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Housing Choice, Transportation Equity, and Access to Opportunities in Refugee and Immigrant Communities
Get PDFMobility directly impacts access to opportunities for all protected classes; however, transportation planning and public transit agencies and housing authorities rarely coordinate affordable housing and the transportation system planning decisions. This lack of coordination often leads to mismatches between access to opportunities and affordable housing. Safe access to employment, quality schools, and healthcare represent a few of the many factors that may influence housing choice. For most households with budget constraints, all of these factors may not be achievable. While existing research documents the mismatch between affordable housing and access to opportunities, the role that mobility plays in residential selection and the possible transportation barriers in access to essential services remains under investigated. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the role that a household’s primary and secondary mobility (i.e., using auto, public transit, social network, walking, etc. to access activities) plays in the housing location choice of immigrants and refugees. The secondary objective was to craft a methodology for producing an access to opportunity index relevant to the study population. The study investigated the importance of community cohesion and other social structures in the decision-making process, thereby providing greater clarification of the burdens encountered by immigrants, refugees, and other protected classes when affordable housing and the transportation system planning remain uncoordinated and fail to address the needs of transportation disadvantaged households. Our qualitative study was conducted in Dallas County, TX, where almost one quarter of the 2.6 million population were born outside the United States. We identified, with the assistance of community partners that serve immigrants and refugees, study participants who were planning to move and those who had recently moved from their initial residence following their arrival in Dallas County to a residence they have considered and selected. We collected qualitative data about the factors and values that drove transition decisions such as transit options, housing costs, proximity to health and mental healthcare, safe neighborhoods, access to quality education, employment proximity, community cohesion or distance, among others. We conducted a conventional content analysis of interviews from 32 participants and found three themes (and several sub-themes). These were: Theme 1) The Multiple Dimensions of Home; Theme 2) The Neighborhood Experience, and; Theme 3) Barriers and Bridges to Opportunity. We present method and findings related to the access to opportunity index using both transit and auto modes from Dallas County block groups. Then, we discuss recommendations for policy and practice that promote the coordination of transportation planning and housing choice for immigrants and refugees in Dallas County and the implications for other transportation-disadvantaged populations in other locations
Scales of Connectivity within Stream Temperature Networks of the Clackamas River Basin, Oregon
Get PDFWater quality varies along the stream network; thus, considering the directional, dendritic nature of stream networks with surrounding landscape variables is essential in explaining spatial variations of water quality. Using a spatially extensive stream temperature monitoring effort in the Clackamas River Basin in the United States, we first compare spatial scales of analysis of atmospheric, landscape, and in-stream explanatory variables through their correlation with summer stream temperatures. We then derive a predictive stream temperature model with factors representing the spatial variation of local climate, recent wildfire effects, and discharge. Finally, we compare nonspatial multiple linear regression to a spatial stream network (SSN) model to assess the combined importance of the spatial scale of analysis and flow-connected stream distance in explaining total variation in stream temperatures. Most explanatory variables show the most highly significant relationships to stream temperature when derived as a percentage of the total upstream area above observation sites. Elevation and vegetation cover, however, were most significantly correlated to stream temperature at the riparian buffer area scale and the local reach contributing area scale, respectively. Multiple regression analysis using total upstream burned area, total upstream area with underlying High Cascades geology, and the elevation within the 100-m-wide riparian area explained 81 percent of variation in stream temperature. SSN outperformed this nonspatial statistical model, however, in explaining the total variation in stream temperature. These comparisons of scaled data sets demonstrate both the local and cumulative upstream effects on stream temperature, providing a spatial network-informed framework to those prioritizing watershed restoration and wildfire recovery activities. Key Words: scale, spatial stream network, stream temperature, water quality
Portland, Oregon’s Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis Data and Applications: Example of Uneven Distribution of Trees and Benefits
