2020-2021 Annual Report by Texas Target Communities

2020-2021

ACADEMIC YEAR

ANNUAL REPORT

TEXAS TARGET COMMUNITIES

Texas Target Communities

2020-2021 Annual Report

“THE PREMIER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY”

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

College of Architecture

Special thanks to to thethe Texas University College of Architecture, Department of Special thanks TexasA&M A&M University College of Architecture, Department of Landscape Architecture &&Urban Planning,and and Public Partnerships & Outreach. Landscape Architecture Urban Planning, Public Partnership & Outreach.

2020-2021 Annual Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

06 LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR 07 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 09 ABOUT TXTC 12 PROGRAM EVALUATION 14 AWARDS & ACCOLADES 18 PROJECTS 43 INITIATIVES FOR FUTHER EXPLORATION 46 OUTREACH

Texas Target Communities

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR As I sat down to write this letter, I realized the entirety of work described in this report was accomplished remotely. We closed the 2020 spring semester hopeful we would be back to in-person teaching and community engagement in the fall of 2020. As numbers continued to climb that summer, we realized our optimism was not all that was needed to return to campus and communities. This year’s communities applied to the program before the pandemic began. When the virus shut doors across the country, we had conversations with prospective communities about their need in the midst of the crisis, the feasibility of the projects, and their ability to engage virtually. The City of Caldwell, Comanche County, and others enthusiastically said, “let’s give it a shot.” We worked side by side with partners to determine innovative engagement strategies. We explored and launched a number of virtual platforms. We utilized Miro, Jamboard, and Mentimeter in virtual meetings in lieu of in-person activities using sticky notes and handheld manipulatives. We utilized Social Pinpoint in lieu of in-person public meetings. We also were much more intentional about paper and online surveys. What an extraordinary feat we accomplished: our staff worked from their homes; faculty instructed students through Zoom; communities bridged the technological divide and greeted us through computer monitors; and the work is still impactful, fostering more prosperous Texas communities. The work would not be possible without each member of this amazing team! First, students showed up and got to work. Second, faculty inspired them and managed their production. Third, our interns were a standout group of graduate and undergraduate students that were the most productive and enthusiastic cohort we’ve had thus far. And last, our program staff facilitated the ever-uncertain process. Additionally, during this time, intern-extraordinaire Madeline Patton became full time staff as program assistant. Jeewasmi Thapa was promoted to senior program coordinator and I was promoted to director. Our weekly staff meetings also included Dr. Deidra Davis, Shelley Harms, and Dr.

John Cooper, who all continue to play pivotal roles in relationship building, logistics, and guidance. Despite the challenges due to physical distancing, President Banks’ statement still holds true: “students are the heart of the university,” even if virtually. We are proud that TxTC continues to support opportunities for enhanced student learning and leadership development. Despite the challenges, we also affirm that “communities are the heart of Texas.” We are proud that TxTC continues to facilitate opportunities to foster resilience and support communities in their own development toward better. As we look ahead to the future, there is much to be excited about. We look forward to joining the Office of the President under Academic and Strategic Collaborations. We will work alongside programs across the university to increase our impact for Texans. Since 2017, our time in the Office of the Provost under the direction of Chad Wootton has elevated TxTC across campus and among public and land grant universities. In the coming years, we aim to continue the momentum Wootton championed and as we plan for our 30th anniversary in 2023 it is a gift to know TxTC can evolve and flourish in times of change as we all work for an even better Texas. Thanks and Gig ’Em!

Jaimie Hicks Masterson ‘06

2020-2021 Annual Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Since its establishment in 1993, Texas Target Communities (TxTC) has worked with 67 low-capacity communities—rural cities and counties, inner-city neighborhoods, and non-governmental organizations— to reveal and validate persistent problems, illuminate strengths, buttress promising strategies, and enable emerging opportunities. Every community has specific and unique needs with different sets of tools poised to address them. Similar thematic concerns emerge relating to access to jobs, safe and affordable housing, and the quality of infrastructure that connects it all.

TxTC engages with communities by matching them with the knowledge and experience of TAMU faculty members that lead students as they participate and work to apply their knowledge and skills to real world projects. By doing so, TxTC fulfills the university’s mission of teaching, research, and service. This report details the activities undertaken by the Texas Target Communities program during the 2020-2021 academic year, broken down into detailed summaries of each partnership and project.

Service-Learning TxTC brings together communities, faculty, and students through service-learning opportunities. During this school year, staff worked with 17 faculty and 358 students across 15 different courses and seven communities, culminating in over 48,000 hours of community work, valued at more than $1.4 million.1 Partnerships this year looked vastly different from previous years, as the restrictions required by the COVID-19 pandemic required community engagement to occur virtually. While this posed a challenge, 57 meetings were still held during this year. The City of Caldwell and Comanche County each initiated a comprehensive planning process piloting innovative virtual engagement strategies with planners . TxTC worked in two communities impacted by disasters, in the City’s of Wharton and Galena Park. Wharton, based on recommendations from the Army Corps of Engineers, worked with landscape architects to redesign flood prone areas along the Colorado River to increase access to parks and improve quality of life of residents impacted by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. In Galena Park, landscape architects developed conceptual designs to inform a city-wide master planning effort. Additionally, TxTC continued partnerships with the City of Nolanville 1 This value was calculated using the average national volunteer rate of $28.54.

and North Lufkin. In the 5th year partnering with Nolanville, efforts involved the ENDEAVR project, which brought innovative interdisciplinary smart city solutions including COVID-19 relief efforts. In the 5th year partnering with Impact Lufkin, architects worked to reimagine affordable housing solutions of various housing typologies. This year, several of our projects were acknowledged by both the Texas Chapter of the APA and Smart 50 because of the excellent work of our students, faculty and staff, and community partners.

