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• 21. [Article] Data-Driven Illustrations for Climate Smart Communities Scenarios

  Public investment in transit and streetscape improvements can encourage private development, and subsequently increase transit ridership and reduce pollution. Portland, OR’s Metro regional government has ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Data-Driven Illustrations for Climate Smart Communities Scenarios Author: Cheng, Nancy Yen-wen, Ellis, Kim, Vogt, Molly, Chiavarini, Clint, Houk, Justin, Lockyear, Brian, Postma, Boyce, Morell, Peggy Year: 2013 Public investment in transit and streetscape improvements can encourage private development, and subsequently increase transit ridership and reduce pollution. Portland, OR’s Metro regional government has developed investment scenarios designed to reduce light vehicle carbon emissions. Adopting a regional scenario requires public review and consultation with local governments who will implement the comprehensive plans and land-use regulations. Decision makers and residents need to understand potential benefits: ways in which targeted investment could generate more livable urban spaces while reducing greenhouse gases. Illustrations can show how the investments could shape the pedestrian experience through trees, street furniture, buildings, open spaces, etc. This report explains a new workflow to illustrate urban development possibilities that can be adjusted according to evolving forecasts. Developing accessible scenario illustrations from city and regional planning forecasts requires sound analysis and thoughtful graphics to effectively communicate the analysis results. Our workflow connects planning forecasts (incorporating economic, transportation and land development data) to a parametric urban modeler to generate development massing, with views refined with 3D and 2D graphic procedures. Our objective has been to streamline the creation of visuals that communicate community development patterns and amenities provided with different levels of investment. A streamlined procedure allows different designers to generate illustrations with a consistent graphic style. The report documents the workflow, and identifies challenges, opportunities and questions for further work. Title: Data-Driven Illustrations for Climate Smart Communities Scenarios Author: Cheng, Nancy Yen-wen, Ellis, Kim, Vogt, Molly, Chiavarini, Clint, Houk, Justin, Lockyear, Brian, Postma, Boyce, Morell, Peggy Year: 2013 Public investment in transit and streetscape improvements can encourage private development, and subsequently increase transit ridership and reduce pollution. Portland, OR’s Metro regional government has developed investment scenarios designed to reduce light vehicle carbon emissions. Adopting a regional scenario requires public review and consultation with local governments who will implement the comprehensive plans and land-use regulations. Decision makers and residents need to understand potential benefits: ways in which targeted investment could generate more livable urban spaces while reducing greenhouse gases. Illustrations can show how the investments could shape the pedestrian experience through trees, street furniture, buildings, open spaces, etc. This report explains a new workflow to illustrate urban development possibilities that can be adjusted according to evolving forecasts. Developing accessible scenario illustrations from city and regional planning forecasts requires sound analysis and thoughtful graphics to effectively communicate the analysis results. Our workflow connects planning forecasts (incorporating economic, transportation and land development data) to a parametric urban modeler to generate development massing, with views refined with 3D and 2D graphic procedures. Our objective has been to streamline the creation of visuals that communicate community development patterns and amenities provided with different levels of investment. A streamlined procedure allows different designers to generate illustrations with a consistent graphic style. The report documents the workflow, and identifies challenges, opportunities and questions for further work. Close

• 22. [Article] The Development of Low-/No-Emission Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in the Portland Metro Region: A Roadmap

