 2007, the Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton MSA was redefined to include Skamania County in Washington. For the sake of comparability, we have therefore derived all historical data as if this definition has always applied. Because of this change, many of our historical numbers may have shifted since the last report on Oregon demography in the 2007 Metropolitan Briefing …

Population Characteristics Within The Portland-Vancouver Msa, Webb Sprague, Emily Picha, Sheila A. Martin

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

In this article, we will explore population characteristics in different parts of the Portland MSA using Census Public Use Microsample (PUMS) data from 2005-2007. For the spatial component, we will use a Census-defined small area geography called Public Use Microsample Area (PUMA), designed to follow existing county boundaries and contain around 100,000 people. (The Census reports the one-year and three-year ACS data only to the detail of this geography in order to maintain the privacy of survey respondents and to improve the precision of the estimates.)

We will sometimes focus on a couple of example PUMAs to show the interesting …

City Design Lecture Series: Linking Transportation And Land Use Planning, Mark L. Gillem

TREC Final Reports

The objective of this multidisciplinary educational program was to host a lecture series that will inform area professionals, students, and the broader public about the need to consider transportation and land use strategies in concert that can jointly create more livable cities with enhanced safety, reduced congestion, greater mobility choices, and more housing variety. This lecture series meets the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium’s (OTREC) goal of encouraging “… multidisciplinary educational programs and experiential learning across disciplines in the transportation field.” The lecture series brought a variety of nationally known experts in the fields of transportation planning, urban design, …

Associations Between Street Connectivity And Active Transportation, David Berrigan, Linda Williams Pickle, Jennifer Dill

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Past studies of associations between measures of the built environment, particularly street connectivity, and active transportation (AT) or leisure walking/bicycling have largely failed to account for spatial autocorrelation of connectivity variables and have seldom examined both the propensity for AT and its duration in a coherent fashion. Such efforts could improve our understanding of the spatial and behavioral aspects of AT. We analyzed spatially identified data from Los Angeles and San Diego Counties collected as part of the 2001 California Health Interview Survey. Results: Principal components analysis indicated that ~85% of the variance in nine measures of street connectivity …

Moving Forward: A Better Way To Govern Regional Transportation, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Bend-La Pine School District: Population And Enrollment Forecasts 2010-11 To 2030-31, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Vivian Siu, Richard Lycan, David West

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

The Bend-La Pine School District (BLPSD) enrolled 15,898 students in Fall 2009, an increase of 61 students from Fall 2008. This followed a loss of 13 students between Fall 2007 and Fall 2008. These two most recent years are in sharp contrast with the previous 19 years of uninterrupted gains of more than 200 students each year. K-12 enrollment growth averaged about 350 students per year from 1990 to 2000, and about 400 students per year from 2000 to 2007. The enrollment trends align closely with the housing and employment trends described in this report. Housing growth began to slow …

Foreclosure Activity In The Portland-Vancouver Msa, Webb Sprague, Emily Picha, Nicole Iroz-Elardo, Tom Heinicke

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

Foreclosure activity is an important indicator of community and neighborhood health and the economic viability of households. In the Portland region, foreclosure activity is comparable to many areas of the United States, with significant segments of the population struggling to make their mortgage payments.

The foreclosure crisis continues to unfold in the United States. In 2009, RealtyTrac reported 3.9 million foreclosure filings on 2.8 million properties in the U.S., up 21 percent from the previous year. Foreclosure filings include default notices, scheduled foreclosure auctions and bank reversions. About two percent of all U.S. housing units received at least one foreclosure …

Where The Ends Don’T Meet: Measuring Poverty And Self-Sufficiency Among Oregon’S Families, Melissa Rowe, Sheila A. Martin, Danan Gu, Webb Sprague

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

This report uses the Self-Sufficiency Standard developed by Dr. Diana Pearce at the University of Washington to analyze the extent to which Oregon households earn enough money to meet their basic needs without a public subsidy. This standard, a vast improvement on the federal poverty level, accounts for differences in the cost of living based on family structure, age of children, and county of residence. Dr. Pearce has defined the income required to meet basic needs for every county in Oregon and a number of household types. A large number of Oregon households not considered poor by the federal poverty …

2009 Oregon Population Report, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Risa Proehl, Julia Crain

Oregon Population Estimates and Reports

This report contains the annual population estimates for Oregon, and its counties, incorporated cities, and unincorporated areas for July 1, 2009. Included in ten tables are the estimates summarized by unincorporated and incorporated areas at the state level, as well as metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas. Some tables include historical estimates and Census populations.

