09 Industry Innovation and Infrastructure – �鶹��Ƶ

Youth Water Conservation Engagement Strategies

Ada Inman — Fri, 08 May 2026 21:05:03 +0000

Communities across Arizona are increasingly focused on long-term water sustainability and public awareness, creating opportunities to engage younger generations in conservation efforts through education, outreach, and community-based initiatives. This project will explore youth engagement strategies centered around water conservation, with an emphasis on empowering students and young residents to become active participants in promoting sustainable [...]

Developing a Vision for the I-11/I-40 Gateway

Ada Inman — Fri, 08 May 2026 21:02:28 +0000

The City of Kingman, located in northwestern Arizona on the Colorado Plateau, is shaped by its historic resources, transportation legacy along Historic Route 66, and proximity to regional recreational assets, and is seeking planning strategies that preserve its historic significance while strengthening downtown economic activity. As the City examines connectivity, visibility, and traveler engagement within the I-11/I-40 gateway amid evolving traffic patterns, signage changes, and interchange planning, it aims to identify planning, design, and placemaking strategies that encourage interstate travelers to exit and engage with downtown rather than bypass it. MUEP students will evaluate existing conditions related to land use, multimodal access, trail connectivity on both sides of the interstate, historic resources, and recreational assets, incorporating findings from an ongoing historic resources survey where available. Through peer community research, stakeholder interviews, and targeted surveys, students will identify strategies that leverage recreation, heritage, retail opportunities, and gateway visibility to support downtown-focused economic development. The project will culminate in a set of research-informed planning and policy recommendations that strengthen connections between the interstate gateway and downtown, preserve historic character, and position Kingman to capture visitor interest and economic activity while reinforcing its regional identity.

Miami Historic Preservation Framework

Ada Inman — Fri, 08 May 2026 20:19:08 +0000

The Town of Miami is a historically significant community with a rich architectural and cultural legacy that reflects its mining heritage. As the community looks toward revitalization and long-term economic resilience, the Town is seeking to strengthen its historic preservation framework to better protect its assets, support local property owners, and enhance its appeal to visitors and future residents. To advance this vision, the Town is undertaking an effort to update its historic preservation policy and district map, expanding designations, incorporating additional eligible buildings, and aligning with SHPO and National Register standards, while also identifying a funding strategy that positions the Historic Preservation Committee to pursue grants and priority projects. Graduate public affairs and policy students will research best practices and develop preservation and funding recommendations that reinforce Miami’s heritage and future economic vitality.

Badilisha Digital Resource Centers: School-Community Affiliate Hubs for Resilience

Ada Inman — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:21:52 +0000

The Vision:

The Badilisha Digital Resource Centers (DRC) project is a school-community affiliate initiative that transforms educational institutions into hubs for regional digital resilience. By leveraging professional-grade telecommunications infrastructure, we create a “Digital Commons” where university innovation directly fuels community economic growth.

Partners & University Assets:

Building on my foundation as an alumnus of Uganda Christian University, we collaborate with local institutions such as the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University and Dar Salaam University in Tanzania(IYF Partnered in April 2025). We utilize university assets—specifically ICT faculty and student researchers—to provide technical oversight and data-driven management for our community networks. This academic rigor is reinforced by my professional background as a Telecom Engineer for Safaricom and Zuku, ensuring all installations meet industrial standards.

Community Need & Proven Impact:

Many youth-led enterprises in our region struggle with the “last mile” of digital access. We have already addressed this by successfully installing managed internet services at Green Palm Secondary School and St. Claret Primary School. These sites serve as real-world proof that school-based digital hubs can effectively provide the connectivity required for local business incubation and student success.

Work Plan & Reinvestment Model:

During this partnership, we will:

Deploy Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) Access Point Repeaters to extend university connectivity into surrounding neighborhoods.
Implement a Social Revenue-Sharing Model where a percentage of service fees is reinvested into the hub for long-term maintenance and student innovation stipends.
Develop our 3.5-acre flagship site in Utange into a regional center for digital business continuity and an international franchise training ground.