  The shift from combustion engines to low- and no-emission electric vehicles is underway and gaining momentum. During the last year, Oregon has become an active player in the electric vehicle arena, with ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Development of Low-/No-Emission Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in the Portland Metro Region: A Roadmap Author: MacArthur, John, Murchie, Peter, Beard, George Year: 2014 The shift from combustion engines to low- and no-emission electric vehicles is underway and gaining momentum. During the last year, Oregon has become an active player in the electric vehicle arena, with a number of promising relationships and activities in the early stages of formalization. With additional thought, effort and strategy Oregon can seize the opportunity to become the national leader in the adoption and incorporation of new vehicle platforms and mobility strategies into the fabric of urban life and the built environment. Oregon is currently actively engaged in relationships with international automotive companies and local businesses and utilities interested in being part of the "Portland Experiment." This proposal seeks funding to support the creation of a comprehensive roadmap for the development of low/no emission vehicle infrastructure in the Portland Metro region. The roadmap will guide research, education, partnership initiatives, and community engagement activities at Portland State University (PSU) and the Portland Metro region. The project will build momentum on a number of efforts currently underway including the Governor's Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Working Group, Oregon Department of Transportation's Office of Innovative Partnerships & Alternative Funding activities, and local utility and international automotive industry interest in Portland and other national efforts through the U.S. Department of Transportation. This roadmap will truly have a multi-disciplinary, multi-partner, and multi-campus focus and outcomes. The roadmap will focus on developing a unifying strategy, plan, knowledge base for low and no-emission vehicles, alternative fuels infrastructure and other sustainable mobility innovations. The specific research objectives for this project are to: 1) Strengthening and broadening strategic partnerships that will provide financial and other continuing research, education, and community engagement opportunities in electric vehicle infrastructure. 2) Develop a strategic roadmap for Portland to achieve a plug-in readiness in the next two years. 3) Develop a comprehensive research agenda, to evaluate wide array of research and testing needs for the Region. 4) Coordinate with national efforts through the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Project Get Ready, sharing knowledge with other participating Project Get Ready cities and other Oregon cities. This project will be a joint effort between OTREC and the Hatfield School of Government through the National Policy Consensus Center's (NPCC) Oregon Solutions program and the Executive Leadership Institute. Methods include a thorough literature review (print and web); an inventory of state, local agencies and municipalities actions; interviews with key partners; and a consensus building initiative. NPCC's Oregon Solutions program will use its expertise and experience in collaborative governance practices to provide the convening and facilitation system support to bring diverse stakeholders to the table to inform, develop and initiate the implementation of the roadmap. Oregon Solutions staff will engage in information collection, interviews and other efforts to assess the interests and resources of the project partners, refine the vision, and design and support the collaborative convening for the project. This includes developing agendas, products and materials and providing facilitation, note taking and post meeting follow up leading to a declaration of cooperation that will codify the individual and group commitments, roles and responsibilities for implementing the roadmap. Title: The Development of Low-/No-Emission Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in the Portland Metro Region: A Roadmap Author: MacArthur, John, Murchie, Peter, Beard, George Year: 2014 The shift from combustion engines to low- and no-emission electric vehicles is underway and gaining momentum. During the last year, Oregon has become an active player in the electric vehicle arena, with a number of promising relationships and activities in the early stages of formalization. With additional thought, effort and strategy Oregon can seize the opportunity to become the national leader in the adoption and incorporation of new vehicle platforms and mobility strategies into the fabric of urban life and the built environment. Oregon is currently actively engaged in relationships with international automotive companies and local businesses and utilities interested in being part of the "Portland Experiment." This proposal seeks funding to support the creation of a comprehensive roadmap for the development of low/no emission vehicle infrastructure in the Portland Metro region. The roadmap will guide research, education, partnership initiatives, and community engagement activities at Portland State University (PSU) and the Portland Metro region. The project will build momentum on a number of efforts currently underway including the Governor's Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Working Group, Oregon Department of Transportation's Office of Innovative Partnerships & Alternative Funding activities, and local utility and international automotive industry interest in Portland and other national efforts through the U.S. Department of Transportation. This roadmap will truly have a multi-disciplinary, multi-partner, and multi-campus focus and outcomes. The roadmap will focus on developing a unifying strategy, plan, knowledge base for low and no-emission vehicles, alternative fuels infrastructure and other sustainable mobility innovations. The specific research objectives for this project are to: 1) Strengthening and broadening strategic partnerships that will provide financial and other continuing research, education, and community engagement opportunities in electric vehicle infrastructure. 2) Develop a strategic roadmap for Portland to achieve a plug-in readiness in the next two years. 3) Develop a comprehensive research agenda, to evaluate wide array of research and testing needs for the Region. 4) Coordinate with national efforts through the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Project Get Ready, sharing knowledge with other participating Project Get Ready cities and other Oregon cities. This project will be a joint effort between OTREC and the Hatfield School of Government through the National Policy Consensus Center's (NPCC) Oregon Solutions program and the Executive Leadership Institute. Methods include a thorough literature review (print and web); an inventory of state, local agencies and municipalities actions; interviews with key partners; and a consensus building initiative. NPCC's Oregon Solutions program will use its expertise and experience in collaborative governance practices to provide the convening and facilitation system support to bring diverse stakeholders to the table to inform, develop and initiate the implementation of the roadmap. Oregon Solutions staff will engage in information collection, interviews and other efforts to assess the interests and resources of the project partners, refine the vision, and design and support the collaborative convening for the project. This includes developing agendas, products and materials and providing facilitation, note taking and post meeting follow up leading to a declaration of cooperation that will codify the individual and group commitments, roles and responsibilities for implementing the roadmap. Close

