Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Parking Infrastructure: A Constraint On Or Opportunity For Urban Redevelopment?, Mikhail Chester

PSU Transportation Seminars

Many cities have adopted minimum parking requirements, but we have relatively poor information about how parking infrastructure has grown.

In this research, using building and roadway growth models, we estimate how parking has grown in Los Angeles County from 1900 to 2010, and how parking infrastructure evolves, affects urban form, and relates to changes in automobile travel.

We find that since 1975, the ratio of residential offstreet parking spaces to automobiles in Los Angeles County is close to 1.0 and the greatest density of parking spaces is in the urban core. Most new growth in parking occurs outside of the …

An Analysis Of Cyclist Path Choices Through Shared Space Intersections In England, Allison Boyce Duncan

PSU Transportation Seminars

Shared space is a traffic calming technique as well as urban design concept. Also known as ‘Naked Streets’, this technique strives to fully integrate the roadway into the urban fabric by removing elements such as lane markings, curbs, and traffic signs. By removing these elements and creating a more plaza-like space, these spaces become ambiguous and no user group has priority. The technique is relatively new, and the majority of existing research concerns pedestrians only.

This study focused on intersections in England with the goal of understanding how bicycle riders perceive and travel through shared space intersections.

Using video observations, …

Center For Population Dynamics Quarterly Brief October 2015: A Reason To Be- The "Upskilling" Of Cleveland's Workforce, Richey Piiparinen, Jim Russell, Charlie Post

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Not having a reason to be is the human crisis. Developing worth is the cure. Such is the case not just for people, but for cities. Cities without uses become ghost towns, with a midway existence called “the shrinking city”. Cleveland, like many Rust Belt cities, is a so-called shrinking city. For decades now the region has fought against the anticipation of disappearing. This fight is called “economic development”.

Often, development policies are more instinctive than strategic. Cleveland has lost jobs, mostly manufacturing jobs. The solution, then, is to simply go get those jobs back. But manufacturing as a share …

Street Portals: Urban User Interface 'Test Bed' Prototype For Bike Shares, Jason Germany, Philip Speranza

TREC Final Reports

The objective of this research project is to develop a user interface “test bed” to measure the role of touchscreen kiosks with community connectivity. This interface test bed will apply the knowledge of interface design to the domain of public transit kiosks, with a particular focus on bike share stations. The value of this research is the ability to generate user feedback between community members using urban experiences. Safety, effectiveness and community connectivity of public transit is enhanced with this information interface.

This report explains the test bed kiosk’s design, physical build, and hardware and software testing. User interaction studies …

Oceano Community Health Plan, Eugene Phillip Brennan

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Oceano Community Health Plan

Phillip Brennan

Recent, mounting research shows that chronic disease, the leading causes of death and primary driver of health care costs, cannot be effectively addressed through education or preventative health alone. A physical environment that promotes health—through access to healthy food, opportunities for physical activity, quality housing, transportation options, and safe schools—is an integral part of making our communities healthier. This research and accompanying Healthy Community Plans will serve as a way for the County to begin looking in-depth at the ways the built environment (our streets, parks, and neighborhoods) contribute or detract from the …

Using Indicators Projects As Prompts For Exploring Equity: A Case Study Of Greater Portland Pulse, Meg Merrick, Diane Besser, Shelia A. Martin

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

This paper describes the process that the Greater Portland Pulse (GPP) initiated to incorporate the measurement of progress toward social equity into the project. While equity may appear to be a widely accepted priority for communities, the GPP process created a dialogue that was sometimes contentious but also profoundly educational for the participants revealing some of the complexities, not only of the issue of equity, but the challenges (particularly the inadequacy of available data) and trade-offs that are inescapable when using conventional data sets.

Additionally, this paper discusses some of the consequences of a process that, while incorporating equity values …

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 …

An Examination Of Walkability In The Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, Courtney Coughenour

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: The benefits to regular physical activity are well established. Walkability is one element of the built environment that has been correlated with increased levels of physical activity. The auto-centric design of Las Vegas Metropolitan area (LVMA) is unique in ways that may influence walkability. The purpose of this study was to determine which urban design characteristics are associated with walking and physical activity in moderate income neighborhoods in LVMA. Methods: The standard walkability measure developed by Frank et al. (2010) was used to calculate the walkability index of seven neighborhoods. Residents of the two most walkable and two least …

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 …

Concentrated Poverty And Community Development: A Look At How Upstate South Carolina Municipalities Address Issues Of Distressed Neighborhoods, Anna Brown

All Theses

America is known to be a place where there are opportunities to move in and out of social and economic classes. What about people that live in an area of concentrated poverty? Typically, residents of a neighborhood where 20 to 40 percent of the population lives at or below poverty face extreme barriers to these opportunities for a better life. Historically, government at the local, state and federal level have attempted to solve or at least assist these issues of distressed neighborhoods, particularly through what is known as community development. By having more local knowledge, municipal governments have first hand …