Financing Mechanisms For Capacity Improvements At Interchanges, James G. Strathman, Elizabeth Simmons

TREC Final Reports

This report examines the use of alternative local financing mechanisms for interchange and interchange area infrastructure improvements. The financing mechanisms covered include transportation impact fees, tax increment financing, value capture financing, local improvement districts, transportation corporations, state infrastructure banks, local option transportation taxes, fair share mitigation, and transportation concurrency. The financing alternatives are assessed in the context of Interchange Area Management Plans, which are required by the Oregon Transportation Commission, as well as in the context of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s responsibilities under the state’s Transportation Planning Rule.

Canby School District: Enrollment Forecast 2010-11 To 2019-20, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Vivian Siu, David West

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

The Population Research Center (PRC) has prepared district-wide and individual school Enrollment Forecasts for the Canby School District (CSD) annually for the past four years. This study includes forecasts of district-wide enrollment for the 10 years from 2010-11 to 2019-20 and forecasts for individual schools for the five years from 2010-11 to 2014-15. Previous district-wide forecasts only extended for five years; a 10 year forecast enhances opportunities for school districts to coordinate long range planning with city and county comprehensive plans, which may extend for 20 or more years. After many years of growth, K-12 enrollment in the Canby School …

The Portland Region In 2010: Taking Stock And Looking To The Future, Sheila A. Martin

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

A presentation on regional demographic and economic trends made to the Multnomah County Commission in February 2010.

Bicycle And Pedestrian Design Curriculum Expansion, Lynn Weigand

TREC Final Reports

This project broadened course offerings on bicycle and pedestrian transportation by redesigning and expanding an existing, three credit undergraduate/graduate course into a five-credit course that includes an applied lab component. The course was open to graduate and undergraduate students in planning and engineering programs. The PI (Lynn Weigand, Ph.D., adjunct faculty) and Mia Birk, adjunct faculty course instructor, developed the course with the following learning objectives:

• learn principles of bicycle and pedestrian facility design;
• understand integration of bicycle and pedestrian facilities within the right-of-way;
• understand basic transportation research and data collection methods; and
• apply course content through project work.

The …

Land Use Innovation: Experiences In The Adoption Of Land Use Policies To Promote Active Living, Jennifer Dill, Deborah A. Howe

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Obesity continues to be a major public health problem in the United States. As of 2007, 28.8% of adolescents were either overweight or obese. The rise in obesity may, in part, be attributable to declines in physical activity (PA) levels. In 2007, only 34.7% of adolescents met the national PA guidelines. Since PA levels decrease between childhood and adolescence, the middle school transition is a particularly vulnerable period that warrants special attention. In 2003, Somerville, Massachusetts organized an Active Living by Design (ALbD) partnership to promote community- wide active living through promotion activities (maps), policy changes, programs to engage immigrant …

Overlooked Density: Re-Thinking Transportation Options In Suburbia, Nico Larco

TREC Final Reports

Suburban multifamily housing is an often overlooked housing typology that is the fasted growing housing market in the country and holds strong potential for achieving smart growth goals in suburbia. This housing type is ubiquitous throughout all regions in the nation, is a widespread example of density in suburbia, and is typically located next to commercial uses. The proximity between suburban multifamily housing and commercial uses creates the potential for nodes of concentrated activity, mixed use, and the possibility of substantial non-auto transport in suburbia. While this potential exists, the design of this housing type often follows an enclaved pattern …

North Clackamas School District Enrollment Forecast Update, 2010-11 To 2014-15, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Vivian Siu

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

This report presents the results of a demographic study conducted by the Portland State University Population Research Center (PRC). The study includes analysis of population, housing and enrollment trends affecting the North Clackamas School District (NCSD) in recent years and forecasts of district-wide and individual school enrollments for the 2010-11 to 2014-15 school years. The District enrolled 17,578 students in Fall 2009, a decrease of 150 students (0.8 percent) from Fall 2008. This was the first decline following 22 consecutive years of K- 12 enrollment growth. Enrollments continued to grow at schools east of I-205 in the Clackamas High School …

Periodic Atlas Of The Metroscape: Health And Home: Neighborhood Stability And Hiv Outcomes In The Metroscape, Moriah Mcsharry Mcgrath, Gretchen Luhr

Metroscape

The miasma theory of disease went out of style in the 1850s. The discovery that bacteria, rather than vapors emanating from the soil at night, caused illness launched the modern public health profession. In the intervening 150 years, public health practitioners have focused on controlling disease through sanitary infrastructure and educational campaigns.

