Sustainable City Year Reports 2010-11 (Salem)

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/1794/11432

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 26

Open Access
Advancing Sustainability by Fostering Civic Engagement
(University of Oregon, 2010) Nelson, Jonathan; Stavitsky, Al; Stavitsky, Al
Sustainability is a fairly understandable concept when dealing with concrete examples. Buildings and urban planning can reach sustainable standards by conserving energy, efficiently handling waste or encouraging residents to utilize smaller carbon footprints. But how does sustainability pertain to communication? At the most basic level, if a community doesn’t communicate, its sustainability is threatened. The City of Salem, like many governmental organizations, seeks better communication with its residents. City leaders met with a graduate-level Journalism class in the University of Oregon’s Strategic Communication program to discuss how to foster more civic engagement between city staff and residents in order to foster a more sustainable community. Specifically, city leaders want to ensure they engage in two-way communication with the broadest audience possible and directed the Strategic Communication class to help achieve that goal. The city also specifically requested that any plans include the use of technology, possibly including podcasts, webinars, and the city’s website.
Open Access
Bicycle Transportation
(University of Oregon, 2010) Welch, Monica; Schlossberg, Marc
The proposals reviewed in this document were generated as a result of collaboration between the City of Salem and the University of Oregon Sustainable Cities Initiative. Fifty-one students in a Planning, Public Policy, and Management course entitled “Bicycle Transportation”, taught by Professor Marc Schlossberg, reviewed and examined critical elements of an urban bikeway system and proposed projects that would encourage increased bicycle ridership.
Open Access
Brownfields/Green Neighborhoods: Integrating Riverfront Park with Pringle Creek
(University of Oregon, 2010) Costic, Alexandra; Ochs, Kelsey; Thoren, Roxi
University of Oregon students in a combined architecture and landscape architecture studio worked together to research and develop ideas for integrating Riverfront Park with Pringle Creek and for the redevelopment of downtown Salem’s South Waterfront. Working with City of Salem staff, students explored sustainable urban design-based approaches to the revitalization of the thirteenacre riverfront site that included ecological restoration, riverfront access and transportation improvements, and community-oriented land use. Student recommendations drew from City of Salem goals for the South Waterfront Urban Renewal Area, which include daylighting Pringle Creek, improving bicycle and pedestrian access to the site and to Riverfront Park, and promoting profitable mixed-use development. During the Spring 2011 term, students worked to demonstrate ways in which principles of environmental design coupled with community-oriented land use would give the South Waterfront a productive role in Salem once again.
Open Access
Controlling Congestion Through Parking Policy: Minimums, Maximums, and the Road to an Efficient Future
(University of Oregon, 2010) Cogburn, Jordan; Yang, Yizhao; Yang, Yizhao
This report was created in response to the City of Salem’s interest in comparing the off-street parking requirements of their zoning ordinance with those of other similar cities in the United States. The report also focuses on required minimum and maximum parking spaces for multi-family residential housing, with particular attention being given to the issue of whether parking requirements vary between residential developments in core areas and outlying areas. For the final project in the Land Use Policy and Growth Management course, students performed case study analyses on differences in land use parking standards for various municipalities across the nation. These parking standards are frequently developed by consulting the Institute of Transportation Engineers Parking Generation handbook and by surveying nearby municipalities for land use trends. When analyzed on a comparative basis to that of Salem, Oregon, the general trends suggest a move toward integration and encouragement of multiple modes of transportation.
Open Access
Cultural Mapping in Northeast Salem: A Civic Engagement Study
(University of Oregon, 2010) Arnold, Teresa J.; Shepherd, Jay; Silberman, Lauren; Blandy, Doug; Fenn, John; Blandy, Doug; Fenn, John
This document outlines work done by graduate students in the Art and Sustainable Society course in the University of Oregon Arts and Administration Program during the Fall term 2010 and provides recommendations to the City of Salem for further study. It can and should be used as an example and guide for further community mapping. The project focused on mapping the cultural resources of the Latino population of Northeast Salem over the course of 10 weeks. The City of Salem is interested in facilitating more engagement within this community through identification of existing cultural resources, their patterns of use, and the gaps that exist among them. The report reviews the students’ process of cultural mapping, the information gathered, trends identified within the information, and suggestions for further study and engagement.
