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Department: Urban Design and Planning

Municipal Sidewalk Inventories: A Tool to Support Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act

Cahen, A., Dannenberg, A. L., & Kraft, M. K. (2024). Municipal Sidewalk Inventories: A Tool to Support Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Transportation Research Record. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981241281738.

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Abstract

Sidewalks are a critical but underresourced part of our transportation system. Despite their importance in promoting equity, health, and safety, sidewalk networks are often underfunded and municipalities may have little information about their condition. We conducted a document review, informant interviews, and a descriptive study of 21 selected U.S. cities to compare practices for conducting sidewalk inventories and their use for improving municipal sidewalk networks. Although diverse in geography, population size, density, and median household income, the selected cities represent a sample of convenience and not a random sample of U.S. cities. The results suggested that compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act is a primary motivator for conducting sidewalk inventories and the cost of conducting an inventory is not prohibitive. Inventory methods included walking each sidewalk segment using handheld devices, LIDAR mounted on wheeled vehicles, and aerial photography, with data uploaded to geographic information system databases. Sidewalk inventories can be used to promote equity by increasing the percentage of city streets that have sidewalks. Areas for future study include developing better cost estimates for each type of sidewalk inventory method, examining the legal implications of sidewalk inventories, and estimating the incremental health benefits obtained for each additional investment in sidewalk construction and repair.

Economic impact on local businesses of road safety improvements in Seattle: implications for Vision Zero projects

Osterhage, D. R., Acolin, J., Fishman, P. A., & Dannenberg, A. L. (2024). Economic impact on local businesses of road safety improvements in Seattle: implications for Vision Zero projects. Injury Prevention, 30(6), 468–473. https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2023-044934.

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Abstract

Background Local transportation agencies implementing Vision Zero road safety improvement projects often face opposition from business owners concerned about the potential negative impact on their sales. Few studies have documented the economic impact of these projects.

Methods We examined baseline and up to 3 years of postimprovement taxable sales data for retail, food and service-based businesses adjacent to seven road safety projects begun between 2006 and 2014 in Seattle. We used hierarchical linear models to test whether the change in annual taxable sales differed between the 7 intervention sites and 18 nearby matched comparison sites that had no road safety improvements within the study time frame.

Results Average annual taxable sales at baseline were comparable at the 7 intervention sites (US$44.7 million) and the 18 comparison sites (US$56.8 million). Regression analysis suggests that each additional year following baseline was associated with US$1.20 million more in taxable sales among intervention sites and US$1.14 million more among comparison sites. This difference is not statistically significant (p=0.64). Sensitivity analyses including a random slope, using a generalised linear model and an analysis of variance did not change conclusions.

Discussion Results suggest that road safety improvement projects such as those in Vision Zero plans are not associated with adverse economic impacts on adjacent businesses. The absence of negative economic impacts associated with pedestrian and bicycle road safety projects should reassure local business owners and may encourage them to work with transportation agencies to implement Vision Zero road safety projects designed to eliminate traffic-related injuries.

Advancing Active Transportation Through Mobility Justice and Centering Community

Baquero, B. I., Berney, R., Romano, E. F. T., Hicks, O., Getch, R., Hall, C., Mooney, S. J., Rosenberg, D., Shannon, K. L., Saelens, B. E., & Hoerster, K. D. (2024). Advancing Active Transportation Through Mobility Justice and Centering Community. Health Equity, 8(1), 72–730. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2024.0087

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Abstract

Objectives: We established a community–academic–policy partnership to examine mobility challenges and opportunities by centering members of a diverse South Seattle neighborhood.
Methods: Three participatory research methods were used: (a) 30- to 60-min qualitative interviews with community leaders (n = 12) and members (n = 16); (b) a photovoice with youth (n = 10); and (c) mobility audits. We also engaged extensively in community dissemination and advocacy.
Results: Four major themes emerged: experiences with the built environment; conflicting views on promoting active transportation; experiences of danger, violence, and racism while moving in the community; and pride and connections within the community. Mobility audit findings reinforced many community member messages about needed infrastructure changes. Participants consistently expressed the need for neighborhood and city-wide structural improvements to support transportation and mobility, including enhanced public transportation; better lighting, crosswalks, sidewalks, pavement, and curb cuts; and maintenance of a neighborhood mixed-use trail. Participants shared the importance of community connection while walking, rolling, or using public transit and wanted to maintain this experience.
Conclusions: Collectively, findings identified ways to increase nonmotorized transportation and public transit access, safety, and resilience, centering solutions on communities of color. We disseminated and amplified community recommendations to advance mobility justice in South Seattle via a community forum, developing a website, holding meetings with local leaders, and writing through print and electronic media. A key, novel strength of our project was the addition of community organizations, community–academic partners, and government leaders from the project’s inception. Local leaders should engage in mobility justice-focused community engagement to advance equity.