• 23. [Article] Investigations In Transportation

  The Investigations in Transportation program is an elementary school partnership and curriculum development project that will engage science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Investigations In Transportation Author: Becker, William G., Biskupic Knight, Carol Year: 2015 The Investigations in Transportation program is an elementary school partnership and curriculum development project that will engage science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals in school-based activities and projects that will bring real-world applications to elementary classrooms for grades 3-5. The Portland Metro STEM Partnership (PMSP) is providing leadership and facilitation to a team of educators from Portland State University, Beaverton School District and Hillsboro School District who will work with volunteers from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to design, develop, implement and assess the impact of an in-class unit entitled "Investigations in Transportation". This report presents a study of a transportation education partnership and curriculum development project that harnessed the professional expertise, experience and enthusiasm of transportation-sector STEM workers by creating a mechanism and set of protocols by which they engaged with elementary school teachers to develop and implement an instructional unit. This STEM-connected instructional unit and lessons allowed students to explore and investigate issues central to transportation. The unit incorporated and enhanced the content and practice standards outlined by the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, and relied heavily on the instructional and curriculum expertise and experience of classroom teachers to develop an age- and interest-appropriate unit of study. This collaboration resulted in the development of an Investigations in Transportation instructional unit that provided students with rich, engaging learning opportunities set in the context of real-world problems around a school parking lot dilemma focused on safety, sustainability and health concerns. The education project team utilized a coherent and cohesive curriculum development process for unit creation and evaluated the development, implementation and reflection of the unit through teacher and student surveys/assessments of attitudes, identity and conceptual understanding. The report describes the process successes, challenges and replication opportunities. Title: Investigations In Transportation Author: Becker, William G., Biskupic Knight, Carol Year: 2015 The Investigations in Transportation program is an elementary school partnership and curriculum development project that will engage science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals in school-based activities and projects that will bring real-world applications to elementary classrooms for grades 3-5. The Portland Metro STEM Partnership (PMSP) is providing leadership and facilitation to a team of educators from Portland State University, Beaverton School District and Hillsboro School District who will work with volunteers from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to design, develop, implement and assess the impact of an in-class unit entitled "Investigations in Transportation". This report presents a study of a transportation education partnership and curriculum development project that harnessed the professional expertise, experience and enthusiasm of transportation-sector STEM workers by creating a mechanism and set of protocols by which they engaged with elementary school teachers to develop and implement an instructional unit. This STEM-connected instructional unit and lessons allowed students to explore and investigate issues central to transportation. The unit incorporated and enhanced the content and practice standards outlined by the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, and relied heavily on the instructional and curriculum expertise and experience of classroom teachers to develop an age- and interest-appropriate unit of study. This collaboration resulted in the development of an Investigations in Transportation instructional unit that provided students with rich, engaging learning opportunities set in the context of real-world problems around a school parking lot dilemma focused on safety, sustainability and health concerns. The education project team utilized a coherent and cohesive curriculum development process for unit creation and evaluated the development, implementation and reflection of the unit through teacher and student surveys/assessments of attitudes, identity and conceptual understanding. The report describes the process successes, challenges and replication opportunities. Close

