The Green Cities course examines the history and future of the interface between urban growth and environmental concerns, and the technological, social, and political forces that continue to shape it. Students in the 2021 Summer Quarter “Green Cities” course organized, conducted, and analyzed citizen interviews with the use of the questionnaire designed to help understand […]
University Department: Public Policy and Administration
Creating Shared Knowledge: An Asset-based Community Development Project in Hermiston
This report discusses the Asset-based Community Development project conducted between March 1st and May 30th, 2022 in Hermiston, Oregon. The purpose of the three- phase project is to better understand the city’s assets as well as gaps in public service provision. Through an environmental scan, a survey, and a focus group, five investigators from Eastern […]
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Financing an Aquatic Center: Health and Wellness in Hermiston
This report evaluates alternatives to fund a new area Health, Wellness, and Aquatic Center located in the city of Hermiston. Funding options that students evaluated included: • Create a special park and recreation district • Create anintergovernmental entity • Place construction and management of facility under the Hermiston Parks and Recreation Department To evaluate these […]
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Recommendations for Increased Electric Vehicle Access and Adoption in Salem, Oregon
The City of Salem sought recommendations on how to increase Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and access. Recognizing the importance of a well-rounded and evidence-based approach, the student teams employed a variety of methodologies, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis, literature reviews, case studies, and interviews with key stakeholders. Based on this research, the students […]
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City of Salem’s Commercial and Residential Operations Fee: Recommendations to Augment Fee Equity
The City of Salem implemented a City Operations Fee in 2019 to supplement revenue for its General Fund. The City was concerned, however, that the current fee structure does not adequately account for equity across commercial and residential classes. As one part of its effort to improve the equity of the fee’s administration, the City […]
Green Cities Artificial Intelligence
In an era defined by rapid urbanization, the effective planning and management of cities have become paramount to ensure sustainable development, efficient resource allocation, and enhanced quality of life for residents. Traditional methods of urban planning and management are grappling with the complexities and challenges presented by modern cities. Enter Artificial Intelligence (AI), a disruptive […]
Let’s Start Counting! A Methodology to County On-Street Parking Spaces in Oregon Cities
In November 2022, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development issued parking reform for cities with populations above 5,000 to address the financial and environmental burdens of parking mandates. In addition to reforms that all included cities must make, the cities with populations over 100,000 must choose between eliminating parking mandates or adopting pricing […]
Equity-Centered Research Methods for Oregon Communities
Like many states across the United States, Oregon has a history of using transportation, land use, and housing tools inequitably, which has directed and concentrated benefits to the privileged and harms to underserved communities. Oregon’s past included restrictions on who could own land, redlining and exclusionary zoning, prohibiting more affordable types of housing, and unjust […]
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Financing Affordable Housing Subsidies in Sisters, Oregon: Creative Options and Evaluation of Potential Municipal Revenue-Generating Activities
This report contains the collected work of graduate student groups in PPPM 629: Public Budget Administration over the course of fall term 2022. These student groups conducted research to evaluate and forecast productivity of revenue generating activities for consideration by the city of Sisters to augment their Affordable Housing Reserve Fund. The revenue sources presented […]
Explore Sisters: Strategic Plan
This product is designed for Explore Sisters as a client of the University of Oregon’s Nonprofit Management Consultancy capstone course in Spring of 2023 in partnership with the University of Oregon’s Sustainable Cities Year Program. A team of four graduate students consulted for ten weeks by interviewing similar destination management organizations (DMO), facilitating a board […]