Search

Search Results

• 1. [Article] Washington County Affordable Housing Development Strategy

  The Washington County Consolidated Housing Plan estimates a need for 14,000 housing units affordable to low and very low-income households. This project was developed to create an initial strategy for ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Washington County Affordable Housing Development Strategy Author: Heberling, Mary, Mallen, Hayley, Peterson, Danelle, Statz, Jill, Tetrick, David Year: 2016 The Washington County Consolidated Housing Plan estimates a need for 14,000 housing units affordable to low and very low-income households. This project was developed to create an initial strategy for meeting that need. It provides 30 specific recommendations for Washington County to enable it to take action in the coming years. As the plan notes, there is no single action that will suffice. The County can make progress towards meeting the challenge posed by its affordable housing crisis by leveraging the proposed recommendations with each other. Title: Washington County Affordable Housing Development Strategy Author: Heberling, Mary, Mallen, Hayley, Peterson, Danelle, Statz, Jill, Tetrick, David Year: 2016 The Washington County Consolidated Housing Plan estimates a need for 14,000 housing units affordable to low and very low-income households. This project was developed to create an initial strategy for meeting that need. It provides 30 specific recommendations for Washington County to enable it to take action in the coming years. As the plan notes, there is no single action that will suffice. The County can make progress towards meeting the challenge posed by its affordable housing crisis by leveraging the proposed recommendations with each other. Close

• 2. [Article] Promising Practices for Long-Term Community Engagement

  Washington County has initiated a planning process to rethink the structure and support system for its ongoing, long-term community participation program. The impetus for this planning process began with ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Promising Practices for Long-Term Community Engagement Author: Merrick, Meg, Tremoulet, Andrée, Dippert, Tina Year: 2015 Washington County has initiated a planning process to rethink the structure and support system for its ongoing, long-term community participation program. The impetus for this planning process began with a fall 2014 announcement by the service provider that had supported the county’s Citizen Participation Organizations (CPOs) and the Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) for several decades, Oregon State University Extension, that it would no longer continue this role effective fall 2015. The planning process has since evolved into an opportunity to take a thorough look at the program and plan a system of engagement for the 21st century. Washington County contracted with Portland State University to conduct background research on best/promising practices for county-level public involvement models and prepare a report that includes an overview of best practices, a selection of best practices profiles that are most relevant to Washington County’s needs, and a series of recommendations based on these findings. The results of our work are transmitted and presented in the pages that follow. It is hoped that this information will be a valuable resource to the Transition Team, elected officials and staff, and that it will stimulate imagination and expand the options considered in the planning process. Title: Promising Practices for Long-Term Community Engagement Author: Merrick, Meg, Tremoulet, Andrée, Dippert, Tina Year: 2015 Washington County has initiated a planning process to rethink the structure and support system for its ongoing, long-term community participation program. The impetus for this planning process began with a fall 2014 announcement by the service provider that had supported the county’s Citizen Participation Organizations (CPOs) and the Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) for several decades, Oregon State University Extension, that it would no longer continue this role effective fall 2015. The planning process has since evolved into an opportunity to take a thorough look at the program and plan a system of engagement for the 21st century. Washington County contracted with Portland State University to conduct background research on best/promising practices for county-level public involvement models and prepare a report that includes an overview of best practices, a selection of best practices profiles that are most relevant to Washington County’s needs, and a series of recommendations based on these findings. The results of our work are transmitted and presented in the pages that follow. It is hoped that this information will be a valuable resource to the Transition Team, elected officials and staff, and that it will stimulate imagination and expand the options considered in the planning process. Close

• 3. [Article] How Well has Land-Use Planning Worked Under Different Governance Regimes? A Case Study in the Portland, OR-Vancouver, WA Metropolitan Area, USA