• 24. [Article] Contextual Influences on Trip Generation

  There is national interest in building data that expands upon the existing Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) trip generation rates to include sites located in a multi-modal context. Current ITE ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Contextual Influences on Trip Generation Author: Clifton, Kelly J., Currans, Kristina Marie, Muhs, Christopher D. Year: 2012 There is national interest in building data that expands upon the existing Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) trip generation rates to include sites located in a multi-modal context. Current ITE rates represent travel behavior for development in single lots and uses, primarily measured in low-density suburban areas. Despite evidence that a more compact urban form, access to transit and a greater mix of uses generates fewer and shorter vehicle trips, local governments are often compelled to use current ITE trip generation rates to evaluate transportation impacts and calculate transportation system development charges (TSDCs). This is due to: a) the expense of collecting local data, b) lack of alternative sources of information, c) the strong industry bias toward using ITE published rates and d) the absence of a empirically tested methodology for adjusting those rates for development occurring in different land use and transportation contexts. Compounding these challenges, cities in Oregon are required to demonstrate that planning and zoning changes will not degrade the performance of state-owned transportation facilities compared to the levels of service documented in the Regional Transportation Plan under the Oregon Transportation Planning Rule, section -0060, and Oregon Highway Plan, Policy 1.F.6. These requirements can conflict with regional policies in Metro's 2040 Growth Concept that call for development of mixed-use centers and corridors to support jobs and freight reliability, a compact urban form and leverage transportation investments such as high capacity transit. Thus, there are gaps in the understanding about how best to evaluate, mitigate and plan for growth under these conditions. This research proposes to develop multi-modal trip generation rates that better reflect the relationship between land use, transportation and travel demand for specific land use types located in various urban settings. The project aims to collect local data (using multi-modal counts and establishment surveys) on a few specific land uses (deemed most problematic to estimate demand and occurring across the spectrum of urban conditions) to develop trip generation rates that are sensitive to demographic, land use and transportation contexts. These new trip rates will be compared to the ITE rates for the same land use category and a methodology for adjusting the ITE rates will be developed. This adjustment methodology will be validated, using additional data collected in this research. The research will be documented and made available to local partners and disseminated widely to reach out to other communities across the country. The research conducted for this project would account for how the built environment (e.g., both land use and transportation) influences travel behavior (number of trips, trip length, mode choice), and determine trip rates that reflect the entire activity spectrum of different development/place typologies. This is extremely important in determining the impact of different development types on the transportation system to: 1) avoid over-planning the system for the surrounding land uses; (2) suggest strategies and investment priorities to encourage more compact, mixed-use areas with more transportation choices and 3) avoid creating regulatory and/or financial barriers to compact form envisioned by local, regional and statewide plans (i.e. uniform TSDCs can result in lower impact development paying the same rates, and thus subsidizing development with higher impact costs to the transportation system). The documentation of the findings and methodology will be applicable to current and future growth and be transferable to other communities, locally and nationally, beyond the Portland region. Title: Contextual Influences on Trip Generation Author: Clifton, Kelly J., Currans, Kristina Marie, Muhs, Christopher D. Year: 2012 There is national interest in building data that expands upon the existing Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) trip generation rates to include sites located in a multi-modal context. Current ITE rates represent travel behavior for development in single lots and uses, primarily measured in low-density suburban areas. Despite evidence that a more compact urban form, access to transit and a greater mix of uses generates fewer and shorter vehicle trips, local governments are often compelled to use current ITE trip generation rates to evaluate transportation impacts and calculate transportation system development charges (TSDCs). This is due to: a) the expense of collecting local data, b) lack of alternative sources of information, c) the strong industry bias toward using ITE published rates and d) the absence of a empirically tested methodology for adjusting those rates for development occurring in different land use and transportation contexts. Compounding these challenges, cities in Oregon are required to demonstrate that planning and zoning changes will not degrade the performance of state-owned transportation facilities compared to the levels of service documented in the Regional Transportation Plan under the Oregon Transportation Planning Rule, section -0060, and Oregon Highway Plan, Policy 1.F.6. These requirements can conflict with regional policies in Metro's 2040 Growth Concept that call for development of mixed-use centers and corridors to support jobs and freight reliability, a compact urban form and leverage transportation investments such as high capacity transit. Thus, there are gaps in the understanding about how best to evaluate, mitigate and plan for growth under these conditions. This research proposes to develop multi-modal trip generation rates that better reflect the relationship between land use, transportation and travel demand for specific land use types located in various urban settings. The project aims to collect local data (using multi-modal counts and establishment surveys) on a few specific land uses (deemed most problematic to estimate demand and occurring across the spectrum of urban conditions) to develop trip generation rates that are sensitive to demographic, land use and transportation contexts. These new trip rates will be compared to the ITE rates for the same land use category and a methodology for adjusting the ITE rates will be developed. This adjustment methodology will be validated, using additional data collected in this research. The research will be documented and made available to local partners and disseminated widely to reach out to other communities across the country. The research conducted for this project would account for how the built environment (e.g., both land use and transportation) influences travel behavior (number of trips, trip length, mode choice), and determine trip rates that reflect the entire activity spectrum of different development/place typologies. This is extremely important in determining the impact of different development types on the transportation system to: 1) avoid over-planning the system for the surrounding land uses; (2) suggest strategies and investment priorities to encourage more compact, mixed-use areas with more transportation choices and 3) avoid creating regulatory and/or financial barriers to compact form envisioned by local, regional and statewide plans (i.e. uniform TSDCs can result in lower impact development paying the same rates, and thus subsidizing development with higher impact costs to the transportation system). The documentation of the findings and methodology will be applicable to current and future growth and be transferable to other communities, locally and nationally, beyond the Portland region. Close

