Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

The Incorporation Of Direct Democracy : Populism And Initiative Practices As Contested Terrain, Larry Galizio

Dissertations and Theses

What are the democratic implications of the increasing professionalization of direct democracy?

The dissertation takes a critical approach to the "initiative-industrial complex" and offers a counter-thesis to prevailing scholarly research on the substantial growth in the use of political consultants in initiative campaigns. The political economic analysis approaches direct legislation campaigns and elections as constituent parts of a system of legitimation for the existing set of social relations.

An historical analysis reveals that the contemporary era of initiative activity rivals that of its frequent use during the populist and progressive eras; and that in the early 21st century direct legislation …

Working For The "Working River": Willamette River Water Pollution, 1926 To 1962, James Vincent Hillegas

Dissertations and Theses

Efforts to abate Willamette River pollution between 1926 and 1962 centered on a struggle between abatement advocates and the two primary polluters in the watershed, the City of Portland and the pulp and paper industry. Throughout the twentieth century, the Willamette was by far the most heavily populated and industrialized watershed in Oregon. Like many other of the world's rivers, the Willamette was an integral part of municipal and industrial waste removal systems. As such, the main stem of the river carried the combined wastes from sewage outfalls serving hundreds of thousands of people and millions of gallons daily of …

Community, Conversation, And Conflict: A Study Of Deliberation And Moderation In A Collaborative Political Weblog, Samantha Isabella Soma

Dissertations and Theses

Concerns about the feasibility of the Internet as an appropriate venue for deliberation have emerged based on the adverse effects of depersonalization, anonymity, and lack of accountability on the part of online discussants. As in face-to-face communication, participants in online conversations are best situated to determine for themselves what type of communication is appropriate. Earlier research on Usenet groups was not optimistic, but community-administered moderation may provide a valuable tool for online political discussion groups who wish to support and enforce deliberative communication among a diverse or disagreeing membership.

This research examines individual comments and their rating and moderation within …

"Whose Streets? Our Streets!" Urban Social Movements And The Transformation Of Everyday Life In Pacific Northwest Cities, 1990-1999, Leanne Claire Serbulo

Dissertations and Theses

This project returns to the questions that were once at the center of the urban studies debate over social movements. What are urban social movements, and what impacts do they leave on the cities where they occur? Urban protests in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington are used as the foundation for exploring the following research questions: What urban social movements occurred in the Pacific Northwest during 1990s? What goals were these movements struggling for? What impacts did urban social movements have on daily life in Portland and Seattle?

While this project has continuity with earlier attempts to identify, describe, and …

Giving Process Its Due : Can Collaboration Help Environmental Markets Succeed?, John Robert Cochran

Dissertations and Theses

Emerging environmental markets assign economic value to ecosystem services and exchange them in market-like transactions. These markets are characterized by diverse stakeholder interests interacting with minimally defined transaction steps and high uncertainty. In this context, process plays an important role in shaping the institutions that make markets work or fail. If process matters, then market organizers need to intentionally craft processes just as they intentionally design institutions. This project explores a subset of four relatively established water quality trading programs that involved diverse stakeholders, and used differing forms of collaboration to design institutions. This research tests whether sometimes subtle changes …

Active Recreation In Parks: Can Park Design And Facilities Promote Use And Physical Activity?, Lynnette Renee Weigand

Dissertations and Theses

Current research is examining the link between the built environment and regular physical activity to improve public health. As communities become denser and individual lots become smaller, locally accessible parks will assume more importance as places to promote physical activity and individual health outcomes.

To determine if park design and facilities can promote use and physical activity, I examined five neighborhood parks in three newer developments near Portland, Oregon (Fairview Village, Sunnyside Village and Orenco Station). I used a multi-method research approach that included interviews with relevant public agencies and developers, field inventories of the parks and surrounding context, observations …

Contribution Of Public Support Agency Programs To Local New Firm Performance, Stephen Baker Braun

Dissertations and Theses

New and small firms make two indispensable contributions to the American economy: they generate change and competition through market structure changes and they are an essential vehicle by which hundreds of thousands of individuals enter the economic mainstream of American society. Small business formation is hailed as the "engine for economic growth," contributing more than 60 percent of net new jobs in the United States. The central issue of this dissertation is to understand the extent to which entrepreneurs are helped by government agency programs in assembling resources that contribute to the performance of new firms.

