The Mobility Innovation Center announced that Qing Shen, professor of Urban Design & Planning and an expert in transportation planning and policy, has received a $100,000 award to study commuting patterns and develop a model to understand the effect of telework and flexible scheduling. The project will build off the existing Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) survey for employers who are in the CTR program as required by state law in the central city portion of Seattle. In addition, a complementary…
Department: Urban Design and Planning
Dylan Stevenson
Dylan Stevenson’s (Prairie Band Potawatomi descent) research examines how culture informs planning strategies and influences land relationships. More specifically, he investigates how tribal epistemologies structure notions of Indigenous futurities by centering Indigenous cultural values at the forefront of environmental stewardship and cultural preservation. He is currently working on a project researching how governments (Federal, State, and Tribal) embed cultural values in Water Resources Planning strategies, drawing from ethnographic research he conducted in the joint territory of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. His other research interests include ecological restoration, intangible cultural heritage, and food systems planning. Previously, Dylan has worked for public and quasi-public entities dealing with the implementation and compliance of local, state, and federal legislation in California and has forthcoming work analyzing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in planning programs.
Dylan earned his Ph.D. in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University. He earned his master’s degree in Planning with a concentration in Preservation and Design of the Built Environment from the University of Southern California, a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics with a minor in Native American Studies from the University of California—Davis, and an associate of arts degree in Liberal Arts from De Anza College.
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 City of Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development to understand barriers that homeowners, particularly those with lower incomes, face to building Accessory Dwelling Units…
Intermodal Transfer Between Bicycles and Rail Transit in Shanghai, China
Pan, Haixiao; Shen, Qing; Xue, Song. (2010). Intermodal Transfer Between Bicycles and Rail Transit in Shanghai, China. Transportation Research Record, 2144, 181 – 188.
Abstract
Large cities in China are building rail transit systems as part of a key strategy to address their pressing urban transportation problems. Because the high construction cost of subways and light rail limits the network density of rail transit, urban transport planners must seek effective intermodal connections between rail and other modes. This research examines the challenges and opportunities for improving the bicycle rail connection by using Shanghai as a case study. On the basis of two questionnaire surveys of rail transit riders, the research analyzes the existing mode shares of rail station access and egress trips, the underlying mechanisms for choosing among alternative modes, and the comparative advantages of the bicycle for trips that have certain distance and location characteristics. Empirical results suggest that the potential for travel improvement for rail transit riders lies primarily in the collection and distribution phases. Results point to several promising approaches to improving the bicycle rail connection and utilizing the bicycle more fully as an efficient supplement mode for the rapidly expanding urban rail transportation in China. In addition, the work can be a useful reference for cities in other countries in which rail transit development is accompanied by the continued importance of bicycles in residents' travel.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Residential Location in the US
Duncan, Glen E.; Dansie, Elizabeth J.; Strachan, Eric; Munsell, Melissa; Huang, Ruizhu; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Goldberg, Jack; Buchwald, Dedra. (2012). Genetic and Environmental Influences on Residential Location in the US. Health & Place, 18(3), 515 – 519.
Abstract
We used a classical twin design and measures of neighborhood walkability and social deprivation, using each twin's street address, to examine genetic and environmental influences on the residential location of 1389 same-sex pairs from a US community-based twin registry. Within-pair correlations and structural equation models estimated these influences on walkability among younger (ages 18-24.9) and older (ages 25+) twins. Adjusting for social deprivation, walkability of residential location was primarily influenced by common environment with lesser contributions of unique environment and genetic factors among younger twins, while unique environment most strongly influenced walkability, with small genetic and common environment effects, among older twins. Thus, minimal variance in walkability was explained by shared genetic effects in younger and older twins, and confirms the importance of environmental factors in walkability of residential locations. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Homesites; Community Life -- Social Aspects; Structural Equation Modeling; Genetics; Analysis Of Variance; Environmental Health; Walking; United States; Environment; Neighborhood; Twins; Walkability; Physical-activity; Twin Registry; Epidemiology; Preferences; Selection; Zygosity
Characterizing the Food Environment: Pitfalls and Future Directions
Moudon, Anne Vernez; Drewnowski, Adam; Duncan, Glen E.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Saelens, Brian E.; Scharnhorst, Eric. (2013). Characterizing the Food Environment: Pitfalls and Future Directions. Public Health Nutrition, 16(7), 1238 – 1243.
