Ruoniu (Vince) Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Runstad Department of Real Estate in the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington. He studies spatial justice and inclusive communities, including their impacts reflected in the built environment, human behaviors, and policy interventions. Vince joined the University of Washington after serving six years as the research manager and director in a national non-profit organization Grounded Solutions Network. He has designed and conducted a U.S. Census of inclusionary housing policies, a U.S. census of community land trusts, and a national performance evaluation of shared equity homeownership programs. His research expands to policy evaluation for the two largest federal assisted housing rental programs in the U.S.: the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and the Housing Choice Voucher program. Vince grounds his research with applied tools to democratize data for low-income communities.
Research Theme: Equity & Justice
Includes methodologies as well as topics related to addressing bias, representation, access, and other aspects of equity and justice in the built environment
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.
Automated Community-Based Housing Response: Offering Temporary Housing Solutions Tailored to Displaced Populations Needs
El-Anwar, Omar; Chen, Lei. (2016). Automated Community-Based Housing Response: Offering Temporary Housing Solutions Tailored to Displaced Populations Needs. Journal Of Computing In Civil Engineering, 30(6).
Abstract
Following disasters, emergency management agencies are under immense pressure to make quick decisions regarding the provision of temporary housing, including their locations and types. Such decisions can significantly impact the socioeconomic recovery of displaced families and available budgets for other postdisaster activities. To address these challenges, a new holistic temporary housing planning framework is proposed to offer customized housing plans tailored to the specific social, economic, and psychological needs of displaced families while controlling expenditures. This paper presents the theoretical formulation and implementation details of the community-based housing response pool, which is a comprehensive framework that aims at (1)quantifying the specific needs and preferences of each displaced family, (2)evaluating the ability of housing alternatives to meet those needs, (3)computing temporary housing life cycle costs, and (4)optimizing housing decisions accordingly. The paper also presents an application example to demonstrate and evaluate the optimization model capabilities.
Keywords
Decision Making; Disasters; Emergency Management; Life Cycle Costing; Optimisation; Socio-economic Effects; Town And Country Planning; Automated Community-based Housing Response; Temporary Housing Solutions; Displaced Population Needs; Emergency Management Agencies; Temporary Housing Provision; Housing Locations; Housing Types; Socioeconomic Recovery; Displaced Families; Postdisaster Activity Budgets; Holistic Temporary Housing Planning Framework; Customized Housing Plans Tailored; Expenditure Control; Community-based Housing Response Pool; Housing Alternatives Ability Evaluation; Temporary Housing Life Cycle Cost Computing; Housing Decisions Optimization; Optimization Model Capabilities; Multiobjective Optimization; Maeviz-hazturk; Earthquake
Racial Disparity in Exposure to Housing Cost Burden in the United States: 1980-2017
Hess, Chris; Colburn, Gregg; Crowder, Kyle; Allen, Ryan. (2020). Racial Disparity in Exposure to Housing Cost Burden in the United States: 1980-2017. Housing Studies.
Abstract
This article uses the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to analyse Black-White differences in housing cost burden exposure among renter households in the USA from 1980 to 2017, expanding understanding of this phenomenon in two respects. Specifically, we document how much this racial disparity changed among renters over almost four decades and identify how much factors associated with income or housing costs explain Black-White inequality in exposure to housing cost burden. For White households, the net contribution of household, neighbourhood and metropolitan covariates accounts for much of the change in the probability of housing cost burden over time. For Black households, however, the probability of experiencing housing cost burden continued to rise throughout the period of this study, even after controlling for household, neighbourhood and metropolitan covariates. This suggests that unobserved variables like racial discrimination, social networks or employment quality might explain the increasing disparity in cost burden among for Black and White households in the USA.
Keywords
Cost Burden; Housing Cost; Racial Inequality; Income Inequality; Rent Burden; Affordability; Neighborhoods; Segregation; Dynamics; Hardship; Prices; Market; Poor
How Do Single-Family Homeowners Value Residential and Commercial Density? It Depends
Acolin, Arthur; Colburn, Gregg; Walter, Rebecca J. (2022). How Do Single-Family Homeowners Value Residential and Commercial Density? It Depends. Land Use Policy, 113.
Abstract
This paper develops estimates of the relationship between local density and single-family home values using 2017 transactions for five U.S. metropolitan regions: Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Seattle. Proposals to build new commercial and residential development projects that would increase local density commonly face opposition from local homeowners. Academic literature links the response from homeowners to concerns that higher density is associated with lower property values but there is limited empirical evidence establishing this relationship at the local level. We find a positive and significant relationship between density and house value in the core area of the five metropolitan regions we analyze. Within 7.5 miles of the center of these metropolitan regions, a 10% increase in surrounding built area density is associated with a 1.1–1.9% increase in house prices per square foot. For outlying areas, the estimates are smaller and even negative in several cases. We instrument density based on topographic and soil characteristics and find similar results. These findings point to the need for a more nuanced discussion of the relationship between local density and housing values.
