Street Life and the Built Environment in an Auto-oriented US Region

Urban planners and designers believe that the built environment at various geographic scales affects pedestrian activity, but have limited empirical evidence at the street scale, to support their claims. We are just beginning to identify and measure the qualities that generate active street life, and this paper builds on the first few studies to do so. This study measures street design qualities and surrounding urban form variables for 881 block faces in Salt Lake County, Utah, and relates them to pedestrian counts. This is the largest such study to date and includes suburbs as well as cities. At the neighborhood scale, we find that D variables – development density, accessibility to destinations, and distance to transit – are significantly associated with the pedestrian activity. At the street scale, we find significant positive relationships between three urban design qualities – imageability, human scale, and complexity – and pedestrian counts, after controlling for neighborhood-scale variables. Finally, we find that pedestrian counts are positively associated with seven of twenty streetscape features – historic buildings, outdoor dining, buildings with identifiers, less sky view, street furniture, active uses, and accent building colors. This study provides implications for streetscape projects that aim to create walkable places in typical auto-oriented, medium-sized cities

Factor Analysis of Agricultural Development Indicators from Iranian Agriculture Experts’ Viewpoints

Agriculture and its development is the foundation of development in Iran as a developing country. So, it can be regarded as the foundation for economical and social development. The capabilities of agriculture sector are limited and its efficiency is trivial because of neglecting agricultural development and keeping its support just as a slogan. The transformation of agriculture to a developed, dynamic, efficient environment depends not only on appropriate climate and natural resources but also on human resource development in the relevant sector. The main purpose of the present research was to study and recognize agricultural development indicators from agriculture experts’ viewpoints (including researchers, trainers and extension experts) in six provinces in Iran on the basis of Adjacent Provinces Plan. The study was designed with three phases of theoretical foundations, field operations and data analysis. The statistical population was 863 experts, out of which 198 experts were selected by stratified sampling. The validity and reliability of measurement tool (questionnaire) was analyzed by SPSS software package. The study was a correlation-descriptive study in which factor analysis statistics was used in addition to descriptive statistics. Experts grouped indicators of future agricultural development in nine groups (access to inputs, application of technologies for the development of human resource and sustainability; reduction of losses; economical development; improvement of infrastructures; agricultural mechanization; social status; improvement of marketing; land reform; yield increase). Results about the difference in respondents’ viewpoints revealed significant differences in experts’ viewpoints in six studied province about relevant variables and in their viewpoints about the components of agricultural development (infrastructure improvement, marketing, optimum management and sustainability, human resource development and economical development)

Information technology adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises; an appraisal of two decades literature

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for major source of employment, technological advancements, and competitive advantages for both developed and developing countries. Owing to the intensified competitive pressure and necessity for entering to global market undergone by SMEs, these businesses are incrementally employing Information Technology (IT) to take advantage of its substantial benefits. Most of prior researches have more focused on IT adoption in large organizations. However, and with regard to the limited resources controlled by SMEs, the process of IT adoption in this business sector is considerably different. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and contrast the internal and external issues affecting the process of IT adoption in SMEs to provide clearer understanding of this process by reviewing IT adoption literature, which includes more than 20 years of empirical research and case studies from a variety of databases with high concentration on certain SME-related issues. Proposed integrated framework demonstrates the process of IT adoption in SMEs through reviewing exiting perspectives in the literature. This study will assist different parties involved with adoption process including managers, vendors, consultants, and governments to achieve a practical synopsis of the IT adoption process in SMEs, which is believed to assist them with successful adoption

Designing a model to empower the educational system performance of agricultural vocational schools

This research aimed to compare the perspective of trainers and trainees at agricultural vocational schools in Iran regarding the empowerment of the educational system. It is an applied study in orientation, a hypothesis-testing study in goal, and a comparative causal study in strategy. Data were collected with a researcher-made questionnaire. The statistical population was composed of all trainers and trainees of the agricultural vocational schools in the 2020-2021 educational year amounting to 1119 trainees and 120 trainers, out of whom 169 trainees were sampled by simple randomisation and 120 trainers were sampled by the consensus method to participate in the research. The data were analysed in the Smart PLS3 and SPSS version 23 software packages. In addition to the descriptive statistics, the construct validity and the fit of the model were determined by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The management process, the educational process, curriculum content, technical teacher training, and the supply of space, equipment, and technology have positive and significant effects on the empowerment of the educational system at the agricultural vocational schools in both the trainers' and trainees’ groups. The empowerment of the educational system at agricultural vocational schools is effective in achieving quality assurance in the educational system and subsequently, improving its quality continuously. This paper contributes to developing a theoretical framework by considering the dimensions and components underpinning an empowering educational system. This study is the first attempt to compare the perspective of trainers and trainees about an empowering educational system in agricultural vocational schools. The study provides a framework in which special attention is paid to the empowerment of the educational system at these schools so that the managers and trainers can work with more authority and play a role in improving the educational system of the agricultural vocational schools

The 15-Minute City Quantified Using Mobility Data

Americans travel 7 to 9 miles on average for shopping and recreational activities, which is far longer than the 15-minute (walking) city advocated by ecologically-oriented urban planners. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of local trip behavior in US cities using GPS data on individual trips from 40 million mobile devices. We define local usage as the share of trips made within 15-minutes walking distance from home, and find that the median US city resident makes only 12% of their daily trips within such a short distance. We find that differences in access to local services can explain eighty percent of the variation in 15-minute usage across metropolitan areas and 74 percent of the variation in usage within metropolitan areas. Differences in historic zoning permissiveness within New York suggest a causal link between access and usage, and that less restrictive zoning rules, such as permitting more mixed-use development, would lead to shorter travel times. Finally, we document a strong correlation between local usage and experienced segregation for poorer, but not richer, urbanites, which suggests that 15-minute cities may also exacerbate the social isolation of marginalized communities