Abstract
Objective: To assess a county population's exposure to different types of food sources reported to affect both diet quality and obesity rates. Design: Food permit records obtained from the local health department served to establish the full census of food stores and restaurants. Employing prior categorization schemes which classified the relative healthfulness of food sources based on establishment type (i.e. supermarkets v. convenience stores, or full-service v. fast-food restaurants), food establishments were assigned to the healthy, unhealthy or undetermined groups. Setting: King County, WA, USA. Subjects: Full census of food sources. Results: According to all categorization schemes, most food establishments in King County fell into the unhealthy and undetermined groups. Use of the food permit data showed that large stores, which included supermarkets as healthy food establishments, contained a sizeable number of bakery/delis, fish/meat, ethnic and standard quick-service restaurants and coffee shops, all food sources that, when housed in a separate venue or owned by a different business establishment, were classified as either unhealthy or of undetermined value to health. Conclusions: To fully assess the potential health effects of exposure to the extant food environment, future research would need to establish the health value of foods in many such common establishments as individually owned grocery stores and ethnic food stores and restaurants. Within-venue exposure to foods should also be investigated.
Keywords
Food Chemistry; Obesity; Health Boards; Dietary Supplements; Food Cooperatives; Restaurant Reviews; Coffee Shops; Food Consumption; Food Quality; Census Of Food Sources; Exposure; Health Value; Neighborhood Characteristics; Store Availability; Racial Composition; Physical-activity; Weight Status; Restaurants; Association; Proximity; Access; Business Enterprises; Fast Food Restaurants; Fish; Grocery Stores; Healthy Diet; Meat; Nutritional Adequacy; Supermarkets
Possible Worlds: Henri Lefebvre and the Right to the City
Purcell, Mark. (2014). Possible Worlds: Henri Lefebvre and the Right to the City. Journal Of Urban Affairs, 36(1), 141 – 154.
Abstract
There has been much attention paid recently the idea of the right to the city. This article argues that in order to fully appreciate the power of the idea, we should understand it through a close reading of Henri Lefebvre's body of work on the city and politics. Lefebvre presents a radical vision for a city in which users manage urban space for themselves, beyond the control of both the state and capitalism. However, while it calls for profound change, Lefebvre's vision is also eminently practical; it can very much serve as a guide and inspiration for concrete action to change the city today.
Split-Match-Aggregate (SMA) Algorithm: Integrating Sidewalk Data with Transportation Network Data in GIS
Kang, Bumjoon; Scully, Jason Y.; Stewart, Orion; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Moudon, Anne V. (2015). Split-Match-Aggregate (SMA) Algorithm: Integrating Sidewalk Data with Transportation Network Data in GIS. International Journal Of Geographical Information Science, 29(3), 440 – 453.
Abstract
Sidewalk geodata are essential to understand walking behavior. However, such geodata are scarce, only available at the local jurisdiction and not at the regional level. If they exist, the data are stored in geometric representational formats without network characteristics such as sidewalk connectivity and completeness. This article presents the Split-Match-Aggregate (SMA) algorithm, which automatically conflates sidewalk information from secondary geometric sidewalk data to existing street network data. The algorithm uses three parameters to determine geometric relationships between sidewalk and street segments: the distance between streets and sidewalk segments; the angle between sidewalk and street segments; and the difference between the lengths of matched sidewalk and street segments. The SMA algorithm was applied in urban King County, WA, to 13 jurisdictions' secondary sidewalk geodata. Parameter values were determined based on agreement rates between results obtained from 72 pre-specified parameter combinations and those of a trained geographic information systems (GIS) analyst using a randomly selected 5% of the 79,928 street segments as a parameter-development sample. The algorithm performed best when the distances between sidewalk and street segments were 12m or less, their angles were 25 degrees or less, and the tolerance was set to 18m, showing an excellent agreement rate of 96.5%. The SMA algorithm was applied to classify sidewalks in the entire study area and it successfully updated sidewalk coverage information on the existing regional-level street network data. The algorithm can be applied for conflating attributes between associated, but geometrically misaligned line data sets in GIS.