Keywords
Population Density; Soil Density; Single Family Housing; Home Ownership; Housing Development; Housing Discrimination; Home Prices; Los Angeles (calif.); Density; Single-family House Value; Urban Form; Residential Development; Real Estate; Property Values; Residential Density; Development Programs; Housing; Estimates; Metropolitan Areas; Development Projects; Empirical Analysis; Families & Family Life; Soil Characteristics
Contractual Battles for Higher Ground: Case Examples
Ottesen, Jeffery L.; Migliaccio, Giovanni C.; Wulfsberg, H. James. (2016). Contractual Battles for Higher Ground: Case Examples. Journal Of Legal Affairs And Dispute Resolution In Engineering And Construction, 8(1).
Abstract
Dispute resolution requires pursuit of mutual agreement and implies accordant resolve between the disputing parties. In truth, mutual agreement stems from acceptable risks and negotiated terms centered upon equity arguments wherein the parties assess, evaluate, negotiate, and battle for high ground. Where the parties clearly understand their respective positions relative to the applicable laws, facts outweigh emotions, and the parties are more likely to avoid disputes. This paper defines high ground based upon legal theory in quantum meruit, which means, as much as he deserves. Equity arguments can trump written contractual provisions. Owners, architects, engineers, and contractors must become wise to these arguments to protect its shareholders' interests. To promote understanding, five different case scenarios are presented using actual disputes experienced on (1) notice provisions, (2) cumulative impact claims, (3) no damages for delay clauses, (4) acceleration, and (5) owner review durations. These case scenarios demonstrate that acquiring high ground requires clear understanding and synchronization of both the contract and the applicable governing laws. Ultimately, the party possessing higher ground will find itself in a more favorable position when disputes occur. (c) 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Keywords
Legislation; Subcontracting; Disputing Parties; Equity Arguments; Legal Theory; Quantum Meruit; Contractual Provisions; Architects; Notice Provisions; Cumulative Impact Claims; Owner Review Durations; Governing Laws; Engineers; Contractors; Dispute Resolution; Contractual Battles; Project; Equity; Delay; Contractual Notice; Cumulative Impact; Total Cost Claim; No Damages For Delay; Acceleration
Within- and Between-Person Associations of Neighborhood Poverty with Alcohol Use and Consequences: A Monthly Study of Young Adults
Rhew, Isaac C.; Duckworth, Jennifer C.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Lee, Christine M. (2020). Within- and Between-Person Associations of Neighborhood Poverty with Alcohol Use and Consequences: A Monthly Study of Young Adults. Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 212.
Abstract
Background: Studies have shown associations between neighborhood disadvantage and alcohol misuse among adults. Less is known about the role of neighborhood context in young adults (YAs), who engage in more disordered forms of alcohol use compared to other age groups. Using data collected monthly, this study examined whether YAs reported more alcohol use and consequences when they were living in neighborhoods with greater concentration of poverty. Method: This study used data from 746 participants aged 18-23 years living in the Seattle, WA, region. Surveys were administered each month for 24 consecutive months. Measures included typical number of drinks per week and past month count of alcohol-related consequences. Residential addresses at each month were geocoded and linked to census-tract level percentage of households living at or below poverty threshold. Multilevel over-dispersed Poisson models were used to estimate associations between standardized monthly deviations in tract-level poverty from one's average and alcohol outcomes. Results: Across 14,247 monthly observations, the mean number of typical drinks per week was 4.8 (SD = 7.4) and the mean number of alcohol consequences was 2.1 (SD = 3.5). On months when they were living in neighborhoods with higher levels of poverty than their average, participants reported significantly higher levels of alcohol consequences (Count Ratio = 1.05; p = .045). Conclusion: YAs may engage in more problematic forms of drinking when they reside in neighborhoods with higher levels of disadvantage. During a time of frequent residential changes, YAs moving to more disadvantaged neighborhoods may benefit from additional supports.
Keywords
Alcohol Drinking; Young Adults; Neighborhoods; Age Groups; Poverty; Western Australia; Seattle (wash.); Alcohol; Neighborhood Context; Young Adulthood; Emergency-department Visits; Heavy Episodic Drinking; College-students; United-states; Substance Use; Use Disorders; Models; Health; Disorganization; Availability
Symbiotic And Regenerative Sustainability Frameworks: Moving Towards Circular City Implementation
Horn, Erin; Proksch, Gundula. (2022). Symbiotic And Regenerative Sustainability Frameworks: Moving Towards Circular City Implementation. Frontiers In Built Environment, 7.
Abstract
Growing in popularity, the circular city framework is at the leading-edge of a larger and older transitional dialogue which envisions regenerative, circular, and symbiotic systems as the future of urban sustainability. The need for more research supporting the implementation of such concepts has been often noted in literature. To help address this gap, this holistic review assesses a range of pertinent sustainability frameworks as a platform to identify actionable strategies which can be leveraged to support and implement circular city goals. This assessment is grounded in a holistic overview of related frameworks across interdisciplinary and scalar domains including circular city, the food-water-energy nexus, circular economy, bioeconomy, industrial symbiosis, regenerative design, and others. Building on these interrelationships, the applied strategies espoused within these publications are synthesized and assessed in the context of circular city implementation. From an initial 250 strategies identified in literature, thirty-four general implementation strategies across six thematic areas are distinguished and discussed, finding strong overlaps in implementation strategies between frameworks, and opportunities to further develop and harness these synergies to advance circular city toward sustainable urban futures.
