Urban Studies Commons^™

Understanding Travel Behavior And Accessibility For Older Adults: A Comprehensive Framework, Andy Hong, Cathy Liu, Ja Young Kim, Zihao Wen

TREC Final Reports

This study used a mixed-method design to examine travel behavior and accessibility of older adults. The research team conducted a statewide survey and focus groups to gather travel behavior data of older adults (50+) residing in Utah. The study also employed a two-step floating catchment area method, a novel spatial technique, and integrated the survey data to accurately measure travel accessibility of older adults. Using the survey data of 724 older adults as well as the focus group interviews of 18 older individuals, we found a significant dissatisfaction and vulnerability experienced by older adults with limited mobility. The distribution patterns …

Eviction In Oregon's Subsidized Affordable Housing, Yi Wang, Lisa K. Bates, Azad Amir-Ghassemi, Minji Cho, Marisa Zapata, Jacen Greene, Colleen Carroll, Devin Macarthur

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

Despite Oregon's expanded investments in affordable housing development and eviction prevention, over 5,400 eviction cases were filed in the state’s subsidized housing from January 2019 to December 2023. This report maps out the landscape of subsidized housing eviction in Oregon and brings attention to the high share of eviction judgments in subsidized eviction cases, the disproportionate rate of eviction filings from housing-authority-contracted management companies and nonprofit housing providers, and the great disparities in legal representation between landlords and tenants.

Toward Equitable Micromobility: Lessons From Austin E-Scooter Sharing Program, Shunhua Bai, Junfeng Jiao

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This study revealed the inequitable societal impacts of E-scooters on disadvantaged populations. The study conducted a population distribution analysis to compare the use opportunities and space intrusion burdens of E-scooter sharing on four vulnerable population groups in Austin, Texas. Nearly all minority population experienced fewer E-scooter use opportunities. Ten percent of the minority population waited for a disproportionately longer time before a disturbance could be resolved. Ten percent of the low-income population were in a disadvantaged position in high opportunities and moderate burdens. Twenty percent of the physically disabled population faced more moderate-level burdens. The result did not show significant …

Territorialising The Cloud Or Clouding The Territory? Volumetric Vulnerabilities And The Militarised Conjunctures Of Singapore's Smart City-State, Orlando Woods, Tim Bunnell, Lily Kong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This article explores how the volumetric characteristics of cloud computing can create new expressions of territoriality, which in turn can reveal new axes of vulnerability and threat. Whilst recent work in political geography has sought to “locate” the cloud through analyses of data centre geographies and data-driven processes of smart urbanism, we look beyond the material plane and consider the amorphous territorialities of voluminous data instead. As much as these data are acted on by the legal-regulatory mechanics of the state in a bid to territorialise them, so too do these data volumes serve to cloud, and thus obscure, territory. …

Urban Heat And Within-City Residential Sorting, Stefan Borsky, Eric Fesselmeyer, Lennart Vogelsand

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This study presents new causal evidence on how urban heat contributes to sorting within a city. We estimate a discrete choice residential sorting model that includes census-tract fixed effects and controls for open space and green coverage to analyze how differences in urban heat at the census-tract level influence the location choices of New York City homeowners given their race, ethnicity, and income. Our results show clear patterns of residential sorting, with whites and high-income households outcompeting other racial/ethnic groups and low-income households for housing in cooler neighborhoods. Our counterfactual exercise, inspired by Cool Neighborhoods NYC, reveals that heat-mitigation policies …

Explaining The Wealth Gap In Chattanooga Through Housing Policy Design: Do Chattanooga Housing Policies Contribute To The Wealth Gap?, Kendall Davis

Honors Theses

Some scholars contend various public policies have continued to play a role in the creation and persistence of racial wealth inequalities particularly in housing. This thesis explains the wealth gap in Chattanooga through housing policy design and answers the question: Do Chattanooga housing policies contribute to the wealth gap? The thesis also explores local Chattanooga policies believed to influence the wealth gap such as the destruction of the Big Nine, the redevelopment of the Golden Gateway, and the many City of Chattanooga zoning codes (redlining). In addition, this thesis will examine federal policies that have contributed to the wealth gap …

Coproduction Revisited: From Theory To Practice., Brenton Clarke Hereford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coproduction, or the interaction of citizens with their public service provider, has been used in policy responses to a myriad of service delivery problems, especially policing. This dissertation uses a three-manuscript approach to revisit coproduction both as a theory and a practice. The first manuscript tracks the evolution of coproduction as a theory from three different disciplines: economics, urban theory, and public administration. In addressing the three disciplines, the manuscript explains what broadly united the coproduction literature and the differences that hindered the early development of the concept. It concludes with how the concept is used today, and how future …

