Policy & Law Archives - Page 4 of 10

Pushing Back on Displacement: Community-Based Redevelopment through Historically Black Churches

Born, Branden; Berney, Rachel; Baker, Olivia; Jones, Mark R.; King, Donald; Marcus, Dylan. (2021). Pushing Back on Displacement: Community-Based Redevelopment through Historically Black Churches. Societies, 11(1).

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Abstract

Gentrification and subsequent displacement are common problems in cities, and result in the removal of poor communities and communities of color from urban areas as they move to cheaper locations in the metropolitan region. Here we describe a community-based approach to redevelopment by historic Black churches that seeks to counter such displacement and cultural removal. We explain the history of a historically Black neighborhood in Seattle and the founding and rationale for a church-led project called the Nehemiah Initiative. Our perspective is that of participants in the work of the Nehemiah Initiative and as faculty and students from a local university partner supporting it. We conclude with policy strategies that can be used to support such redevelopment in Seattle, with understanding that some may be broadly applicable to other cities.

Keywords

Black Churches; Community Based; Displacement; Equitable Development; Faith Based; Gentrification; Housing Affordability; Redevelopment; University-community Partnership

Barriers to Effective Implementation of Quality Management Systems in Public Design Projects in Iran

Abdirad, Hamid; Nazari, Ahad. (2015). Barriers to Effective Implementation of Quality Management Systems in Public Design Projects in Iran. Architectural Engineering And Design Management, 11(6), 457 – 474.

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Abstract

The goal of this research is to investigate why architectural design practice in the public domain in Iran has not implemented quality management systems (QMSs) as effectively as expected. Through an in-depth review of the literature and a set of interviews, a framework of challenges is identified and validated, and it served as the basis of a survey among high-ranked design firms active in public projects. This study shows that there are many barriers to reach design excellence, rooted in general policies and standards, characteristics of clients' organizations, and strategies and organizational factors in design firms. Although many design firms and agencies in Iran have certification of accredited QMSs, realities of architectural design practice show that norms in public projects clearly contradict principles of QMSs and make them ineffective. This study reveals a strong need for developing QMSs that address (1) true definition of design quality in standards and guidelines, (2) importance of final users and public community as true customers of public projects, (3) strategies in design firm management and organizational structures, (4) prerequisites of learning cycle in design projects, and (5) modifications in cultures and interactions among parties involved in design decision-making.

Keywords

Quality Assurance; Public Building Design & Construction; Architectural Design; Construction Project Management; Construction Industry; Iran; Architectural Practice; Design Management; Design Quality; Public Buildings; Quality Management; Organizational Factors; Organizational Structures; Quality Management Systems; Standards And Guidelines; Decision Making; 0

Endowments and Minority Homeownership

Acolin, Arthur; Lin, Desen; Wachter, Susan M. (2019). Endowments and Minority Homeownership. Cityscape, 21(1), 5 – 62.

Abstract

Fifty years after the adoption of the 1968 Fair Housing Act that prohibits discrimination in the housing market, homeownership rates have not increased for Black or Hispanic households. The current homeownership rate for Black households is 42 percent, identical to the 1970 census reported level, and 48 percent for Hispanic households, lower than that in 1970. Using data from the 1989, 2005, and 2013 American Housing Surveys, we identify the extent to which group differences in household endowments account for persistently low minority homeownership levels.

Keywords

Borrowing Constraints; Household Formation; Race; Wealth; Trends; Rates

Does the Built Environment Have Independent Obesogenic Power? Urban Form and Trajectories of Weight Gain

Buszkiewicz, James H.; Bobb, Jennifer F.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Arterburn, David; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Cook, Andrea; Mooney, Stephen J.; Cruz, Maricela; Gupta, Shilpi; Lozano, Paula; Rosenberg, Dori E.; Theis, Mary Kay; Anau, Jane; Drewnowski, Adam. (2021). Does the Built Environment Have Independent Obesogenic Power? Urban Form and Trajectories of Weight Gain. International Journal Of Obesity, 45(9), 1914 – 1924.