Engaged Research Faculty continued to secure over $4 million external funding in pursuit of community-driven solutions from the Department of Homeland Security, The Keck Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas A&M Center for Environmental Health Research grant, and the National Science Foundation. Many efforts included research with resilience and environmental justice communities, including long standing partners with Furr High School and Charity Productions, as well as new work in the City of Galena Park along the Houston Ship Channel. Additionally, faculty continued to develop tools such as the Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard and Community Planning Atlas Workshop to reveal new understandings of data and foster conversations for improved decision-making for communities vulnerable to hazards. TxTC also worked with the national professional organization, the American Planning Association.

TxTC Staff passing out breakfast to our students after a year of remote work and classes, May 2021.

Texas Target Communities Program Evaluation Every year, TxTC assesses its value to faculty, students, and communities. Faculty were very satisfied with the projects, partnerships, and process of community engagement and service-learning. Similarly, students were satisfied with their experience working with projects in their coursework. They felt the projects added to their education and improved their learning outcomes. Students also felt that the projects contributed to gaining skills that would prepare them for their future career and goals. Stay tuned for the 2021-2022 Annual Report to find out what our community partners said about their experience working with TxTC.

Outreach Throughout the year, despite fewer opportunities than a typical year, our staff were still able to be a part of many projects, events, and presentations outside of our usual community partnerships. TxTC staff participated in over 10 virtual speaking engagements and presentations and published a book. TxTC staff continued its impact and reach state- and nation-wide.

OUR TEAM TxTC Staff Jaimie Hicks Masterson, Program Director Jeewasmi Thapa, Senior Program Coordinator Madeline Patton, Program Assistant Dr. Deidra Davis, Instructional Assistant Professor

Dr. John T. Cooper Jr., Assistant Vice President for Public Partnership & Outreach

2020-2021 Interns Sanju Maharajan Jayasree Korukonda Madison Brossett Eddie Millard Steve Hayes Carlo Chunga Pizarro Anjali Katare Nancy Manoj Pancho Mackin-Plankey

A LOOK AT 2021-2022: In May of 2021, we began working with a new team of interns and partners. Stay tuned for a deep dive into these projects and partnerships in the 2021-2022 Annual Report.

Summer 2021 Interns: Lyssa Maki, MUP Jarrod Butts, MUP Flavia Lopez, MUP Eddie Millard, MUP Carlo Chunga Pizarro, MUP Garrett Powell, Undergraduate

Fall 2021 Interns: Lyssa Maki, MUP Flavia Lopez, MUP Sarah Judkins, Undergraduate Chandler Rowe, Undergraduate

Intern send-off luncheon, May 2021

2020-2021 Annual Report

ABOUT TXTC

Texas Target Communities (TxTC), founded in 1993, provides technical assistance to small, underserved communities across the state and focuses on holistic efforts to address land use planning, development management, and a host of challenges (i.e. civic, environmental, economic, etc.) encountered by communities today. Additionally, the thoughtful community engagement serves as a “real world” transformational learning experience for students at Texas A&M University.

Partnerships with Purpose Our partners are the cornerstone of the TxTC Program. The new and continued relationships with partners and community members are the key to community action and student learning. Throughout this report, you will see how TxTC Trains, Equips, and Assists partners with the following icons:

TRAIN Partners

EQUIP

ASSIST

Courses

Faculty

Students

Meetings

Caldwell

212

Comanche County

Nolanville

Wharton

Galena Park

North Lufkin

Texas Target Communities

7 COMMUNITY PARTNERS

17 FACULTY

90 MEETINGS

14 COURSES

358 STUDENTS

2020-2021 Annual Report

TXTC PARTNERS TAMU Partners

Bush School of Government and Public Service Center for Health Systems and Design Center for Heritage Conservation Center for Housing & Urban Development Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy College of Geosciences College of Architecture College of Engineering Colonias Program Institute for Sustainable Communities Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center Office of Sustainability Prairie View A&M University Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension School of Law School of Public Health Texas Forest Service Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service Texas A&M Real Estate Center Texas A&M Transportation Institute Texas Freedom Colonies Project Texas Rural Leadership Program Texas Sea Grant Program V.G. Young Institute of County Government

External Partners American Planning Association (APA) Association of Public & Land Grant Universities Charity Productions EPIC-N Furr High School H.E. Butt Foundation Impact Lufkin Port of Corpus Christi Texas Association of Counties Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s.) Texas Southern University

Faculty Affiliates Koichiro Aitani Anatol Bologan Alejandro Borges Tyrene Calvesbert Theodora Chaspari Shankar Chellum Deidra D. Davis Bill Eisele Tara Goddard Justin Golbabai Burak Guneralp Xia “Ben” Hu Chang-Shan Huang Hope Hui Rising Ken Hurst Fouad Jaber Ryun Jung Lee Chanam Lee Dongying Li Wei Li Clare Losey Greg Luhan

Michelle Meyer Thomas Mitchell Galen Newman Michael O’Brien Walter Peacock Russel Reid Andrea Roberts Nathanael Rosenheim Andrew Rumbach Garett Sansom Patrick Suermann Alireza Talebpour James Tate Andrew Tripp Shannon Van Zandt Jane Winslow Siyu Yu Xuemei Zhu

Texas Target Communities

PROGRAM EVALUATION THE FACULTY EXPERIENCE Faculty utilize the principles of ethical community engagement as they develop courses and activities positioned around real-world scenarios and plans. We asked faculty to rank their satisfaction with the program and projects they were a part of. Their questions included: How satisfied were you..

with the assistance provided by TxTC in connecting you with partners? » that the TxTC contact was able to answer questions? » that the TxTC contact addressed any concerns you had? » that the partnership was successful? » that the resulting engagement activity had a positive impact? » that the resulting engagement activity met your expectations? All of the faculty that responded to these questions answered that they were “Very Satisfied” and that they would all be interested in working with their partners again, all of the respondents ansered “yes.”

“

Once again, a successful semester (and project) working with Jee and the TxTC team. They are a great group, and Jee does a wonderful job. I really enjoy working together in this partnership, and I look forward to working together on future community projects.

I’ve worked with TxTC for years and it’s always an excellent experience!

I always enjoy working with TxTC. Thank you so much!

“

It was a fun experience working with TxTC. Thank you always for the unlimited support.