Keywords
Circular City; Implementation Strategies; Literature Review; Circular Economy; Fwe-nexus; Regenerative Design; Systems Integration; Environmental Assessment; Rooftop Greenhouses; Anaerobic-digestion; Urban Agriculture; Built Environment; Waste Management; Climate-change; Carbon Nexus; Food Nexus; Economy
Physical Activity and the Built Environment in Residential Neighborhoods of Seoul and Seattle: An Empirical Study Based on Housewives’ GPS Walking Data and Travel Diaries
Park, Sohyun; Choi, Yeemyung; Seo, Hanlim; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Bae, C. -h. Christine; Baek, So-ra. (2016). Physical Activity and the Built Environment in Residential Neighborhoods of Seoul and Seattle: An Empirical Study Based on Housewives’ GPS Walking Data and Travel Diaries. Journal Of Asian Architecture And Building Engineering, 15(3), 471 – 478.
Abstract
This paper is based on a collaborative pilot-study to ascertain the characteristic walking patterns and neighborhood features in residential areas of Seoul, Korea and Seattle, USA. As for sample sites, four case neighborhoods were selected: two from Seoul and two from in and outside of the Seattle-Shoreline areas. As for participants, thirty Korean housewives in Seoul and thirty Korean-American housewives in the Seattle area were selected respectively, and their socio-demographic characteristics, GPS records, and travel diary data for seven days were collected and analyzed. Considering the typical rainy seasons in the two cities, data collections, including the physical activity assessment by GPS devices, were carried out from May to June and from September to October in Seoul, and from July to October in Seattle during the year 2010. Noteworthy research findings include the following: Korean participants in Seoul walk about 2.6 km on average per day, while Korean-American participants in Seattle walk about 400m on average per day. In the case sites of Seoul, 75% of grocery shopping activities happen within the neighborhood by walking, while only 17% of those activities on foot happen in the case sites of Seattle. As for the most walking activity, about 70% of total walking amounts are related to utilitarian walking in Seoul sites, while 50% of total walking are related to recreational walking in Seattle sites. Recreational walking and utilitarian walking occur separately in Seattle sites, while the two walking types are often combined in Seoul sites, which also contribute to more walking amounts and farther walking distances in Seoul sites. This paper empirically confirms the widely held assumptions in part that residents in Seoul, a relatively high-density and high mixed-use city, walk more than those in Seattle, a relatively low-density and low mixed-use city. This paper also recognizes that in the case of both cities, more walking activities occur in the neighborhood built environment, where finely-grained street networks, small lots and blocks, various pedestrian destinations, public transit access, etc are provided in close connection. The amount and frequency of walking activities, as well as the fineness of neighborhood features, however, are remarkably different in the two cities, whose implications deserve in-depth exploration in further studies.
Keywords
Urban Design; Physical Activity; Neighborhood Environment; Objective Measures; Gps Walking Data; International Comparative Study
The Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Systemic Racism in Urban Environments
Schell, Christopher J.; Dyson, Karen; Fuentes, Tracy L.; Des Roches, Simone; Harris, Nyeema C.; Miller, Danica Sterud; Woelfle-Erskine, Cleo A.; Lambert, Max R. (2020). The Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Systemic Racism in Urban Environments. Science, 369(6510), 1446.
Abstract
Urban areas are dynamic ecological systems defined by interdependent biological, physical, and social components. The emergent structure and heterogeneity of urban landscapes drives biotic outcomes in these areas, and such spatial patterns are often attributed to the unequal stratification of wealth and power in human societies. Despite these patterns, few studies have effectively considered structural inequalities as drivers of ecological and evolutionary outcomes and have instead focused on indicator variables such as neighborhood wealth. In this analysis, we explicitly integrate ecology, evolution, and social processes to emphasize the relationships that bind social inequities-specifically racism-and biological change in urbanized landscapes. We draw on existing research to link racist practices, including residential segregation, to the heterogeneous patterns of flora and fauna observed by urban ecologists. In the future, urban ecology and evolution researchers must consider how systems of racial oppression affect the environmental factors that drive biological change in cities. Conceptual integration of the social and ecological sciences has amassed considerable scholarship in urban ecology over the past few decades, providing a solid foundation for incorporating environmental justice scholarship into urban ecological and evolutionary research. Such an undertaking is necessary to deconstruct urbanization's biophysical patterns and processes, inform equitable and anti-racist initiatives promoting justice in urban conservation, and strengthen community resilience to global environmental change.
Keywords
New-york; Climate-change; Land-cover; Socioeconomic-status; Ecosystem Services; Oxidative Stress; Green Spaces; Gene Flow; Justice; Cities