The National City Earthquake Safety & Outreach Initiative

Ada Inman — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:41:12 +0000

This report contains a series of policy proposals developed by San Diego State University (SDSU) students, in collaboration with National City officials and the SDSU Sage Project, to increase the use of existing earthquake preparedness resources among National City residents. The primary focus of student research was the California Earthquake Brace + Bolt program and encouraging homeowners to engage in seismic retrofitting. Additionally, students developed policy recommendations aimed at increasing general earthquake safety, awareness, and education. Being located in Southern California, earthquake preparedness
is a topic the SDSU community is very familiar with and many students were able to use this as an opportunity to draw upon prior knowledge in their research.
Students worked to create policy suggestions specific to National City, based on methods proven effective in similar municipalities, by researching how the area’s demographics may impact the use of community resources. National City is a heavily Hispanic city, with a large population that does not speak English as a first language. As such, many of the policies in this report focus on bridging that gap in communication and establishing trust between community members and those with access to earthquake preparedness resources. Another major trend among policies developed by students was a focus on finding creative ways to lower the economic burden on residents interested in seismic retrofitting. This led to the creation of several innovative proposals focused on helping residents pay for seismic retrofitting, primarily where other government programs would not suffice. These policies may be more difficult to implement than direct outreach, but they represent an alternate approach the city could take to encourage seismic retrofitting.
The policies presented in this report were chosen for their adaptability as part of a larger earthquake awareness initiative, as well as their ability to function independently. As stressed by National City officials, the city budget does not have any extra funding for extensive earthquake preparedness programs. The purpose behind choosing policies which can operate independently is to work around these constraints and offer solutions that may be more budget-friendly. These policies are categorized based upon the type of actor affected: resident, government group, or external organization.

Using GIS to Assess Seismic Vulnerability in National City

Ada Inman — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:38:10 +0000

This report presents a comprehensive assessment of seismic vulnerability in National City, completed by students from San Diego State University’s Geography 584 (GIS Applications) course in collaboration with the Sage Project and the City of National City. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the project combined a parcel-level inventory of residential buildings with geophysical and social data to identify patterns of vulnerability across neighborhoods. Key factors analyzed included soil type, slope, and liquefaction risk, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s Social Vulnerability Index. These elements were incorporated into a Weighted Linear Combination model to produce a composite vulnerability score for each parcel in National City. Due to time constraints, the final analysis in this report was conducted for all parcels citywide; however, future work will refine the queries to focus specifically on residential parcels. The results highlight where physical hazards and social vulnerabilities overlap, providing city officials with a data-driven foundation for hazard mitigation planning, infrastructure retrofits, and targeted community outreach.

The City of National City Hazards Preparedness and Mitigation Plan

Ada Inman — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:32:39 +0000

“This report, developed through a partnership between the City of National City and San Diego State University’s C P 690 graduate course, presents a comprehensive Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) addressing three primary natural threats: earthquakes, floods, and fires. In assessing these threats, the report identifies National City’s intersecting environmental, infrastructural, and social vulnerabilities, including aging housing stock, low-lying, flood-prone terrain, seismic fault proximity, and a high concentration of low-income, elderly, and renter populations.
Each hazard chapter outlines current conditions, risk factors, and targeted mitigation strategies rooted in climate adaptation, environmental justice, and equity-based planning. For earthquakes, the report highlights over 15,000 homes and 892 businesses at risk, calling for seismic retrofitting, soft-story building inventories, and zoning overlays to limit new development in liquefaction zones. The flood section responds to events like the January 2024 Paradise Creek flood with proposals for green infrastructure, upgraded stormwater systems, and protective zoning. Fire mitigation focuses on structure fire risks due to overcrowding and aging infrastructure, recommending public education campaigns, fire-safe building codes, and emergency preparedness programs.
A central theme throughout the report is inclusive, multilingual, and culturally responsive community engagement. The report proposes youth disaster ambassador programs, neighborhood outreach events, resident-led advisory committees, and partnerships with schools and nonprofits to build local resilience capacity. Tools like CalEnviroScreen and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Risk Index guide equitable resource allocation by identifying the most socially vulnerable areas.
The report aligns closely with the City of National City’s General Plan, Climate Action Plan, and Housing Element, ensuring consistency across city policies. It emphasizes the importance of embedding resilience into land use decisions, infrastructure investments, and emergency planning, with particular attention to protecting low-income, elderly, and linguistically isolated populations. By integrating data-driven assessments with community knowledge, the report positions the City of National City to proactively address hazard risks and build a safer, more equitable future for all residents.

