Sustainable City Year Reports 2023-24 (Salem)

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Open Access
Leveling the Playing Field: Designing Assessment Tools for Equity in Salem’s Parks
(University of Oregon, 2024) Stapleton, Ellee; Cole, Nathan
This document describes and contains the work of students in LA 407 / 507 Equitable Urban Parks with Professor Stapleton at the University of Oregon. Students created three assessment tools for the City of Salem to assess the current conditions of their parks. The report covers the purpose of the tools and how they were created. The tools are in Appendix C: Tool Protocols, Materials, and Instruments. The City of Salem manages 90 parks and is currently updating its citywide park system master plan (master plan), last updated in 2013, that guides development and maintenance of these parks. The master plan is updated about once a decade (City of Salem 2024). Some residents of Salem are concerned that the distribution of parks and funding in the City is inequitable, and the City would like to address this by conducting an equity analysis of their parks system and including an equity component in the new master plan. The work of Equitable Urban Parks follows Professor Stapleton’s Spatial Justice Seminar, in which students investigated if parks were equitably distributed throughout the City (Cassell and Donnelly 2024). In Equitable Urban Parks, students created assessment tools that can be used to compare conditions and resources across different parks in the City. The findings from these two courses offer complementary explorations of park equity with the Spatial Justice Seminar considering equity through the lens of distribution and Equitable Urban Parks looking in more detail at the qualities of specific park resources.
Open Access
Cases for Age-Friendly Planning And Policy
(University of Oregon, 2024) Webster, Brian; Li, Alex
The City of Salem and its largest resource for older people, Center 50+, are in the process of planning for a momentous shift in the City’s demographic composition: citizens are getting older. Salem’s rapidly aging population necessitates a comprehensive approach to creating and maintaining an age-friendly city. This seminar class was tasked with finding, researching, and evaluating successful cases in age-friendly planning and public policy. By learning from programs that have made other cities more accessible for their older population, Salem can ensure that it does the best it can for its older community members. The student research highlights the critical importance of fostering independence and community engagement among older residents. By prioritizing these areas, Salem can significantly enhance the quality of life for its older residents and solidify its position as a welcoming community for all ages. Across the students’ research and resulting case studies, key themes arose: • The need to support aging in place through accessible and affordable housing, robust transportation options, and information environments that work for older people • Effective collaboration among government, non-profit organizations, and community members • Methods to effectively maximize finite volunteer hours • Outreach that meets older people where they are both physically and technologically This report synthesizes the lessons from student analysis of successful cases into takeaways for the City of Salem and its citizens. By implementing the recommendations from this course and utilizing the analysis to shape ongoing programs targeted toward older people, Salem can support its aging population and become a thriving age-friendly city.
Open Access
Safe and Connected Salem: Bicycle Transportation Recommendations
(University of Oregon, 2024) Schlossberg, Marc; Taylor, Zoe; Sunberg, Nicolas; Scherer, Anna
The City of Salem’s goal is to increase bike mobility, thereby increasing street safety in the process. The City’s comprehensive code outlines ambitious goals aimed at reducing pollution, ensuring safe travel, and developing multi-modal transportation networks that cater to all community members. In pursuit of these objectives, students in the Bicycle Transportation course conducted intensive research and proposed innovative recommendations for designing transportation routes that accommodate various modes of travel. Student research highlights the potential for significant improvements in bike mobility, which can lead to increased street safety and reduced vehicular emissions. Students studied specific areas for potential improvements and interacted with local community advocates to identify where best practice research and innovative ideas would be most beneficial. Students spent months curating their ideal plans to allow for better bicycle movement within Salem. Their recommendations, derived from comprehensive research and analysis, suggest enhancements to bicycle infrastructure that aim to promote sustainable urban mobility, boost public health, and stimulate local economic activity while considering cost, use of street, community needs, and more.
Open Access
SCYP Salem Compilation Report
(2024) SCYP Staff
This compilation report details the collaborative efforts of the University of Oregon’s Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) partnership with the City of Salem during the 2021-2022 academic year. This partnership involved over 20 projects across five schools and colleges, 14 faculty members, and over 350 students addressing key strategic priority areas identified by the Salem City Council. Projects ranged from public budgeting and climate action public relations campaigns to transportation policy and urban planning. The report summarizes the SCYP partnership to provide the City of Salem practical recommendations and innovative solutions to help the community tackle its challenges, leveraging the latest academic insights and the energy of university students to drive forward a more sustainable future.