• 25. [Article] Bus Fleet Type and Age Replacement Optimization: A case study utilizing King County Metro fleet data

  Bus fleet data have consistently shown that vehicle operating and maintenance costs increase as vehicles age. A fleet manager has to deal with the tradeoff between the lower operating and maintenance costs ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Bus Fleet Type and Age Replacement Optimization: A case study utilizing King County Metro fleet data Author: Feng, Wei, Figliozzi, Miguel A. Year: 2012 Bus fleet data have consistently shown that vehicle operating and maintenance costs increase as vehicles age. A fleet manager has to deal with the tradeoff between the lower operating and maintenance costs of newer fleets and their higher initial capital costs as well as the tradeoff between conventional and fuel efficient bus technologies. This study formulates and implements a fleet replacement optimization framework that is applied to a case study that compares two bus types: a conventional diesel and a hybrid bus. Employing real-world bus fleet data from King County Metro (Washington State, USA) multiple scenarios are examined to account for uncertainty and variability in the model parameters. In addition sensitivity analyses are performed to study the impacts of parameter values on optimal replacement policies and the per-mile costs. Key findings include: the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) purchase cost subsidy has the highest impact on the optimal replacement policies; without FTA subsidy it is always cost effective to adopt diesel buses and replace them every 20 years. With an 80% purchase cost FTA subsidy, hybrid buses are the best choice; the optimal hybrid bus replacement cycle decreases from 18 to 14 years with increasing annual utilizations and operating and maintenance costs or decreasing hybrid purchase price and fuel economy. Fuel price, emissions costs, and initial bus age have little impact on optimal replacement policies. However, discount rate and diesel bus price, annual utilization (in 0% FTA subsidy scenario) and fuel price (in 80% FTA subsidy scenario) have the highest impacts on per-mile costs. Title: Bus Fleet Type and Age Replacement Optimization: A case study utilizing King County Metro fleet data Author: Feng, Wei, Figliozzi, Miguel A. Year: 2012 Bus fleet data have consistently shown that vehicle operating and maintenance costs increase as vehicles age. A fleet manager has to deal with the tradeoff between the lower operating and maintenance costs of newer fleets and their higher initial capital costs as well as the tradeoff between conventional and fuel efficient bus technologies. This study formulates and implements a fleet replacement optimization framework that is applied to a case study that compares two bus types: a conventional diesel and a hybrid bus. Employing real-world bus fleet data from King County Metro (Washington State, USA) multiple scenarios are examined to account for uncertainty and variability in the model parameters. In addition sensitivity analyses are performed to study the impacts of parameter values on optimal replacement policies and the per-mile costs. Key findings include: the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) purchase cost subsidy has the highest impact on the optimal replacement policies; without FTA subsidy it is always cost effective to adopt diesel buses and replace them every 20 years. With an 80% purchase cost FTA subsidy, hybrid buses are the best choice; the optimal hybrid bus replacement cycle decreases from 18 to 14 years with increasing annual utilizations and operating and maintenance costs or decreasing hybrid purchase price and fuel economy. Fuel price, emissions costs, and initial bus age have little impact on optimal replacement policies. However, discount rate and diesel bus price, annual utilization (in 0% FTA subsidy scenario) and fuel price (in 80% FTA subsidy scenario) have the highest impacts on per-mile costs. Close

