Research Portal

November 7, 2023

Vince Wang a Panelist with Federal Reserve Board of Governors to Discuss Rental Affordability

The Federal Reserve Board of Governors hosts the ongoing “Keys to Opportunity in the Housing Market” seminar series, and in September 2023 featured 2 panel discussions. CBE’s Vince Wang (Real Estate) participated in the panel discussion entitled “Regulatory and Programmatic Strategies to Increase the Supply of Lower-Cost Rental Units.” The other panel topic was “Challenges…


June 12, 2023

Finding Your Place: How unaffordable housing drives homelessness

Professor Gregg Colburn was interviewed for Marketplace Morning Report, discussing homelessness rates in cities like Seattle and San Francisco. Explore the project website here. Read the story here.  


April 5, 2024

Health and wellbeing impacts of housing converted from non-residential buildings: A mixed-methods exploratory study in London, UK

Pineo, H., Clifford, B., Eyre, M., & Aldridge, R. W. (2024). Health and wellbeing impacts of housing converted from non-residential buildings: A mixed-methods exploratory study in London, UK. Wellbeing, Space and Society, 6, 100192-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2024.100192 View Publication Abstract Keywords


March 26, 2024

Gregg Colburn cited in the Council of Economic Advisors 2024 Economic Report of the President

Associate Professor Gregg Colburn in the Runstad Department of Real Estate was cited in the Council of Economic Advisors 2024 Economic Report of the President. Chapter 4 of the report, “Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing: Economic Insights and Federal Policy Solutions” cites a book from Aldren and Colburn, 2022, entitled “Homelessness Is a Housing…


December 4, 2023

Causal effects of place, people, and process on rooftop solar adoption through Bayesian inference

Min, Y., & Ko, I. (2023). Causal effects of place, people, and process on rooftop solar adoption through Bayesian inference. Energy (Oxford), 285, 129510-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.129510.


November 30, 2023

Interdisciplinary team awarded an early-stage pilot grant from Population Health Initiative

Population Health Initiative gave 12 early-stage pilot grants to interdisciplinary teams. One team included Rebecca Walter, an associate professor in the Runstad Department of Real Estate. Project title: “Housing affordability and chronic stress in the US: Does affordability modify the effect of neighborhoods on health?” Project team: Amy J. Youngbloom, Department of Epidemiology Stephen J….


October 26, 2023

Associate Professor Manish Chalana Embarking on Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship March 2024

Historic preservation (or “heritage conservation” in India) is the practice of identifying, managing, and interpreting the historical record in the built environment. For many people, the resulting presence of these tangible reminders in their day-to-day world plays a major role in shaping their perceptions of who has contributed what to their nation’s development. The magnitude…


August 15, 2023

February 2022 Inspire Fund Awardees: Progress and Products

The stairs in Gould Hall

Five projects were awarded Inspire Fund awards in February 2022. They have completed various stages of work and have provided a report on their progress and products. Below, excerpts from these reports are highlighted to showcase the work that has been “Inspired” in 2022-23. Rick Mohler: “One Seattle: Leveraging Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan Update to advance…


July 17, 2023

Building a more just and beautiful future: CBE’s new faculty cohort makes strides on campus

The new cohort of faculty have made a big impact in their initial time on campus. Please see the full story here. The cohort includes: Dr. Narjes Abbasabadi, an assistant professor in the Department of Architecture and affiliate data science faculty UW eScience Institute, studies computation and decarbonization of the built environment. Dr. Amos Darko,…


Amos Darko

Amos Darko

Dr. Darko brings with him a wealth of expertise and experience in sustainability, sustainable built environment, sustainable construction, green building, modular construction, project management, and digital technologies including building information modeling and artificial intelligence. Dr. Darko earned his Ph.D. degree from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in 2019, and his BSc degree (First Class…


July 10, 2023

CBE Research Restart Funding: Progress and Updates

The College of Built Environments awarded Research Restart funding to multiple project teams in 2022. Below are descriptions of their progress and project status to-date. July 2022 Cohort: Arthur Acolin received funding for their project entitled “Accessory Dwelling Units as Potential Source of Affordable Housing Across Generations.” A no-cost extension was approved in May 2023…


July 6, 2023

Publication of the Largest National Study on Community Land Trusts and Nonprofits with Shared Equity Homeownership Programs

