Sustainable City Year Reports 2010-11 (Salem)

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Open Access
Salem Transportation Safety Analysis
(University of Oregon, 2010) Johnson, Pamela C.; Monsere, Chris;
Portland State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering explored various traffic safety concerns in the City of Salem. The Salem Transportation Safety Analysis was conducted by Portland State University civil engineering students. Intersections with high crash statistics and other safety issues were selected by the City of Salem for evaluation. Some of the locations did not have traffic problems but needed improved facilities to increase walking and biking. The students were asked to recommend possible modifications and solutions to existing traffic safety concerns. Ten separate studies were conducted by the civil engineering students. The groups evaluated the existing traffic conditions and developed recommendations using traffic safety evaluation methods learned in the Transportation Safety Analysis course.
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
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
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
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
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.
Open Access
Salem Target Industry Analysis
(University of Oregon, 2010-06) Barnes, Emma; Braseth, Mark; Gonzalez, Kim; Hayes, Bryan
This report presents the results of a focused analysis of selected target industries for the City of Salem. The purpose of this project is to support the city’s objective of fostering high wage job growth in Salem, provide market data on the target industries and recommend steps to better attract the target industries. The Community Planning Workshop (CPW) evaluated four industries in this analysis: food processing, metal manufacturing, biosciences, and renewable energy. The selected industries highlight Salem’s traditional economic base in agriculture and steel manufacturing and also look to emerging opportunities in the bioscience and renewable energy industries.
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
Salem Streetlights: Solutions for a Sustainable System
(University of Oregon, 2010) Landis, Joshua; Moore, Caroline; Mosley, Rachel; Ruderman, Chris; Skinner, Seth; Chrisinger, Colleen
Currently, the City of Salem provides approximately 10,500 streetlights for the safety and well-being of its residents. These streetlights cost the city roughly 1.5 million dollars per year in combined electricity and maintenance costs, representing 20 percent of Public Works Department expenditures. The city uses a combination of ownership and rental options in partnership with two electric utilities, Portland General Electric (PGE) and Salem Electric (SE). The shared ownership model has contributed to a system with over 100 combinations of lights and ballasts. The city has identified this streetlight system as an important opportunity to increase the efficiency of government operations and the long-term stability of financial resources. In conjunction with the University of Oregon’s Sustainable City Year program, the City of Salem commissioned a team of students in a Masters of Public Administration Capstone course at the University of Oregon to recommend a more sustainable model for their streetlight operations. The city seeks a streetlighting system that is financially and politically sustainable in an era of public/private partnerships, regulatory change, rising energy costs, and unstable government revenue. At the same time, Salem is considering the environmental cost and benefits of their municipal infrastructure.The following report examines available mechanisms to improve the sustainability of Salem’s streetlight operations. The first section defines Salem’s streetlight operations problems and provides a survey of possible solutions. The remaining portions of the report provide in-depth analysis of the most suitable alternatives and recommended actions for the city to achieve more sustainable streetlight operations.
Open Access
Salem Strategic Economic Prosperity Plan
(University of Oregon, 2010) University of Oregon. Dept. of Planning, Public Policy and Management. Community Planning Workshop; Parker, Bob; Becker, Brie
As part of its year‐long collaboration with the University of Oregon Sustainable City Year program, the City of Salem Economic Development Division engaged with the Community Planning Workshop (CPW) to conduct a Strategic Economic Prosperity Plan. The plan is a five‐year internal action plan that is intended to help the City and its economic development partners take a strategic approach to implementing local economic development initiatives.
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
South of Mission (Salem, Or.)
(University of Oregon, 2010) Wieczorek, Agatha; Fifield, Michael; Gillem, Mark
The intent of this study and design work is to respond to the needs and distinct characteristics of the South of Mission area in the City of Salem, Oregon. Our Mission Statement is to encourage economic development through the creation and revitalization of vibrant communities. This report describes our careful examination of the City of Salem, followed by planning and design proposals that explore the vast opportunities for development in the South of Mission area.
Open Access
Salem Police Station
(University of Oregon, 2010) Peterson, Alice; Theodoropoulos, Christine; Hilton, Josh
Students developed 24 design ideas for the new Salem Police Station. While there were a variety of approaches to developing the new station, every design addressed issues involving the Civic Center site and the police program, including connectivity within the site and to Salem as a whole; creating a “front door” for the site; developing community/public space; improving wayfinding throughout the site; exploring viable sustainability strategies; and ensuring adequate parking for the public, city employees, and police.
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.