2020-2021 Annual Report

THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Students engage with diverse communities which yields transformational learning outcomes. Students evaluated their personal and educational experiences and outcomes through working with TxTC. In general, students were satisfied with their experience and felt they were able to apply their learning to real-world scenarios. Students also felt that their projects helped them prepare for their future career and goals.

“

The combination of the wider and local knowledge, which improve the local’s voice and highlight the importance of local people in the whole design process.

The community-engaged process is very effective. It help us to understand the site, how local people think, and what they need.

“ 13

Texas Target Communities

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

TxTC received 100% of possible points on the Community Partnerships credit of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS 2.2), a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance with the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS 2.2 reporting is coordinated by the Office of Sustainability.

2021 Smart 50 Award Recipient:

ENDEAVRide: Taxi + Telemedicine For Vulnerable Populations In Small and Rural Communities, Nolanville, Texas

2020 American Planning Association - Texas Chapter Awards City of Nolanville: Gold Achievement Award in Implementation City of Hitchcock: Student Project Award

“TxTC is Not only the crown jewel of the Master of Urban Planning Program, but the crown jewel of the University.” Planning Accreditation Board Site Visit Review

2020-2021 Annual Report

IN THE HEADLINES TAMU College of Architecture Publication - Innovations in Research & Creative Works: “A ‘Smart’ Future” KBTX News: “Texas A&M professors and students develop autonomous van with telehealth technology” KXXV News: “ENDEAVRide unveiled in Nolanville” The Eagle: “City of Caldwell City Council Meeting Dec 1, 2020” North Channel Star: “TAMU Group reveals its plan for a “Green” Galena Park” Harker Heights Herald: “Nolanville begins next phase of development plans” The Comanche Chief: “Comanche County Chosen as Texas A&M Community Partner” Burleson County Tribune: “A&M students to Offer planning report for Caldwell” “Local Feedback offered for urban plan project”

Texas Target Communities

STAFF HIGHLIGHTS

2020-2021 Annual Report

INTERN HIGHLIGHTS

INTERNSHIP STATS Students Hired - 9

Where are they now?

Average hours worked per semester - 300 Students come from a range of backgrounds, ethnicities, and countries, including Peru, India, Australia, Mexico, and the U.S. 8 Graduate Students 1 Post Graduate Our interns went on to work for various organizations, cities, and counties across the country.

Texas Target Communities

PROJECTS SERVICE-LEARNING

Service-learning is experiential education that provides a community need. There is a reciprocal relationship between those being served (the community partner) and those providing a service (university students and faculty within courses), all of whom are learners and teachers (Kendall 1990). TxTC has a track record of working with partners to develop assessments, studies, reports, community plans, smaller-scale plans, designs, and/or strategies tailored to address acute and persistent concerns.

The SL & ER badges signify the project types that were conducted during the 2020-2021 Academic Year. Some projects were solely SL or ER while others were a combination of both.

ENGAGED RESEARCH Engaged Research is research, data collection, and/or knowledge generation with the community in a collaborative way to tackle a societal issue. It is participatory in nature with community-defined problems and needs. Other terms include action research, participatory action research, community-based participatory research, among others.

CITY OF CALDWELL

The City of Caldwell is a small rural community located in Burleson County about 25 miles west of Bryan/College Station (B/CS). The community has deep roots invested in the city’s history and a passion to make the community thrive. The city with 4,300 residents, anticipates future growth due to its location within the “Texas Triangle ‘’ cultural and economic mega-region. Its proximity within the mega-region provides a unique economic opportunity between these major metroplexes, as well as those who reside in the neighboring B/CS community.

Community members participating in the engagement activity during the 2021 Kolache Festival.

“

“For all of the challenges that this semester and year have thrown us into, it felt like TXTC did a great job in the transition from inperson engagement to online public engagement.” PLAN 662 Student

“

The City sought to develop a comprehensive plan that would guide housing growth, economic development, infrastructure improvements, ordinance amendments, city facility improvements, downtown revitalization and restoration, transportation improvements, parks and recreation improvements, and cultural and historical heritage preservation. Through community stakeholder engagement, with the help of students in the Information and Communication in Planning and Planning Capstone, an overarching vision was created as the backbone of the plan, guiding the development of goals and action items.

TAMU COURSES Project Title

Caldwell Comprehensive Plan: Envision Caldwell

Course

Information and Communication in Planning (PLAN 661)

Applied Planning Studio (PLAN 662)

Plan Implementation (PLAN 658)

Applied Transportation Studio (PLAN 678)

Landscape Design II

Faculty name(s) & Department

Justin Golbabai; LAUP

Tara Goddard; LAUP

Justin Golbabai; LAUP

Bill Eisele; LAUP

Russell Reid, Youjung Kim; LAUP

# of Students

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Texas Target Communities “The City of Caldwell is a welcoming gateway to the Brazos Valley with space to thrive, that celebrates community pride and character, nurtures economic and cultural diversity, and is dedicated to preserving and enhancing quality of life.” Envision Caldwell Vision Statement

2020-2021 Annual Report

STUDENT DESIGNS

During the Spring 2021 semester, an undergraduate Landscape Architecture course was tasked with creating designs for the City of Caldwell. Students took a tour of two sites that the city is looking to improve: Davidson Creek Park and the Downtown. These posters, which were then presented to the City and the Main Street Board, to improve the accessibility, interactivity, and aesthetics of Davidson Creek Park and the downtown square. Their designs, among other recommendations, were presented to the City Council on June 9, 2021 and were included in the comprehensive plan.

