EXERCISE 1 – Analyzing Public Comment

Komal Macwan

Course - PUP 579 Planning Methods II

Professor –

Deirdre Pfeiffer

Analyzing the public comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway Project to contemplate Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)

Introduction -

On South Mountain in Phoenix, construction workers set off a controlled explosion. Over the course of the next several days and weeks, they ripped a 200-foot-wide path through three ridgelines on the mountain's southwest slope. A passage for a new road was all that was left. Traffic controllers predicted that the motorway will create a new link for a developing urban region. The destruction of 33 acres of a desert mountain, however, meant the loss of a longstanding relationship and the profanation of a site that the O'odham and Pee Posh peoples considered holy to them.

Loop202SouthMountainFreeway,whichlinksthe10Freewayin westPhoenix-to-Ahwatukee was initially given the green light in 1985, but due in part to vocal public resistance, work did not start until 2016. The public was given access to the project's Draft Environment Impact Statement (DEIS) in 2013. Between April and July of that year, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) received more than 8,000 comments.

Aim of the research and leading a focus group -

The organization, CommunitySolutions of which I am a part, has been entrusted by the ADOT with finding trends in the sample of public comments on the DEIS and suggesting viable mitigation techniques based on these patterns, which might be integrated into the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). This report aims to analyze the public comment and identify relevant themes and sub-themes for further analysis useful for FEIS.

Methodology for Analysis -

Qualitative analysis is the primary focus of this research and mainly analyzing the public comments. Developing themes and sub-themes from the analyzed comments to find an inference on this issue. With the combinatory deductive and inductive methods and latent analysis, themes are synthesized related to the research along with categorized sub-themes falling under each theme. Internal consistency and mutual exclusivityof the responses are also rechecked to get better reliabilityof the research. The findings of the analysis are examined for providing interventions and recommendations.

Findings from the analysis -

The overall synthesis of the public comment on the DEIS of the South Mountain Freeway project highlights that more than 50 % of the public comments were against the construction of the freeway. However, there were also many unanimous responses in favor of the project, emphasizing several advantages it would provide to the locals. By diving deeper into these public comments, some themes were prominentlyoutlined, leading to further investigation into themes, and sub-themes within them were classified to synthesize an in-depth inference.

The Prominent themes observed were -

1) Reasons for Opposition:

It was observed that as per people’s experiences and knowledge that they have their opinions were more inclined against the construction of the freeway and had various factors for this opposition. The factors include - a) Destruction of the natural environment/native wildlife: b) Harming neighborhood character/culture: Many people strongly believed that constructing this freeway will completely ruin the neighborhood’s identity and character harming the cultural aspects of the community. As this locality had the densest natural vegetation and wildlife, it gets disturbed too causing a loss of characteristic features of the geographical area. c) Health deterioration: d) Unproductive land use: e) Economic: f) Other:

The public comments highlighted that this freeway will exploit the natural vegetation and wildlife species of the area having its characteristic feature of a natural environment. This is causing various harmful impacts such as air pollution and other health impacts on the community.

Traffic congestion, air pollution due to increasing traffic associated with the freeway, noise pollution as a result of more vehicular access, and loss of natural vegetation and wildlife species are the factors that account for severe impacts on the health of the community leading to overall health deterioration among the population.

Many responders expressed that constructing the freeway is causing the unproductiveuse ofland. Tosolvetransportationissues; long-termsolutions should be taken rather than short-term easy options; leading to unproductive utilization of land.

Many opinions were showcasing that construction of the freeway is not an appropriate economic decisionas it wouldcost a lot,and,alongwith this cost unlike conditions are invited causing harmful impacts on the community, hence it is not economically viable.

There were some comments that also opposed the construction of the freeway but do not fall under any of the above subthemes.

2) Reasons for Support:

The analyzed public comments showed a noticeable number of responses in favor of the construction of the freeway. These people were towards the direction of supporting the project and highlighted various advantages that this project will bring. The subthemes for supporting the project include - a) Optimistic/Suggestive consent: b) Accessible transportation: c) Economic development:

People had several optimistic and suggestive comments that showed consent for constructing the freeway.