Despite these great strides, the geography of HIV illuminates the inconvenient truth that relationships between health and place persist. New York and New Jersey, which together are home to 9.3% of U.S. residents, were the site of 22.3% of AIDS cases recorded by the CDC through 2007. Not …

Connecting Students And The Community, Lynn Weigand

TREC Project Briefs

Nationwide, few university courses focus specifically on planning and design for pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Before this project, Portland State University had only one three-credit course on the subject, which did not provide adequate time to cover all aspects of bicycle and pedestrian transportation planning, policy, design and practice. Although the course provided a useful introduction to the topic and received excellent student reviews, faculty members saw a need to expand the curriculum to provide an opportunity for practical application of the theory and practice and increase the course’s academic rigor.

This project broadened the course offerings on bicycle and …

Guild's Lake Courts : An Impermanent Housing Project, Tanya Lyn March

Dissertations and Theses

Guild's Lake Courts was built as temporary worker housing for the steel and shipyard industries during World War II. The massive housing development in Northwest Portland consisted of 2,432 units of housing, five community buildings, five childcare centers, a grade school and a fire station. Guild's Lake Courts was the eighth largest housing project built at that time in the United States. The peak population in January 1945 was approximately 10,000 individuals. Archival research, face-to-face oral histories, and resident reunions were used to explore the social, architectural and political history of Guild's Lake Courts. The lens for understanding how the …

Clinton Max Station Visioning, Adam Bartini, Annie Bergelin, Ben Weber, Dan Englund, Frank Tigges, Hagen Hammons, Jenny Glass, Jon Vetsch, Kellen Smith, Kyle Gallacher-Turner, Marcy Landolfo, Michelle Van Tijen, Nayana Nayak, Nicholas Falbo

Urban Design Workshop

This is the second part of the three-phase study of the Proposed Milwaukie Light Rail (PMLR) Project that was initiated by the Portland State University Urban Design Workshop in 2009. This report builds upon the initial findings that provided urban design analysis and proposals for the area surrounding the Clinton MAX Station. Aiming to achieve a larger vision to revitalize and harmoniously integrate the areas surrounding the Clinton Station, this report expands the 2009 study area to include the following:

• Hosford-Abernethy and Brooklyn neighborhoods;
• Central Eastside Industrial District (CEID);
• Willamette Riverfront; and
• Rhine Street Station area.

This report is intended …

Brew To Bikes: Portland's Artisan Economy, Charles H. Heying

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Brew to Bikes: Portland's Artisan Economy explains how post-industrial economic transformations have created a space for artisan enterprises to flourish. Dissatisfied with passive consumption, many residents of Portland, OR take matters into their own hands. Associate Professor of Urban Studies Charles Heying noticed these local artisans prospering all over the city and set out to study their thriving economy. Profiling hundreds of local businesses, and with an eye on Portland's unique penchant for sustainability and urban development, Brew to Bikes is about everything from bike manufacturers to microbreweries, from do-it-yourself to traditional crafts. A treatise to local, ethical business practices, …

Urban Universities: Anchors Generating Prosperity For America's Cities, Sheila A. Martin

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper articulates the value and role of urban universities as anchor institutions and engines of metropolitan success. Founded on their long-term commitment to the metropolitan areas they inhabit, the power of urban universities is magnified by strong collaboration with their traditional partners in government and the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. By expanding the number and scope of these broad-based, robust partnerships supported by targeted federal investment?urban universities can help lead our cities and metropolitan regions to long-term competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and enduring vitality as healthy, high-quality communities.

Integrating Education, Evaluation & Partnerships Into Large-Scale Sustainable Stormwater Management Programs, Vivek Shandas, Anne Nelson, Carine Arendes

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Integrated stormwater management using green infrastructure shows promise in saving money and mitigating environmental impacts caused by urban development. Equally important are the potential community benefits, including better understanding of ecological systems, increased access to urban green spaces, safer and healthier neighborhoods, and informed residents that are equipped to take action to improve watershed health. As a partnership between the City of Portland Environmental Services, Portland State University, and residents of the Tabor to the River (T2R) neighborhood, we conducted a survey to understand the role of civic ecology in green infrastructure projects. The survey results indicate a high interest …

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." …

Indicators Of The Metroscape: Foreclosures, Webb Sprague

Metroscape

A brief snapshot of foreclosures in the Portland Metropolitan Area during the May 2007-October 2009 period.