The ability to automatically and quickly locate the geographic location of a city-owned vehicle could provide benefit to resource management, more rapid deployment of emergency vehicles, and/or more timely issue resolution. Automatic vehicle locator technology could also increase efficiency of fleet operations, reduce vehicle downtime, and enhance worker safety. Students will assess existing challenges, evaluate […]
Program: Livable City Year
Tacoma 2025 Baseline Data Collection
Tacoma 2025, the City’s strategic plan, is the visioning document to inform elected and staff decision-making. Out of the strategic planning process, a set of indicators were developed around our seven core values. In order to create specific goals, an implementation strategy, and viable targets, the City needs to collect, analyze, and report baseline data. […]
Eastside Food Innovation District
Studies show that a child raised on the Eastside of Tacoma is likely to live 7-12 years less than other parts of the city. While there are many reasons for this, access to healthy food is a strong contributor. A Food Innovation District can help to reduce this disparity. By encouraging business collaboration, FIDs provide […]
Business Recruitment: A Millennial Perspective
Students will conduct focus groups to report on what amenities/retail destinations are missing in Tacoma. Report should include qualitative and quantitative data that is used to recommend amenities/retail options that would be beneficial to a college student body, surrounding educational institutions and working young adults who live in Tacoma. This project should focus on suggesting […]
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Ruston Way Environmental Design Challenge
Ruston Way is one of the City’s most popular destinations, comprised of linear parks and recreation, interspersed with water enjoyment uses and commercial offices. However, the design of the waterfront dates from the early 1980’s and the use of the waterfront has changed significantly. The City of Tacoma and Metro Parks Tacoma have signed a […]
Implicit Bias in Criminal Prosecution
Safe parking programs help address the unique needs of vehicle residents, one prominent segment of the unhoused population using their vehicle as a place of personal refuge and shelter. Vehicle residents make up a significant portion of King County’s total unsheltered population — 42% in 2017. These programs use existing public or privately-owned parking infrastructure […]
School District Food Waste Prevention Outreach and Education
School cafeterias generate a significant amount of wasted food. An estimated 30 to 50 percent of edible food in schools is not eaten by students and is instead sent to landfills or composting facilities. The purpose of this project is to work with Auburn School District to gather and analyze data from schools in the […]
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Civic Center Vision Development
Residents in Bellevue have identified a variety of issues as important to their neighborhood. Throughout the city, commonly mentioned priority issues include traffic congestion, affordable housing, education, public safety, tree canopy, community character and others. Perspectives on these issues may vary depending on the neighborhood location, length of residency in Bellevue, growth and development experienced […]
EcoDistrict Evaluation
Purpose: Over the last two years, Bellevue and its neighbors have supported small businesses and entrepreneurs via Startup 425, a program that strives to provide timely, value-adding services to local startups. The program currently functions as an informal partnership between five distinct municipal entities. These cities have expressed a desire to evolve the program into […]
Understanding the Needs of Precarious Workers in Tacoma
Problems with violations of various labor standards, including local wage and leave policies, are part of a general, and potentially increasing phenomenon of ‘precarious employment.’ Precarity is a multifaceted concept that includes inadequate benefits, social protections, work hazards, as well as the exploitation of workers from ‘vulnerable populations,’ including those with limited economic and social […]
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