Open Access
Development Proposals for Three Targeted Sites in Salem, Oregon
(University of Oregon, 2010) Braseth, Mark; Larco, Nico; Schlossberg, Marc
Students in a combined Architecture and Planning class called City Growth/ City Design were asked to create development proposals for three sites located in urban renewal areas of Salem, Oregon, as part of the University of Oregon’s Sustainable City Year program. Students conducted research similar to due diligence activities a developer might undertake when evaluating a site for development. Students’ research identified appropriate uses, identified opportunities and constraints, analyzed current zoning and transportation infrastructure, and considered community needs. Findings and analysis were used to make informed proposals that offered realistic opportunities and, in some cases, pushed the boundaries of traditional development.
Restricted
Downtown Parks Connectivity Analysis with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
(University of Oregon, 2010) Bean, Trafton; Schlossberg, Marc
The following report documents the ideas, proposals, and methodologies produced by the Sustainable City Year (SCY) Downtown Parks Connectivity project for the City of Salem. The Downtown Parks Connectivity project members included students in the University of Oregon’s department of Planning, Public Policy and Management enrolled in the academic course PPPM 436/536: Social Planning with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Project members were given the task of connecting Salem’s core area parks by proposing a system of urban pedestrian trails and bicycle routes. The City of Salem hopes to improve pedestrian and bicycle accessibility to enhance the recreational potential of the parks system and the enjoyment of park patrons. Research was primarily conducted using GIS, however this comprehensive report puts an emphasis on ideas for improving transportation connectivity and connecting Salem’s downtown communities rather than the technical GIS methodologies. Note that GIS is still addressed in the final sections of the report and in the appendices, but this is due to the innovative nature of select projects that require a technical understanding of GIS. Each section is divided into brief summaries of individual projects. Policy and planning recommendations are included on a case-by-case basis. The conclusion section includes an overall summary of recommendations generated by these reports.
Open Access
Downtown Salem Circulation Study
(University of Oregon, 2010) Johnson, Pamela C.; Monsere, Chris
The City of Salem is adapting its current transportation infrastructure to enhance active transportation within the City. The City is complying with the goals of Vision 2020 – a comprehensive effort to secure a vibrant future for the downtown core and to create a more sustainable transportation system. The Portland State University Department of Civil and Environmental and Engineering partnered with The University of Oregon Sustainable Cities Initiative to explore the feasibility of various transportation network alternatives proposed by the City of Salem. The Downtown Salem Circulation Study was conducted by Portland State University civil engineering students in order to evaluate proposed alternatives for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements. The alternatives came from the Salem Willamette River Crossing Alternate Modes Study, Vision 2020 Bicycle and Pedestrian Working Group, and the Salem Transportation System Plan. These alternatives addressed areas that lack safe and connected travel routes for pedestrians and cyclists along traffic corridors and between neighborhoods.
Open Access
Efficient Public Lighting Options
(University of Oregon, 2010) Sylwester, Liesel; Germany, Jason O.
A Product Design studio course from the University of Oregon took on the Efficient Public Lighting Options project and worked to develop design concepts that would meet Salem’s lighting needs and reduce their energy use. The tenweek project focused on analyzing Salem’s current streetlighting and identifying areas for improvement, and on generating lighting solutions that would address areas that are lacking in the current lighting.
