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• 1. [Article] Participation, Information, Values, and Community Interests Within Health Impact Assessments

  Health impact assessment (HIA) has emerged in the U.S. as one promising process to increase social and environmental justice through addressing health equity issues within planning. HIA practice is guided ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Participation, Information, Values, and Community Interests Within Health Impact Assessments Author: Iroz-Elardo, Nicole Year: 2014 Health impact assessment (HIA) has emerged in the U.S. as one promising process to increase social and environmental justice through addressing health equity issues within planning. HIA practice is guided by values such as democracy and equity and grounded in broad social determinants of health. The most readily applied definition of democracy is problematic because it implies an element of direct, participatory engagement with the public. This is at odds with HIA practice that largely relies on stakeholder engagement strategies. This dissertation critically examines the engagement strategies of three transportation planning HIA cases to more fully understand how the HIA process may or may not promote democratic values and protect community health interests. It employs a multi-case study design that uses qualitative content analysis to trace community health interests through the HIA process, HIA document, and target plan. It finds that while the field is overstating the participatory nature of HIA, commitments to health equity and broad determinants of health protect community health interests with and without robust engagement of community stakeholders. Title: Participation, Information, Values, and Community Interests Within Health Impact Assessments Author: Iroz-Elardo, Nicole Year: 2014 Health impact assessment (HIA) has emerged in the U.S. as one promising process to increase social and environmental justice through addressing health equity issues within planning. HIA practice is guided by values such as democracy and equity and grounded in broad social determinants of health. The most readily applied definition of democracy is problematic because it implies an element of direct, participatory engagement with the public. This is at odds with HIA practice that largely relies on stakeholder engagement strategies. This dissertation critically examines the engagement strategies of three transportation planning HIA cases to more fully understand how the HIA process may or may not promote democratic values and protect community health interests. It employs a multi-case study design that uses qualitative content analysis to trace community health interests through the HIA process, HIA document, and target plan. It finds that while the field is overstating the participatory nature of HIA, commitments to health equity and broad determinants of health protect community health interests with and without robust engagement of community stakeholders. Close

• 2. [Article] Planning Ahead for Livable Communities Along the Powell-Division BRT: Neighborhood Conditions and Change

  New transit investments can be a double-edged sword for disadvantaged communities (e.g., those included in environmental justice and Title VI protected classes). Transit investments improve communities’ ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Planning Ahead for Livable Communities Along the Powell-Division BRT: Neighborhood Conditions and Change Author: Bates, Lisa K., Golub, Aaron, Macarthur, Devin, Sung, Seyoung Year: 2017 New transit investments can be a double-edged sword for disadvantaged communities (e.g., those included in environmental justice and Title VI protected classes). Transit investments improve communities’ mobility and access, and may improve health with reduced driving. However, there is also the potential for transit-oriented development (TOD) to spur gentrification and displacement if affordable housing is lost. Understanding transit corridor conditions and change with new infrastructure is important for learning how to mitigate negative effects and support inclusive communities with access to transit for lower-income households. The planning of a new bus rapid transit line along the Powell-Division corridor in Portland-Gresham provides an opportunity to understand neighborhood impacts of transit investment and evaluate programs designed to preserve and create affordable housing; include residents in economic development on the corridor; and build livable communities in an underserved area of the region. This proposal is for a research partnership between Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning faculty and the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to evaluate current conditions and potential for impacts of TOD, and to build a long-term program of assessment of neighborhood change and program evaluation as the city pilots new approaches to equitable TOD. The first phase will document the potential costs to communities if an integrated approach to livable communities were not taken, by assessing the risk of housing loss and displacement. DOT priorities are developing, evaluating and disseminating a coordinated approach to livable communities that includes housing and transportation. This work will speak to the scholarly debates about gentrification and public infrastructure investment, and will be presented to practitioner audiences through venues such as New Partners for Smart Growth, the PolicyLink think tank, and other learning opportunities for professionals. Title: Planning Ahead for Livable Communities Along the Powell-Division BRT: Neighborhood Conditions and Change Author: Bates, Lisa K., Golub, Aaron, Macarthur, Devin, Sung, Seyoung Year: 2017 New transit investments can be a double-edged sword for disadvantaged communities (e.g., those included in environmental justice and Title VI protected classes). Transit investments improve communities’ mobility and access, and may improve health with reduced driving. However, there is also the potential for transit-oriented development (TOD) to spur gentrification and displacement if affordable housing is lost. Understanding transit corridor conditions and change with new infrastructure is important for learning how to mitigate negative effects and support inclusive communities with access to transit for lower-income households. The planning of a new bus rapid transit line along the Powell-Division corridor in Portland-Gresham provides an opportunity to understand neighborhood impacts of transit investment and evaluate programs designed to preserve and create affordable housing; include residents in economic development on the corridor; and build livable communities in an underserved area of the region. This proposal is for a research partnership between Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning faculty and the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to evaluate current conditions and potential for impacts of TOD, and to build a long-term program of assessment of neighborhood change and program evaluation as the city pilots new approaches to equitable TOD. The first phase will document the potential costs to communities if an integrated approach to livable communities were not taken, by assessing the risk of housing loss and displacement. DOT priorities are developing, evaluating and disseminating a coordinated approach to livable communities that includes housing and transportation. This work will speak to the scholarly debates about gentrification and public infrastructure investment, and will be presented to practitioner audiences through venues such as New Partners for Smart Growth, the PolicyLink think tank, and other learning opportunities for professionals. Close

