Public Policy and Administration – �鶹��Ƶ

Connecting Communities: Recommendations for Micromobility and Transit Integration

Ada Inman — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 18:10:53 +0000

To improve the connection between active and public transportation in Lane County, the Bicycle Transportation class partnered with Lane Transit District (LTD) and Cascadia Mobility to produce comprehensive street redesigns, GIS mapping and implementation recommendations, and community outreach findings. Through the lens of street design, geographic mapping, policymaking, and community engagement, students provided a basis for LTD to transform the transportation system in Eugene-Springfield and the broader Lane County area by connecting multimodal transportation options.

Students assessed current infrastructure gaps, community beliefs and needs, and the politics of redesigning streets to accommodate multimodal transportation in the region. By impacting the physical, cultural, and systemic environments, students believe LTD could further connect their service to bike infrastructure. For example, mapping studies identified gaps in bikeshare service while community engagement recorded community members’ feelings and needs surrounding bikeshare and infrastructure. Students also used policy studies alongside street redesigns to identify areas with the greatest street improvement needs, generating proposals to encourage future infrastructure improvements. In addition, one group looked at the existing transit system through an equity and access lens and advocated for prioritizing marginalized neighborhoods in transportation planning and addressing network barriers for people with disabilities.

Willamette Activity Center: Operational and Expense Framework

Ada Inman — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 18:07:09 +0000

In Fall 2024, the City of Oakridge partnered with the University of Oregon’s Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) and the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement (IPRE) to reimagine the future of the Willamette Activity Center (WAC). This collaborative initiative emerged in response to the WAC’s closure in 2022 due to deferred maintenance issues, including a failing roof and outdated electrical systems. Once a cornerstone of community life, the WAC is now poised for a new chapter as a designated Resilience Hub, one of six regional hubs in Lane County’s disaster response network.

To support this transition, a Capstone team of graduate students from the University of Oregon was tasked with a six-month applied research project to inform the WAC’s long-term reopening and financial sustainability. The team’s deliverables included:
– A User Needs Assessment based on stakeholder interviews
– An Operational Expense Model and Budget informed by case studies and site visits
– A Fundraising Strategy designed to support phased redevelopment and ensure future viability

The WAC, originally constructed as an elementary school, spans approximately 26,610 sq. ft. and consists of a gymnasium, multiple classrooms, offices, a courtroom/conference room, and shared common spaces. These spaces historically hosted social service providers such as the Oakridge Food Box, Women’s Space, and Senior and Disabled Services; government agencies such as the Lane County Circuit Court, Department of Motor Vehicles, and City of Oakridge Council meeting; and youth services such as Head Start and Latch Key. Notably, the WAC Fundraising Group and the City of Oakridge have been awarded $6.4million in federal, state, and philanthropic funding to support current and future renovation phases, with goals to reopen the facility in 2028.

Oakridge Municipal Court Program Policy Report

Ada Inman — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 17:44:48 +0000

The purpose of this report is to provide the Oakridge Municipal Court staff with the necessary information to administer the Oakridge Municipal Court Community Service Program and maintain it over time. This report includes steps, guidelines, and forms that the Court staff could use to administer the program in partnership with agencies and work with defendants during their service. The program steps are as follows:
•The judge will present defendants with the option to complete volunteer work for either a nonprofit or public agency as an alternative to paying a fine.
•The judge will provide the defendant with an agreement form to be eligible for the Community Service Program and a timesheet to track their volunteer hours.
•The defendant will be presented with a list of currently eligible partners with the partner’s preferred contact information.
•Organizations will supervise defendants during community service and sign off on the timesheet brought by the defendant.
•The defendant will report back to the court and deliver the timesheet with their supervisor’s signature once they have completed their hours.

City of Talent Citizen Involvement Survey

Ada Inman — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:51:22 +0000

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 and guide citizen involvement for the City of Talent, Oregon. (Citizen Involvement Project, 2021) This report is a compilation of these student interviews, research and analysis. The purpose of this report is to provide an initial evaluation of community engagement, assessment of current community planning perspectives, and insight on future survey methodology for the CAPP and other programs.

Creating Shared Knowledge: An Asset-based Community Development Project in Hermiston

Ada Inman — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:49:36 +0000

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 Oregon University, collected and analyzed data offered by both public and non-profit organizations in Hermiston. Our findings indicate that there is strength in the city’s ‘small town feel’ and that there is great potential for growth in the area. Gaps in services that exist relate to better understanding how to serve different vulnerable populations, how to address the economic insecurity many in the community face, as well as how to address the fragmented public services already available in Hermiston. A community directory and a community navigator program are offered as potential solutions to the gaps identified in this project. This work is an important, preliminary step at realizing community development that is both self-sufficient and inclusive. Continued collaboration is needed in order to optimize the value of this ABCD.