Promoting Cultural Humility, Belonging, And Inclusion To Improve Well-Being Among Direct Care Staff In Oregon Assisted Living, Residential Care, And Memory Care Communities, 2024, Jacklyn Kohon, Dani Himes, Laura Rodriguez, Sarah Dys, Paula Carder, Diana Jacoby, Madeline Fox

Institute on Aging Publications

The voices and experiences of those working and living in assisted living, residential care, and memory care (AL/RC) settings in Oregon are highlighted in this study to understand cultural humility, belonging, inclusion, and intersectional experiences related to sustaining the workforce and promoting quality care. This qualitative study collected data through individual and focus group interviews with a total of 68 people, including 25 direct care staff, voice memos or interviews with 9 former direct care staff, interviews with 9 administrators, interviews with 7 management representatives (owner/operators, human resources specialists, directors of operations, among other titles), and interviews with 18 current …

Forecasting Commercial Vehicle Miles Traveled (Vmt) In Urban California Areas, Steve Chung, Jaymin Kwon, Yushin Ahn

Mineta Transportation Institute

This study investigates commercial truck vehicle miles traveled (VMT) across six diverse California counties from 2000 to 2020. The counties—Imperial, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and San Francisco—represent a broad spectrum of California’s demographics, economies, and landscapes. Using a rich dataset spanning demographics, economics, and pollution variables, we aim to understand the factors influencing commercial VMT. We first visually represent the geographic distribution of the counties, highlighting their unique characteristics. Linear regression models, particularly the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and elastic net regressions are employed to identify key predictors of total commercial VMT. LASSO regression …

Impact Of Rainfall On Air Temperature, Humidity And Thermal Comfort In Tropical Urban Parks, Juan A. Acero, Philip Carl Kestel, Hieu T. Dang, Leslie K. Norford

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Urban areas in hot and humid tropical regions are frequently exposed to uncomfortable thermal levels. A well-developed urban heat mitigation strategy is increasing vegetation infrastructure, even though the impact differs based on regional climate. In this study we have evaluated the impact of rainfall on air temperature, humidity and thermal comfort inside a large urban park in Singapore, based on measurement campaigns. A comparison between the park and an urban site is presented. Results show that rainfall significantly reduces air temperature and improves thermal comfort levels, not only right after the rain event but also in the after-event dry period. …

Insourcing The Smart City: Assembling An Ideo-Technical Ecosystem Of Talent, Skills, And Civic-Mindedness In Singapore, Orlando Woods, Tim Bunnell, Lily Kong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This article examines an alternative model of smart city formation, one based on the principle of insourcing technical competencies and capabilities to those responsible for city governance. This model counters the logic of technological outsourcing upon which many assumptions and critiques of the smart city rest, and thus reveals ways in which a more generative discourse can be forged. Drawing on a series of in-depth interviews with senior stakeholders from public and private sector organizations, we develop a case study of Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative. Through coordinated efforts to reorganize the public sector’s technological functions, develop nation-wide skills upgrading programs, …

Bridging The Nature-Cultural Heritage Gap: Evaluating Sustainable Entanglements Through Cemeteries In Urban Asia, David Ocon, Wei Ping Young

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The expanding footprint of urban Asian settlements and increasing living standards have put pressure on cemetery sites. Public health narratives and the sanctity associated with death matters in Asian urban landscapes have fed into the rhetoric of cemeteries as undesirable heritage spaces. Often lacking protection, many cemeteries have been exhumed, cleared, and relocated to allow room for new developments and infrastructure, risking the survival of this quiet element of the urban cultural patrimony. Within an Asian context, synergies between nature and cultural heritage preservation are not prevalent in major cities like Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok. …

Situation, Needs, And Countermeasures Of Innovation Development In The Yellow River Basin, Kaihua Chen, Jie Lin, Chaokai Xue, Weiyu Duan, Langmei Zhu, Dongzhu Lu, Baorong Hou

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Yellow River runs through nine provinces (regions) in western, central, and eastern China. It is not only an important ecological security barrier in China, but also an important region for social activity and economic development. Strategically planning the development of the Yellow River Basin at the national level can not only accelerate the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, but also effectively promote the western development strategy and regional coordinated development strategy. Nevertheless, the poor carrying capacity of the ecological environment in the Yellow River Basin, the obvious feature of industrial development relying heavily on energy, and the …

Comparative Analysis Of Science And Technology Innovation Competitiveness In The Yellow River Basin, Weiyu Duan, Quanjing Wang, Kaihua Chen, Siqing Fang, Huiling Liang, Renhai Dai