Downtown Caldwell Car Show Under the Pavillion design Created by LAND 212 Students - Clayton Daescher, Joshua Foster, Mariana Gonzalez, Nacona Carter-Maddux

Downtown Caldwell Pocket Park design Created by LAND 212 Students - Camryn Galvan, Kyra Chandler, Mikylah Cryer

Davidson Creek Park design; educational signage and trails Created by LAND 212 Students - Jesus Mancha, Francisco Garcia, Macy McGlamery, Kaylin Slaughter

Davidson Creek Park; Disc Golf Course design Created by LAND 212 Students - Ronnie Eppinette, Clayton Langseth, Mathew Martinez, Zachary Garza

Texas Target Communities

ADDITIONAL PROJECT FEATURES & CONNECTIONS: Two additional courses developed on key sites and the other to explore architectural design opportunities options for the school district and explored opportunities for commercial development. Architectural Design II (ARCH 206): Educational Facilities Research and Design Studio in the Department of Architecture

The goal for this course was to explore strategies for existing and new educational facilities. Some of their ideas included outdoor learning spaces, FEMA facilities, and facility design for a baseball complex. Studio in Urban and Regional Design (URPN 483)

Faculty Name/Department: Justin Golbabai; Department of Landscape Architecture & Urban Development » 20 Students Course Description: Studio introduces the confluence of ecological, environmental, economic, social, cultural, and political forces impacting the planning, design, and development of complex urban environments; site planning, design process, sustainability.

“

TxTC, and Jee and Jaimie, in particular were amazing to work with this semester. They went above and beyond helping our class be successful in providing community engagement activities to the City of Caldwell in the midst of this global pandemic. In particular they researched and purchased a great social platform for our class to conduct its engagement activities - without which we would have been lost. Additionally, they were constantly available to myself and the students throughout the semester - and provided great insights into planning communications in our lectures and labs. They were professional and personable, had high standards and were flexible. This was a very rewarding semester where the students got great real world experience and TxTC was great to work with. I can not speak more highly about the work they did this semester. Thank you! - TAMU Faculty

22 | Texas Target Communities

“

Faculty Name/Department: Andrew Tripp; Department of Architecture » 17 Students Course Description: Fundamental issues of innovative design processes and creation explored through the creative use of past, present and future materials, tools, and technologies; with an emphasis upon the research of materials, methods, scale, craft and technique as instruments of design, fabrication, and production.

COMANCHE COUNTY TxTC partnered with Comanche County to develop a county-wide plan to guide growth over the next twenty years. Comanche County is a rural county (pop. 13,529) located between Fort Worth and Abilene, just south of Interstate 20 in North Central Texas. Roughly 28% of the county is of Hispanic or Latino origin. Agriculture has long been the county’s main economic driver with major producers of dairy, melons, and cattle ranching. The County’s central location provides easy access to major state and interstate highways, allowing for the export of goods. The county is vulnerable to brush fires and flooding and has faced a number of storms that has led to extensive damage, among other issues. County leadership identified the need to establish a county-wide vision that would guide them in identifying and prioritizing goals to work toward as the county continues to grow. By engaging local stakeholders and capitalizing on the county’s strong relationships, through a series of surveys and online tools, the process produced a vision to embrace the unique agricultural heritage, strengthen connections throughout the county and region, and prepare for the future. The resulting plan includes themes and ideas to enhance the health and well-being of residents of all ages, improve the county’s infrastructure and resilience from hazards, and support economic development.

TxTC mapping activity with the Comanche County Task Force, August 2020.

TAMU COURSE Project Title

Comanche County Comprehensive Plan

Course

Applied Transportation Studio (PLAN 678)

Faculty name(s) & Department

Bill Eisele; LAUP

# of Students

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Texas Target Communities The Comprehensive Plan themes, which outline the six over-all goals, are Managed Growth, Thriving Economy, Reliable Infrastructure, Resilient and Proactive, Multigenerational Wellness, and Intentional Relationships. Additionally, students from the Applied Transportation Studio course contributed to the plan

by surveying the county’s transportation network and providing recommendations for improvements and expansions in roads, sidewalks, and other transportation related issues.

“Comanche County: where relationships blossom, future generations prosper, and economies flourish.” Comanche County Comprehensive Plan Vision Statement

Managed Growth Goal 1 The County will manage growth in order to protect natural resources, preserve rural character and prepare for expanding housing needs.

Thriving Economy Goal 2 The County promotes opportunities to diversify the local economy, support existing businesses, and develop an equipped workforce.

Reliable Infrastructure Goal 3 The County supports a reliable, resilient, and efficient infrastructure network.

Resilient and Proactive Goal 4 Comanche County implements strategies to prepare for and mitigate all potential hazards.

Multigenerational Wellness Goal 5 Comanche County supports the overall health and wellbeing of all residents by providing and supporting choices for healthy lifestyles.

Intentional Relationship Goal 6 The County encourages collaboration and partnerships among governments, instituations, businesses, schools, and citizens.

2020-2021 Annual Report

ADDITIONAL PROJECT FEATURES & CONNECTIONS: Virtual Engagement: Because of the looming threats of the COVID-19 Pandemic, community engagement took place mainly through Social Pinpoint, an online engagement tool that includes mapping and feedback gathering functions. The community was invited to participate via social media, , radio broadcasts, and local newspapers. In total, 226 comments were made on: community vision, community facilities, housing, transportation, the environment, and the economy. Roughly one in four comments focused on the need for more and improved community facilities. The economy and transportation were also popular topics. Community members called for improvements to water quality and for attracting more retail and dining options while capitalizing on the County’s location for tourism opportunities. Housing Study: Dr. Clare Losey, Assistant Research Economist at the Texas A&M Real Estate Center, compiled and presented an in-depth analysis of housing affordability in Comanche County. This data as well as some initial recommendations were presented to the Task Force on May 27 and July 22, 2021. Dr. Losey’s research found that much of Comanche County’s homes are older and lower priced, with potential standards and code issues, and newer housing and property are priced at higher rates than are affordable. There are concerns about housing quality and affordability as well as availability and assistance. Recommendations focused on facilitating affordable housing, particularly for lower-income households (i.e. households earning no more than 80% of area median income). High School students: A Youth Task force, made of juniors and seniors from De Leon, Comanche, and Gustine ISDs was formed to obtain feedback from the younger Comanche County residents. These students, some of which now attend Texas A&M University. The goal for this group was to help obtain feedback and insight on the needs and desires of the younger generation, as they represent the future of the community.

