Urban Studies – Â鶹ÊÓƵ Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:36:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/cropped-favicon_logo-32x32.jpg Urban Studies – Â鶹ÊÓƵ 32 32 Smart Housing Opportunities for Pflugerville /projects/smart-housing-opportunities-for-pflugerville-2/ /projects/smart-housing-opportunities-for-pflugerville-2/#respond Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:36:31 +0000 https://portal.epicn.org/case-stories/smart-housing-opportunities-for-pflugerville/ Read More... from Smart Housing Opportunities for Pflugerville

]]> Pfugerville is one of the fastest growing cites in the United States,
with estmates that high rates of growth will contnue into the
foreseeable future. As part of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan the City
of Pfugerville is working towards increasing the amount and diversity
of housing with a special focus on building a dynamic and inclusive
community. Students in the Urban Studies Research Methods course
set out to understand the current housing situaton in Pfugerville
through analyzing Census data and surveying 350 current residents.
They combined this informaton with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan
and case studies from other cites to propose a number of housing
optons for Pfugerville to consider for future development.

]]> Pfugerville is one of the fastest growing cites in the United States,
with estmates that high rates of growth will contnue into the
foreseeable future. As part of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan the City
of Pfugerville is working towards increasing the amount and diversity
of housing with a special focus on building a dynamic and inclusive
community. Students in the Urban Studies Research Methods course
set out to understand the current housing situaton in Pfugerville
through analyzing Census data and surveying 350 current residents.
They combined this informaton with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan
and case studies from other cites to propose a number of housing
optons for Pfugerville to consider for future development.

]]> Pierce Transit is initiating a study for the relocation of the Tacoma Mall Transit Center. This project will complement the Pierce transit station relocation stud by identifying catalyst sites within the potential station locations and assessing the redevelopment feasibility of these sites for transit oriented development. The project will help to inform the long-term station location plans.

]]> As housing costs rise and people crave more compact, sustainable ways of living, the City needs to consider how to update our approach and policies around housing. This change will require adding tools and new ways of thinking about housing alternatives and the nature of development. Some of the housing options to look into would be land trusts, land banks, tiny house developments, mixed type and size cottage housing. Researching case studies, barriers to implementation, and making recommendations would be essential to final report.

]]> Students in Dr. Paul Adams’ Urban Studies Research Methods course
conducted initial research that builds a foundation for a citywide
sustainability plan. Small groups used archival, observation, survey and
interview methods to investigate specific aspects of sustainability that
Leander’s developing plan could address. Research focused on issues
including energy use, water conservation and quality, waste and recycling,
land use and transportation, and natural features such as parks and
green infrastructure. Students interviewed Leander residents, tested
the water quality of Brushy Creek, conducted shade tree counts in
different neighborhoods, analyzed land use and transportation trends,
and observed park and open space use. The City of Leander can use the
general trends identified through this research as it continues to develop
planning documents and policies that ensure quality of life through
community-focused sustainability.
More than two dozen students participated in the course. The following
section highlights a report by one student, Phoenix Alfaro, that describes
some of the survey work done by the entire class, in addition to his own
analysis of this survey

Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.

Texas CityLab Contact Info

University Faculty Contact
Paul Adams
Urban Studies

Local Government / Community Contact
Tom Yantis

Assistant City Manager of Leander

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