  We examine land use planning outcomes over a 30-year period in the Portland, OR-Vancouver, WA (USA) metropolitan area. The four-county study region enables comparisons between three Oregon counties subject ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: How Well has Land-Use Planning Worked Under Different Governance Regimes? A Case Study in the Portland, OR-Vancouver, WA Metropolitan Area, USA Author: Kline, Jeffrey D., Thiers, Paul R., Ozawa, Connie P., Yeakley, J. Alan, Gordon, Sean N. Year: 2014 We examine land use planning outcomes over a 30-year period in the Portland, OR-Vancouver, WA (USA) metropolitan area. The four-county study region enables comparisons between three Oregon counties subject to Oregon’s 1973 Land Use Act (Senate Bill 100) and Clark County, WA which implemented land use planning under Washington’s 1990 Growth Management Act. We describe county-level historical land uses from the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s, including low-density residential and urban development, both outside and inside of current urban growth boundaries. We use difference-in-differences models to test whether differences in the proportions of developed land resulting from implementation of urban growth boundaries are statistically significant and whether they vary between Oregon and Washington. Our results suggest that land use planning and urban growth boundaries now mandated both in Oregon and Washington portions of the study area have had a measurable and statistically significant effect in containing development and conserving forest and agricultural lands in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area. Our results also suggest, however, that these effects differ across the four study-area counties, likely owing in part to differences in counties’ initial levels of development, distinctly different land use planning histories, and how restrictive their urban growth boundaries were drawn. Title: How Well has Land-Use Planning Worked Under Different Governance Regimes? A Case Study in the Portland, OR-Vancouver, WA Metropolitan Area, USA Author: Kline, Jeffrey D., Thiers, Paul R., Ozawa, Connie P., Yeakley, J. Alan, Gordon, Sean N. Year: 2014 We examine land use planning outcomes over a 30-year period in the Portland, OR-Vancouver, WA (USA) metropolitan area. The four-county study region enables comparisons between three Oregon counties subject to Oregon’s 1973 Land Use Act (Senate Bill 100) and Clark County, WA which implemented land use planning under Washington’s 1990 Growth Management Act. We describe county-level historical land uses from the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s, including low-density residential and urban development, both outside and inside of current urban growth boundaries. We use difference-in-differences models to test whether differences in the proportions of developed land resulting from implementation of urban growth boundaries are statistically significant and whether they vary between Oregon and Washington. Our results suggest that land use planning and urban growth boundaries now mandated both in Oregon and Washington portions of the study area have had a measurable and statistically significant effect in containing development and conserving forest and agricultural lands in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area. Our results also suggest, however, that these effects differ across the four study-area counties, likely owing in part to differences in counties’ initial levels of development, distinctly different land use planning histories, and how restrictive their urban growth boundaries were drawn. Close

• 4. [Article] The Economic Impact of Oregon City’s County Seat Status

  Impact analysis discussing the economic role of county presence in Oregon City.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Economic Impact of Oregon City’s County Seat Status Author: Paruszkiewicz, Mike, Renfro, Jeff, Hulseman, Peter, Willingham, Emma Year: 2016 Impact analysis discussing the economic role of county presence in Oregon City. Title: The Economic Impact of Oregon City’s County Seat Status Author: Paruszkiewicz, Mike, Renfro, Jeff, Hulseman, Peter, Willingham, Emma Year: 2016 Impact analysis discussing the economic role of county presence in Oregon City. Close

• 5. [Article] Transit Justice for Youth in Multnomah County, Oregon: A For Youth By Youth Report