Open Access
Engaging the Latino Community in Salem
(University of Oregon, 2010) Lopez, Monique; Welch, Mackie; Sandoval, Gerardo; Sandoval, Gerardo
The purpose of this report is to provide City of Salem personnel with recommendations of strategies to use when engaging with the growing Latino population in the city. The barriers, opportunities, and action items identified in this report focus efforts on reaching members of the underrepresented Latino population, rather than those who are already involved as community leaders. This population is traditionally the most difficult to reach because they do not participate in formal networks. Our research was targeted at answering the following questions: • What opportunities for public engagement can be developed by understanding the Latino community’s perceptions of the City of Salem and its government? • What opportunities for mutual engagement do members of the Latino community perceive as possible for increasing interaction between them and the city?
Open Access
Environmental Law: Green Building, Graywater, and Stormwater
(University of Oregon, 2010) McGinn, Jennifer; Wilson, Jan
As part of the Sustainable City Year partnership with the City of Salem, five students from the University of Oregon School of Law’s Environmental Law Clinic course researched sustainable building and stormwater management, focusing on topics including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, the use of graywater, and sustainable stormwater management tools. The results of this research, and recommendations for the City of Salem, appear in this report.
Open Access
Green Cities
(University of Oregon, 2010) Cyrus, Heather; Dillard, Suni; Young, Robert
As one of the Sustainable City Year (SCY) projects this year, Green Cities students were asked to research, plan, and design environmentally friendly re-use and redevelopment options for the Salem Housing Authority (SHA). The Green Cities proposal approached development in Salem by organizing research into two teams, one focusing on the Glen Creek housing development site and one on the vacant Orchard Village housing site. Students working on the Glen Creek site examined agricultural land use options, energy savings, improved connectedness with surrounding areas, and options for increased density. Students working on the Orchard Village site proposal incorporated sustainable development elements into their proposal to optimize site, energy, water, and environmental use for future growth. Additionally, each site was analyzed for potential development in relation to transportation, sustenance, and waste needs. Research was conducted using site visits, in-class discussions, meetings with SHA representatives, and primary and secondary research. Green Cities students suggested proposals, strategies, and technologies to create sustainable communities on both SHA sites, and to provide a cuttingedge template for future Salem development plans.
Open Access
High Performance, High Density, High Ambitions: Housing for the Salem Housing Authority
(University of Oregon, 2010) O'Neil, Shane; Keyes, Peter
In collaboration with Peter Keyes’s 2011 Advanced Architectural Design Studio at the University of Oregon and the Sustainable Cities Initiative, the City of Salem and the Salem Housing Authority (SHA) sought to re-imagine the future of public housing so that it would dignify those who inhabit it and do so in a more economically, environmentally, and ecologically sustainable manner than is currently the norm.Following their research and analysis, the students generated room, unit, and building prototypes based on an understanding of their relationship to different local contexts. The students subsequently developed infill and redevelopment proposals for three multi-family properties currently owned by the SHA: Orchard Village, Meadowlark Village, and Glen Creek. The SHA provided students a list of goals focused on optimizing the use of available resources, including energy, land, water, and materials. Building on the SHA’s goals, the students sought to elevate perceptions of what is possible in low-income housing.