The Relationship Between Residential Satisfaction, Sense Of Community, Sense Of Belonging And Sense Of Place In A Western Australian Urban Planned Community, Kylie M. Smith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Residential satisfaction is important as it contributes to a person‟s psychological wellbeing and quality of life. Residential satisfaction develops due to physical factors such as the provision of parks and amenities within a community, social factors such as a feeling of belongingness to the community and social support within the community and personal factors such as homeownership and length of residence. Sense of community, sense of belonging and sense of place also influence residential satisfaction; however, the extent that these contribute is unclear. As a result, this study investigated the contribution of these constructs to the development of residential satisfaction …

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 …

Urban Form In Europe And America, Pietro S. Nivola

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Why do America's cities sprawl whereas European cities remain comparatively compact, and what difference do the patterns of urban development make? Pietro Nivola, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, addresses these questions. Nivola examines two kinds of determinants of urban form: (1) market forces, including those influenced by geography, demographics, and technological change, and (2) public policies shaping national transportation systems, tax policy, educational institutions, and more. He also discusses the implications of the different cityscapes for energy consumption.

The Rhetoric Of The Regional Image Interpreting The Visual Products Of Regional Plannning, Alissa Barber Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Rhetoric of the Regional Image: Interpreting the Visual Products of Regional Planning investigates the manner in which visual conventions and visual contexts of regional visioning scenarios affect their interpretation by urban and regional planners, who use visual communication to meet the technical and rhetorical demands of their professional practice. The research assesses Central Florida‘s ―How Shall We Grow?‖ regional land use scenario using focus groups and interviews with planning professionals, a corresponding survey of community values, and rhetorical analysis to explore the ―How Shall We Grow?‖ scenario as persuasive communication. The Rhetoric of the Regional Image proposes specific recommendations …

Gentrification And Hope Vi In Chicago: Turning Points And Responses To Economic Crisis, Todd Sink, Brian Ceh

Symposium Projects

Public housing in Chicago, like many cities nationwide, has a history of poverty, crime, and disinvestments. In 1992 the HOPE VI program was created to change the development path of these neighborhoods. The objective of the program is to deconcentrate poverty and enrich prospects for gentrification and urban renewal in targeted neighborhoods by tearing down and replacing project-based public housing with mixed-income apartments. In the process condominium developments often arise on empty parcels of land that further accelerate neighborhood gentrification. Using data made available under the Home Mortgaged Disclosure Act of 1975 the study investigates gentrification in neighborhoods targeted by …

Mountain Megas: America's Newest Metropolitan Places And A Federal Leadership To Help Them Prosper, Robert E. Lang, Andrea Sarzynski, Mark Muro

Brookings Mountain West Publications

The Initiative The Brookings Institution and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, are collaborating to bring Brookings’ high-quality, independent and impactful research to the issues facing the dynamic and fast-growing Mountain West region: the states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Every year, Brookings will send scholars from each of its five research programs to spend three weeks at UNLV to conduct research, meet with faculty, and deliver lectures and seminars. The project begins September 8, 2009, with presentations on national and local trends. The new initiative builds upon the work of Brookings’ Metropolitan Policy Program, which focuses …

The Disneyfication Of New Orleans: The French Quarter As Facade In A Divided City, J. Mark Souther

History Faculty Publications

The article discusses the development of New Orleans, Louisiana as a tourist attraction. The author suggests that Hurricane Katrina allowed the public to perceive racial and economic divisions in New Orleans. He suggests the French Quarter of New Orleans was developed for tourism due to its historic architecture. An attempt to attract military bases to the region during World War II failed due to the labor market and competition, leading to a focus on tourism. The author compares the city's appearance to that of Disneyland and suggests urban renewal relocated African Americans to ensure the development of the French Quarter.

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 …

Cyberpunk Cities: Science Fiction Meets Urban Theory, Carl Abbott

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The science fiction subgenre of cyberpunk developed in the 1980s and 1990s with a strong interest in urban settings. A reading of important cyberpunk novels shows the way in which the ideas of formal urban theory, such as the idea of global cities, cities as communication systems, and the Los Angeles school of urban studies, have been incorporated into this facet of popular culture. The analysis suggests that science fiction can help planners to understand the influence of a range of social theories on public understanding of planning issues.

Nature And Norfolk: The History Of The Norfolk Botanical Garden, Cheryl S. White

Institute for the Humanities Theses

If what they say is true, that first impressions are always the most important, then the city of Norfolk, Virginia could impress anyone. The Norfolk Botanical Garden began as approximately 30 acres surrounding Mirror Lake, adjacent to the proposed Norfolk Municipal Airport in 1938. Today the Garden consists of 158 acres that include a variety of garden styles, manmade canals, and extensive educational facilities. It serves as the first and last view visitors have of Norfolk. The Norfolk Botanical Garden is an example of interdisciplinary co-operation. Biology, urban planning, landscape architecture, and various political involvements are all expressed within the …

Community Acceptance Of Affordable Housing, C. Theodore Koebel, Robert E. Lang, Karen A. Danielsen