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Abstract

Objective To determine whether selected features of the built environment can predict weight gain in a large longitudinal cohort of adults. Methods Weight trajectories over a 5-year period were obtained from electronic health records for 115,260 insured patients aged 18-64 years in the Kaiser Permanente Washington health care system. Home addresses were geocoded using ArcGIS. Built environment variables were population, residential unit, and road intersection densities captured using Euclidean-based SmartMaps at 800-m buffers. Counts of area supermarkets and fast food restaurants were obtained using network-based SmartMaps at 1600, and 5000-m buffers. Property values were a measure of socioeconomic status. Linear mixed effects models tested whether built environment variables at baseline were associated with long-term weight gain, adjusting for sex, age, race/ethnicity, Medicaid insurance, body weight, and residential property values. Results Built environment variables at baseline were associated with differences in baseline obesity prevalence and body mass index but had limited impact on weight trajectories. Mean weight gain for the full cohort was 0.06 kg at 1 year (95% CI: 0.03, 0.10); 0.64 kg at 3 years (95% CI: 0.59, 0.68), and 0.95 kg at 5 years (95% CI: 0.90, 1.00). In adjusted regression models, the top tertile of density metrics and frequency counts were associated with lower weight gain at 5-years follow-up compared to the bottom tertiles, though the mean differences in weight change for each follow-up year (1, 3, and 5) did not exceed 0.5 kg. Conclusions Built environment variables that were associated with higher obesity prevalence at baseline had limited independent obesogenic power with respect to weight gain over time. Residential unit density had the strongest negative association with weight gain. Future work on the influence of built environment variables on health should also examine social context, including residential segregation and residential mobility.

Keywords

Body-mass Index; Physical-activity; Food Environment; Structural Racism; Obesity; Neighborhoods; Associations; Health; Walkability; Exposure; Environment Models; Minority & Ethnic Groups; Urban Environments; Regression Analysis; Regression Models; Residential Density; Body Mass Index; Property Values; Body Weight Gain; Government Programs; Body Weight; Electronic Medical Records; Electronic Health Records; Fast Food; Buffers; Real Estate; Body Mass; Body Size; Socioeconomics; Health Care

Push, Pull, and Spill: A Transdisciplinary Case Study in Municipal Open Government

Whittington, Jan; Calo, Ryan; Simon, Mike; Jesse Woo; Meg Young; Schmiedeskamp, Peter. (2015). Push, Pull, and Spill: A Transdisciplinary Case Study in Municipal Open Government. Berkeley Technology Law Journal, 30(3), 1899 – 1966.

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Abstract

Municipal open data raises hopes and concerns. The activities of cities produce a wide array of data, data that is vastly enriched by ubiquitous computing. Municipal data is opened as it is pushed to, pulled by, and spilled to the public through online portals, requests for public records, and releases by cities and their vendors, contractors, and partners. By opening data, cities hope to raise public trust and prompt innovation. Municipal data, however, is often about the people who live, work, and travel in the city. By opening data, cities raise concern for privacy and social justice. This article presents the results of a broad empirical exploration of municipal data release in the City of Seattle. In this research, parties affected by municipal practices expressed their hopes and concerns for open data. City personnel from eight prominent departments described the reasoning, procedures, and controversies that have accompanied their release of data. All of the existing data from the online portal for the city were joined to assess the risk to privacy inherent in open data. Contracts with third parties involving sensitive or confidential data about residents of the city were examined for safeguards against the unauthorized release of data. Results suggest the need for more comprehensive measures to manage the risk latent in opening city data. Cities should maintain inventories of data assets, produce data management plans pertaining to the activities of departments, and develop governance structures to deal with issues as they arise--centrally and amongst the various departments--with ex ante and ex post protocols to govern the push, pull, and spill of data. In addition, cities should consider conditioned access to pushed data, conduct audits and training around public records requests, and develop standardized model contracts to protect against the spill of data by third parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Berkeley Technology Law Journal is the property of University of California School of Law and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Keywords

Public Records; Open Data Movement; Acquisition Of Data; Ubiquitous Computing; Data Analysis; Social Justice

The Effect of Market Conditions on the Housing Outcomes of Subsidized Households: The Case of the US Voucher Programme

Colburn, Gregg. (2019). The Effect of Market Conditions on the Housing Outcomes of Subsidized Households: The Case of the US Voucher Programme. Housing Studies, 34(9), 1465 – 1484.