• 3. [Article] Using the Planning Process to Mitigate Climate Change

  This research evaluates how Oregon’s SB 1059 and California’s SB 375 have integrated climate change mitigation strategies into local planning processes, and seeks to understand how transportation planning ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Using the Planning Process to Mitigate Climate Change Author: Bartholomew, Keith Year: 2017 This research evaluates how Oregon’s SB 1059 and California’s SB 375 have integrated climate change mitigation strategies into local planning processes, and seeks to understand how transportation planning can help slow climate change. Title: Using the Planning Process to Mitigate Climate Change Author: Bartholomew, Keith Year: 2017 This research evaluates how Oregon’s SB 1059 and California’s SB 375 have integrated climate change mitigation strategies into local planning processes, and seeks to understand how transportation planning can help slow climate change. Close

• 4. [Article] Building Planner Commitment: Are California’s SB 375 and Oregon’s SB 1059 Models for Climate-Change Mitigation?

  California’s Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB 375) and the Oregon Sustainable Transportation Initiative (SB 1059) have made them the first states in the nation to try and reduce greenhouse ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Building Planner Commitment: Are California’s SB 375 and Oregon’s SB 1059 Models for Climate-Change Mitigation? Author: Bartholomew, Keith, Proffitt, David Year: 2017 California’s Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB 375) and the Oregon Sustainable Transportation Initiative (SB 1059) have made them the first states in the nation to try and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using the transportation-planning process. Evaluating how these pioneering laws have changed local planning processes – as well as plans themselves – in each state provides insight into the laws’ effectiveness at changing development patterns in a way that reduces GHG emissions, without waiting decades to see the effects in the built environment. Both states’ laws require metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and the municipalities that comprise them to plan development scenarios that reduce per capita GHG emissions from private automobiles. The emissions-reductions targets for each metro are determined through negotiation with state agencies and are updated periodically. Planning researchers (Burby et al., 1997) categorize laws like these as state planning mandates because they require local-level governments to incorporate state-specified goals into their plans. A host of empirical studies (Berke & French, 1994; Bunnell & Jepson, 2011; Burby & Dalton, 1994; Burby & May, 1998; Burby, 2005; Burby et al., 1993; Dalton & Burby, 1994; Hoch, 2007; May, 1993) suggest that the structure of state planning mandates, particularly the way their “carrots” and “sticks” encourage full adoption of the mandate’s goals and objectives or allow for just minimal compliance, are key to their success in changing development patterns. This is because greater planner commitment tends to result in higher-quality local plans and better plan implementation (Alterman & Hill, 1978; Berke & French, 1994; Berke & Godschalk, 2009; Berke, 1996; Brody & Highfield, 2005; Brody, 2003; Laurian et al., 2004; Talen, 1996), effectively acting as a multiplier that increases the plan’s influence on the built environment and other development outcomes. Therefore, we believe that evaluating the degree to which state planning mandates in California and Oregon have changed local planning documents and practices is the best available indicator of how the mandates will influence development patterns in the future. Furthermore, tracing how the mandates affect decisions made by local planners informs the suitability of California and Oregon’s planning mandates to serve as a model for policy in other states, or at the national or international scale. This study fits the NITC themes of taking long-term action on transportation emissions and climate change and integrating multimodal transportation and land use. We employ content analysis to evaluate SB 375 and SB 1059’s influence on regional transportation plans (RTPs) produced by MPOs. Conducting content analyses of RTPs approved before and after the planning mandates took effect will produce