This study develops a …

Impact Of Universal Health Coverage On Health In Late Life, Nathalie Huguet

Dissertations and Theses

The growth of the elderly population is a major public concern in industrialized countries. Understanding the factors contributing to better health in late life is essential. Canadians appear to be healthier than Americans, yet concrete findings that determine whether older Canadians are healthier than older Americans are missing. The primary goal of this study is to examine the relative importance of the health care system in explaining why older Canadians may be healthier than older Americans. To achieve this goal, this study (a) assessed if older Canadians are healthier than older Americans; (b) investigated the impact of health care coverage …

Redrawing The Color Line : A Case Study Of The Alliance Of Minority Chambers Of Commerce In Portland, Oregon, Francisca Inez Trujillo-Dalbey

Dissertations and Theses

This study focused on a minority coalition formed in 2002 to secure municipal parking lot contracts in the City of Portland, Oregon. It is grounded in Bates and Howell's (1998) theory of barriers to minority entrepreneurship. The minority group's actions are applied to Butler (1991), Prabhu (1999), and Dees' (2001) theory of social entrepreneurship. The formation of the coalition provides empirical support for Allport (195411979) and Pettigrew's (1998) positive intergroup contact theory.

The creation of minority group coalitions for community economic development purposes, using the chamber of commerce structure, adds to the community economic development literature. Further, the intercultural communication …

Examining The Effects Of Transit Service On Commuting Mode Choice And Residential Location Choice, Jaturapat Bhiromkaew

Dissertations and Theses

Empirical studies on the link between land use characteristics and travel behavior may generate biased estimates when the choice of residential locations is influenced by mode preference (i.e., residential self-selection). Without appropriately addressing this matter, the effects of land use characteristics on travel behavior may be overestimated. This study aims specifically to address the residential self-selection problem related to transit service. It also aims to take into account the effects of density and transit service at the origin and destination on mode choice because the level of transit service is often correlated with density. Mode choice effects associated with density …

Oregon's Approach To Health Care Reform : An Analysis Of The Role Of The Business Community In The Evolution Of The Oregon Health Plan, Peter Chuka Olemgbe

Dissertations and Theses

On February 1, 1994, the state of Oregon implemented its landmark health reform legislation---the Oregon health plan. The plan was conceived as an insurance program which uses a prioritized list of treatment protocols to ration health care services to Oregon's poor residents.

During the planning and implementation process of the program, various groups (political stakeholders) participated to bring the program to fruition. Although it is commonly known that one of these stakeholders was the Oregon business community, it is not clear what form its participation took and the nature of its influence. While it is generally assumed that businesses are …

Beyond The Economic Catalyst Debate: Can Consumption Benefits Justify A Municipal Stadium Investment?, Charles Andrew Santo

Dissertations and Theses

The issue of public investment in sports facilities has garnered a great deal of attention from economists and public affairs researchers; however, relevant empirical research has become mired in a stagnant discussion of whether sports stadiums can serve as economic catalysts. A host of empirical studies have indicated that stadiums and arenas have no significant impact on metropolitan area income or employment. In light of this evidence, the continued proliferation of public investment in sports facilities, begs the question: is there some other justification for this spending, or are policymakers simply acting against the public interest (either irrationally, or in …

Community Benchmarks: An Analysis Of Performance Measurements In Urban Planning Management, Susan Joan Daluddung

Dissertations and Theses

New public management practices in the U.S. call for governmental accountability, performance measures and benchmarks. Community benchmarks research provides a basis for current information and further research for planners and educators in the urban planning profession. A benchmark is simply a standard for performance or targeted level of service delivery aspired to by the city. Community benchmarks, as defined by the researcher, are tied to an adopted community plan. Community plans take many shapes including the General or Comprehensive Plan, the city's budget document, or a variety of strategic planning documents.

The intent of the study was to complete research …

"We Want Smokestacks And Not Swamps" : Filling In Portland's Guild's Lake, 1906-1925, Kathleen D. Tucker

Dissertations and Theses

Between 1905 and 1926. developers. real estate speculators, and the Port of -Portland filled in Guild's Lake, a riparian marsh that had been the location for Portland's 1905 Lewis and Clark.: Exposition and Oriental Fair. There were two phases in the filling process. The first phase, which began before the fair ended and lasted until 1914, involved developers using high-pressured hydraulic hoses to sluice soil from nearby hills into the lake. Their primary goal was to terrace the hillside to create a high-end view neighborhood; Guild's Lake was a convenient "dump" for the gravel and dirt. During the second phase. …

Re-Imaging A Neighborhood : The Creation Of The Alberta Arts District, Portland, Oregon, Meredith R. Rizzari

Dissertations and Theses

Art is often used as a catalyst to stimulate redevelopment and neighborhood change. This often occurs inadvertently as the presence of artists in certain communities can attract both public and private investment to revalorize economically depressed areas. Marginal neighborhoods in inner-urban areas offer inspiration and diversity to artists seeking lower-cost housing. Their presence effectively makes these marginal communities "safe" for middle-class residents looking to live in a funky, urban neighborhood. Ultimately, however, artists are eventually priced out of the communities they helped to create.