The citizens who had a need for accessibility advancement to cross the region emphasized that this freeway construction would enhance the transportation infrastructure and create easy access for people.

Some people support the freeway affirming that its construction would enhance the economy of the society leading to economic development.

3) Emotional:

There were certain citizens who were extremely sensitive about this topic and had emotional comments that highlighted their emotions rather than defining any theme pertaining to the construction of the project.

Recommendations:

Idividemyrecommendationintotwopossibleroutesforexplorationbythe ADOTand FHWA.

 First, studythe relationship between the important variables such as accessibilityissues and the need for transportation. Various methods such as census data for statistical analysis along with focus group sessions with field industry experts and common people must be used to find out whether there is a need for more accessibility and transportation infrastructure to this region.

 Second, the analyzed public comments suggest that there are many repercussions of constructing the freeway leading to the exploitation of the natural environment and wildlife, increase in air pollution, noise pollution due to traffic congestion, health deterioration, unproductive use of land, and economic burden, hence ADOT and FHWA should definitely rethink constructing the Loop 202 south mountain freeway.

The exemplary comment identified by me from the public comments highlights my analyses of evidence-based recommendations-

Name: Daniel and Jean Arlotti

Format: Email

Comment: We oppose the freeway for so many reasons, not the least of which are: 1. You are exploitingNativeAmericansandinfringingontheirsacredland.2.Theplanincludesextending Chandler Boulevard Westbound through beautiful hiking terrain on the South Mountain Preserve, where new trails were JUST CREATED, and now you will destroy them and send a whole neighborhood of traffic through the pristine area to the neighborhood at the end of Pecos

Rd. If this project goes through, you must create an exit for this neighborhood at the end of Pecos Road so that they do not go through the hiking area land. 3. You are being deceptive about the claim that pollution will be less with the new freeway. That is a farce for stupid people to believe who don't know any better. Adding highways has NEVER improved pollution. Just the name tells you this project is not right - you are destroying a sacred mountain for the sake of development when it is not absolutely necessary. We urge you to reconsider!

Issue of validity or reliability and remedy:

 Since opinions are based on perceptions of a single project (Loop 202 South mountain freeway) in a specific neighborhood, they cannot be very broadly applied to other communities or cities leading to issues of external validity to this analysis. To solve the problem, research opinions should be examined on other infrastructure projects in various kinds of urban communities.

 The random sampling method used of creating a sample from every first comment appearing on every 20th page in the citizen comments can cause reliability issues as many important comments pertaining to the research might get neglected which may have data that can change the findings of the analysis. A remedy to this is to also perform the manifest analysis while creating the sample for analysis to go through the relevant information in the comments if I had more time, this approach would be better.

References – https://azdot.gov/projects/central-district-projects/loop-202-south-mountainfreeway/project-information/project https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona/2021/08/19/south-mountainfreeway-cultural-sites-ruins/7903863002/?build=native-web_i_p

Volume 3: Comment Response Appendix | PRISM (asu.edu)

Appendix –

Codebook and Excel coded comments.

EXERCISE 4 - Capturing Conditions in the Field

Komal Macwan

Course - PUP 579 Planning

Methods II

Professor - Deirdre Pfeiffer

PlanningIssue- Theinfluenceofweather/seasons onpeople'sdecisionsaboutoutdoorleisure, recreation, and tourism activities on the Chicago River Walk

Description of the Planning Issue -

On the south bank of the Chicago River in the City of Chicago, Illinois, lounges the stunning urban area renowned as the Chicago River Walk. From Lake Michigan to Lake Street, the 1.25-mile Chicago River Walk offers a variety of dining options, wineries, pubs, live entertainment, public art, urban leisure opportunities, electric boats, cycle boats, kayaks, cruises, and more. In the urban canyon of famous architecture, the Chicago River is a treasured natural amenity, and the Chicago River Walk allows for proximity to the waterway.