Open Access
Salem City Spin
(University of Oregon, 2024) Peeples, Jack; Ruth, Xander; Wright, John
This campaign aims to encourage Salemites to reduce their reliance on personal vehicles and instead utilize active transportation in the form of biking. Shifting from cars to biking as one’s primary mode of transportation reduces traffic congestion, lowers carbon emissions, and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
Open Access
GIS Analyses of Walkability in Salem, Oregon Volume 2
(2024) Wessel, Ava; Kohler, Nick
Appendix of student final projects
Open Access
GIS Analyses of Walkability in Salem, Oregon Volume 1
(University of Oregon, 2024) Wessel, Ava; Kohler, Nick
Driven by a shared commitment to improve environmental health, community wellbeing, and accessibility, students in the Advanced GIS class collaborated with the City of Salem to develop data-driven strategies for urban improvement. Walkability, a concept that refers to the safety and comfort of pedestrian infrastructure, serves as a link between both social considerations and urban design principles. Improvements in walkability can be associated with decreasing traffic congestion and carbon emissions, while improving pedestrians’ overall quality of life. In winter 2024, students created recommendations based on spatial patterns gathered from the City of Salem’s geodatabase. Using datasets ranging from transportation networks, demographic makeup, and public facilities, students addressed three specific aspects of walkability in Salem: 1. Public Transportation Core Networks analyzed datasets with the intent to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of Salem’s public transportation. 2. Equity Focus Areas analyzed pedestrian infrastructure trends to increase accessibility in a lower-income area of Salem. 3. Climate-Friendly Areas created recommendations to improve pedestrian safety within Salem’s expanding mixed-use infrastructure downtown. Student recommendations aimed to elevate Salem’s walkability score and foster community livability, sustainability, and social cohesion. By prioritizing public transportation and pedestrian infrastructure, the City of Salem can encourage a reduction in carbon emissions and an increase in walking and cycling. The shift towards sustainable transportation can help tackle urban design challenges such as traffic congestion and design effectiveness. This report highlights some of the key findings and suggestions to improve walkability, contributing to a more vibrant and sustainable urban environment.
Open Access
Salem Parks Foundation Board Development & Recruitment Strategy
(University of Oregon, 2024) Aguinaga, Parker; Hauthe, Quinne; Johnson, Alexia; Lopez, Mariah; Lun, Sian Dim; Mason, Dyana; Fracchia, Elena; Thompson, Kim
Parks Foundations are a natural asset to a thriving park community, given their unique ability to support the government through nonprofit funding activities, while still supporting community wellness. This is particularly true as governments allocate funding to different initiatives, and departments seek outside funding and support to continue community-focused programming. In Winter 2024, the Salem Parks Foundation (SPF) requested that this nonprofit consultancy group explore volunteerism, diversity, and board recruitment. Focus was placed on Board Development and Board Recruitment in order to strengthen the Foundation for future growth and development into diversity outreach and volunteer initiatives. In order to research these areas, we relied on secondary literature, a review of SPF materials, interviews with SPF and other Oregon Parks foundations, and finally a survey sent out to the Neighborhood Associations. Over the course of our research, we received a wide variety of responses, both from parties invested in SPF, and from those who had never even heard of the organization. We found that SPF has the opportunity to develop stronger processes to support a nonprofit foundation, from board development and governance, to strategy for recruitment and community outreach. To address these areas, we developed a comprehensive plan to revitalize the organization, and allow them to focus on longer term projects and goals.
Open Access
Minto-Brown Island Park Boardwalk
(University of Oregon, 2024) Allan, Scott; Jacobson, Caitlin; Seifert, Colby; Skillin, Julia; Sosa, Anna; Zaikoski, John; McLaughlin, Patrick
Located along the Willamette River near downtown Salem, Oregon, Minto-Brown Island Park is subject to extended flood events that limit pedestrian access during wet periods throughout the year. Beaver dams divert and pool water which can leave the trails submerged. Salem’s seasonally wet climate, in addition to the surge in river levels due to snow melt, and the resurgence of beavers necessitates a design alternative extending the usability of the flooded trails during these times. The City of Salem has partnered with a Portland State University Capstone team to reach a design solution for this problem.
