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Student capstone and applied projects from ASU's School of Sustainability.

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A Sustainability Analysis of Workforce Housing Development Tools

Description
Arizona and the Phoenix metropolitan area are experiencing a housing crisis, both in terms of affordability and supply. While the number of affordable and available units has been shrinking, a separate trend has emerged that is also adding pressure to the housing market, particularly for renters—a demand for transit-oriented, walkable,…

Arizona and the Phoenix metropolitan area are experiencing a housing crisis, both in terms of affordability and supply. While the number of affordable and available units has been shrinking, a separate trend has emerged that is also adding pressure to the housing market, particularly for renters—a demand for transit-oriented, walkable, sustainable communities. As governments invest in projects and infrastructure falsely branded as sustainable, environmental gentrification often occurs resulting in displacement of current residents. Without new, moderately priced housing being built, displaced residents remain housing cost burdened. Workforce housing, priced to serve lower-middle to middle-income residents, offers a release from the pressure on the housing market, but innovative models for workforce housing development are necessary to navigate the regulatory and financial barriers in place. During a Solutions Round Table event facilitated by my client, a variety of potential tools for mitigating the housing crisis and removing barriers to workforce housing development were discussed. Based on conversations documented during the event, a robust list of workforce housing development tools was created. With the help of my client, the list was winnowed down to six tools for focused research—off-site construction, cohousing, land banks, missing middle infill models, community land trusts combined with limited equity cooperatives, and public-private partnerships. This project describes these tools and outlines best practices for developing and implementing them in the Valley. The best practices are organized to serve as guidance for the private sector and public sector separately, and for embedding health and social equity. Each tool is assessed using a simplified version of Gibson’s (2006) sustainability criteria, combined into four dimensions—environment, social, economic, and holistic. The findings from the assessment are embedded as guidance throughout the final product, a white paper, which will be delivered to Urban Land Institute (ULI) Arizona District Council Task Force for Health, Equity, and Housing Affordability, my client for this project.
ContributorsVan Horn, Elizabeth (Writer of accompanying material)
Created2020-05-26
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Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan

Description

Electric vehicles (EV’s) are quickly expanding in California. Improved battery technology, range, more competitive cost compared to gas cars, incentives and legislation have all led EV’s into the mainstream car market. Recently, Governor Newsom signed an executive order to require that all new passenger cars sold in California be zero-emission…

Electric vehicles (EV’s) are quickly expanding in California. Improved battery technology, range, more competitive cost compared to gas cars, incentives and legislation have all led EV’s into the mainstream car market. Recently, Governor Newsom signed an executive order to require that all new passenger cars sold in California be zero-emission vehicles by 2035 making it the first state in the U.S. to do so. However, many cities are not ready for this massive shift to electric vehicles yet play a crucial role in helping to expand EV infrastructure and support policies that help the transition. While the state of California has made tremendous strides reducing CO2 from power plants with a major pivot to renewable energy, the same can’t be said for the transportation sector which represents approximately 40% of California’s overall emissions. California will be unable to meet its state climate and air quality goals without a major shift to zero emission vehicles. Although deploying EV chargers can be a complex process with many different stakeholders, the Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan (EVRP) provides California city planners with information to assist them in expanding critically needed EV infrastructure. EVRP serves as a guide to understanding the EV market, basics of EV charging, incentives, legislation, potential project partners, and also makes specific recommendations for cities to expand EV infrastructure to make EV charging more accessible now and for future EV drivers in cities across California.
ContributorsFolan, Thomas (Writer of accompanying material)
Created2021-02-04