CBE Research and the role of Community Engagement

In FY24, CBE researchers have been awarded a number of grants and contracts for projects that include a community engagement component, defined as “collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial creation and exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity,” by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.  In FY24 (July 2023 – June 2024), CBE researchers were awarded 17 grant and contract awards,…

Urban landscape affects scaling of transportation carbon emissions across geographic scales

Jung, M. C., Wang, T., Kang, M., Dyson, K., Dawwas, E. B., & Alberti, M. (2024). Urban landscape affects scaling of transportation carbon emissions across geographic scales. Sustainable Cities and Society, 113, 105656-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2024.105656

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Abstract

Understanding the carbon dynamics of the transportation sector is necessary to mitigate global climate change. While urban scaling laws have been used to understand the impact of urban population size on carbon efficiency, the instability of these scaling relationships raises additional questions. Here, we examined the scaling of on-road transportation carbon emissions across 378 US metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) using diverse urban landscape patterns and spatial units, from the MSA level down to 1 km grid cells. Beginning with a baseline scaling model that uses only population size, we expanded the model to include landscape metrics at each spatial scale based on correlation results. We found that: (1) urban landscape characteristics provide insights into carbon mechanisms not fully captured by population size alone, (2) the impact of population size on on-road carbon emissions transitions from linear to sub-linear scaling relationships as the geographic scale of analysis decreases, and (3) clustered urban developments can form carbon-efficient landscapes, while fragmented urban areas tend to be carbon-inefficient. Based on empirical evidence, this research advocates for hierarchical spatial planning and supports the implementation of policy measures aligned with smart growth principles to mitigate carbon pollution.

Let’s Be Clear-Health Impact Assessments or Assessing Health Impacts?

Kim, J., Dannenberg, A., Haigh, F., & Harris-Roxas, B. (2024). Let’s Be Clear—Health Impact Assessments or Assessing Health Impacts? Public Health Reviews, 45, 1607722-. https://doi.org/10.3389/phrs.2024.1607722

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Abstract

The article discusses the distinction between studies that assess health impacts and those that are specifically associated with health impact assessments (HIAs). It highlights the misuse of the term HIA in scholarly literature, where studies that evaluate health impacts are often labeled as HIAs. The authors emphasize that HIAs are intended to support decision-making and provide recommendations, rather than simply describing or evaluating health impacts. They suggest the need for better documentation of HIA recommendations and their impacts, as well as the development of reporting guidelines for academic HIA literature.

Keywords

decision making; health impact assessment; health risk assessment; policy recommendations; stakeholder engagement

Online toolkits for collaborative and inclusive global research in urban evolutionary ecology

Savage, A. M., Willmott, M. J., Moreno‐García, P., Jagiello, Z., Li, D., Malesis, A., Miles, L. S., Román‐Palacios, C., Salazar‐Valenzuela, D., Verrelli, B. C., Winchell, K. M., Alberti, M., Bonilla‐Bedoya, S., Carlen, E., Falvey, C., Johnson, L., Martin, E., Kuzyo, H., Marzluff, J., … Gotanda, K. M. (2024). Online toolkits for collaborative and inclusive global research in urban evolutionary ecology. Ecology and Evolution, 14(6), e11633-n/a. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11633

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Abstract

Urban evolutionary ecology is inherently interdisciplinary. Moreover, it is a field with global significance. However, bringing researchers and resources together across fields and countries is challenging. Therefore, an online collaborative research hub, where common methods and best practices are shared among scientists from diverse geographic, ethnic, and career backgrounds would make research focused on urban evolutionary ecology more inclusive. Here, we describe a freely available online research hub for toolkits that facilitate global research in urban evolutionary ecology. We provide rationales and descriptions of toolkits for: (1) decolonizing urban evolutionary ecology; (2) identifying and fostering international collaborative partnerships; (3) common methods and freely-available datasets for trait mapping across cities; (4) common methods and freely-available datasets for cross-city evolutionary ecology experiments; and (5) best practices and freely available resources for public outreach and communication of research findings in urban evolutionary ecology. We outline how the toolkits can be accessed, archived, and modified over time in order to sustain long-term global research that will advance our understanding of urban evolutionary ecology.

Johnston-Hastings Endowment 2024-2025 Awardees Selected

The 2024-2025 Awardees for the Johnston-Hastings Endowment Publication and Travel awards have been selected. The Johnston-Hastings Endowments are in honor of Emeritus Professor Norman J. Johnston and his wife, L. Jane Hastings, established and endowed travel support and publications support funds to provide money for activities of faculty and students in the College. Publications endowment support is for work that has been accepted for publication rather than the writing thereof. Such support is needed for publication; especially where a University…

Hackathon co-supported by Urban Design and Planning featured in GeekWire

The Urban Resilience Hackathon took place in May 2024, and was facilitated by DemocracyLab, with support from the National Science Foundation LEAP-HI project, and the CBE Urban Design and Planning department. Hackathons are typically based in tech, so this urban planning and policy hackathon was unique in its focus. Dr. Branden Born, chair of Urban Design and Planning, said the hackathon supported community engagement, and explored ways to “do planning” better. Dan Abramson from Urban Design and Planning, along with…