  In May 2014, the MYC hosted young people at our first Youth Summit for Transit Justice. In this youth-led process, we brought together youth from across the county and adult policy-makers to address our ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Transit Justice for Youth in Multnomah County, Oregon: A For Youth By Youth Report Author: Bates, Lisa K. Year: 2014 In May 2014, the MYC hosted young people at our first Youth Summit for Transit Justice. In this youth-led process, we brought together youth from across the county and adult policy-makers to address our region’s transit issues. It was an important step for building youth-adult partnership to improve transit access for young people in Multnomah County. In this report, we report on the Transit Justice Summit and the youth perspective on transit fares, access, and the importance of transit justice for the success of all youth in Portland and Multnomah County. This report was created from research we conducted to learn about how youth get around, where they are going, and what problems they face when using transit. We provide a youth voice on major issues we learned about from focus groups, surveys, interviews, and discussion at the Transit Justice Summit. This is a report of young people’s experiences, and also their ideas for change. In our research and at the summit, a diverse group of young people developed ideas for how to improve transit, the built environment, and youth-police relationships. As you read the report, you will learn about our process, the summit, and the policy recommendations we’re delivering to adult policy-makers at local governments, police departments, and at TriMet. The Multnomah Youth Commission’s policy recommendations are about achieving transit justice for the youth of Multnomah County. Title: Transit Justice for Youth in Multnomah County, Oregon: A For Youth By Youth Report Author: Bates, Lisa K. Year: 2014 In May 2014, the MYC hosted young people at our first Youth Summit for Transit Justice. In this youth-led process, we brought together youth from across the county and adult policy-makers to address our region’s transit issues. It was an important step for building youth-adult partnership to improve transit access for young people in Multnomah County. In this report, we report on the Transit Justice Summit and the youth perspective on transit fares, access, and the importance of transit justice for the success of all youth in Portland and Multnomah County. This report was created from research we conducted to learn about how youth get around, where they are going, and what problems they face when using transit. We provide a youth voice on major issues we learned about from focus groups, surveys, interviews, and discussion at the Transit Justice Summit. This is a report of young people’s experiences, and also their ideas for change. In our research and at the summit, a diverse group of young people developed ideas for how to improve transit, the built environment, and youth-police relationships. As you read the report, you will learn about our process, the summit, and the policy recommendations we’re delivering to adult policy-makers at local governments, police departments, and at TriMet. The Multnomah Youth Commission’s policy recommendations are about achieving transit justice for the youth of Multnomah County. Close

• 6. [Article] Wave Energy in Clatsop County, OR: An Economic Impact Analysis

  This study analyzes the economic impacts of building a wave energy commercial generation project in Clatsop County, Oregon. The modeled project is relatively small, and was produced by reviewing relevant ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Wave Energy in Clatsop County, OR: An Economic Impact Analysis Author: Renfro, Jeff, Kessi, Janai, Khalid, Ayesha, O'Brien, Kyle Year: 2014 This study analyzes the economic impacts of building a wave energy commercial generation project in Clatsop County, Oregon. The modeled project is relatively small, and was produced by reviewing relevant wave energy literature and working with two local wave energy developers to estimate the expenditures and related costs of the project. We find that the construction and ongoing operation of a commercial wave energy project would create gains in employment, income, and output in the area as well as preparing Astoria for further wave energy development. Title: Wave Energy in Clatsop County, OR: An Economic Impact Analysis Author: Renfro, Jeff, Kessi, Janai, Khalid, Ayesha, O'Brien, Kyle Year: 2014 This study analyzes the economic impacts of building a wave energy commercial generation project in Clatsop County, Oregon. The modeled project is relatively small, and was produced by reviewing relevant wave energy literature and working with two local wave energy developers to estimate the expenditures and related costs of the project. We find that the construction and ongoing operation of a commercial wave energy project would create gains in employment, income, and output in the area as well as preparing Astoria for further wave energy development. Close

• 7. [Article] Election 2016: Voter Turnout and Results Across Oregon

  Metroscape went inside the numbers from the 2016 general election. We examined Oregon’s new "motor voter" law to see if it affected turnout and to better understand the new voters added to the rolls in ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Election 2016: Voter Turnout and Results Across Oregon Author: Curry, Kevin Year: 2017 Metroscape went inside the numbers from the 2016 general election. We examined Oregon’s new "motor voter" law to see if it affected turnout and to better understand the new voters added to the rolls in the ‘Beaver State.’ We looked at voter turnout and election results in Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill counties in Oregon and Clark and Skamania counties in Washington to answer several questions about the 2016 General Election. Title: Election 2016: Voter Turnout and Results Across Oregon Author: Curry, Kevin Year: 2017 Metroscape went inside the numbers from the 2016 general election. We examined Oregon’s new "motor voter" law to see if it affected turnout and to better understand the new voters added to the rolls in the ‘Beaver State.’ We looked at voter turnout and election results in Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill counties in Oregon and Clark and Skamania counties in Washington to answer several questions about the 2016 General Election. Close