Open Access
Industrial ecology
(University of Oregon, 2010) Ofri, Orit; Howard-Grenville, Jennifer
This report summarizes the work done by students in the Industrial Ecology class at the University of Oregon during fall term 2010. The students explored industrial ecology concepts to evaluate opportunities in two business cases in the Salem area: the City of Salem’s Willow Lake Water Pollution Control Facility (Willow Lake) and NORPAC Foods, Inc. (NORPAC). The students worked on the two cases through five separate projects – three for Willow Lake and two for NORPAC. At Willow Lake, the objective was to evaluate the feasibility of transforming waste to energy and reclaiming water generated by the facility. • Project #1 investigated the feasibility of adopting a fuel cell that would replace the current generator to generate energy from the methane produced by the current digester at the facility. The students recommended that Willow Lake continue with traditional cogeneration technology and deploy an 848 kW replacement engine. Included with the students’ project report was an Excel financial model for Willow Lake to examine and use to further refine understanding of the likely effects of each replacement alternative. • Project #2 assessed the feasibility of a symbiotic partnership between SeQuential-Pacific Biodiesel (SeQuential) and Willow Lake through an evaluation of the environmental and financial implications of biodigestion of grease trap waste. Students found that, at the level of accuracy currently available, a partnership between Willow Lake and SeQuential has environmental and financial benefits. They recommend that SeQuential and Willow Lake continue to investigate the methane production potential of this waste to determine an appropriate tipping fee (a charge levied by a waste treatment facility to accept waste). • Project #3 identified opportunities for Willow Lake to secure a long-term water supply and reduce wastewater discharge impacts through water reclamation. The case studies and cost analysis show that the use of reclaimed water in the region under the current system is not cost effective. However, future water supply and discharge limitations indicate the need to start considering multiple reclamation alternatives now. At NORPAC, the objective was to evaluate opportunities to reuse, recycle, or compost waste generated from facilities in Brooks, Stayton, and Salem. • Project #4 proposed a viable strategy for NORPAC to achieve its goal of conserving and recycling nutrients in its facilities by discovering opportunities to reuse, recycle, or compost the waste generated by operations. While each has its own benefits and challenges, the alternative with the highest revenue potential and environmental benefits to NORPAC is vermicomposting. Specifically, NORPAC could create a partnership with Oregon Soil Corporation to develop a vermicomposting (worm composting) operation. • Project #5 assessed the current disposal solution for defective cans and evaluated three potential strategies for a more sustainable disposal process. The students recommended NORPAC take a two-pronged approach to restructure its current disposal process. In the short term (0-6 months), NORPAC could centralize can collection at the Madrona (Salem) facility and recycle 100% of its defective cans internally. In the long run (6 months and longer), NORPAC could partner with Recology to establish an ongoing waste disposal program, integrating other local canneries into this waste disposal program.
Open Access
Minto-Brown Island Park Citizen Communications Strategy
(University of Oregon, 2010) Nelson, Jonathan; Stavitsky, Al
The city collaborated with students from the University of Oregon’s Strategic Communication program to develop a communication plan to address a variety of concerns. The city specifically wanted students to create a plan to help citizens acknowledge the value of Minto-Brown Island Park, and by extension other city-operated parks; to promote personal responsibility by park visitors; to reduce litter in the park; and to discourage dog owners from allowing their pets to run off leash in on-leash areas. Students were asked to produce a multiplatform media plan with suggested messaging. The communication plan was designed to augment a plan developed by students from the University of Oregon’s Landscape Architecture department to improve the physical, natural, and human amenities at the park.
Open Access
Minto-Brown Island Park Studio
(University of Oregon, 2010) Bingle, Logan; Nevers, Vanessa; Ruggeri, Deni
The City of Salem asked the Minto-Brown Island Park research and design studio, led by University of Oregon Landscape Architecture Professor Deni Ruggeri, to provide a new interpretive trail plan for Minto-Brown Island Park located in Salem, Oregon. The primary considerations, as given by the City of Salem, for the development of this interpretive trail plan were to investigate new trails and connections that would facilitate improved way-finding within the park, provide interpretive opportunities and increased access to the Natural Resource and Conservation Service (NRCS) restoration areas and the Willamette River, and increase pedestrian and bicycle connectivity to downtown Salem via a future bridge and easement linking the northern perimeter of Minto-Brown Island Park to Riverfront Park. In order to develop a proposal for a new interpretive trail plan, this studio launched an intensive investigation to understand the natural and cultural fabric that defines Minto-Brown Island Park at present, and the potential to enhance the value of the park for Salem’s present and future residents. This investigation revealed a multitude of opportunities to engage the community of Salem in a variety of park experiences, both new and traditional, that would help generate support for, and increase awareness of, the value of this park to the city. These exciting investigations led to the decision to develop and propose a new master plan for Minto-Brown Island Park in conjunction with the development of the interpretive trail plan.