• 26. [Article] Indicators of the Metroscape: Dropouts

  A brief overview of high school drop rates for Oregon with a focus on the Portland Metro Area.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Indicators of the Metroscape: Dropouts Author: Fiore, Ellie Year: 2004 A brief overview of high school drop rates for Oregon with a focus on the Portland Metro Area. Title: Indicators of the Metroscape: Dropouts Author: Fiore, Ellie Year: 2004 A brief overview of high school drop rates for Oregon with a focus on the Portland Metro Area. Close

• 27. [Article] The Equity Baseline Report: A Framework for Regional Equity

  The Equity Baseline Report: A Framework for Regional Equity is an authentic community-led report resulting from a yearlong collaborative effort conducted by six local community based organizations (CBOs). ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Equity Baseline Report: A Framework for Regional Equity Author: Franz, Jared, Goughnour, Cat, Hwang, Duncan, Jama, Kayse, Merrick, Meg, Riley, Andre, Vergara-Monroy, Gerardo Year: 2015 The Equity Baseline Report: A Framework for Regional Equity is an authentic community-led report resulting from a yearlong collaborative effort conducted by six local community based organizations (CBOs). The organizations were selected competitively to work under contract with Metro staff to identify, inventory, classify and recommend quantitative and qualitative evidence-based indicators and corresponding data sets that measure the varying degrees by which people experience equity in our region. Title: The Equity Baseline Report: A Framework for Regional Equity Author: Franz, Jared, Goughnour, Cat, Hwang, Duncan, Jama, Kayse, Merrick, Meg, Riley, Andre, Vergara-Monroy, Gerardo Year: 2015 The Equity Baseline Report: A Framework for Regional Equity is an authentic community-led report resulting from a yearlong collaborative effort conducted by six local community based organizations (CBOs). The organizations were selected competitively to work under contract with Metro staff to identify, inventory, classify and recommend quantitative and qualitative evidence-based indicators and corresponding data sets that measure the varying degrees by which people experience equity in our region. Close

• 28. [Article] PhotoVoice as Authentic Civic Engagement: Lessons Learned in One Immigrant Community