scores that allow us to compare how much the plans have changed due to the laws. It will also allow us to group MPOs based on their performance and identify characteristics of the metro areas they represent that predict their scores. For instance, some RTPs may shift from a weak focus on emissions reduction to a strong focus, while others may have a strong focus both before and after the planning mandates took effect. Building case studies in this way will allow us to ascertain which aspects of the laws are working as intended and which are not, and answer whether the laws can serve as models for climate change-mitigation policy. Title: Building Planner Commitment: Are California’s SB 375 and Oregon’s SB 1059 Models for Climate-Change Mitigation? Author: Bartholomew, Keith, Proffitt, David Year: 2017 California’s Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB 375) and the Oregon Sustainable Transportation Initiative (SB 1059) have made them the first states in the nation to try and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using the transportation-planning process. Evaluating how these pioneering laws have changed local planning processes – as well as plans themselves – in each state provides insight into the laws’ effectiveness at changing development patterns in a way that reduces GHG emissions, without waiting decades to see the effects in the built environment. Both states’ laws require metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and the municipalities that comprise them to plan development scenarios that reduce per capita GHG emissions from private automobiles. The emissions-reductions targets for each metro are determined through negotiation with state agencies and are updated periodically. Planning researchers (Burby et al., 1997) categorize laws like these as state planning mandates because they require local-level governments to incorporate state-specified goals into their plans. A host of empirical studies (Berke & French, 1994; Bunnell & Jepson, 2011; Burby & Dalton, 1994; Burby & May, 1998; Burby, 2005; Burby et al., 1993; Dalton & Burby, 1994; Hoch, 2007; May, 1993) suggest that the structure of state planning mandates, particularly the way their “carrots” and “sticks” encourage full adoption of the mandate’s goals and objectives or allow for just minimal compliance, are key to their success in changing development patterns. This is because greater planner commitment tends to result in higher-quality local plans and better plan implementation (Alterman & Hill, 1978; Berke & French, 1994; Berke & Godschalk, 2009; Berke, 1996; Brody & Highfield, 2005; Brody, 2003; Laurian et al., 2004; Talen, 1996), effectively acting as a multiplier that increases the plan’s influence on the built environment and other development outcomes. Therefore, we believe that evaluating the degree to which state planning mandates in California and Oregon have changed local planning documents and practices is the best available indicator of how the mandates will influence development patterns in the future. Furthermore, tracing how the mandates affect decisions made by local planners informs the suitability of California and Oregon’s planning mandates to serve as a model for policy in other states, or at the national or international scale. This study fits the NITC themes of taking long-term action on transportation emissions and climate change and integrating multimodal transportation and land use. We employ content analysis to evaluate SB 375 and SB 1059’s influence on regional transportation plans (RTPs) produced by MPOs. Conducting content analyses of RTPs approved before and after the planning mandates took effect will produce scores that allow us to compare how much the plans have changed due to the laws. It will also allow us to group MPOs based on their performance and identify characteristics of the metro areas they represent that predict their scores. For instance, some RTPs may shift from a weak focus on emissions reduction to a strong focus, while others may have a strong focus both before and after the planning mandates took effect. Building case studies in this way will allow us to ascertain which aspects of the laws are working as intended and which are not, and answer whether the laws can serve as models for climate change-mitigation policy. Close

• 5. [Article] Transferring Community-based, Active Transportation GIS Assessment Tools Nationwide