The Largest National Study on Community Land Trusts and Nonprofits with Shared Equity Homeownership Programs was recently completed. In partnership with the University of Toronto, Grounded Solutions Network has completed the largest and most comprehensive national census on community land trusts (CLTs) and nonprofits with shared equity homeownership programs (SEH) to date. The report was…


June 23, 2023

Integration of Urban Science and Urban Climate Adaptation Research: Opportunities to Advance Climate Action

Lobo, J., Aggarwal, R. M., Alberti, M., Allen-Dumas, M., Bettencourt, L. M. A., Boone, C., Brelsford, C., Broto, V. C., Eakin, H., Bagchi-Sen, S., Meerow, S., D’Cruz, C., Revi, A., Roberts, D. C., Smith, M. E., York, A., Lin, T., Bai, X., Solecki, W., … Gauthier, N. (2023). Integration of urban science and urban climate adaptation research: opportunities to advance climate action. Npj Urban Sustainability, 3(1), 32–39. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-023-00113-0


May 22, 2023

EarthLab 2023-2024 Innovation Grant awardees

EarthLab selected the 2023-2024 Innovation Grant Awardees in April 2023. One of the projects chosen includes College of Built Environments researchers on the interdisciplinary team. The project description and research team is detailed below. “Cultivating Transdisciplinary Support for Equitable and Resilient Floodplain Solutions” Project Description: In 2021 a massive flood on the Nooksack River left…


May 18, 2023

Population Health Initiative awards multiple College of Built Environments teams planning grants

The Population Health Initiative announced 12 climate change planning grant awardees. Of those 12 teams, 4 include College of Built Environments researchers. Descriptions of their projects are below. Read the CBE News story here.   Linking Climate Adaptation and Public Health Outcomes in Yavatmal, Maharashtra Investigators Sameer H. Shah, Environmental and Forest Sciences Celina Balderas…


April 24, 2023

Cultivating Transdisciplinary Support for Equitable and Resilient Floodplain Solutions

In 2021 a massive flood on the Nooksack River left a trail of destruction in its wake. Floods are the most expensive natural hazard in Washington State, a risk that is exacerbated by climate change. Current flood response, recovery, and planning systems are not neutral, favoring some interests over others. This paradigm in turn shapes…


April 7, 2023

College of Built Environments Announces 2023 Inspire Fund Awards

In 2021, the College of Built Environments launched the CBE Inspire Fund to “inspire” CBE research activities that are often underfunded, but for which a relatively small amount of support can be transformative. The Inspire Fund aims to support research where arts and humanities disciplines are centered, and community partners are engaged in substantive ways….


February 6, 2023

Plywood on steroids: CBE experiments with building materials for a sustainable future

The folded floor with reflective stickers indicating points to measure with the vibrometer. They’re the same kind of material used on running shoes to improve safety. The stickers reflect light from the vibrometer and help to measure vibrations from the shaker placed atop the structure.

Complex structures jointed like origami. Office walls and ceilings that swoop and bend over enormous open spaces. Experimental pavilions made with robotic fabrication techniques. This is a world of architecture made possible by mass-timber framing. And, it’s a world that’s becoming more environmentally and acoustically sound through the work of UW College of Built Environments,…


September 29, 2022

Steven Bourassa

Steven C. Bourassa is H. Jon and Judith M. Runstad Endowed Professor and Chair of the Runstad Department of Real Estate in the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington. Previously, he served as department chair at Florida Atlantic University, the University of Auckland, and the University of Louisville, where he was KHC…


July 18, 2022

College of Built Environments’ Research Restart Fund Awards Four Grants in First of Two Cycles

The College of Built Environments launched a funding opportunity for those whose research has been affected by the ongoing pandemic. The Research Restart Fund, with awards up to $5,000, has awarded 4 grants in its first of two cycles. A grant was awarded to Real Estate faculty member Arthur Acolin, who is partnering with the…


July 1, 2022

Does Neighborhood Walkability Moderate the Effects of Intrapersonal Characteristics on Amount of Walking in Post-Menopausal Women?

Perry, Cynthia K.; Herting, Jerald R.; Berke, Ethan M.; Nguyen, Huong Q.; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Beresford, Shirley A. A.; Ockene, Judith K.; Manson, Joann E.; Lacroix, Andrea Z. (2013). Does Neighborhood Walkability Moderate The Effects Of Intrapersonal Characteristics On Amount Of Walking In Post-menopausal Women? Health & Place, 21, 39 – 45.


