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• 1. [Article] Spatial patterns of air toxins in the region

  This Atlas draws on the Portland Air Toxics Assessment (PATA) study to explore the regional variation of air quality. The PATA study presents an extraordinary opportunity to think about how the creation ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Spatial patterns of air toxins in the region Author: George, Linda Acha, Shandas, Vivek Year: 2009 This Atlas draws on the Portland Air Toxics Assessment (PATA) study to explore the regional variation of air quality. The PATA study presents an extraordinary opportunity to think about how the creation of new information can help us better plan our cities, but it also challenges us to think about the impacts of the choices we make. Title: Spatial patterns of air toxins in the region Author: George, Linda Acha, Shandas, Vivek Year: 2009 This Atlas draws on the Portland Air Toxics Assessment (PATA) study to explore the regional variation of air quality. The PATA study presents an extraordinary opportunity to think about how the creation of new information can help us better plan our cities, but it also challenges us to think about the impacts of the choices we make. Close

• 2. [Article] Portland-Vancouver ULTRA-Ex: Evaluating Relationships Between Governance and Environmental Quality in Urban Ecosystems

  The Portland-Vancouver Urban Long Term Research Area (ULTRA-Ex) is a multidisciplinary project aimed at understanding the feedbacks between human and natural systems in urban settings. The ULTRA-Ex project ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Portland-Vancouver ULTRA-Ex: Evaluating Relationships Between Governance and Environmental Quality in Urban Ecosystems Author: Yeakley, J. Alan, Duncan, Sally, Bollens, Steve, Ozawa, Connie P., Shandas, Vivek, Chang, Heejun, Dresner, Marion, Gordon, Sean N., Harrison, John A., Kline, Jeffrey D., Morzillo, Anita T., Netusil, Noelwah R., Rollwagen-Bollens, Gretchen, Stephan, Mark, Thiers, Paul R. Year: 2013 The Portland-Vancouver Urban Long Term Research Area (ULTRA-Ex) is a multidisciplinary project aimed at understanding the feedbacks between human and natural systems in urban settings. The ULTRA-Ex project is seeking to answer the overarching question: How do human governance and biophysical systems respond interactively to both press and pulse disturbances in urban socio-ecological systems? This presentation provides early observations and findings from the PV ULTRA-Ex project. Title: Portland-Vancouver ULTRA-Ex: Evaluating Relationships Between Governance and Environmental Quality in Urban Ecosystems Author: Yeakley, J. Alan, Duncan, Sally, Bollens, Steve, Ozawa, Connie P., Shandas, Vivek, Chang, Heejun, Dresner, Marion, Gordon, Sean N., Harrison, John A., Kline, Jeffrey D., Morzillo, Anita T., Netusil, Noelwah R., Rollwagen-Bollens, Gretchen, Stephan, Mark, Thiers, Paul R. Year: 2013 The Portland-Vancouver Urban Long Term Research Area (ULTRA-Ex) is a multidisciplinary project aimed at understanding the feedbacks between human and natural systems in urban settings. The ULTRA-Ex project is seeking to answer the overarching question: How do human governance and biophysical systems respond interactively to both press and pulse disturbances in urban socio-ecological systems? This presentation provides early observations and findings from the PV ULTRA-Ex project. Close

• 3. [Article] Diurnal and Seasonal Variations of NO, NO2 and PM2.5 Mass as a Function of Traffic Volumes Alongside an Urban Arterial