Sustainable Transportation in City of National City: A Community Perspective

Ada Inman — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:29:40 +0000

In Fall 2024, San Diego State University (SDSU) student researchers enrolled in Dr. Norah Shultz’s Sociology 407 course collaborated with National City and SDSU’s Sage Project to support ongoing efforts aimed at improving transportation access, safety, and sustainability in District 1. This collaboration was part of a larger initiative tied to the City’s Sustainable Mobility Plan, a strategy funded in part by a Caltrans Sustainable Communities Grant. The grant enables planning efforts that center equity, encourage walking, biking, and public transit use, and promote inclusive community participation. Within this framework, the student-led research sought to gather feedback from individuals who live, work, operate businesses, or commute in and around District 1. The goal was to better understand how existing transportation systems influence experiences of mobility, safety, and access in this part of the city, with special consideration to walking, biking, and public transit.
The class organized into four research groups, each focused on a specific topic area: non-car traffic, older adults and their unique mobility needs, drainage infrastructure, and car traffic. Over the course of the data collection period, researchers gathered responses from residents, business owners, and commuters familiar with District 1. While each group explored a different factor impacting transportation, common themes arose. Respondents raised concerns about sidewalk conditions, poor lighting, signage clarity, and localized flooding. Older residents expressed appreciation for services like Free Rides Around National City (FRANC), while also noting limitations in transit stop comfort and accessibility.
Participants in the drainage group emphasized how flooding-related obstacles, notably near Paradise Creek and the San Diego Bay, interfered with safe and routine travel. Across surveys, participants appeared passionate in their desire to contribute to infrastructure planning through meetings or other direct feedback opportunities. This invested interest highlights the importance of maintaining open, accessible channels for community input in future City-orchestrated efforts. The report concludes with several community-informed recommendations, including improvements to sidewalks and crosswalks, transit stop upgrades, clearer signage, drainage investments, and more inclusive outreach strategies. Altogether, these findings offer insight into how community perspectives can support and complement the City’s continuing work to enhance mobility and transportation access throughout District 1.

On the Ground: An Applied Anthropology Study of Community Perspectives on Equitable and Sustainable Mobility in National City

Ada Inman — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:21:06 +0000

This report presents the findings of an applied anthropology partnership between students in Anthropology 531: Methods in Applied Anthropology at San Diego State University and the City of National City, conducted through the SDSU Sage Project. The class sought to answer the question:
“According to community members, what are the obstacles to sustainable mobility in National City, and what solutions could help expand its use?”
Through walking ethnographies, interviews, and community engagement in all four city districts, students documented both infrastructural and cultural barriers to sustainable mobility. The key findings include: access and equity gaps in transit coverage and usability; safety and infrastructure concerns across pedestrian, cycling, and transit systems; limited public awareness and trust in existing city initiatives; and persistent car dependency shaped by social and practical considerations.
Residents of National City are very involved with and consistently expressed their commitment to community improvement, paired with frustration over issues such as poor lighting, unsafe crossings, unreliable buses, and lack of awareness about available services like the FRANC shuttle.
Quotations from District 2 such as “Driving is just shorter” and “I’d rather drive than wait in the sun for a bus that might not come” capture the lived realities shaping transportation choices.
The recommendations offered in this report—expanding FRANC coverage, improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, enhancing safety and awareness, and prioritizing equity and accessibility—represent practical, community-grounded steps toward a more inclusive and sustainable mobility future for National City.

Enhancing Membership Retention at the Tempe Chamber of Commerce Through Organizational Analysis

Ada Inman — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 20:09:54 +0000

The Tempe Chamber of Commerce supports local businesses and drives economic growth in the City of Tempe, a vibrant hub of innovation in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Committed to providing value to its members and strengthening the local business community, the Chamber is exploring strategies to improve membership retention and engagement. Undergraduate students from the School of Applied Professional Studies will conduct a SWOT analysis, analyze Porter’s Five Forces, perform internal and external environmental evaluations, and apply other strategic management tools to identify areas of improvement and produce project recommendations for ongoing evaluation to support long-term membership retention.