Worksite Neighborhood and Obesogenic Behaviors: Findings among Employees in the Promoting Activity and Changes in Eating (PACE) Trial

Barrington, Wendy E.; Beresford, Shirley A. A.; Koepsell, Thomas D.; Duncan, Glen E.; Moudon, Anne Vernez. (2015). Worksite Neighborhood And Obesogenic Behaviors: Findings Among Employees In The Promoting Activity And Changes In Eating (pace) Trial. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine, 48(1), 31 – 41.


Exploring Partnership Between Transit Agency And Shared Mobility Company: An Incentive Program For App-based Carpooling

Shen, Qing; Wang, Yiyuan; Gifford, Casey. (2021). Exploring Partnership Between Transit Agency And Shared Mobility Company: An Incentive Program For App-based Carpooling. Transportation, 48(5), 2585 – 2603.


Global Urban Environmental Change Drives Adaptation in White Clover

Santangelo, James S.; Ness, Rob W.; Cohan, Beata; Fitzpatrick, Connor R.; Innes, Simon G.; Koch, Sophie; Miles, Lindsay S.; Munim, Samreen; Peres-neto, Pedro R.; Prashad, Cindy; Tong, Alex T.; Aguirre, Windsor E.; Akinwole, Philips O.; Alberti, Marina; et al. (2022). Global Urban Environmental Change Drives Adaptation In White Clover. Science, 375(6586), 1275+.


June 8, 2022

College of Built Environments’ unique Inspire Fund aims to foster research momentum in underfunded pursuits college-wide. And it’s working.

Launching the Inspire Fund: An early step for CBE’s Office of Research “For a small college, CBE has a broad range of research paradigms, from history and arts, to social science and engineering.” — Carrie Sturts Dossick, Associate Dean of Research Upon taking on the role of Associate Dean of Research, Carrie Sturts Dossick, professor…


March 17, 2022

Gregg Colburn’s new book presents opportunity to ‘rethink housing’

Gregg Colburn, Assistant Professor of Real Estate, co-authored a new book titled Homelessness is a Housing Problem, alongside journalist Clayton Aldern. The new book explores the factors that drive homelessness, and the cultural and economic shift that can ultimately benefit all — housed and unhoused. Colburn believes housing market conditions — specifically, high housing and…


February 28, 2022

2022 CBE Inspire Fund awardees announced

In 2021 the College of Built Environments launched the CBE Inspire Fund, designed to support CBE research activities for which a relatively small amount of support can be transformative. The second year of awards have just been announced, supporting five projects across 4 departments within the college as they address topics such as food sovereignty,…


February 10, 2022

The need for more equitable fare enforcement: An examination by Isis Moon Gamble, recent graduate of CBE’s Master of Urban Planning program

Buses driving on a street

Though Transit Equity Day is just one day, the issue of equity on Seattle’s public transit is an ongoing and important conversation to Seattle and King County residents. Neighborhoods across the county have unequal access to transit lines; bus stops are often located in inconvenient or dangerous places due to oncoming traffic and lack of…


December 6, 2021

Tera Williams

I am interested in researching equitable revitalization methods in marginalized communities so those communities can be revitalized without creating mass displacement and erasure of the existing culture. I have been using environmental psychology as a lens to analyze the neighborhood and explain the existing value there to people who do not inherently see it. I…


May 19, 2021

Arthur Acolin awarded Tier 2 Seed Grant

Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Real Estate and CSDE Affiliate Arthur Acolin for being awarded a $10,000 Tier 2 seed grant for his project, “Accessory Dwelling Units as Potential Source of Affordable Housing Across Generations”. This grant is part of CSDE’s quarterly call for seed grant applications and is intended to help faculty initiate new…


March 11, 2021

From Crisis to Community: Homeownership Access with Assistant Professor Arthur Acolin

The front view of three houses with green lawns and small trees

College is a time of exploration and discovery for all students. It is a time that often shapes how we view the world. Going through this transition during a moment of turbulence in the world can shape that experience significantly, which is exactly what happened for Assistant Professor of Real Estate, Arthur Acolin. As an…