Financing an Aquatic Center: Health and Wellness in Hermiston

Ada Inman — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 21:49:29 +0000

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 alternatives and make a recommendation, students researched financing strategies and assessed the feasibility of their proposals. Students also reviewed relevant statutes and analyzed GIS-based maps of Hermiston’s existing city limits to determine the boundaries of a potential parks and recreation special district. Relevant facility funding case studies from comparator communities informed student proposals. Additional financial and political considerations relevant to the preferred alternative included: capitalizing on revenue from neighboring cities, working within the City’s existing framework or creating a new district, and factoring in current resident opinions on increasing taxes. Proposals leveraged mechanisms such as taxes, bonds, user fees, and system development charges as funding sources for the construction and operations of Hermiston’s Health, Wellness, and Aquatic Center. The selection and integration of mechanisms can be guided by teams assessment regarding how Oregon Revised Statutes allow municipalities to finance capital projects. Following the summary of proposal packages and the alternative recommendations of Group A and Group B, each proposal was evaluated based on equity, neutrality, efficiency, and productivity. Students ranked the of proposal packages from most to least recommended at the conclusion of this report.

Recommendations for Increased Electric Vehicle Access and Adoption in Salem, Oregon

Ada Inman — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 21:35:01 +0000

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 proposed multiple recommendations for how the City of Salem could increase EV charging infrastructure and: • Ensure charging stations are conveniently located and accessible to all residents • Emphasize the importance of public education programs and outreach efforts • Educate the public about the benefits of electric vehicles, how to use charging stations, and the environmental impact of EVs, which can help dispel misconceptions and foster greater acceptance and adoption of EVs • Highlight the need for increased funding for more EV charging stations and incentives In summary, students provided the City of Salem with a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing EV charging infrastructure and access. Student findings underscored the importance of expanding charging infrastructure, educating the public, and securing adequate funding and incentives to support Salem’s transition to a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly transportation system.

City of Salem’s Commercial and Residential Operations Fee: Recommendations to Augment Fee Equity

Ada Inman — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 21:22:37 +0000

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

Ada Inman — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 21:13:29 +0000

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 technology that holds immense potential to revolutionize the way cities are planned, designed, and operated. The primary aim of this report is to provide an in-depth exploration of the multifaceted role that Artificial Intelligence plays in modern city planning and management. Through a comprehensive analysis of key AI applications, case studies, challenges, and ethical considerations, the report aims to provide resources for urban planners, City staff, and elected officials responsible for community planning and development. These include a model City policy, draft informational public meeting format, AI software and applications, implementation actions, AI timeline, glossary, and research references. This report represents the cumulative efforts of many participants and is sponsored by the City of Salem and Sustainable City Year Program. The Green Cities AI project website is at: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/artificialintelligence/. As cities continue to evolve into complex ecosystems, the integration of Artificial Intelligence stands as a pivotal force in shaping their trajectories. Through this report, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how AI is transforming the way cities are planned, operated, and experienced. By analyzing the tools, applications, and ethical considerations, we hope to equip policymakers, urban planners, and stakeholders with the insights needed to navigate the AI-driven urban landscape effectively and create cities that are not only smart but also sustainable, resilient, and regenerative.

Let’s Start Counting! A Methodology to County On-Street Parking Spaces in Oregon Cities

Ada Inman — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 21:08:40 +0000

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 for five percent of all on-street parking spaces by 2023, and ten percent of all on-street parking spaces by 2025. Should a city choose this route to comply with these reforms, it needs to know how many on-street parking spaces there are in total. Like most cities, the City of Eugene has varied GIS data but lacks accurate and comprehensive GIS data tracking on-street parking; therefore, our team was tasked with developing a methodology to inventory the on-street parking in Eugene that could be applied to other Oregon cities with populations greater than 100,000. The main objective of this project is to develop a repeatable methodology for identifying on-street parking spaces and estimating their quantity. Our methods leverage widely available GIS data and collection tools to determine the presence of on-street parking based on the characteristics of streets that we sampled and analyzed. To ensure repeatability, we include recommendations based on our research into the street design standards and databases of Eugene and other Oregon cities.