Chicago is renowned for having brutal winters with high winds and plenty of snowfall. Sometimes residents of Chicago claim that the winter winds are so strong that there is no resistance to the winds on the streets. Due to its proximity to the relatively cooler waters of Lake Michigan, Chicago is cooler and more humid than other areas of Illinois. These effects are most noticeable in the spring and winter. Chicago receives regular inflows of significantly colder, moister air from the shoreline. In light of this, the Chicago River Walk's location experiences the windiest cooling effect, which inconveniences visitors during river walk tours and influences how they choose to use the area during the winter. This is an urban planning issue that requires careful consideration for the best possibilities of eradicating it.

Research Question - How do the weather conditions and seasons impact people to use open recreation spaces along the Chicago River Walk?

Methodology -

This research was conducted by using the method of Non-Participant Observation of the Field Research. The initial step was an in-person windshield survey which was unknowingly conducted by me when I traveled to the City of Chicago and visited the Chicago River Walk location around December,22 in the winter season This wind-shied survey was the basis to conduct this research as it gave the first impression of the Chicago River Walk being inconvenient to access during the harsh winters of Chicago. Some portions of the River walk were taken tour by me and hence a part of this research also has in-person site reconnaissance as the method of analysis. As the time of visiting the location was around mid-afternoon to the late evening, both the dayand night duration site analysis was covered through the observation. To further advance in the research for better analysis, a virtual windshield survey, and site reconnaissance was performed by using Chicago River Walk location live webcams and also several YouTube links of Chicago River Walk webcams for different seasons mainly the summer and winter. Google Earth street views were also an additional source for collecting the photographs. The non-participant observation through webcam was done with defined criteria such as timings of observations which were day and night for about two hours each, the screenshot of photographs taken were a longshot picture giving an overall idea of the activity happing in the location, a medium shot picture giving an insight of various activity spots along theChicagoRiverWalk andhowpeople are interactingin thesespaces, a close - upshot helped inanalyzingtheprevailingissuesandinconvenienceexperiencedbythepublicthatcanvisually be observed and understood. The Chicago River Walk being renowned attracts opportunities for many events to be conducted where the event is captured by the organizers through photographs, these captured photographs of events were also utilized for advancing the analysis.

Findings of Analysis -

It is observed that during the summer months, when the weather is warm and sunny, the River Walk is bustling with activity. Visitors can be seen walking, jogging, or cycling along the path, or sitting in the sun enjoying the view. Restaurants and bars with outdoor seating areas are filled with people enjoying food and drinks with friends or family. Water activities such as kayaking or boat tours are also popular during this time. Nightlife in summer at Chicago River Walk is also active with many live art events and people were seen attending pubs and other entertainment activities.

As per the webcam observations, in the fall and spring, when the weather is cooler, the crowds are thinner but still present. People tend to engage in more relaxed activities such as walking and taking in the scenery. The fall season can also bring a burst of colorful foliage along the River Walk, making it a picturesque location for nature lovers. There were some photographs analysed from the events that took place on the Chicago River Walk, and it was seen that the bulk of the crowd was observed during this time.

During the winter months, when the weather is cold and snowy, the River Walk is quieter but still accessible.Visitorscanbeseenice-skatingor sippinghot cocoaat one ofthemanyoutdoor cafes. It was observed that people were using more indoor entertainment activities at the River walk such as nightclubs and indoor events. However, when temperatures are much colder and the wind is too harsh, the resistance to the wind is difficult for people to survive outdoors, the use of these spaces decreased as people tend to spend more time indoors. People were observed shivering and struggling in these windy days and hardly anyone was around the river area due to the high velocity of wind. There were some people observed having difficulty walking through the accumulated snow and also a few of them were visually observed having inconvenience due to slippery floors.

As per the in-person site reconnaissance conducted by me in the month of December 2022, the Chicago River Walk is also illuminated with holidaylights and decorations, making it a festive location for holiday celebrations. Even though it was snowy and cold, people were observed in large proportions due to Christmas celebrations, and the entire streets were decorated with lights and other features making it more happening and attractive to people in such weather.

