Browsing by Author "Johansson, Christopher"
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Item A Comparison of the Accessibility of Three Neighborhoods’ Institutions and Amenities in Frederick, MD(Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2014) Hampton, Elizabeth; Johansson, Christopher; Demireva, Yana; Engel, AlbertFrederick is a city of neighborhoods. We studied three neighborhoods in the southern part of the City: Downtown—the area of downtown Frederick, South—the area to the immediate south and west of downtown, and West—the area west of the Frederick Bypass anchored by the Golden Mile and US-40. We based our analysis on the institutions and amenities present in each neighborhood. Institutions were landmarks or structures of civic nature such as schools, banks, churches, and parks, while amenities were necessities or conveniences such as groceries, retail, or service areas. We determined the boundaries of the neighborhoods by mapping the locations of institutions and amenities within the City and observing how they were geographically organized, then using differences in the age of the buildings in those areas as well as physical barriers between them to designate borders. We then studied selected social, demographic, and economic characteristics of the neighborhoods. These were age, income, race, and household size. We found that households tended to consist of fewer people closer to downtown Frederick, the youngest and most racially diverse areas were along the Golden Mile, the oldest and least diverse were in downtown Frederick and west of downtown, and income levels throughout the study area can be seen as having a bi-centric distribution. We also administered a survey in person at three locations within the City. Survey questions explored how often respondents visited amenities and institutions, and what form of transportation they used to get to those places. Respondents indicated that convenience stores were the type of service they used the most often, most trips they took to such destinations were less than five miles, and the mode of transportation they chose depended on their destination. Large numbers of respondents indicated support for bike lanes, traffic abatement, and crosswalks. Three recommendations result from this analysis: add bike lanes wherever possible; improve walkability; implement policies to encourage the opening of a grocery store within downtown Frederick. In the future, appropriate areas of research to extend this study may include bicyclist and pedestrian counts at key locations to guide bicycle and pedestrian policy within the City, a thorough assessment of the City’s public transportation system, and a review of neighborhood zoning to determine whether it reflects a desirable and functional land use pattern.Item Sustainable Frederick(Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2015) Bearne, Amee; Chamy, Adam; Engel, Albert; Habtour, Rebecca; Hirsch, Oren; Johansson, Christopher; Kedar, Boaz; Pastore, Max; Rattanni, Ryan; Tesfaye, Abby; Cohen, JamesDuring the academic year and the summer, master’s students in the University of Maryland’s Urban Studies and Planning Program (URSP) are able to fulfil their requirement for a community planning studio. In the studio, students conduct research on a key planning issue or issues in a given study area, based on input from public officials, public agency representatives, community activists and other stakeholders. The students design the research strategy, collect and analyze primary and secondary data, and produce a written report with findings and recommendations. This summer 2015 studio report is somewhat different from previous studio documents. The report was created in the same academic year in which the University of Maryland premiered its Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) program. Created by the University’s National Center Smart Growth Research and Education in 2014, PALS offers the opportunity for UMD faculty and students to explore – and make recommendations for addressing – challenges identified by a city or county in Maryland related to economic opportunity, environmental quality and/or social equity. The jurisdiction selected to be the site for the premier year of the PALS program was the City of Frederick. From September of 2014 through August of 2015, thirty (30) UMD classes focused part or all of their attention on a sustainability-related issue or challenge that the City requested to be studied. In April of 2015, the City also completed a draft sustainability plan. This studio report consists of a suggested sustainability plan for the City of Frederick. The report builds on the City’s draft sustainability plan by expanding the current plan elements; adding material related to economic opportunity and social equity considerations; adding two new plan elements (economic development and housing); and drawing on material from other selected PALS class reports. The students hope that the City officials and planners, and others who actively participated in creating the current sustainability plan draft, will find it useful in their efforts.