Texas Target Communities

CITY OF NOLANVILLE

Last year, the City of Nolanville successfully completed the comprehensive plan update and piloted the ENDEAVR project. ENDEAVR (Envisioning the Neo-traditional Development by Embracing the Autonomous Vehicles Realm)— is an ambitious project to re-envision ”smart” city solutions in small towns with students from a wide range of university degree programs in urban planning, landscape architecture, visualization, computer science, and civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. ENDEAVR launched in 2018 with a $300,000 grant from the Keck Foundation, which supports projects that promote inventive educational approaches. This year, over 60 students from a wide range of university degree programs have participated in the ENDEAVR project. The City aims to use “smart” city solutions to increase support for its large number of residents in poverty (20%), and the large number of veterans, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens. “Working toward being a ‘smart’ city gives us an identity we didn’t have before,” said Kara Escajeda, Nolanville’s city manager. “It means everything in the way of providing a cohesive vision and plan for our community to work toward.” Read the full article at https://coanews.arch. tamu.edu/a-smart-future/.

Community BBQ in Nolanville, February 2020

TxTC partnered with the City of Nolanville, a small Central Texas town 10 miles east of Fort Hood, the country’s largest army base. The partnership began in 2014 to develop the City’s first Comprehensive Master Plan and the relationship has continued ever since. In the past 6 years, Nolanville has been able to accomplish numerous projects obtain over $3 million in grants, and complete over 90% of the original Comprehensive Plan action items.

2020-2021 Annual Report

Overpass Image Source: Killeen Daily Herald; “Nolanville’s Main Street Overpass gets new paint” (October 13, 2021)

Texas Target Communities

ENDEAVR students meet with community members.

Several projects emerged including ENDEAVRide, the world’s first autonomous taxi and telehealth medical service. Because of the work done during the COVID-19 pandemic and winter storm, Nolanville has been able to establish its identity throughout the region as the “community that cares.” c Since ENDEAVRide was launched, Dr. Wei Li has been serving as a volunteer driver and meeting with City Staff on a weekly basis. The operation is funded by the City and operates under the capacity of the ENDEAVR Institute, a 501c3 charity.

of the City’s main concerns during the pandemic was for the senior populations. To help the businesses stay afloat, the city worked with them to provide meals for senior citizens, who were encouraged to stay home.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic had significant impacts on the city’s local businesses, specifically a local catering company. Additionally, one

TAMU COURSES Project Title

ENDEAVR (Envisioning the Neo-traditional Development by Embracing the Autonomous Vehicles Realm)

Course

Artificial Intelligence for Social Good (CSCE 489)

Urban and Regional Studies Capstone (URPN 493)

Directed Studies (PLAN 685)

Landscape Design III (LAND 311)

Landscape Design IV (LAND 412)

Faculty name(s) & Department

Dr. Theodora Chaspari, CSE

Dr. Wei Li & Tyrene Calvesbert; LAUP

Dr. Wei Li, LAUP

Dongying Li, Ryun Jung; LAUP

Dr. Chanam Lee; LAUP

# of Students

Timeframe

2018-2021

Funder

Keck Foundation

28 | Texas Target Communities

CITY OF WHARTON

The City of Wharton partnered with TxTC to develop a Master Plan and Landscape Improvement Design for the Levee Green and Historic Downtown District. The City reached out to TxTC to help plan a levee green space overlay project, which includes the $80 million US Army Corps of Engineers levee project which spans approximately 6 miles through Wharton along the banks of the Colorado River. The levee will be adjacent to communities that have been repeatedly impacted by flooding events and run along the southern border of the historically registered downtown business district and preserved courthouse. Positioned on the banks of the Colorado River, the City has a long history of repeated flooding events. In 1998, following a riverine flood, the City began discussions with the federal government and the Lower Colorado River Authority to establish a levee for flood protection. As discussions continued, Hurricane Harvey inundated significant parts of the City with several feet of water, including the hardest-hit West End neighborhood, a historically African American community. The repeated loss of homes and extensive damages have forced many low-income families as well as once-thriving businesses and churches to leave the area. With this levee project, the City intends to protect the community, bring back families to their homes, attract businesses, and create an overall quality of life for everyone. The City believes restoring flood-damaged park space, creating gathering spaces, and connecting historically separated communities through hike and bike trails will help continue the recovery process.

TAMU COURSES Project Title

Planning and Design for the Levee Green and Historic Downtown District in the City of Wharton, Texas

Course

Open Space Planning II (LAND 621)

Faculty name(s) & Department

Chang-Shan Huang; Jane Winslow; LAUP

# of Students

2020-2021 Annual Report | 29

Texas Target Communities

STUDENT DESIGNS During the spring semester of 2021, Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) students developed design concepts in the LAND 621 studio. Students built on the local knowledge and community feedback collected by the City in December 2020. Further, they participated in a virtual community engagement design charrette with community leaders and residents who provided the community vision and direction for the designs. The final ideas were presented to the public using a virtual platform, Social Pinpoint, where community members engaged and provided community feedback.

S Richmond bridge landscaping and signage design Created by LAND 621 Students

W Milam St. Design; Outdoor Cinema Created by LAND 621 Students

Students explored designs for the greenway corridor along the Colorado River to address flooding mitigation and stormwater management while meeting the community’s recreational needs by connecting the riverfront and existing parks by a trail system. The designs aim to restore shared outdoor gathering spaces and to establish long-needed connectivity to other parts of the City. Based on the community priority and future development potential, students focused on enhancing existing assets like the downtown, Fulton Street Corridor, Guffey Park, Milam Street, Elm Street Promenade, Railroad Greenway, and Sunset Street, Riverside Nature Park, and West-end Community Health Park.