The Alberta district in northeast Portland, Oregon has used art to create an identity that distinguished …

Actor And Partner Effects Among Marital Dyads In Retirement Adjustment And Well-Being, Julie Guenette Howard

Dissertations and Theses

Our understanding of and interest in how retirement impacts the lives of individuals have grown over the past 20 years. Studies to date have ranged from small, convenience samples composed primarily of men to large, national longitudinal samples of men and women from different professional and socioeconomic backgrounds. There is consensus in the literature that older adults generally function better with a partner; however, gaps remain. We know little about the impact of retirement beyond the individual, although research in other areas on couples has produced evidence of crossover and contagion effects relative to depression and other outcomes, including absenteeism, …

A Study Of The Transformative Facilitation Process At The Hanford Advisory Board, David Black

Dissertations and Theses

During World War II the Hanford Nuclear Reservation was one of several secret sites where the first nuclear bombs were built. This 586 square mile site was part of the land designated for the First Nations in the Treaty of 1855. This land was to be returned to the First Nations after it had been cleaned by the U.S. government. In 1994, after decades of contamination, the U.S. Department of Energy and other government agencies setup a board to advice on cleaning up of the site. The Hanford Advisory Board was to utilize a facilitator to assist the board members …

The Origin Of Portland, Oregon's Waterfront Park: A Paradigm Shift In City Planning (1967-1978), Michael Anthony Jenner

Dissertations and Theses

The present thesis chronicles the decision to replace Portland, Oregon's Harbor Drive, a downtown highway located between Front A venue and the Willamette River, with Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a thirty-seven acre linear greenway, in the late 1960s and 1970s. These events provide an example of the battle against the ascendancy of the automobile and the ability of concerned citizen groups to affect city planning decisions.

Special Focus Programs, Magnet Programs And Schools, And Early Childhood Education Centers: Equal Access In Portland Public School's Elementary Options, Nancy Seidule Hauth

Dissertations and Theses

As parents and educators demand more choice programs in their school districts, it is important for district officials to govern issues around equal access. When specialty programs are designed by grassroots groups and school staff without district-level guidance or funding, as it is in Portland, Oregon, equal access provisions can be overlooked resulting in lower ethnic and socio-economic diversity.

The purpose of this study was threefold: to determine if all families in Portland Public School district have equal access to special focus/magnet programs at the elementary grades; to better understand the link between Portland's past desegregation policies and current choice …

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit : A Case Study Of Policy Learning, Coalition Building, And Paradigm Expansion, Terri Hinson Silvis

Dissertations and Theses

The goals of policy analysis include understanding the objectives of public policies, ascertaining how to structure policies to influence behaviors and fulfill stated policy objectives, and creating improved policy-making processes. Identifying underlying values that influence the behaviors and attitudes of policy makers and stakeholders is crucial to fully understanding public policies, and analysis procedures that seek to explore values should be operationalized within policy-making processes.

The intent of this study is to explore the potential for infusing value considerations in the policy assessment process by analyzing the federal low-income housing policy known as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit [the Credit]. …

Dialectics Of Control : The Origins And Evolution Of Conflict In Portland's Neighborhood Association Program, Matthew Witt

Dissertations and Theses

In 1974, the City of Portland established, by city ordinance, the Office of Neighborhood Associations (ONA). This ordinance also codified a set of commitments the City would make to involve citizens in local decision making pertaining to a wide variety of issues, from land use development policies to various service allocations.

Beginning with thirty active neighborhood-based groups in 1974, ONA helped organize thirty more neighborhood associations (NAs) over the next five years. Today, the City hosts over ninety active NAs. This dissertation chronicles changes that have occurred in Portland's Neighborhood Association program over a roughly 24-year period, spanning 1974–1998. A …

Patterns Of Time, Place, And Culture: Land Use Zoning In Portland, Oregon, 1918-1924, Meg Merrick

Dissertations and Theses

Until recently, few have questioned the notion that the separation of uses in land use zoning is inherently correct. Many observers of the city are now suggesting that zoning, as it has been practiced in this country over the last 80 years, has created cities that are fractured and function poorly. Others propose that zoning should be reconsidered as a remedy for urban dysfunction. They suggest that the whole notion of zoning be rethought.

The purpose of this study is to uncover some of the underlying rationales and methodologies that set the model for zoning. This study examines the rationales …

Reading Neighborhood Character : A Semiotic Analysis Of Three Portland, Oregon Neighborhoods, Jodi Hanson Tanner

Dissertations and Theses

The character of a neighborhood is demonstrated through environmental cues that tell the casual passerby about a neighborhood and its residents, including such aspects as privacy, neighboring, and wealth. Neighborhoods may be made up of residents all speaking the same message, such as exclusivity or independence; these neighborhoods give coherent messages and have strong identifiable character. Other neighborhoods may seem fragmented or have unclear character because the residential make-up is changing over time. Residents reflect aspects of themselves through the physical surroundings that make up a neighborhood.