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Abstract

Since being created in the 1970s, housing vouchers have become the primary mode of federal housing support for low-income households in the US. The voucher programme was designed to provide recipients with the mobility needed to secure higher quality housing in neighbourhoods of their choice. Decades of analysis suggest that the programme has failed to produce the favourable outcomes envisioned by policymakers. To add to our understanding of the outcomes of this important federal programme, this paper seeks to underscore the importance of context-dependent policy analysis. In particular, this study analyses the impact of housing market conditions on the outcomes achieved by voucher recipients. Using neighbourhood and housing outcome data from the American Housing Survey, and median rent and rental market vacancy data, this paper demonstrates the important role that market conditions play in programme outcomes. The results from this study suggest that voucher recipients are successful at improving housing unit quality outcomes regardless of market conditions, but the ability to move to a better neighbourhood is a function of vacancy rates.

Keywords

Housing Subsidies; Housing Vouchers; Housing Market; Poor Communities; Neighborhoods; Housing; Housing Choice Voucher; Market; Neighbourhood; Section 8; Vacancy; Voucher; Residential-mobility Decisions; Choice Vouchers; Neighborhood; Income; Live; Families; Place; Home; Markets; Economic Conditions; Policy Analysis; Households; Impact Analysis; Policy Making; Low Income Groups; Vouchers; Mobility; Vacancies; Conditions; United States--us

Differential Associations of the Built Environment on Weight Gain by Sex and Race/Ethnicity but Not Age

Buszkiewicz, James H.; Bobb, Jennifer F.; Kapos, Flavia; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Arterburn, David; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Cook, Andrea; Mooney, Stephen J.; Cruz, Maricela; Gupta, Shilpi; Lozano, Paula; Rosenberg, Dori E.; Theis, Mary Kay; Anau, Jane; Drewnowski, Adam. (2021). Differential Associations of the Built Environment on Weight Gain by Sex and Race/Ethnicity but Not Age. International Journal Of Obesity, 45(12), 2648 – 2656.

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Abstract

Objective To explore the built environment (BE) and weight change relationship by age, sex, and racial/ethnic subgroups in adults. Methods Weight trajectories were estimated using electronic health records for 115,260 insured Kaiser Permanente Washington members age 18-64 years. Member home addresses were geocoded using ArcGIS. Population, residential, and road intersection densities and counts of area supermarkets and fast food restaurants were measured with SmartMaps (800 and 5000-meter buffers) and categorized into tertiles. Linear mixed-effect models tested whether associations between BE features and weight gain at 1, 3, and 5 years differed by age, sex, and race/ethnicity, adjusting for demographics, baseline weight, and residential property values. Results Denser urban form and greater availability of supermarkets and fast food restaurants were associated with differential weight change across sex and race/ethnicity. At 5 years, the mean difference in weight change comparing the 3rd versus 1st tertile of residential density was significantly different between males (-0.49 kg, 95% CI: -0.68, -0.30) and females (-0.17 kg, 95% CI: -0.33, -0.01) (P-value for interaction = 0.011). Across race/ethnicity, the mean difference in weight change at 5 years for residential density was significantly different among non-Hispanic (NH) Whites (-0.47 kg, 95% CI: -0.61, -0.32), NH Blacks (-0.86 kg, 95% CI: -1.37, -0.36), Hispanics (0.10 kg, 95% CI: -0.46, 0.65), and NH Asians (0.44 kg, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.78) (P-value for interaction <0.001). These findings were consistent for other BE measures. Conclusion The relationship between the built environment and weight change differs across demographic groups. Careful consideration of demographic differences in associations of BE and weight trajectories is warranted for investigating etiological mechanisms and guiding intervention development.

Keywords

Body-mass Index; Socioeconomic-status; Food Environment; Obesity; Health; Outcomes; Scale; Risk; Minority & Ethnic Groups; Urban Environments; Etiology; Demographics; Sex; Residential Density; Supermarkets; Age; Race; Ethnicity; Property Values; Body Weight Gain; Electronic Medical Records; Fast Food; Electronic Health Records; Real Estate; Subgroups; Demography; Trajectory Analysis; Weight

Rethinking Marine Infrastructure Policy and Practice: Insights from Three Large-Scale Marina Developments in Seattle

Wilson, A. Meriwether W.; Mugerauer, Robert; Klinger, Terrie. (2015). Rethinking Marine Infrastructure Policy and Practice: Insights from Three Large-Scale Marina Developments in Seattle. Marine Policy, 53, 67 – 82.