  “Livability” has recently been declared one of four top priorities by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), and the USDOT, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Transferring Community-based, Active Transportation GIS Assessment Tools Nationwide Author: Schlossberg, Marc, Larco, Nico Year: 2009 “Livability” has recently been declared one of four top priorities by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), and the USDOT, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have entered into an historic partnership to address the issue. Ultimately, this term refers to the quality of life within one’s community and the ease, comfort, and joy with which one can access places he or she want to go. For most Americans, their neighborhoods have been designed to predominantly accommodate the automobile, and more active forms of transportation such as walking and biking have been neglected. Previous and current OTREC work has developed a suite of GIS tools focused on assessing these environments in a fine-scaled, field-based, geo-referenced format so that local communities can better identify gaps in their networks and work to make appropriate improvements. This work explicitly focuses on the role and capacity of a general citizenry to conduct built environment active transportation audits and engage in facilitated discussions about the data and maps resulting from their community data collection. Title: Transferring Community-based, Active Transportation GIS Assessment Tools Nationwide Author: Schlossberg, Marc, Larco, Nico Year: 2009 “Livability” has recently been declared one of four top priorities by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), and the USDOT, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have entered into an historic partnership to address the issue. Ultimately, this term refers to the quality of life within one’s community and the ease, comfort, and joy with which one can access places he or she want to go. For most Americans, their neighborhoods have been designed to predominantly accommodate the automobile, and more active forms of transportation such as walking and biking have been neglected. Previous and current OTREC work has developed a suite of GIS tools focused on assessing these environments in a fine-scaled, field-based, geo-referenced format so that local communities can better identify gaps in their networks and work to make appropriate improvements. This work explicitly focuses on the role and capacity of a general citizenry to conduct built environment active transportation audits and engage in facilitated discussions about the data and maps resulting from their community data collection. Close

• 6. [Article] Constructing the 1990 Public Transportation Study Process: Reflections of the 1988 Research Team

  The 1988 Oregon Public Transportation Study provided a solid foundation of information about Oregon’s transportation providers. In particular, it furnishes information on which revenue sources members ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Constructing the 1990 Public Transportation Study Process: Reflections of the 1988 Research Team Author: Dean, Janice, Edner, Sheldon Year: 1989 The 1988 Oregon Public Transportation Study provided a solid foundation of information about Oregon’s transportation providers. In particular, it furnishes information on which revenue sources members of the industry are utilizing, expenditure patterns, capital and operating revenue needs, the protected increased demands for public transportation, and the ability of provides to makes use of available resources in their strategic planning. The study also substantiated that many members of the industry do not identify themselves as transportation providers, particularly the Special Need Transportation providers. The research process also revealed several additional factors about the process of collecting information that should be taken into account in future studies of Oregon’s Public Transportation community. Hence, this report is aimed at suggesting an approach to future research efforts to improve the information collected both substantively and in terms of reliability. Title: Constructing the 1990 Public Transportation Study Process: Reflections of the 1988 Research Team Author: Dean, Janice, Edner, Sheldon Year: 1989 The 1988 Oregon Public Transportation Study provided a solid foundation of information about Oregon’s transportation providers. In particular, it furnishes information on which revenue sources members of the industry are utilizing, expenditure patterns, capital and operating revenue needs, the protected increased demands for public transportation, and the ability of provides to makes use of available resources in their strategic planning. The study also substantiated that many members of the industry do not identify themselves as transportation providers, particularly the Special Need Transportation providers. The research process also revealed several additional factors about the process of collecting information that should be taken into account in future studies of Oregon’s Public Transportation community. Hence, this report is aimed at suggesting an approach to future research efforts to improve the information collected both substantively and in terms of reliability. Close

• 7. [Article] Impacts of Low-Speed Vehicles on Transportation Infrastructure and Safety

