Monitoring the Status of Alaska Fishing Communities, 1980-2010

Commercial fishing provides social and economic benefits for hundreds of communities across Alaska, with dozens of species being harvested commercially. The state's fisheries are complex, with the species mix, vessels and gear, environmental conditions, and socioeconomic circumstances varying widely from one part of the state to another. And while the majority of Alaska's fisheries continue to be successfully managed for sustainable harvests, fishing communities face a number of challenges, including changing market conditions, volatile catches and stock dynamics, changes in fishery regulations, redistribution of access rights, and climate change.North Pacific Research Board

Reflections on Campus Planning: Lessons for Professional Practice

Planning is a diverse field with many different areas of professional practice. Campus planning, as opposed to traditional city planning, is one of these areas—different than traditional municipal, and having a unique requirements that are framed by jurisdictional, environmental, and physical planning needs of the respective institution. Based on my experience in this role, planners need a flexible skillset that moves beyond the traditional role of processing permits and crafting zoning codes. They need to be deep thinkers and leaders who can adapt to changing situations and understand nuanced bureaucracy. By taking advantage of it, as well as other practical words of wisdom, I believe both current and future planners can excel in almost any professional situation they find themselves in—being the glue that pulls unique projects and people together for success

Lessons in Leading: Developing a Culture of Innovation in Public Sector Planning and Governance

,n this thought provoking article,:illiam Riggs discusses the importance and principles of leadership, and how they can help efficiency, community satisfaction, and innovation in public planning and governance. Leadership in the public sector is more about creating an environment for success and unleashing the power of others. Most of us would agree that effective leadership is vital to any organizational efficiency in business. Great leaders communicate the mission and objectives of an organization, inspire motivation, and lead teamwork to more efficient and productive outcomes (Northhouse, 2014). But what about in the public sector; does visionary leadership matter? Academics would tell us that effective leadership is obviously not only a priority for the private sector and that leadership in the public sector is a critical part of developing a culture of innovation i

Greta Place as a Historic District

This report, forwarded to the City of San Luis Obispo\u27s Cultural Heritage Commission proposes Greta Place as a mid-century modern historic district. Greta is a small street located centrally in San Luis Obispo, CA (See Figure 1). It has a unique and distinct mid-century presence that is both a well-preserved and concentrated example of a collection of Mid-century single-family homes produced in San Luis Obispo as the City began to expand in the 1950s. It specifically called out in the City’s Historic Context Statement when it describes the street as “a cohesive collection of one-story Mid-century Modern houses along Greta Place (p. 118).

Deconstructing Howard through the Lens of Hall: Lessons from the Garden City Reformer

In this provocative essay, William Riggs discusses the lasting legacy of Ebenezer Howard\u27s and Sir Peter Hall\u27s work and who it challenges us to think our solutions and deal with familiar issues like protecting green belts, equitable jobs and housing. The author notes that the resurgence of a stronger focus on physical design and the sustainability and eco-towns movements will help us move towards a Howard-inspired Peaceful Path to Real Reform

Gaps and Opportunities in Accessibility Policy for Autonomous Vehicles

Nearly 1 in 5 people in the US have a disability (more than 57 million) (U.S. Census Bureau), and people with disabilities use the automobile as a travel mode at significantly lower rates than people without disabilities (Bureau of Transportation Statistics). For example, people aged 18 to 64 with disabilities make 28% fewer trips per day (2.6 v. 3.6 trips) on average than people without disabilities. The disparity is even more significant for non-workers. These statistics highlight the notable technological, design, and policy failings in today’s transportation system - that disabled individuals have considerable suppressed demand for travel that is currently not being met. Even among people who are able to take the trips, a significant proportion of people with disabilities rely on modes of transportation that were not specifically designed for their needs (Bureau of Transportation Statistics). Though the technology to substitute conventional cars with the much talked about autonomous vehicles (AVs) is not entirely ready, some existing technologies might be helpful for persons with disabilities. That said, several companies are creating prototypes of AVs specifically designed to cater to the travel needs of disabled individuals. Once autonomous vehicle technology is sufficiently mature, they have the potential to help disabled Americans achieve their desired level of mobility (Claypool et al.). While autonomous vehicles are being built with the purpose of curbing people’s need to operate the vehicles, lack of ability to drive is not the only barrier people with disabilities face while traveling. The simple acts of entering and getting out of the vehicle might pose difficulties for many disabled people, not just wheelchair users. This makes well-thought-out considerations for people with disabilities essential at the early stages of design and development

Nourishing urbanism: a case for a new urban paradigm

True sustainability demands that we seek to more than ‘prop up’ traditional approaches to our environment; rather, it requires that we redress current shortcomings in the planning and design of our urban environment at both bio-regional and local scales. Nourishing Urbanism proposes a shift in the urban and non-urban paradigm relating to energy, water and food; all face significant climate-related challenges—and are united by land-use policy, planning and design. We need a renewed planning and design framework for cities and regions that allows the retrofitting of today\u27s urbanity, and prepares our cities for a new tomorrow. Nourishing Urbanism seeks to provide a malleable planning and design framework that embraces the symbiosis between urban and non-urban, and provides for the well-being of the human condition through recommending policies and technical solutions that readdress land use, ultimately impacting the security of our energy, water and soil resources, as well as infrastructure, food supply, health and design

Community Sustainability Planning as a Tool for Increased Environmental Sustainability: The Case of Two California Cities

Based on their professional work,:illiam Riggs and +enry Pontarelli argue that Community 6ustainability Plans can achieve community reliance through a balance of social, economic, and ecological factors. They discuss their approach and take lessons from case studies in two California cities, Morro Bay and Monterey. Since the publication of the Bruntland Report (1987) and subsequent passing of greenhouse climate change regulations (such as AB32 and SB375 in California) cities around the globe have been keenly focused on achieving triple bottom line sustainability. Such analysis evaluates the economic, social and environmental implications of development (Brown, Marshall, & Dillard, 2006). While in theory such a balance between social equity, economic prosperity, and ecological health presents a new paradigm for planning (Beatley, 1995; Berke, 2002; Knight & Riggs, 2010), it also presents serious challenges in developing and applying innovative approaches to balancing the nexus. This difficulty in implementing frameworks that support thi