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The assessment and comparison of the S&T innovation competitiveness among the provinces and regions in the Yellow River Basin are helpful to better utilize the supporting and leading role of S&T innovation in the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. Combined with the real characteristics of S&T innovation in the Yellow River Basin, the study considers five dimensions horizontally: S&T innovation input, S&T innovation output, S&T entrepreneurial condition, S&T innovation revenue, and S&T innovation influence. Vertically, it considers two types of indicators, namely, strength and efficiency, and constructs the index system of evaluation of S&T innovation …

Research On Current Situation And Optimization Strategy Of Cross-Regional Scientific And Technological Innovation Cooperation In The Yellow River Basin, Gupeng Zhang, Wenbo Guo, Huiling Liang, Jingjing Zhang, Dongzhu Lu, Baorong Hou, Yan Liang, Weiyu Duan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Realizing effective cross-regional innovation cooperation not only helps to enhance the overall scientific and technological innovation capabilities of the Yellow River Basin, but also is crucial for promoting the western development strategy and achieving industrial upgrading and leapfrogging in the western region. The innovation collaborative network composed of various enterprises, universities, and research institutes across different regions in the Yellow River Basin helps to break down information silos and help provinces and cities fully achieve information sharing in open scientific and technological innovation cooperation platforms. The cross-regional innovation collaborative network that have been constructed in the Yellow River Basin consists …

Digital Technologies Empower Innovative Development Governance Of The Yellow River Basin, Tara Qian Sun, Yingying Jia, Gaozuo Sun, Xixi Zhao, Rongping Mu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The application of digital technologies is the core driving force for innovating traditional development and realizing a leap in productivity. The innovative development governance of the Yellow River Basin is a complex social system, involving economic, social, and ecological aspects. Its key driving force is the profound influence of digital technologies. Focused on how digital technologies empower the innovative development governance of the Yellow River Basin, the development process, problems, and challenges are analyzed at different stages, from the digital Yellow River to the digital twin Yellow River. It is found that the governance of the Yellow River Basin still …

Situation, Needs, And Countermeasures Of Innovation Development In The Yellow River Basin, Kaihua Chen, Jie Lin, Chaokai Xue, Weiyu Duan, Langmei Zhu, Dongzhu Lu, Baorong Hou

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Yellow River runs through nine provinces (regions) in western, central, and eastern China. It is not only an important ecological security barrier in China, but also an important region for social activity and economic development. Strategically planning the development of the Yellow River Basin at the national level can not only accelerate the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, but also effectively promote the western development strategy and regional coordinated development strategy. Nevertheless, the poor carrying capacity of the ecological environment in the Yellow River Basin, the obvious feature of industrial development relying heavily on energy, and the …

Current Status, Challenges, And Policy Recommendations For Industrial Development In The Yellow River Basin, Chaokai Xue, Kaihua Chen, Quanjing Wang, Yujie Zhang, Xiaohui Qu, Mengfei Zhang, Haitao Ma

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The foundation for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin lies in the rational development of industry. This study systematically analyzes the current state of industrial development in the Yellow River Basin, examining traditional industries, strategic emerging industries, and future industries. Based on this analysis, it identifies key issues and development directions. The study reveals that the industrial structure in the Yellow River Basin is unreasonable; traditional industries have short chains and high energy consumption; the cultivation of strategic emerging industries is inadequate and poorly aligned; and comprehensive planning for future industries is inadequate. Therefore, it is …

Webinar: Building Capacity In Gateway Communities Through The Gnar Academy, Jordan Katcher, Elizabeth Sodja

TREC Webinar Series

Small towns and cities near national parks, public lands, and other natural amenities across the West are experiencing rapid growth and increased tourism. As we have documented via our prior NITC-funded research, this has created a range of big city challenges for these “gateway communities,” particularly in the form of interconnected transportation, land use, and housing issues. Seeking to help gateway communities better prepare for and respond to their transportation and planning challenges, the Gateway and Natural Amenity Region (GNAR) Initiative team translated the findings from our research on planning and development challenges in gateway communities into an online learning …

Wasted Space: Using Parking Lots & Vacant Land To Improve Neighborhood Completeness, Ryan Martyn

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

This study conducts a spatial analysis of Portland, Oregon, focusing on leveraging underutilized areas like parking lots and vacant land—termed "wasted space"—to improve the city's completeness. Central to this investigation is the concept of a "complete neighborhood," characterized by access to daily necessities within convenient active transportation trip. This comprehensive idea encompasses walkability, equitable access to services, and sustainability.

This paper aims to redefine the concept of a complete neighborhood with precision and delve into its implications. The research looks at five regional, town, and neighborhood centers as defined by the city of Portland. These centers act as pivotal hubs …