2020-2021 Annual Report

“Design for Increasing Ecological & Social Resilience: A Levee Green Space Design for the City of Wharton” MLA Final Project: Muzi Li Committee Chair: Dr. Chang-Shan Huang Committee Members: Prof. Bruce Dvorak, Dr. Jane Futrell Winslow, Dr. Xuemei Zhu Project Sponsors: City of Wharton; Texas Target Communities; TAMU

Utilizing previous conceptual designs in the design course, Master of Landscape Architecture student Muzi Li focused her final year of study on the City of Wharton. The project proposes a levee green space along the bank of the Colorado River in the City of Wharton with the purpose of protecting Wharton and adjacent communities from repeated flood events while improving the social/cultural life and economy of the city. It includes trails, recreational facilities, and gathering spaces. The design focuses on flood mitigation, urban ecological restoration, the physical and psychological well-being of locals, and city identity.

Texas Target Communities

Downtown Riverfront Park seating area Created by MLA Student, Muzi Li

Sensory, Sound Garden Created by MLA Student, Muzi Li

Sensory, Flower Garden Created by MLA Student, Muzi Li

32 | Texas Target Communities

CITY OF GALENA PARK

Hurricane Harvey demonstrated how natural disasters and changing environmental conditions can substantially increase pollutant releases from industrial facilities. The location of many of these facilities in already vulnerable communities may further exacerbate the public health impacts of these releases. A team of researchers at Texas A&M University led by Weihsueh Chiu is partnering with the community of Galena Park, TX, in east Houston that suffers from frequent flooding and environmental justice issues, as well as being the location of the largest reported chemical spill after Harvey. The long-term focus is to improve the resilience of this community to hurricane/ flood-induced releases of metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The project goals include: (1) comprehensively characterize the potential for hurricanes/floods to cause releases of metals and VOCs from use, production, and storage facilities located in Galena Park, thereby resulting in exposures to young children and the elderly; (2) identify/characterize important non-chemical stressors in this neighborhood, including social vulnerability and baseline health data, and their potential to exacerbate health impacts from metal and VOC exposures; (3) identify and evaluate promising structural and non-structural infrastructure solutions to reduce risks from metals and VOCs released by industrial facilities.

Pop-up community engagement in Galena Park, September 2021

TAMU COURSES Project Title

Community Resilience to Industrial Pollutants

Course

Landscape Design III (LAND 311)

Faculty name(s) & Department

Dongying Li and Ryun Jung; LAUP

# of Students

Weihsueh Chiu

Other Faculty

Jim Kaihatu, department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Garett Sansom, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health; Galen Newman, LAUP; Deidra Davis, LAUP; Jaimie Masterson, LAUP

Funder

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

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STUDENT DESIGNS

In the fall of 2020, an undergraduate landscape architecture class worked with community representatives to envision possible design strategies to address issues of flooding, air and water pollution, lack of sidewalks and access to food. This studio emphasized a shift in scale, a hybrid approach of design research and free expressions, and an approach of negotiating among complex systems. The methods were grounded in the GeoDesign framework. GeoDesign is “an ongoing process of changing geography by design.” As the context and scale become increasingly relevant to design, the merging of geographic sciences, information technology, and the systematic utilization of interdisciplinary approaches are critical.

As designers, students were required to gather information that reveals the processes on site, develop meaningful analytical frameworks and design objectives to address the critical problems and challenges, develop a master plan and programs based on their analysis, build design alternatives, and assess their impacts on the sites. The major products of this project include cross-scale analyses that identify critical problems and outline potential opportunities; a community master plan that clearly demonstrates the land use, transportation, and programming elements; and a set of site designs for critical areas of interests in the community, including plans, sections, perspectives, and other technical drawings.

Food Truck Area Created by Walter Segovia, LAND 311

Community Education Building at Nature Center Created by Alexandra Welsh, LAND 311

Green Corridor Created by Shelby Horton, LAND 311

Wetland Park Created by Roger Hill, LAND 311

2020-2021 Annual Report During the summer 2021 semester, I interned with Texas Target Communities. The chief lessons learned from this internship are 1. that brainstorming meetings with other academics and students is paramount to partnership success, 2. attention to minute details matter (i.e., color palette/ramp for specific projects) to create cohesive documents, 3. to foster sustainable partnerships continual and consistent outreach is necessary, and 4. to apply for grants early and often. Community engagement is rewarding and one of the greatest, but hardest parts of my academic work. While I am not fully entrenched in the Galena Park community or with the Environmental Community Advocates of the Galena Park notfor-profit organization, I know what it takes to create sustainable projects and partnerships. These communities tend to be over-researched and underserved. Generally, I have found that these communities are wary of a researcher’s intentions and hesitant to trust us. The internship with Texas Target Communities has furthered my professional development as an environmental epidemiology researcher whose work is centered in community engagement. In my opinion, the fundamental building blocks of community engagement are often overlooked in the environmental health doctoral program. The environmental health curricula at the doctoral level focus on obtaining hard skills

(i.e., risk assessment equations, statistical analysis and interpretation, and toxicological response). Yet, my research goals cannot be achieved without residents with local knowledge and expertise. I was assigned and responsible for work involving the City of Galena Park with two additional interns: Carlo Chunga Pizarro, Master of Urban Planning graduate and Pancho Mackin-Plankey, Bachelor of Arts. The Galena Park project is a three-year project funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), entitled “Engaging the Galena Park Community to Build Resilience to Excess Industrial Pollutant Releases after Hurricanes and Floods in Greater Houston.” • Deliverable 1. Environmental Survey Data Cleaning and Analysis for Door-to-Door Survey in Galena Park • Deliverable 2. Environmental Protection Agency, Small Grant, Due June 1, 2021 • Deliverable 3. Fostering New Relationships • Deliverable 4. Outreach Material for Community Meeting • Deliverable 5. Mini Case Studies Research and Community Engagement Best Practice Manuscript -- Leanne Fawkes, TxTC Intern, Public Health PhD Candidate

Texas Target Communities

NORTH LUFKIN HOUSING ALTERNATIVES Since 2016, faculty and students have worked with the non-profit organization Impact Lufkin, which serves the predominantly African American neighborhood in North Lufkin. The primary goal is to revitalize the abandoned golf course in the area to provide additional services and opportunities for residents. This year, students within the Department of Architecture, under the supervision of James Tate worked with Impact Lufkin and local city officials to develop affordable housing designs. Housing types ranged from single family detached to tri- and fourplexes. Designers developed strategies to link dwelling units to community resources, the landscape, and neighborhood settlement patterns.