No full textPortland, Oregon’s Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis (Urban FIA) data from 2018 to 2021, revealed an estimated 2.6 million live trees (≥ 5.0 inches in diameter) across public and private lands. Trees in Portland stored about 1.6 million tons of carbon and removed about 639 tons of air pollution per year. However, urban forests and their benefits to human health are not evenly distributed throughout the city. Urban FIA data was parsed into the City of Portland, Bureau of Transportation’s Equity Matrix categories, which assigns scores based on measures of race, ethnicity, and income. Areas with Portland’s least disadvantaged communities contained about 54% of the city’s trees, which contributed to about 56% pollution removal, whereas areas with Portland’s most disadvantaged communities contained only 1% of the city’s trees, which contributed to about 3% pollution removal. This example represents a small fraction of publicly available urban FIA data. Urban FIA data is collected every year across all land ownerships, and together with applications, such as My City’s Trees, can help managers monitor changes in urban forests over time and support policy decisions to improve environmental quality and human health in Portland
Flammability of Dominant Tree Species Portends Severe Wildfire Risk in the Portland-Vancouver Metro Area
No full textClimate Change increases the occurrence of wildfire globally, largely through enhanced drying of plants which increases their flammability. However, these processes are poorly studied in less fire-prone ecosystems, such as the moist temperate coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest. Likewise, flammability studies are rarely completed within urban forests. These knowledge gaps limit our ability to appreciate the true fire hazard within our cities and puts our communities at elevated risk of catastrophic wildfires. Recent research at Reed College quantified the shoot-level flammability and tissue moisture of 4 dominant tree species from moist Pacific Northwest forests (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Tsuga heterophylla, Thuja plicata, and Acer macrophyllum) and compared it to 4 tree species from more fire-prone dry forest / woodland types (Pinus ponderosa, Calocedrus decurrens, Sequioadendron giganteum, and Quercus garryana), using a custom-built flammability chamber. We found that our native moist forest species had higher flammability than dry forest species and that moisture status accurately predicts flammability. Leveraging satellite observations of fuel moisture allowed prediction of seasonal flammability of three local natural areas–Forest Park, Reed Canyon, and the Sandy River Gorge. Our model shows that the Sandy River Gorge reaches critical levels of flammability late in the growing season (August), while Reed Canyon reaches highly flammable levels a month earlier (July), and Forest Park remains highly flammable throughout the growing season. Our study provides important information on the timing of local wildfire hazard and reveals a potentially under-appreciated extreme latent fire risk within our largest urban natural park, Forest Park
Patient and Caregiver Perspectives on Implementation of ACE Screening in Pediatric Care Settings: A Qualitative Evaluation
Get PDFIntroduction This qualitative research study explored the perspectives of adolescents, 12 to 19-years-old, and caregivers of children under 12-years-old on the acceptibility of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) screenings in five pediatric clinics. Method A constructivist grounded theory approach was utilized. One-on-one semistructured phone interviews were conducted with 44 adolescents and 95 caregivers of children less than 12 years old. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Most participants reported feeling comfortable discussing ACEs with their providers. Some reported that screening helped build trust. Others expressed privacy concerns and did not receive information about the reason for screening. Adolescent patients shared conflicting feelings—of both comfort and discomfort. Caregivers attending to multiple children, foster parents, and monolingual Spanish speakers disclosed unique challenges to ACEs screening. We found no evidence of lasting adverse effects. Discussion Participants generally found ACEs screenings acceptable. Some adolescents identified benefits from the experience. However, clinics planning to adopt routine ACEs screening should ensure clear messaging on why screening is occurring, anticipate and address privacy concerns, and adopt workflows to discuss screening results
Measurement Matters: A commentary on the state of the science on patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in autism research