• 8. [Article] Identifying Clusters of Non-Farm Activity within Exclusive Farm Use Zones in the Northern Willamette Valley

  This thesis provides an extensive look at where permitted non-farm uses and dwellings have clustered within Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) zones in the Northern Willamette Valley in Oregon. There is a looming ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Identifying Clusters of Non-Farm Activity within Exclusive Farm Use Zones in the Northern Willamette Valley Author: Chun, Nicholas Year: 2017 This thesis provides an extensive look at where permitted non-farm uses and dwellings have clustered within Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) zones in the Northern Willamette Valley in Oregon. There is a looming concern that non-farm related uses and dwellings, or non-farm development, are conflicting with agricultural preservation strategies. Specifically, non-farm developments can potentially undermine the critical mass of farmland needed to keep the agricultural economy sustainable, but until now, studies have lacked spatially precise data to systematically track these phenomena. This thesis offers methodological contributions towards analyzing these operations and presents a broad account of what has been occurring in the region. Using permit approval data from the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and 2015 county tax lot shapefiles, I geocoded the locations of these uses and dwellings. I used location quotient and spatial autocorrelation coefficients to identify non-farm hotspots in the region and summarized different typologies that have developed. The findings reveal that viticulture operations have amassed near Dundee and Newberg in Yamhill County, while commercial activities and home occupations have clustered near the Salem-Keizer UGB. Concurrently, dwellings have clustered near the Yamhill-Polk County border. Finally, I offer suggestions to improve Oregon's agricultural land use policy and data management process, as well as advocate for more intensive research in the future to generate narratives for our results. Title: Identifying Clusters of Non-Farm Activity within Exclusive Farm Use Zones in the Northern Willamette Valley Author: Chun, Nicholas Year: 2017 This thesis provides an extensive look at where permitted non-farm uses and dwellings have clustered within Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) zones in the Northern Willamette Valley in Oregon. There is a looming concern that non-farm related uses and dwellings, or non-farm development, are conflicting with agricultural preservation strategies. Specifically, non-farm developments can potentially undermine the critical mass of farmland needed to keep the agricultural economy sustainable, but until now, studies have lacked spatially precise data to systematically track these phenomena. This thesis offers methodological contributions towards analyzing these operations and presents a broad account of what has been occurring in the region. Using permit approval data from the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and 2015 county tax lot shapefiles, I geocoded the locations of these uses and dwellings. I used location quotient and spatial autocorrelation coefficients to identify non-farm hotspots in the region and summarized different typologies that have developed. The findings reveal that viticulture operations have amassed near Dundee and Newberg in Yamhill County, while commercial activities and home occupations have clustered near the Salem-Keizer UGB. Concurrently, dwellings have clustered near the Yamhill-Polk County border. Finally, I offer suggestions to improve Oregon's agricultural land use policy and data management process, as well as advocate for more intensive research in the future to generate narratives for our results. Close

• 9. [Article] Barriers to Transitional Housing Access among Homeless Male Adults in the City of Portland