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Abstract

The global transformation of the marine nearshore is generating profound losses of ecological and geomorphological functions and ecosystem services, as natural environments are replaced with built. With conservation a diminishing option and restoration often unrealistic, there is a need to rethink development and the potential for marine infrastructure to contribute to net environmental gain. Through analysis of 150 years of change associated with the development of three large-scale marinas in the Seattle area, this research identifies the ways in which evolving policy frameworks and ecological understanding determine the nature, efficiency and environmental outcomes of coastal marine developments. Decisions on infrastructure design, mitigation strategies and policy interpretations directly determined the ecological fate of marine biota inhabiting these structures as well as surrounding ecosystems. In spite of increasing evidence of environmental legislation driving mitigation and innovative engineering, the net ecological trajectories remained negative. There were no tested demonstrations of marine mitigation to confirm which measures would succeed. Where scientific understanding existed, the uptake into planning and legislation was slow. More broadly, this research highlights a need and opportunity to consider marine infrastructure as living laboratories to inform a policy shift from a no-net-loss paradigm to net-environmental-gain. This evolution is timely, with sea level rise requiring new approaches to coastal defenses and with marine energy infrastructure increasingly being located offshore, where there is little knowledge of the ecological changes occurring in both time and space. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Coastal; Restoration; Landscape; Habitats; Science; Driver; Areas; Act; Marine Coastal Infrastructure; Ecological Mitigation; Novel Marine Habitats; Environmental Governance; Pacific Northwest

Managing Change: Seattle’s 21st Century Urban Renaissance

Idziorek, Katherine; Chalana, Manish. (2019). Managing Change: Seattle’s 21st Century Urban Renaissance. Journal Of Urbanism, 12(3), 320 – 345.

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Abstract

Evolution of the urban planning and historic preservation disciplines has resulted in an ‚Äúuneasy alliance‚Äù in practice, one further complicated by the back-to-the-city movement and increased development pressure in older urban neighbourhoods. In Seattle, as in other U.S. cities, the pace, intensity and scale of redevelopment has caused dramatic spatial and social transformations. Although research has shown that older built fabric provides economic and social benefit for cities, neither regulations created by planners for guiding redevelopment nor strategies created by preservationists for retaining urban heritage have been successful in reconciling these different, yet interconnected, sets of values. We engage three Seattle neighbourhood case studies to clarify and evaluate policies, programs and strategies used by planners and preservationists for reimagining neighbourhood transformations. This work suggests a need for more creative, integrative collaboration between the two fields to simultaneously engage ‚Äì and reconcile ‚Äì social and economic tensions caused by urban redevelopment.

Keywords

Renaissance; Urban Planning; Biological Evolution; Historic Preservation; Seattle (wash.); Everyday Heritage; Seattle; Urban Conservation; Urban Renaissance; Redevelopment; Change Management; Neighborhoods; Regulation; Urban Renewal; Transformations; Cities; Preservation; Urban Areas; Planners; 21st Century; Cultural Heritage

Whither the “Hindoo Invasion”? South Asians in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, 1907-1930

Chalana, Manish. (2021). Whither the “Hindoo Invasion”? South Asians in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, 1907-1930. International Journal Of Regional & Local History, 16(1), 14 – 38.

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Abstract

The first decade of the twentieth century saw several thousand men migrate from India to the North American West Coast. While most settled in British Columbia or California, a smaller number moved to the US Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Oregon. A series of violent riots in 1907-8 drove many from the region. The basic contours of this population in the region after this time remain unclear. I uncover evidence that Indians persisted for a longer time period, and in more varied locations and occupations than some previous research suggests, but that ultimately violent exclusion led them to disappear almost entirely from the region. I investigate the conditions in which these men lived and toiled, and the ways in which they were viewed by the larger society, particularly in terms of evolving concepts of race and assimilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of International Journal of Regional & Local History is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Keywords

Immigration; Indians; Oregon; Pacific Northwest; Punjabis; Sikh; South Asians; Washington