Housing Design, common yards; Created by James Michael Tate/ T8 Projects

Additionally, student designers developed a “housing design toolkit” to help community partners who don’t have an architecture or planning background work through developing a design strategy to best meet their needs.

TAMU COURSES Project Title

Micropolitan Housing Scenarios for IMPACT Lufkin

Course

Architecture Design II (ARCH 206)

Faculty name(s) & Department

James Tate; Department of Architecture

# of Students

Housing Perspective; Created by James Michael Tate/ T8 Projects

House cluster design; Created by James Michael Tate/ T8 Projects

36 | Texas Target Communities

FURR HIGH SCHOOL Since 2015, TxTC has worked with Furr High School (FHS), a magnet high school of Houston ISD located on the East End of Houston near the Houston Ship Channel. The work with FHS focuses on measuring and characterizing the sources of airborn pollution and increased health burdens of populations living around this ultra-industrialized area. The following strategies occured during this project:

Analyze a wide spectrum of metals and perform source apportionment to quantify anthropogenic and natural sources, » estimate potential adverse health effects due to exposure to airbore particulate metals, and » distribute surveys to gather community (students, faculty, and staff) level of awareness of neighborhood hazards, their perceived health risks, and influence of risk perception on emerging youth environmental ambassadors. Qualitative data was collected, via surveys, to gather the school community’s risk perception and susceptibility. The data collection and analysis was driven by topics of significance within the literature on environmental health risk perceptions, awareness, and framing.

Dr. Davis and the Furr High School team

PROJECT INFORMATION Project Title

“Health Risks and Hazard Perception from Airborne Toxic Metals to Vulnerable Populations Neighboring the Houston Ship Channel”

Faculty name(s) & Department

(PI) Shankararaman Chellam, Zachry Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering; (Co-PI) Natalie M Johnson, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health (Co-PI) Itza Mendoza, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health- School of Public Health(Co-PI) Deidra D Davis, Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning

# of Students

Timeframe

Through April 2022

Funder

TICER (Texas A&M Center for Environmental Health Research)

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CHARITY PRODUCTIONS This project examines the complex interactions among social networks, plan networks, and physical infrastructure networks relevant to flood vulnerability in Houston, TX. It compares neighborhoods across the city and documents existing inequalities in infrastructure that are perpetuated by unequal access to the policy process and uneven planning. By focusing on the interdependencies among flood control, transportation, and emergency response infrastructure, the research will advance understanding that can underpin new approaches to integrate engineering, planning, and policy to improve community resilience to flooding. Specifically, TxTC is working directly with Charity Productions as a means to engage neighborhoods that bear the brunt of inequitable policies that play out across the built environment in Houston.

PROJECT INFORMATION Project Title

“Anatomy of Coupled HumanInfrastructure Systems Resilience to Urban Flooding: Integrated Assessment of Social, Institutional, and Physical Networks”

Faculty name(s) & Department

Ali Mostafavi, Department of Civil Engineering; Philip Berke, City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bjorn Birgisson, Civil Engineering; Arnold Vedlitz, Bush School of Government and Public Service; Sierra Woodruff, LAUP

Timeframe

Through September 2022

Funder

National Science Foundation CRISP

MAPPING PLAN INTEGRATION PRE- & POST-HARVEY Scholars have long argued that poor minority neighborhoods accrue more damage during a disaster compared to relatively affluent neighborhoods. This study analyzes if and how plans address differential flood impacts before and after a disaster. Integrating hazard mitigation across different types and scales of plans (called the network of plans) is key to protecting development and reducing vulnerability in flood-prone neighborhoods. We examined the degree to which Houston’s network of plans integrates hazard mitigation in poor minority Northeast neighborhoods, compared to the affluent West. Map 1 (opposite page) compares the degree of integration across the 26 plans that shaped growth in the two neighborhoods-Northeast and West, before Hurricane Harvey. Map 2 shows changes in the degree of integration in the two neighborhoods after Hurricane Harvey across 31 plans. In both maps, greener is more integrations, and pink is less integration of hazard mitigation in the networks of

plans. Fewer green districts in the Northeast in Map 1, compared to the West, suggests that the degree of integration was much lower in the Northeast before Harvey. This means that, in the Northeast, fewer policies avoided dangerous development in flood-prone areas or enhanced land uses that foster natural flood management (like acquiring vacant land for parks). Map 2 (opposite page) shows that the degree of integrated effort to address flooding improves in both neighborhoods after Harvey. But this improvement is much smaller in the Northeast, reinforcing pre-disaster disparities in degree of integration. Parts of the Northeast even see a slight drop in the degree of integration (in pink), suggesting compounding disparities. These findings imply that, despite the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Harvey, Houston’s network of plans continues to overlook the needs for more integrated hazard mitigation across plans in poor minority neighborhoods. -- Malini Roy

2020-2021 Annual Report

Map 1, Pre-Disaster Spatial Distribution of Composite Scores “Is Land Use Planning Increasingly Confronting Equity Challenges in Hazardous Areas? A Case Study of Houston” The Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Annual Conference, (Oct 2021)

Map 2, Change in Spatial Distribution of Composite Scores “Is Land Use Planning Increasingly Confronting Equity Challenges in Hazardous Areas? A Case Study of Houston” The Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Annual Conference, (Oct 2021)