  It is widely acknowledged that equitable and sustainable public policy can only be achieved when it is informed by the concerns, hopes, and experiences of those who are affected. Public agencies wishing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: PhotoVoice as Authentic Civic Engagement: Lessons Learned in One Immigrant Community Author: Merrick, Meg, Mejia, Angie Year: 2010 It is widely acknowledged that equitable and sustainable public policy can only be achieved when it is informed by the concerns, hopes, and experiences of those who are affected. Public agencies wishing to engage recent immigrants can find this to be challenging, however. Effective public participation and civic engagement can be difficult when community members cannot speak English and/or come from very different cultural and political environments. The Chronic Disease Prevention Program (CDPP) of the Multnomah County Health Department and Metro, two public agencies serving the Portland, Oregon region, have actively sought to learn from the experiences of immigrant community members. Concerned about the obesity epidemic among youth, especially in Latino populations where obesity rates are particularly high (National Survey of Children’s Health, 2007), the Multnomah County CDPP was awarded a 5-year grant from the Northwest Health Foundation to engage in a participatory research and education project, the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) initiative, to gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of poor nutrition and inactivity in a community of recent Latino immigrants in north Portland and to provide them with healthy eating and active living education and opportunities. For this initiative, the CDPP adopted a socio-ecological model of health that recognizes that human behavior is a product of intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, environmental, and policy influences; the project was specifically designed to address all of these dimensions. It was hoped that the education and skill development offered by the project would not only lead to individual behavior change but that the HEAL initiative’s strategies would influence larger community norms and affect policy change. What follows is a more detailed discussion of the rationale for choosing Photovoice for the HEAL initiative, some of the challenges we faced in recruiting participants for the project, a description of the PhotoVoice methodology (specifically the stages of the Photovoice process and how it worked in this case), some examples of the products and findings of the Photovoice project, and concludes with lessons learned including some long term implications of this approach. Title: PhotoVoice as Authentic Civic Engagement: Lessons Learned in One Immigrant Community Author: Merrick, Meg, Mejia, Angie Year: 2010 It is widely acknowledged that equitable and sustainable public policy can only be achieved when it is informed by the concerns, hopes, and experiences of those who are affected. Public agencies wishing to engage recent immigrants can find this to be challenging, however. Effective public participation and civic engagement can be difficult when community members cannot speak English and/or come from very different cultural and political environments. The Chronic Disease Prevention Program (CDPP) of the Multnomah County Health Department and Metro, two public agencies serving the Portland, Oregon region, have actively sought to learn from the experiences of immigrant community members. Concerned about the obesity epidemic among youth, especially in Latino populations where obesity rates are particularly high (National Survey of Children’s Health, 2007), the Multnomah County CDPP was awarded a 5-year grant from the Northwest Health Foundation to engage in a participatory research and education project, the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) initiative, to gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of poor nutrition and inactivity in a community of recent Latino immigrants in north Portland and to provide them with healthy eating and active living education and opportunities. For this initiative, the CDPP adopted a socio-ecological model of health that recognizes that human behavior is a product of intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, environmental, and policy influences; the project was specifically designed to address all of these dimensions. It was hoped that the education and skill development offered by the project would not only lead to individual behavior change but that the HEAL initiative’s strategies would influence larger community norms and affect policy change. What follows is a more detailed discussion of the rationale for choosing Photovoice for the HEAL initiative, some of the challenges we faced in recruiting participants for the project, a description of the PhotoVoice methodology (specifically the stages of the Photovoice process and how it worked in this case), some examples of the products and findings of the Photovoice project, and concludes with lessons learned including some long term implications of this approach. Close

• 29. [Article] Planning in the Portland Metropolitan Area after Measure 37

  Created in the aftermath of Measure 37, the Russill Fellowship is aimed at examining non-regulatory land use planning tools and their potential application in the Portland Metropolitan area, with a particular ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Planning in the Portland Metropolitan Area after Measure 37 Author: Reid, Ted Year: 2006 Created in the aftermath of Measure 37, the Russill Fellowship is aimed at examining non-regulatory land use planning tools and their potential application in the Portland Metropolitan area, with a particular emphasis on habitat conservation. The above-mentioned ballot initiative and the larger private property rights movement have given an indication that Oregon voters perceive inequities in the State’s land use planning system. It is also clear that Oregonians still place a high value on the conservation of our state’s natural resources. According to a March, 2005 statewide survey, protecting farmland for farming is very important to 67% of respondents, protecting the environment is very important to 61%, and protecting wildlife habitat is very important to 58% (CFM Research, 2005). According to a more recent survey commissioned by Metro, 72% of respondents indicated that a policy to “add houses in existing neighborhoods” comes closer to how they feel while only 16% chose “convert farm and forest land for growth” (12% responded with “don’t know”) (Davis, Hibbits, & Midghall, Inc., 2006). Regardless of the legal status of Measure 37 or any future regulatory takings initiatives, the planner’s toolbox needs to be expanded, providing a wider variety of options to accomplish the Statewide Planning Goals. However, as the research for this paper progressed, a more complicated picture of planning and the use of regulations has emerged. It has become clear that non-regulatory planning instruments are no substitute for regulation in upholding Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goals. The above-cited survey indicates that Oregonians do still see the importance of the Goals. Thus, this paper has focused on the need for long-range planning, the relationship between planning and property values, the threat of sprawl in the Portland region, planning instruments that help to control such sprawl, and whether such instruments are able to attain Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goals. Title: Planning in the Portland Metropolitan Area after Measure 37 Author: Reid, Ted Year: 2006 Created in the aftermath of Measure 37, the Russill Fellowship is aimed at examining non-regulatory land use planning tools and their potential application in the Portland Metropolitan area, with a particular emphasis on habitat conservation. The above-mentioned ballot initiative and the larger private property rights movement have given an indication that Oregon voters perceive inequities in the State’s land use planning system. It is also clear that Oregonians still place a high value on the conservation of our state’s natural resources. According to a March, 2005 statewide survey, protecting farmland for farming is very important to 67% of respondents, protecting the environment is very important to 61%, and protecting wildlife habitat is very important to 58% (CFM Research, 2005). According to a more recent survey commissioned by Metro, 72% of respondents indicated that a policy to “add houses in existing neighborhoods” comes closer to how they feel while only 16% chose “convert farm and forest land for growth” (12% responded with “don’t know”) (Davis, Hibbits, & Midghall, Inc., 2006). Regardless of the legal status of Measure 37 or any future regulatory takings initiatives, the planner’s toolbox needs to be expanded, providing a wider variety of options to accomplish the Statewide Planning Goals. However, as the research for this paper progressed, a more complicated picture of planning and the use of regulations has emerged. It has become clear that non-regulatory planning instruments are no substitute for regulation in upholding Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goals. The above-cited survey indicates that Oregonians do still see the importance of the Goals. Thus, this paper has focused on the need for long-range planning, the relationship between planning and property values, the threat of sprawl in the Portland region, planning instruments that help to control such sprawl, and whether such instruments are able to attain Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goals. Close