Owing to the observed activities, I conclude with the finding that the weather and seasons can have a significant impact on people's decisions about leisure, recreation, and tourism activities on the River Walk.

Recommendations -

Creative Place making allows people to enjoy public spaces and lively city streets throughout the winter. Like any other time of the year, if people are out and about, others will follow suit to see what's happening. But being outside must have a purpose. Nobody will hang around outsidetoobserveadesertedplaza.Thelargestissuefacingwintercitiesisthislossofvisibility, not frigid temperatures, overcast sky, early sunsets, or heavy snow. This can be eradicated by:

 Maintenanceand Promotion:Basedonthefindings,theauthoritiescantakemeasures to maintain the River Walk and improve its infrastructure to make it more attractive during specific weather conditions such as windy weather. They can create resistant structures which create blocks to high-velocity winds and these structures should be temporary or mobile and can be changed as per seasons and weather requirements. Regular snow plowing should be undertaken for creating anti-skid and anti-slippery streets for a better user experience of streets during winter. Promotional activities can be undertaken to attract visitors during the seasons when footfall is relatively low.

 Lighting and vibrant streets – Vibrant streets with ample of lighting throughout the winter season can eliminate the dark gloomy outlook of people towards winter.

 Collaborate with local businesses: Local businesses along the River Walk can be surveyed to determine how weather and seasons impact their sales and customer traffic. This can provide insight into how weather and season influence tourism and leisure activities in the area and to improvise it more cuisine of winter should be offered with the creation of a cozy environment that suits the winter customers.

 Organize events and activities: Events and activities can be organized on the River Walk during winter seasons and unpleasant weather conditions to attract visitors and encourage them to engage in recreational and leisure activities. This can also provide an opportunity to collect data on visitor behavior and preferences during different weather conditions. Winter carnivals that are longer durations with proper management and maintenance during such vents can promote more public activity.

Issue of Validity or reliability -

 The in-person windshield survey was in the first place not conducted while performing the research, it was a prior observed phenomenon hence the researcher (me) might not have kept the specific variables in mind to observe which can cause internal validity and reliability issues.

 The in-person site reconnaissance was also not done on purpose for this research and hencetheentirestretchof theChicagoRiverWalk wasnotobservedcompletelyleaving many unexplored spots along the river walk resulting in not being able to capture relevant information affecting the internal validity.

 The virtual windshield survey and site reconnaissance also posed internal validity and reliability issues as they were just conducted for two hours for both the day and night time leading to fewer observable factors recorded adhering to the research, maybe the variables and activities change after the observations are done.

 Also, the research is limited to the location of the Chicago River Walk recreational spaces having harsh winters which can’t be applied to other recreational spaces that do nothaveriverfrontaswellacoldclimateastheaffectingfactorcausingexternalvalidity issues (e.g.; harsh summers in Arizona cannot be related to brutal winters of Chicago, Illinois.)

Remedy for internal validity and reliability -

 To solve the issues of internal validity and reliability faced and mentioned above, I would performthe in-person windshield surveyandsite reconnaissanceonceagain, this time keeping in mind the research and its variable to be observed and also it should be performed multiple times to capture more relevant database for the research.

 The virtual windshield survey and site reconnaissance should be performed for more duration of hours and also multiple times to remedy the internal validity and reliability issues.

References - https://camguide.net/usa/illinois/chicago/riverwalk/ https://www.cruisingearth.com/port-webcams/united-states/chicago-illinois2/

Appendix -

First Impression -

During Christmas month people were involved in various activities along the Chicago River Walk such as walking, jogging, sitting, relaxing, dining, having wineries, going to clubs, etc. The street was well-lit, illuminated, and decorated for the celebrations, although the cold weather and wind were causing a certain level of inconvenience to the people.

Measured Variables -

 Pedestrian activities - Number of people walking along the Chicago River Walk day and night time for different seasons such as summer and winter for two hours each.

 Recreational activities - A number of people observed along the Chicago River Walk having recreational activities such as dining in restaurants, sitting and relaxing in open spaces, children playing, boat riding, etc.

Field notes and Screenshot Photographs –