  Urban arterial corridors are landscapes that give rise to short and long-term exposures to transportation-related pollution. With high traffic volumes and a wide mix of road users, urban arterial environments ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Diurnal and Seasonal Variations of NO, NO2 and PM2.5 Mass as a Function of Traffic Volumes Alongside an Urban Arterial Author: Kendrick, Christine M., Koonce, Peter, George, Linda A. Year: 2015 Urban arterial corridors are landscapes that give rise to short and long-term exposures to transportation-related pollution. With high traffic volumes and a wide mix of road users, urban arterial environments are important targets for improved exposure assessment to traffic-related pollution. A common method to estimate exposure is to use traffic volumes as a proxy. The study presented here analyzes a unique yearlong dataset of simultaneous roadside air quality and traffic observations for a U.S. arterial to assess the reliability of using traffic volumes as a proxy for traffic-related exposure. Results show how the relationships of traffic volumes with NO and NO2 vary not only by time of day and season but also by time aggregation. At short-term aggregations (15 minutes) nitrogen oxides were found to have a significant linear relationship with traffic volumes during morning hours for all seasons although variability was still high (r2= 0.1 - 0.45 NO, r2=0.14 - 0.27 NO2), and little to no relationship during evening periods (r222). Comparisons with coarse annual results validate the use of traffic volumes to estimate annual exposure concentrations for morning periods (r2= 0.89 NO, r2=0.87 NO2) and evening NO2 (r2=0.46). Traffic volumes are a weak or poor predictor for annual evening NO (r2= -0.09) and short-term 15 minute aggregations. Seasonal and diurnal characterizations show that roadside PM2.5 (mass) measurements do not have a relationship with local traffic volumes, leading us to conclude that PM2.5 mass is more tied to regional sources and meteorological conditions. As epidemiology and personal exposure assessment research aims to study health impacts and pollutant levels encountered by pedestrians, bicyclists, those waiting for transit, and other road users, these results show when traffic volumes alone can be a reliable proxy for exposure and when this approach is not warranted. Title: Diurnal and Seasonal Variations of NO, NO2 and PM2.5 Mass as a Function of Traffic Volumes Alongside an Urban Arterial Author: Kendrick, Christine M., Koonce, Peter, George, Linda A. Year: 2015 Urban arterial corridors are landscapes that give rise to short and long-term exposures to transportation-related pollution. With high traffic volumes and a wide mix of road users, urban arterial environments are important targets for improved exposure assessment to traffic-related pollution. A common method to estimate exposure is to use traffic volumes as a proxy. The study presented here analyzes a unique yearlong dataset of simultaneous roadside air quality and traffic observations for a U.S. arterial to assess the reliability of using traffic volumes as a proxy for traffic-related exposure. Results show how the relationships of traffic volumes with NO and NO2 vary not only by time of day and season but also by time aggregation. At short-term aggregations (15 minutes) nitrogen oxides were found to have a significant linear relationship with traffic volumes during morning hours for all seasons although variability was still high (r2= 0.1 - 0.45 NO, r2=0.14 - 0.27 NO2), and little to no relationship during evening periods (r222). Comparisons with coarse annual results validate the use of traffic volumes to estimate annual exposure concentrations for morning periods (r2= 0.89 NO, r2=0.87 NO2) and evening NO2 (r2=0.46). Traffic volumes are a weak or poor predictor for annual evening NO (r2= -0.09) and short-term 15 minute aggregations. Seasonal and diurnal characterizations show that roadside PM2.5 (mass) measurements do not have a relationship with local traffic volumes, leading us to conclude that PM2.5 mass is more tied to regional sources and meteorological conditions. As epidemiology and personal exposure assessment research aims to study health impacts and pollutant levels encountered by pedestrians, bicyclists, those waiting for transit, and other road users, these results show when traffic volumes alone can be a reliable proxy for exposure and when this approach is not warranted. Close