Get PDFHigh quality science relies upon psychometrically valid and reliable measurement, yet very few Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) have been developed or thoroughly validated for use with autistic individuals. The present commentary summarizes the current state of autism PROM science, based on discussion at the Special Interest Group (SIG) at the 2022 International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting and collective expertise of the authors. First, we identify current issues in autism PROM research including content and construct operationalization, informant-structure, measure accessibility, and measure validation and generalization. We then enumerate barriers to conducting and disseminating this research, such as a lack of guidance, concerns regarding funding and time, lack of accessible training and professionals with psychometric skills, difficulties collecting large representative samples, and challenges with dissemination. Lastly, we offer future priorities and resources to improve PROMs in autism research including a need to continue to evaluate and develop PROMs for autistic people using robust methods, to prioritize diverse and representative samples, to expand the breadth of psychometric properties and techniques, and to consider developing field specific guidelines. We remain extremely optimistic about the future directions of this area of autism research. This work is well positioned to have an immense, positive impact on our scientific understanding of autism and the everyday lives of autistic people and their families
On Fire and Water: The Intersection of Wetlands and Burning Strategies in Managing the Anthropogenic Plant Communities of Yosemite National Park
Get PDFThe existing literature confirms that Native American tribes historically enhanced culturally preferred plant communities through periodic burning in what is today Yosemite National Park; in turn, beginning with nineteenth-century park development, fire suppression contributed to conifer and shrub encroachment on anthropogenic meadows and other culturally significant habitats. However, we contend that traditional burning practices cannot be understood without considering the pronounced cultural role of wetland habitats and species, and the intersection between burning practices and wetland plant communities among tribes of the Sierra Nevada Range. Our ethnographic investigations revealed that a majority of culturally important plants identified by tribal members in Yosemite Valley were wetland species. Interviewees also recall that traditional burning included wetlands and wetland margins – with the scale, timing, and location of burning responding to seasonal water-table fluctuations in those environments. Thus, US National Park Service (NPS) manipulation of valley hydrology eroded culturally significant plant communities over time, compounding the effects of fire suppression, together facilitating conifer encroachment. We present evidence of historical practices and trends based on a comprehensive review of available historical literature and ethnographic accounts, as well as the guidance of twentieth- and twenty-first-century tribal elders and the written record of NPS land management
Black Movement in White Spaces: How Youth Online Protests Challenge ‘No-Excuses’ Charter Practices
No full textAfter the murder of George Floyd, dozens of social media accounts arose describing the lived experience of being Black at various educational institutions. One subset of accounts emerged on Instagram from no-excuses Charter Management Organizations (CMOs). Accounts such as @blackatuncommon and @survivors_of_successacademy created a fascinating form of digital protest in which students expressed anger and frustration with their charter school experience. Using discourse analysis and content analysis, this chapter analyzes the primary content patterns of such protests. Grounded in Social Movement Theory and Critical Race Theory, we argue that these social media protests express a rarely heard counter-narrative that gives voice to student perspectives on racism in schools and the urgent need for change
Mental-Somatic Multimorbidity in Trajectories of Cognitive Function for Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Get PDFMultimorbidity may confer higher risk for cognitive decline than any single constituent disease. This study aims to identify distinct trajectories of cognitive impairment probability among middle-aged and older adults, and to assess the effect of changes in mental-somatic multimorbidity on these distinct trajectories
Analyzing Intensifying Storm Events Correlation to Landslide Frequency in Portland’s West Hills
Get PDFAs the Pacific Northwest climate changes, extreme weather, such as intensifying storms, and a shift in the type of precipitation experienced with warmer winters causing more precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow, may lead to an increased frequency of landslides. There have been several recent landslides in Portland, noticeable to the public, particularly in areas of high elevation such as Council Crest, which stands at 1,073 feet. Additionally, residents of neighboring homes have observed changes in the landscape, including those on private properties. To better safeguard both public and private property, comprehensive research and mitigation efforts are required. This analysis looks at weather and slide trend data to determine if there is a correlation between the increase in storm intensity and the frequency of landslides in the Portland Metro Area. Opportunities for further study and the critical consideration of community safety are highlighted. Understanding the correlation between intensifying storm events and landslide occurrences is crucial for implementing effective mitigation strategies and ensuring the safety of residents in landslide-prone areas