March 8, 2021

Qing Shen’s proposal among those selected for funding by PacTrans

The Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) announced in January 2021 the project proposals selected for funding. Qing Shen, Professor of Urban Design and Planning and Chair of the Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Urban Design and Planning is among those selected for project funding. Shen is working alongside Co-Principal Investigator Catherine (Casey) Gifford–Innovative Mobility Senior Planner–on…


November 16, 2020

Research Themes

Purpose and Background of CBE Research Portal’s Research Themes As used in the CBE Research Portal, Research Themes are broad, transdisciplinary topics or methodologies of scholarship. This portal uses Research Themes to describe and link research efforts across CBE. They represent commonalities across the full portfolio of CBE research; they are not an exhaustive list…


October 19, 2020

Housing Market Data Toolkit

Provides one place where census data and housing market data can be found for local governments planning under GMA frameworks.


October 5, 2020

Sound Communities

Sound Communities envisions a Puget Sound region where all of us live in vibrant, thriving communities with access to public transit and amenities, giving us the freedom to make our best lives for ourselves and our families. Our mission is to promote the development of complete, walkable, equitable and inclusive neighborhoods at scale across the Puget Sound region in concert with the region’s historic investment in transit.


May 21, 2020

Washington Center for Real Estate Research

Birdseye view of construction happening at the Seattle waterfront with a view of the city in the background

The Washington Center for Real Estate Research (WCRER) works with faculty to ensure their research is accessible and easily usable by industry participants, the media and the general public. WCRER aims to provide credible research, education services and information to real estate professionals, institutional customers, public agencies, and communities in the Pacific Northwest.


March 3, 2020

David Blum

Edward David Blum has spent more than 40 years as a planner in both the public and private sectors. In the public sector, he has worked for state and county governments, Native American tribes and non-profit organizations. His work experience in the private sector includes managing the development of various commercial, residential, industrial, retail and…


March 25, 2016

Al Levine

As an Affiliate Faculty member of UDP since 2008 he has had the pleasure of teaching a variety of courses including Neighborhood Planning, Affordable Housing Policy and Development, Real Estate Development Studio and Real Estate Competition Prep Class. His classroom approach is to use his forty years of experience in the public and private sectors…


February 23, 2016

Dan Abramson

Dan Abramson approaches the discipline of planning through urban design, historic preservation and planning history, methods of socio-spatial analysis and public participation, and qualitative study of the politics and cultures of development decision-making. His experience in community-engaged planning, research, and design – mostly with immigrant, low-income, indigenous, or otherwise marginalized communities – ranges from Boston…


January 24, 2016

Daniel Winterbottom

Daniel Winterbottom, RLA, FASLA, a landscape architect with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Tufts University and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Washington. His firm, Winterbottom Design Inc., focuses their practice on healing/restorative gardens. His research interests include the…


Lynne Manzo

Lynne Manzo, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture. She teaches in both the BLA and MLA programs. Dr. Manzo is also an Affiliate Faculty member in the PhD Program in the Built Environment and the Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Urban Design and Planning, and an Adjunct Professor in the UW School…


December 22, 2015

Susan Jones

Susan Jones, FAIA, LEED BD+C, is a practicing architect and the founder of atelierjones, an architecture and urban design firm. Founded in 2003, the firm’s work entwines design, research, and community engagement to create projects of urban reclamation: of sites, buildings, materials, waste, and ways of living. With her clients and her staff, her projects…


December 11, 2015

Rick Mohler

Richard E. (Rick) Mohler, AIA, NCARB, is a licensed architect and Professor of Architecture at the University of Washington where he teaches graduate level design studios and professional practice. Professor Mohler will assume the role of Chair of the Department of Architecture beginning in June 2023. He received his B.A. and Master of Architecture degrees…


Ann Huppert

Ann C. Huppert offers classes on architectural history, focusing particularly on urbanism, drawing and the architecture and art of the Renaissance. Recent courses have included the Drawing and the Design Professions, (Re)Building Rome 1400-1800, Architecture of Mediterranean Cities, 1300-1600, Drawing and Artistic Process in the Italian Renaissance (Department of Art History), and Italian Renaissance Art (Department of Art…


Meredith Clausen

Meredith L. Clausen, born in Los Angeles to a highly musical and literary middle-class family, with close ties to members of the avant-garde in L.A. in the postwar era; her father was on the faculty, then served as chair of music department at LACC for over 40 years. She obtained both M.A. (in Medieval) and…