• 4. [Article] Spatial variations in the intra-urban response to a noise source

  Most research on the urban sonic environment has been recent. One finding has been that physical noise exposure indices calibrate poorly with human noise response. The vagaries of human response to noise ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Spatial variations in the intra-urban response to a noise source Author: Conder, Wilbur David Year: 1973 Most research on the urban sonic environment has been recent. One finding has been that physical noise exposure indices calibrate poorly with human noise response. The vagaries of human response to noise have given impetus to research to isolate the factors that differentiate human response to noise. The present thesis continues this research. The thesis specifies human noise response to occur on three levels: awareness, annoyance, and complaint. The factors that structure each level of noise response are identified in the published Iiterature. Noise awareness is a function of noise exposure. Noise annoyance is a function of noise exposure to a lesser degree. In addition annoyance is structured by attitudes toward the noise source, special interests in its economic benefits and personal susceptibility to noise irritation. Complaint concerning noise involves the previous factors plus an affluence or socio-economic component. The trend as one moves upward in the noise response hierarchy is for the structuring factors to become specific to individuals rather than location. Hence, noise awareness with respect to a stationary noise source will vary spatially, while complaint will be random in space. In testing these premises the author has made use of noise exposure indices for Portland International Airport and a social survey of response in the area surrounding the airport. The noise exposure indices were supplied by the consulting firm of Bolt, Beranek, and Newman Inc. and the social survey was conducted and tabulated by the Center for Population Research and Census at Portland State University. Multivariate methods were used for testing the premises concerning the hierarchical relationships between awareness, annoyance, and complaint.The variables representing awareness, annoyance, and complaint are quantified from the survey data through principle component and factor scores computer programs. The noise awareness measure is selected for greatest emphasis since it underlies to annoyance and complaint. The noise awareness measure is investigated and errors in its measurement are estimated through psychometric methods. Trend surface techniques are used to test the spatial regularity of awareness, annoyance, and complaint. As hypothesized, awareness is regular in space, annoyance less so, and complaint is random. Through multiple regression analysis noise awareness is tested against socio-economic measures, noise exposure measures, attitudes, and special interest. Noise exposure variables account for the largest part of the variation in noise awareness. A trend surface analysis is conducted on the values of awareness predicted by a large number of exposure, attitude, and other variables. The process is repeated for the residual values from the multiple regression. Predicted values are systematic in space but the residual values are largely random. The predicted values are mapped and compared with the actual smoothed awareness response surface. The two maps correspond well. It is concluded that noise exposure corrected for ambient noise levels adequately approximates the noise awareness response surface. Title: Spatial variations in the intra-urban response to a noise source Author: Conder, Wilbur David Year: 1973 Most research on the urban sonic environment has been recent. One finding has been that physical noise exposure indices calibrate poorly with human noise response. The vagaries of human response to noise have given impetus to research to isolate the factors that differentiate human response to noise. The present thesis continues this research. The thesis specifies human noise response to occur on three levels: awareness, annoyance, and complaint. The factors that structure each level of noise response are identified in the published Iiterature. Noise awareness is a function of noise exposure. Noise annoyance is a function of noise exposure to a lesser degree. In addition annoyance is structured by attitudes toward the noise source, special interests in its economic benefits and personal susceptibility to noise irritation. Complaint concerning noise involves the previous factors plus an affluence or socio-economic component. The trend as one moves upward in the noise response hierarchy is for the structuring factors to become specific to individuals rather than location. Hence, noise awareness with respect to a stationary noise source will vary spatially, while complaint will be random in space. In testing these premises the author has made use of noise exposure indices for Portland International Airport and a social survey of response in the area surrounding the airport. The noise exposure indices were supplied by the consulting firm of Bolt, Beranek, and Newman Inc. and the social survey was conducted and tabulated by the Center for Population Research and Census at Portland State University. Multivariate methods were used for testing the premises concerning the hierarchical relationships between awareness, annoyance, and complaint.The variables representing awareness, annoyance, and complaint are quantified from the survey data through principle component and factor scores computer programs. The noise awareness measure is selected for greatest emphasis since it underlies to annoyance and complaint. The noise awareness measure is investigated and errors in its measurement are estimated through psychometric methods. Trend surface techniques are used to test the spatial regularity of awareness, annoyance, and complaint. As hypothesized, awareness is regular in space, annoyance less so, and complaint is random. Through multiple regression analysis noise awareness is tested against socio-economic measures, noise exposure measures, attitudes, and special interest. Noise exposure variables account for the largest part of the variation in noise awareness. A trend surface analysis is conducted on the values of awareness predicted by a large number of exposure, attitude, and other variables. The process is repeated for the residual values from the multiple regression. Predicted values are systematic in space but the residual values are largely random. The predicted values are mapped and compared with the actual smoothed awareness response surface. The two maps correspond well. It is concluded that noise exposure corrected for ambient noise levels adequately approximates the noise awareness response surface. Close