  From 2011 to 2014, there were 191 confirmed deaths among homeless persons living in Multnomah County, approximately 88% of which were among adult men (over the age of 18). This alarming statistic in no ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Barriers to Transitional Housing Access among Homeless Male Adults in the City of Portland Author: Raines, Alexander T Year: 2016 From 2011 to 2014, there were 191 confirmed deaths among homeless persons living in Multnomah County, approximately 88% of which were among adult men (over the age of 18). This alarming statistic in no way-shape-or-form represents the demographic makeup of Multnomah County’s homeless population, with a 2015 point-in-time count finding males over the age of 24 comprising just 52% of Multnomah’s homeless. Among these individuals the average age of death was just 43.3 years old; for comparison, the standard life expectancy for a man born in Multnomah County is 76.6 years old. This pattern of vulnerability among homeless men may in fact be part of a larger trend, if so, it is one largely unrecognized by standard scales of vulnerability. The lack of common cause among threats to homeless male adults stresses a need for safe, managed environments where conditions related to physical health, mental health, and chronic homelessness can be addressed. Fortunately, such places exist. Transitional housing, part of the “housing first” model, originated with a series of landmark studies in the 1990s by Randall Kuhn and Dennis P. Culhane. Since then over 300 American cities, including the city of Portland, have adopted housing first plans to end transitional and chronic homelessness. It would seem the successes of transitional housing organizations within Portland would preclude the fatality numbers referenced above. The question therefore is raised: What barriers exist that are preventing homeless male adults in Portland from accessing transitional housing programs and how can these issues be addressed? Title: Barriers to Transitional Housing Access among Homeless Male Adults in the City of Portland Author: Raines, Alexander T Year: 2016 From 2011 to 2014, there were 191 confirmed deaths among homeless persons living in Multnomah County, approximately 88% of which were among adult men (over the age of 18). This alarming statistic in no way-shape-or-form represents the demographic makeup of Multnomah County’s homeless population, with a 2015 point-in-time count finding males over the age of 24 comprising just 52% of Multnomah’s homeless. Among these individuals the average age of death was just 43.3 years old; for comparison, the standard life expectancy for a man born in Multnomah County is 76.6 years old. This pattern of vulnerability among homeless men may in fact be part of a larger trend, if so, it is one largely unrecognized by standard scales of vulnerability. The lack of common cause among threats to homeless male adults stresses a need for safe, managed environments where conditions related to physical health, mental health, and chronic homelessness can be addressed. Fortunately, such places exist. Transitional housing, part of the “housing first” model, originated with a series of landmark studies in the 1990s by Randall Kuhn and Dennis P. Culhane. Since then over 300 American cities, including the city of Portland, have adopted housing first plans to end transitional and chronic homelessness. It would seem the successes of transitional housing organizations within Portland would preclude the fatality numbers referenced above. The question therefore is raised: What barriers exist that are preventing homeless male adults in Portland from accessing transitional housing programs and how can these issues be addressed? Close

• 10. [Article] Parking Infrastructure: A Constraint on or Opportunity for Urban Redevelopment?

  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 ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Parking Infrastructure: A Constraint on or Opportunity for Urban Redevelopment? Author: Chester, Mikhail Year: 2016 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 core. 14% of incorporated land in Los Angeles County is committed to parking. Uncertainty in our space inventory is attributed to our building growth model, onstreet space length, and the assumption that parking spaces were created as per the requirements. The continued use of minimum parking requirements is likely to encourage automobile use at a time when metropolitan areas are actively seeking to manage congestion and increase transit use, biking, and walking. Widely discussed ways to reform parking policies may be less than effective if planners do not consider the remaining incentives to auto use created by the existing parking infrastructure. Planners should encourage the conversion of existing parking facilities to alternative uses. Title: Parking Infrastructure: A Constraint on or Opportunity for Urban Redevelopment? Author: Chester, Mikhail Year: 2016 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 core. 14% of incorporated land in Los Angeles County is committed to parking. Uncertainty in our space inventory is attributed to our building growth model, onstreet space length, and the assumption that parking spaces were created as per the requirements. The continued use of minimum parking requirements is likely to encourage automobile use at a time when metropolitan areas are actively seeking to manage congestion and increase transit use, biking, and walking. Widely discussed ways to reform parking policies may be less than effective if planners do not consider the remaining incentives to auto use created by the existing parking infrastructure. Planners should encourage the conversion of existing parking facilities to alternative uses. Close