This study examines three neighborhoods in a preliminary effort to identify which characteristics …

Urban Traffic Arterials And The Sale Price Of Single Family Houses In Portland: A Hedonic Analysis Of Impacts, Philip Wuest

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the hypothesis that the prices of single family houses are negatively influenced by proximity to urban arterial roadways. A hedonic price model is developed that tests the effects of traffic volumes and proximity on sale price.

Using a data set of sale records from Portland Oregon in 1994, a traditional hedonic model is developed based on housing and neighborhood characteristics. Using a geographic information system, each sale record is associated with the nearest arterial roadway, and the data on distance to the roadway and level of traffic is returned to the sale record. These data are then …

Public Transportation For The Elderly: A Neighborhood-Area Fixed-Route Alternative, Richard James Burke

Dissertations and Theses

As the elderly population of the United States grows in coming decades, providing personal mobility will be increasingly challenging. The dispersed suburban residential pattern of most metropolitan areas ensures that the personal automobile will continue to be the dominant mode of transportation. Those who voluntarily or involuntarily stop driving will encounter serious constraints in meeting their transportation needs.

Conventional public transit in most cities is tailored to the needs of urban commuters, and is, at best, barely adequate for elderly riders. Supplemental demand-response or subscription "special-needs" services are often inconvenient, sometimes unreliable, and inefficient. Eligibility criteria restrict many non-disabled elderly …

Violent Youth Gangs In Portland: A Study Of The City's Response, Debra Lynn Lindberg

Dissertations and Theses

Youth gangs infiltrated Portland's illegal drug trade in the early 1980s. By the mid-1980s, entire neighborhoods in some parts of the city were affected. Residents expressed fear that their children would be drawn into gangs. Violence between rival gangs was frightening. Citizens, law enforcement and social services personnel organized to defend themselves and adjust programs to manage the problem. City officials denied a problem existed until a gang style shooting death forced recognition. The shooting death was catalytic in that it launched an effort to respond with a continuum of services. The House of Umoja was one of the services. …

Government Policy And Private Organizational Forms: Analysis Of Refuse Collection And Disposal In Three Metropolitan Cities, Thomas Wright

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores refuse collection as a municipal service using qualitative methods to examine how government makes decisions about residential refuse collection services in Portland, Gresham, and Beaverton, Oregon. The study explores the history of refuse collection in these three cities to identify factors that influence bureaucratic behavior and decision making when selecting a municipal service delivery option for refuse collection. Public choice and public policy analysis theory are used to discuss those non-monetary considerations present when government makes decisions about service arrangements. Qualitative data was collected from public officials and private haulers involved in refuse collection in the three …

Characteristics Of Administrators' Leadership Style In Quality Child Care Centers, Katherine Ann Bobula

Dissertations and Theses

The utilization of center-based child care services by working and student parents has increased dramatically over the last two decades, and has been accompanied by an equally strong interest, among the public and researchers alike, in the establishment and maintenance of quality caregiving in center-based care. This study addresses the leadership characteristics of administrators of quality child care centers. The intent of the study is to add to the existing knowledge concerning the role that the child care center administrator has in maintaining the delivery of high quality child care by the teaching-caregiving staff. Two factors were investigated: the leadership …

Physical And Environmental Features That Contribute To Satisfaction With Hospice Facilities, Arezu Movahed

Dissertations and Theses

Improving the quality of remaining life for individuals who are terminally ill and their families is an issue that has become increasingly important in recent years. This issue has evolved from perceived deficiencies of conventional health care institutions in meeting the needs of people who are in the final stages of their life, when curative measures are no longer deemed appropriate. In response to deficiencies in care of the terminally ill and their families, there has been a movement toward humanizing conventional health care and making it more holistic. Hospice care, which is consistent with this movement, has evolved as …

Pretrial Release In Criminal Courts: A Study Of Three Oregon Counties, Melvin Earl Degraw

Dissertations and Theses

Pretrial release (PTR) is the permanent or temporary freedom from incarceration for criminal defendants awaiting adjudication of their cases in court. From Anglo Saxon times in England, people accused of non-capital crimes were generally permitted to remain free until judicial officials could hear the charges against them. In America, pretrial release has been advocated by the courts since the colonial era. The U. S. Constitution requires that bail not be excessive, but leaves governments free to decide how bail laws are administered. The study briefly traces the historical developments of PTR up to the present time. The study then centers …