Keywords
Geodatabases; Sidewalks; Algorithms; Pedestrians; Digital Mapping; Algorithm; Gis; Pedestrian Network Data; Polyline Conflation; Sidewalk; Built Environment; Physical-activity; Mode Choice; Urban Form; Land-use; Travel; Generation; Walking
Differences in Residential Energy Use between US City and Suburban Households
Estiri, Hossein. (2016). Differences in Residential Energy Use between US City and Suburban Households. Regional Studies, 50(11), 1919 – 1930.
Abstract
This paper applies path analysis to household-level data from the US residential sector to study differences in energy consumption between self-identified city and suburban households. Results show that, on average, suburban households consume more energy in residential buildings than their city-dweller counterparts. This variation in energy consumption is due to differences in: (1) characteristics of the household and the housing unit, independently, and (2) interactions between the household and housing characteristics in the city and suburban households. Findings of this study provide new insights into how regional policies can be implemented differently in suburbs and cities to reduce energy consumption.
Keywords
Urban Form; Electricity Consumption; Land-use; Impact; Sector; Sprawl; Determinants; Appliance; Mobility; Density; Energy Use; Residential Sector; City-dwellers; Suburbanites; Households; Path Analysis; Suburban Areas; Cities; Housing; Energy Consumption; Comparative Analysis; Data Processing; Residential Energy; Suburbs; Residential Buildings; Residential Areas; Energy Policy; Regional Analysis; Regional Studies; United States--us
Secondary GIS Built Environment Data for Health Research: Guidance for Data Development
Stewart, Orion T.; Carlos, Heather A.; Lee, Chanam; Berke, Ethan M.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Li, Li; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Doescher, Mark P. (2016). Secondary GIS Built Environment Data for Health Research: Guidance for Data Development. Journal Of Transport & Health, 3(4), 529 – 539.
Abstract
Built environment (BE) data in geographic information system (GIS) format are increasingly available from public agencies and private providers. These data can provide objective, low-cost BE data over large regions and are often used in public health research and surveillance. Yet challenges exist in repurposing GIS data for health research. The GIS data do not always capture desired constructs; the data can be of varying quality and completeness; and the data definitions, structures, and spatial representations are often inconsistent across sources. Using the Small Town Walkability study as an illustration, we describe (a) the range of BE characteristics measurable in a GIS that may be associated with active living, (b) the availability of these data across nine U.S. small towns, (c) inconsistencies in the GIS BE data that were available, and (d) strategies for developing accurate, complete, and consistent GIS BE data appropriate for research. Based on a conceptual framework and existing literature, objectively measurable characteristics of the BE potentially related to active living were classified under nine domains: generalized land uses, morphology, density, destinations, transportation system, traffic conditions, neighborhood behavioral conditions, economic environment, and regional location. At least some secondary GIS data were available across all nine towns for seven of the 9 BE domains. Data representing high-resolution or behavioral aspects of the BE were often not available. Available GIS BE data - especially tax parcel data often contained varying attributes and levels of detail across sources. When GIS BE data were available from multiple sources, the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of the data could be reasonable ensured for use in research. But this required careful attention to the definition and spatial representation of the BE characteristic of interest. Manipulation of the secondary source data was often required, which was facilitated through protocols. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Geographic Information-systems; Physical-activity; Land-use; Walking; Neighborhood; Associations; Density; Design; Adults; Travel; Active Travel; Pedestrian; Urban Design; Community Health; Rural