• 30. [Article] Who is Making Ends Meet in the Portland Region? A Profile of Poverty and Self-Sufficiency among Greater Portland Families

  The Portland metro region economy is near a complete recovery from the damage of the Great Recession that began seven years ago. Unemployment in April of 2015 was 5.2 percent, cut in half from the 2011 ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Who is Making Ends Meet in the Portland Region? A Profile of Poverty and Self-Sufficiency among Greater Portland Families Author: Kimmell, Jamin, Martin, Sheila A. Year: 2015 The Portland metro region economy is near a complete recovery from the damage of the Great Recession that began seven years ago. Unemployment in April of 2015 was 5.2 percent, cut in half from the 2011 rate of 10.5 percent. The region ranked among the top 10 metro region areas in the nation for employment growth in 2014. Unfortunately, the benefits of this economic resurgence are not experienced equally. Ideally, economic recovery should lead to jobs and wages that enable Portland metro region families to earn enough to provide for their basic needs. Low unemployment cannot offer high quality of life if the jobs available do not pay adequate wages to make ends meet. Furthermore, public and nonprofit organizations are burdened by the demand on social services caused by families that cannot earn enough to cover basic needs like food, housing and health care. Many families in the Portland region do not earn adequate income to make up for the rising costs of life’s necessities, and self-sufficiency eludes far more families than is indicated by federal poverty statistics. Households headed by women or people of color, and families with children, are highly overrepresented among those who cannot make ends meet. Education can close part of this racial and gender gap, but it is not a panacea; other barriers persist for those families who are least likely to attain self-sufficiency. This study is a demographic analysis of self-sufficiency in the Portland metro region. Title: Who is Making Ends Meet in the Portland Region? A Profile of Poverty and Self-Sufficiency among Greater Portland Families Author: Kimmell, Jamin, Martin, Sheila A. Year: 2015 The Portland metro region economy is near a complete recovery from the damage of the Great Recession that began seven years ago. Unemployment in April of 2015 was 5.2 percent, cut in half from the 2011 rate of 10.5 percent. The region ranked among the top 10 metro region areas in the nation for employment growth in 2014. Unfortunately, the benefits of this economic resurgence are not experienced equally. Ideally, economic recovery should lead to jobs and wages that enable Portland metro region families to earn enough to provide for their basic needs. Low unemployment cannot offer high quality of life if the jobs available do not pay adequate wages to make ends meet. Furthermore, public and nonprofit organizations are burdened by the demand on social services caused by families that cannot earn enough to cover basic needs like food, housing and health care. Many families in the Portland region do not earn adequate income to make up for the rising costs of life’s necessities, and self-sufficiency eludes far more families than is indicated by federal poverty statistics. Households headed by women or people of color, and families with children, are highly overrepresented among those who cannot make ends meet. Education can close part of this racial and gender gap, but it is not a panacea; other barriers persist for those families who are least likely to attain self-sufficiency. This study is a demographic analysis of self-sufficiency in the Portland metro region. Close