Open Access
Recommendations for Solar Panel Initiatives at Geer Park In Salem, Oregon
(University of Oregon, 2024) Taylor, Zoe; Russo, Andrew
The University of Oregon’s Green Cities students focused on creating innovative and sustainable solar panel proposals for Salem’s Geer Park, located near the Oregon State Penitentiary, which has been historically underfunded and undervalued. The class focused on addressing the city’s questions concerning solar capacity, alignment with sustainable infrastructure objectives, and potential for replication in other locations. By organizing into three focus areas: 1. Solar Park Lighting 2. Community Solar Pavilion 3. Solar Awnings Students conducted a robust exploration of design possibilities. Drawing on diverse academic backgrounds, students enriched their designs with insights from various fields. Through access to diverse resources, including case studies, guest lectures and academic journals, students tailored design ideas for Geer Park’s unique context. The resulting proposals not only aim to enhance community engagement and reduce grid reliance but also offer potential synergies with broader sustainability initiatives. Through their efforts, students strived to transform Geer Park into a resilient and inclusive public space, increasing community engagement amidst the park’s existing underutilization.
Open Access
Recommendations for Increased Electric Vehicle Access and Adoption in Salem, Oregon
(University of Oregon, 2024) Prazak, Renate; Li, Alex
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.
Open Access
Salem Parks Equity & Service Area Report
(University of Oregon, 2024) Cassel, Katie; Donnelly, Caitlin; Stapleton, Ellee
In response to the City of Salem’s goal of identifying park service area delineation methods that would facilitate a more equitable and accessible park system for residents, Spatial Justice Seminar students analyzed equity and delineated potential park service areas in Salem. Throughout the term, students explored what spatial equity meant, reviewed precedent studies, completed observational-based research or spatial based research on Salem’s Park system, and then provided recommendations based on their findings. The spatial methods observed in the report are Euclidian distance, travel times, street network analysis using Thiessen polygons, and overlaying data. The nonspatial methods observed are surveys, intercept surveys, demographic data, and benchmarking. The most applicable precedent studies include the cities of Los Angeles, California, Fort Collins, Colorado, Eugene, Oregon, and Bellevue, Washington. Precedent studies integrated both spatial and non-spatial methods of data collection to have a comprehensive understanding of disparities in their park system.
Open Access
Pump Up Salem
(University of Oregon, 2024-12) Schillinger, Attila; Bullentini, Kaitlyn; Clifford, Avery; Duda, Nicole; Horvath, Michael; Norton, Ella; Knight, Kayleigh; Plumley, Madison
Students were tasked with the opportunity to design a campaign to educate Salem residents on heat pumps and their benefits to support the city’s sustainability initiatives. The overarching goal of the campaign was to increase awareness of heat pumps and an understanding of their benefits in Salem. To achieve this goal, students developed a strategy broken up into two parts: a storytelling community approach and enabling residents to overcome common barriers. Part one focuses on highlighting early adopters of heat pumps within the Salem community and using peer-to-peer communication with simple language to help educate others on the benefits of heat pumps. Part two focuses on overcoming common barriers in heat pump adoption, such as cost, by using action-oriented language and establishing relationships with potential partners like local banks.
Open Access
Engaged Journalism: Listening to Salem's Hispanic Community
(University of Oregon, 2024) Duong-Tran, Joshua; DeVigal, Andrew
Working with the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) and the City of Salem, this class sought to understand how information flows through the Hispanic community in Salem. This Engaged Journalism course conducted a survey, facilitated a conversation with 80 students, and visited Salem to better understand community information needs. Recommendations support greater information access for these communities via collaborations with local entities. Divided into age groups ranging from under 18 to over 65, with the largest demographic being the under 18 category, 36% of residents indicated that sharing information among coworkers and classmates constituted the primary channel for learning about events that held significance for them or their community. Participants generally gravitated to personal networks and social media when locating community information. The survey revealed that when an event occurred within their community, most residents turned to their personal networks, such as Facebook groups, and social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok for further insights. Half of the participants mentioned K-12 education as the prime issue of importance. Based on these findings, the Engaged Journalism class compiled the following categories of recommendations to better meet the information needs of Salem’s Hispanic community: media literacy enhancement via local news collaboration; short-form content distribution through Instagram and TikTok; and bilingual resource guides distributed in popular third spaces (community centers, schools, etc.); centralized radio collaborations exploring pivotal topics distributed on bilingual platforms; and local civic information community gatherings hosted in popular third-party spaces.