Electronic commerce‐enabled supply chain process integration and business value

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a model to analyze the relationships between three aspects of technical electronic commerce (EC)‐based information system (IS) resources; the supply chain process integration; and business value. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is consistent with the perspective on IS‐enabled organizational capabilities and resource based view of the firm. A questionnaire‐based survey was conducted to collect data from 214 supply chain, logistics, or procurement/purchasing managers of leading manufacturing firms. Findings: The findings suggest that supply chain process integration, a key EC‐enabled organizational capability, can enhance business value. We found that this capability serve as a catalyst in transforming technical EC‐based IS resources (technical quality of EC applications, EC advancements, and EC alignment) into higher value for a firm. Research limitations/implications: Among other limitations, this paper does not address human IS resources as the other potential determinants of firm's supply chain capabilities. Moreover, this study relies on cross‐sectional data. Practical implications: The results suggest that supply chain process integration is an important intermediate organizational capability through which value of EC‐based IS resources can be materialized. The technical aspects of EC‐based IS resources need to be developed to effectively form supply chain capabilities. Originality/value: The paper is perhaps one of the first to show theoretically and empirically how firms, in particular in developing countries, can generate business value from EC‐enabled supply chain process integration; also it broadens the scope of EC alignment in relation to process integration and business value to the entire supply chain

Growth Management Effectiveness: A Literature Review

Although growth management programs have many purposes, a critical one is to contain urban and suburban sprawl. Their efficacy in this regard is not well understood. In this paper, we review a comprehensive set of growth management tools, used by urban planners and policymakers to curb sprawl, starting with the history of the tool, then describing how it works in practice, and finally presenting any available empirical evidence on how well it works to curb sprawl and/or achieve other public purposes. While growth management isn't a panacea for controlling sprawl, it is certainly not the failure implied by critics

Webinar: New Travel Demand Modeling for our Evolving Mobility Landscape

Conventional four-step travel demand models are used by nearly all metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), state departments of transportation, and local planning agencies, as the basis for long-range transportation planning in the United States. A flaw of the four-step model is its relative insensitivity to the so-called D variables. The D variables are characteristics of the built environment that are known to affect travel behavior. The Ds are development density, land use diversity, street network design, destination accessibility, and distance to transit. In this seminar, we will explain how we developed a vehicle ownership model (car shedding model), an intrazonal travel model (internal capture model), and mode choice model that consider all of the D variables based on household travel surveys and built environmental data for 32, 31, and 29 regions, respectively, validates the models, and demonstrates that the models have far better predictive accuracy than Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC)/Mountailand Association of Governments’ (MAG) current models. In this webinar, researchers Reid Ewing and Sadegh Sabouri will demonstrate the effectiveness of the new travel demand model and how to implement it by integrating it into the traditional four-step process.https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/trec_webinar/1047/thumbnail.jp

Webinar: Transportation Benefits of Polycentric Urban Form

A “polycentric” region consists of a network of compact developments connected with each other through high-quality transportation options. Rather than continuing the expanse of low-density development radiating from an urban core, investments can be concentrated on central nodes and transit connections. This development pattern is very popular in Europe and is linked to significant benefits. This presentation is aimed at exploring the academic literature and empirical evidence surrounding polycentric development, analyzing more than 120 regional transportation plans to see how they promote polycentric development, defining types of centers in a hierarchy of centers, quantifying the transportation benefits of polycentric development, examining a case study of best practices, and, finally, outlining context-specific strategies for Salt Lake County and the Wasatch Front region.https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/trec_webinar/1052/thumbnail.jp

Impact of ride-hailing services on travel behavior

dissertationRide-hailing services are getting more popular each year, and their markets are growing. Much has been speculated, but not much has been tested, regarding their impacts on the transportation system. This dissertation consists of three papers that share the foundational literature and core concepts of built environment, on-demand ride services, and travel behavior research. In the first study, I examine the relationship between ride-sourcing services and vehicle ownership of households, by using the most up-to-date (2017) national household travel survey (NHTS) data. To better capture the effect of ride-sourcing services on vehicle ownership, I controlled for the effect of socioeconomic characteristics of households and built environment variables, the so- called D variables, i.e., density, diversity, design, and distance to transit. The results suggest that there is a negative correlation between using ride-sourcing services and vehicle ownership. Vehicle ownership is also negatively associated with the number of years Uber has operated in a county. In the second study, through unique access to Uber trip data in 24 diverse U.S. regions, I provide a robust data-driven understanding of how ride-sourcing demand is affected by the built environment, after controlling for socioeconomic factors. Results suggest that Uber demand is positively correlated with total population and employment, activity density, land use mix or entropy, and transit stop density of a census block group. In contrast, Uber demand is negatively correlated with intersection density and iv destination accessibility (both by auto and transit) variables. In the third paper, also using the NHTS data, I investigate how built environment characteristics impact the choice of ride-sourcing services over other modes of transportation. The results suggest that the impact of built environment on modes of travel varies by trip purposes, while most of the directions remain the same. Overall, an increase in D variables is associated with an increase in the choice of ride-sourcing services as well as sustainable modes of transportation. Findings of this dissertation have important implications for policy, planning, and travel demand modeling, where decision-makers seek solutions to shape the built environment in order to reduce automobile dependence and promote walking, biking, and transit use