  There are increasing numbers of low-speed electric vehicles (LSVs) on public roadways. These vehicles are designed to be used within protected environments and on roadways with a maximum posted speed of ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Impacts of Low-Speed Vehicles on Transportation Infrastructure and Safety Author: Hunter-Zaworski, Katharine M., Cornell, Linda Year: 2010 There are increasing numbers of low-speed electric vehicles (LSVs) on public roadways. These vehicles are designed to be used within protected environments and on roadways with a maximum posted speed of 25 mph. Currently these vehicles are not subject to the same federal requirements for occupant protection as passenger cars. This research project investigated safety standards, operating regulations, and LSV manufacturer materials from sources around the world. The purpose of the research was to determine positive and negative impacts that LSVs, including Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) and Medium Speed Electric Vehicles (MSEVs), are likely to have for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Oregon communities, and whether adjustments in current state regulations are needed to ensure that LSVs do not negatively impact road safety and traffic operations, or expose the LSV operators to undue risk. The U.S. and Canadian federal motor vehicle safety agencies have harmonized their regulations and stipulated the maximum operating speed of these vehicles, however state and local roadway authorities have regulated the maximum speed of roadways and intersection characteristics on which these vehicles can operate. The significant recommendations of this research are: (i)The State of Oregon regulations for LSVs should be amended such that LSVs are limited to public roadways with a maximum operating speed of 25 mph, and they are restricted to crossing higher speed roadways at four-way Stop or traffic controlled intersections, (ii) local transportation authorities should develop parallel or secondary low-speed transportation networks that connect residential neighborhoods with major activity centers Title: Impacts of Low-Speed Vehicles on Transportation Infrastructure and Safety Author: Hunter-Zaworski, Katharine M., Cornell, Linda Year: 2010 There are increasing numbers of low-speed electric vehicles (LSVs) on public roadways. These vehicles are designed to be used within protected environments and on roadways with a maximum posted speed of 25 mph. Currently these vehicles are not subject to the same federal requirements for occupant protection as passenger cars. This research project investigated safety standards, operating regulations, and LSV manufacturer materials from sources around the world. The purpose of the research was to determine positive and negative impacts that LSVs, including Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) and Medium Speed Electric Vehicles (MSEVs), are likely to have for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Oregon communities, and whether adjustments in current state regulations are needed to ensure that LSVs do not negatively impact road safety and traffic operations, or expose the LSV operators to undue risk. The U.S. and Canadian federal motor vehicle safety agencies have harmonized their regulations and stipulated the maximum operating speed of these vehicles, however state and local roadway authorities have regulated the maximum speed of roadways and intersection characteristics on which these vehicles can operate. The significant recommendations of this research are: (i)The State of Oregon regulations for LSVs should be amended such that LSVs are limited to public roadways with a maximum operating speed of 25 mph, and they are restricted to crossing higher speed roadways at four-way Stop or traffic controlled intersections, (ii) local transportation authorities should develop parallel or secondary low-speed transportation networks that connect residential neighborhoods with major activity centers Close

• 8. [Article] Examining the Right to Bicycle: Synergies and Tensions Between Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Planning for Cycling

  Securing and expanding the broad right to bicycle, including the right to adequate and safe street space and related infrastructure for cycling along with other policies and protections for cyclists, is ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Examining the Right to Bicycle: Synergies and Tensions Between Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Planning for Cycling Author: Golub, Aaron Year: 2015 Securing and expanding the broad right to bicycle, including the right to adequate and safe street space and related infrastructure for cycling along with other policies and protections for cyclists, is the obvious goal of cycling advocacy efforts in their various forms. All rights are situated within frameworks for promulgating and insuring they are honored, and the right to cycling is no different. This project investigates how the right to bicycle falls within various rights frameworks, focusing on broad human rights and civil rights frameworks while reflecting as well on traffic safety codes and transportation planning frameworks. While certain aspects of the right to cycle find support in particular aspects of these frameworks, there are tensions among them as well. The right to cycle, for example, does not find significant support as a civil right as clarified in civil rights laws and directives, while it does however correspond more broadly to human rights conceptions of the right to bodily integrity and mobility. This project then reflects on these findings, exploring advocacy strategies for the right to bicycle and their tensions and synergies with other transportation rights movements such as universal access and transportation justice movements derived more directly from the environmental justice and civil rights frames. Title: Examining the Right to Bicycle: Synergies and Tensions Between Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Planning for Cycling Author: Golub, Aaron Year: 2015 Securing and expanding the broad right to bicycle, including the right to adequate and safe street space and related infrastructure for cycling along with other policies and protections for cyclists, is the obvious goal of cycling advocacy efforts in their various forms. All rights are situated within frameworks for promulgating and insuring they are honored, and the right to cycling is no different. This project investigates how the right to bicycle falls within various rights frameworks, focusing on broad human rights and civil rights frameworks while reflecting as well on traffic safety codes and transportation planning frameworks. While certain aspects of the right to cycle find support in particular aspects of these frameworks, there are tensions among them as well. The right to cycle, for example, does not find significant support as a civil right as clarified in civil rights laws and directives, while it does however correspond more broadly to human rights conceptions of the right to bodily integrity and mobility. This project then reflects on these findings, exploring advocacy strategies for the right to bicycle and their tensions and synergies with other transportation rights movements such as universal access and transportation justice movements derived more directly from the environmental justice and civil rights frames. Close