Open Access
Navigating Urban Networks: A GIS Exploration of Walkability in Salem, Oregon
(University of Oregon, 2023) Houston, Niamh; Kohler, Nick
The City of Salem, Oregon, has shown dedication to achieving sustainability goals and revitalizing its neighborhoods by conducting walkability and comprehensive corridors assessments. As part of the Sustainable City Year Program, students from the Geography Department at the University of Oregon participated in an Advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) class in collaboration with Salem to uncover and address the deficits in pedestrian pathways and to strategize enhancements to the city’s walkable corridors. By leveraging the city’s geospatial data, the students crafted an array of network service area maps, density maps, and weighted overlay maps using ArcGIS technology. The analyses considered demographic distribution, the location of public amenities, urban zoning, and commuting behaviors to assess the feasibility of pedestrian navigation in Salem. Students focused on three main variables: diversity, equity, and inclusion; pedestrian safety; and sidewalk accessibility. In examination of these focal points, the data not only captures the current state of Salem’s pedestrian pathways but also aligns with broader community needs. The ensuing narrative will summarize our research into clear recommendations for improving walkability in Salem, providing an overview suitable for readers interested in actionable strategies.
Open Access
Volunteerism & Civic Engagement - The Next Wave
(University of Oregon, 2023) Knight, Kayleigh; Mundy, Dean
The Strategic Planning and Cases course (J 453) at the University of Oregon worked with the City of Salem to develop outreach campaigns to address the City’s volunteerism and community engagement needs. Although each student team developed a campaign plan that focused on a distinct target audience, all teams had two common goals: 1) Improve and generate a stronger volunteer base through social media and 2) Increase outreach accessibility for all ages and backgrounds, which could then lead to increased volunteer rates and community engagement.
Open Access
City of Salem's Commercial and Residential Operations Fee: Recommendations to Augment Fee Equity
(University of Oregon, 2023) Betros, Rosemary; Lewis, Rebecca
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 sought input from Fall 2023 University of Oregon (UO) PPPM 629, Public Budget Administration students.
Open Access
The Lowest Hanging Cherry: Stopping Idling
(University of Oregon, 2023) Blodgett, Liz; Hewatt, Beau; Ignacio, Alyssa; McKnight, Helen; Sesar, Chloe; Schillinger, Attila
Students in the PR Campaigns capstone course devised three strategies to reduce idling in the city of Salem, Oregon. Strategy 1 emphasizes the city leading by example, calling for city employees to cease idling to encourage broader community participation. This approach builds credibility within the city workforce and sets the tone for collective action. To implement this strategy, Tactic 1 suggests holding employee training sessions, involving higher-ups in promoting the cause and highlighting success stories through various media channels to inspire others. Strategy 2 focuses on educating the youth of Salem about the environmental consequences of idling. Students recognize children’s influence on their parents, and this strategy aims to create a culture of environmental responsibility from an early age. Students propose hosting school assemblies with environmental experts, conducting a student sticker/slogan creation campaign and leveraging social media to amplify the impact. Finally, Strategy 3 emphasizes the importance of spreading awareness about the health risks associated with idling. The plan suggests collaborating with media outlets and local businesses to disseminate information effectively. By strategically placing our message in spaces where people can actively participate, such as drive-throughs and parking lots, the campaign aims to maximize the reach and drive home the message of reducing idling for a healthier and more sustainable Salem.
Open Access
Timber Tectonics: Building for the Circular Economy
(University of Oregon, 2023) Alampi, Elisia; Cheng, Nancy Yen-Wen; Riggio, Mariapaola
Exploring innovative kit-of-parts construction methods, our project centers on the adaptable nature of reciprocal frame construction, focusing on sustainable reuse of panel materials such as plywood and Mass Plywood Panels (MPP). The University of Oregon (UO)-Oregon State University (OSU) collaboration generated diverse ideas for a small seasonal pavilion in Salem, Oregon’s Highland Park. Following a review, the class united to consolidate the best concepts into a singular project. Operating as one team, the class developed construction details, prefabricated components, and sequenced on-site assembly. The OSU-UO Tallwood Design Institute’s (TDI) Emmerson Lab, UO College of Design’s Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine, and CNC WoodCutters machined trial and final components. Student-led assembly and installation took place in Week 10, with a final review and installation in the Emmerson Lab. The insights of the review, along with the work of the term, culminated with many lessons learned and a new set of guidelines for an outdoor installation in Highland Park.
Open Access
Green Cities Artificial Intelligence
(University of Oregon, 2023-12) Stephens, Ric
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.