Open Access
North Downtown Waterfront Development: Building Design Proposals
(University of Oregon, 2010) Schmidt, Elizabeth M.; Larco, Nico
During the Fall 2010 and Winter 2011 academic terms at the University of Oregon, twelve students in an architecture studio course worked with the City of Salem to develop twelve different architectural programs and designs for the redevelopment of Salem’s North Downtown Waterfront.Proposals include a Salem river research center, brewpubs, museums, recreation centers, hotels, and housing. A river research center has the potential to draw tourism to the area and to provide a home for new and innovative research. Brewpubs would provide another form of attraction, fitting in to the current industrial feel of the area. Museums and civic attractions can provide a complement to the downtown commercial district, and higher-density housing will help support any potential new businesses. This wide range of project types displays the great potential of the site as a whole.
Open Access
North Downtown Waterfront Development: Urban Design Proposals
(University of Oregon, 2010) Schmidt, Elizabeth M.; Larco, Nico
During the fall 2010 academic term at the University of Oregon, five groups of three students in an architecture studio course worked with the City of Salem to develop five schemes for the redevelopment of the North Downtown Waterfront. The students investigated existing site conditions and a variety of factors influencing development of this particular part of Salem. These investigations led the students to focus on some key issues that would be addressed by the broad range of the groups’ design schemes, including: • The Commercial Street barrier, currently blocking access to the Willamette River, particularly for bicyclists and pedestrians • A significantly underutilized Mill Creek • The rail line on Front Street • The potential for direct connections to other parts of Salem, via bike paths along waterways, Union Street for east/west connections, or Liberty Street for downtown accessibility With these issues in mind, groups began to branch out into their own particular visions of what the area could become in the future. Each group took an individual approach and worked toward a unique scheme, but all students stressed the importance of a few common elements: • Including special public places within the site • Encouraging a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly environment • Moving toward a more sustainable community, including green streets, bioswales, and ecological preservation of the creek and river habitat • Creating an overall mixed-use district that would help to form a unique and inviting community for Salem residents and visitors This report documents the students’ investigations into current conditions and possible future scenarios.
Open Access
Salem Civic Center - Interior Architecture
(University of Oregon, 2010) Fuller, Leah; Zimmer, Linda; ; Zimmer, Linda
As a part of the University of Oregon Sustainable City Year program, sixteen students enrolled in a mid-level interior design studio examined the Salem Civic Center building, generating proposals for renovation and reuse of the building in order to enhance vitality and restore functionality to the Civic Center campus. The students, taught by Associate Professor Linda Zimmer, coordinated their work with the City of Salem staff, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects (ZGF), and CB|Two Architects, and worked in parallel with an architecture studio that generated proposals for new police facilities on the same campus. The focus of the interior design studio was to develop a set of strategies for the redesign of the existing Civic Center in order to reimagine the building in light of the planned relocation of the Police Department, relocation of staff from off-campus locations to the Civic Center, and improved response to current and future needs.
Open Access
Salem North Downtown Riverfront Redevelopment Concept Plan
(University of Oregon, 2010) Dong, Baofeng; Mild, Cortney; Margerum, Richard; Parker, Robert; Young, Robert F.; Margerum, Richard; Parker, Robert; Young, Robert F.
This concept plan mainly aims to restore the ecology along Mill Creek and the Willamette River and transform the North Downtown Riverfront into a mixeduse neighborhood with affordable housing, public transit, community amenities, retail, a neighborhood market, and community gathering places. All five student groups recommend the restoration of Mill Creek, establishing trails along the Creek, and offering housing of various densities for residents with different incomes. The concept plan also addresses issues such as lack of connectivity between east and west Salem, and transportation barriers from the project site to downtown Salem. Overall, this concept plan envisions a transformation of North Downtown Salem into a vibrant neighborhood with residential housing, community space, and a viable market place. We envision the North Downtown Riverfront area becoming a place open and accessible to the public through an enhanced transportation network and equitable design principles.