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Despite historically low interest rates, organizations across the nation have become increasingly concerned about the impacts of regulatory constraints and anti-growth sentiments on the availability and cost of housing. This concern is by no means limited to a few “high cost” areas like Boston and San Francisco. It can also be found in Iowa City, where new single-family houses were recently selling from $150,000 to $375,000 (prices readily considered affordable in many larger metropolitan areas) and even in rural areas where spill-over growth and “drive to qualify” solve the commuter’s affordability problem while creating unforeseen affordability problems for the rural …

Mandating Density: The Blunt Instrument Of Smart Growth, Kenneth Dueker

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

This essay expresses concern that urban growth management places too heavy a reliance on densification, particularly upzoning with minimum density requirements in suburban infill situations. Increasing densities may be appropriate when other aspects of urban development can be controlled through urban design. However, evidence provided here indicates that mandating density reduces land consumption, but does not achieve other objectives of growth management, particularly street connectivity, greater use of alternative modes of transportation, and more housing choices. This analysis finds that upzoning and requiring minimum-densities, when used to regulate suburban residential infill developments, is not effective in producing quality compact development. …

The Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority Plan Public Outreach Efforts In The City Of Henderson, Brenda S. Fischer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Region is the fastest growing region in the United States and has been for several years. The same source lists Henderson as the fastest growing large city (over 100,000 population) since 1990.

To mitigate the effects of growth, the Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority (SNSPA) was created in 1997. it was tasked with creating a 20 year plan for growth and presenting that plan to the 1999 legislature. The purpose of this paper is to determine it the residents of Henderson agree with the contents of the plan, as rt …

Community Building Sourcebook: Land Use And Transportation Initiatives In Portland, Oregon, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District Of Oregon

TriMet Collection

No abstract provided.

Housing Market Study: City Of Lansing, George A. Erickcek, Gove Associates Inc., W.E. Upjohn Institute For Employment Research

Reports

No abstract provided.

Planning The Twentieth-Century American City, By Mary Corbin Sies And Christopher Silver. Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore And London, 1996, And Magnetic Los Angeles: Planning The Twentieth-Century Metropolis, By Greg Hise. Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore And London, 1997 (Book Reviews), Robert Wojtowicz

Art Faculty Publications

(First Paragraph) Planning has been a part of the American landscape since the establishment of the first colonial outposts, but it was not until the early twentieth century that the field's protagonists organized and professionalized. Also a relatively recent phenomenon is the field of American planning history, which for many years was the neglected stepchild of urban history and the distant cousin of architectural history. Over the past decade, however, a steady outpouring of interdisciplinary research has garnered for the field well-deserved recognition within the academy. At a time when more established disciplines are increasingly torn by ideological differences and …

Prophets, Planning, And Politics: Utah's Planning Heritage And Its Significance Today And Tomorrow, Janna K. Bushman

Theses and Dissertations

Utah's planning heritage includes both physical and social elements. In 1833 Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church, designed the Plat for the City of Zion. Associated with his plan were the principles of communitarianism and a demo-theocratic form of government. As the Mormons journeyed across the Midwest to the Great Basin, they applied these planning beliefs in various ways. Throughout Utah today, large city blocks, wide roads, and grid iron layouts remain as testaments to the state's early physical planning tenets. Other factors, though, have led Mormons to abandon the social aspects of the plan and to embrace the …

The International City Hypothesis: An Approach To The Recent History Of U.S. Cities, Carl Abbott

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Differentiates between the concepts of world cities and international cities, asserting that study of international cities offers greater opportunities for research and analysis of major urban regions of the latter 20th century. The world city model emphasizes hierarchy and status based on influence and power. The international city model emphasizes numerous indicators that demonstrate a broader range of international connections, including foreign tourists, new immigration, sister-city affiliations, and multinational corporation offices. They may function as production centers, gateway cities, or transactional cities. At present, statistical data are thin, and the topic invites research by urban historians.

Eureka General Plan Update, Susie Van Kirk

Susie Van Kirk Papers

Historic resources within the City of Eureka's planning area, which extends from College of the Redwoods to Indianola, reflect the region's development since its settlement in 1850. Significant in the area's social, economic, and architectural history, these resources include a diversity of structures, sites, groups, neighborhoods, and communities, each of which contributes to the planning area's aesthetic qualities and historic context. They are the tangible evidence of the regions past and a heritage to be valued by this and future generations.

The Market For Convention Facilities, Philipp Degens, M. Hossein Haeri, James G. Strathman

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

Conventions, trade shows and meetings represent an industry of considerable size in the United States. In a 1984 survey, the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus estimated a total of 20.5 billion dollars of annual expenditure generated by 54.3 million delegates nationwide. Despite its economic importance, the industry has received little analytical attention in the literature on tourism. In this paper we develop and estimate a model of demand for metropolitan convention facilities. Our results suggest that metropolitan convention activity is sensitive to both cost and attraction-related factors.