Texas Target Communities

Social Vulnerability Ranking; Created by Carlo Chunga Pizarro

During the summer of 2021, I worked with the Founder of Charity Productions, Charles X. White, to update the Comprehensive Neighborhood Corrective Action Plan. The City of Houston is a widely diverse, populated area which has an unequal distribution of goods in services in several neighborhoods. The purpose of this document was to provide statistical evidence of disparities by zip codes throughout Harris County. Now, I was tasked to update the documentation and include additional information. To update the document, I focused on four additions, which are social vulnerability, the current state of social and economic data, FEMA Individuals and Household Program Assistance, and mapping community resources. Using the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index data, we mapped vulnerabilities based on socioeconomics, race/language, households, and housing/transportation. Then, we collected social and economic variables to update and map current trends in the zip codes. We used FEMA’s Individual and Households Assistance program to map financial assistance given to this area postHarvey. Lastly, we mapped and documented community facilities in each zip code including grocery stores, hospitals, schools, fire stations, police stations, civic clubs, and places of worship. On June 26, 2021, Charity Productions hosted a workshop to display 10 maps to community members in 77093 and discuss the mitigation of threats and mapping assets. There were several community leaders and members that shared their stories and learned from our analysis. To conclude, the updated report will include maps and written details about each barrier in the community. This updated report aids policy makers strategies. By documenting assets, community members will be better equipped to prepare for upcoming threats. Overall, this report will increase resilience in the community, and increase the partnership between community science and academics. -- Carlo Chunga Pizarro, Intern

40 | Texas Target Communities

COMMUNITY PLANNING ATLAS TOOL The project team is updating and enhancing the Atlas, a web-based mapping tool of the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center. Many communities along the coast have few resources, particularly mapping and GIS resources, to facilitate planning activities to hazard exposures, physical vulnerabilities, and social vulnerabilities within communities. The objective is to provide a simple, user-friendly, webbased tool hosted at TAMU that planners, coastal extension personnel, stakeholders, and community leaders could employ to enhance planning processes through structured workshops and ad-hoc planning exercises and applications. The project team is engaging past and current new partners in testing the tool, such as the City of Caldwell, Comanche County, and the City of Hitchcock.

COMMUNITY PLANNING ATLAS TOOL

SNAPSHOT EXAMPLES

WHAT: This tool is a community workshop mapping platform to enhance planning activities and to enable decisionmakers to make wise and resilient development decisions.

• Wetlands and Waterbodies

The tool layers “Snapshots” of existing conditions, such as hazard exposures, physical vulnerabilities, and social vulnerabilities to reveal geographical hotspots of concern. After layering Snapshots, you can envision a variety of different development “Scenarios” for your community. WHO: The tool can be used in community workshops to meet the needs of local government staff and community stakeholders. There will be no added pressure to you to learn a new tool; Texas Sea Grant and/or Texas Target Communities staff will develop and facilitate the workshop for you! WHY: The tool can inform a Future Land Use Map, amendments to local ordinances and regulations, and decisions for future capital improvement projects. EXPECT A TIME COMMITMENT OF ABOUT TWO TO THREE HOURS

Funding for this tool has been provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in partnership with Texas A&M University, Texas Target Communities, and Texas Sea Grant.

EnvironmEnt and Hazards • Floodplains • Exiting Parks and Reserves • Critical Habitat • Agricultural Land

Community FaCilitiEs • Schools and childcare facilities • Hospitals and clinics • Government Services - City Hall, Courthouse, Safe rooms • Libraries and museums • Police, Fire, EMS, EOC • Churches • Sewer and water facilities

soCial CHaraCtEristiCs • Childcare needs (eg., single parent households) • Eldercare needs (eg., age 65 and older) • Transportation needs (eg., persons without a vehicle) For more information, please contact: ASHLEY BENNIS Planning Specialist (361) 825-3225 ashmarie@tamu.edu

• Housing needs (eg., population in poverty, older homes, mobile homes, etc.) • Civic Capacity needs (eg., non-English speaking household)

PROJECT INFORMATION Faculty name(s) & Department

Pamel Plotkin, Texas Sea Grant; Doug Wunneburger, LAUP; Dan Goldberg, GeoInnovation Service Center; Jaimie Masterson, TxTC

Timeframe

September 2019-June 2022

Funder

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

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PLAN INTEGRATION FOR RESILIENCE SCORECARD

CITIES OF ROCKPORT & CALDWELL

The project promulgated the Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard™ (PIRS ™) as a national standard and resource for building local capacity to integrate resilience across planning sectors based on previous work developing and testing the Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard™ Guidebook. This year, the team translated the research into actionable training and education that is scaled to reach practitioners across the United States. With the American Planning Association (APA), the work included roundtables, focus groups, a survey of members, and direct interviews gauging planners and allied practitioner familiarity with plan integration concepts and practical needs. These results were organized into a framework for action that is currently guiding efforts to develop the training and education through the APA Learn platform.

PROJECT INFORMATION Project Title

Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard (PIRS)

Faculty name(s) & Department

Philip Berke at the University of North Carolina; Jaimie Hicks Masterson, TxTC

Timeframe

2015 - Present

Funder

Department of Homeland Security

Communities adopt multiple interdependent plans that significantly affect future community vulnerability to hazards and climate change. The plans are almost always independently prepared by distinct government agencies and interest groups. It is not surprising that the plans are often in conflict and can actually increase physical and social vulnerability to hazards. We developed The Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard (PIRSTM) that allows local planners, emergency managers and other officials to assess the degree to which the network of local plans integrate mitigation and recognize and respond to the physical and social vulnerabilities of geographic areas most prone to hazards. The information generated by the scorecard is used to create strategies to resolve conflicts across plans and identify missed opportunities to improve community resilience.

The Coastal Hazards Center of Excellence at UNCChapel Hill with the American Planning Association (APA). (July 2020-June 2021). Co-principal investigator to embed the Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard (PIRS) into APA learning platform. PIRS is a local resiliency planning scorecard to assess community vulnerability and the performance of the network of plans.

2020-2021 Annual Report

INITIATIVES FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION FACULTY RESEARCH The Practice of Youth Inclusion in Community planning and Resiliency: The case of Post-Hurricane Harvey - Beth M. Rauhaus & Justin M. Guajardo “This research emphasizes inclusive civic engagement by including youth participation in creating a comprehensive plan post-Hurricane Harvey in Rockport, Texas. Traditionally, youth are less likely to be included in civic engagement initiatives; however, the community-based disaster resilience model and the public participation process model stress the importance of inclusion in rebuilding, resiliency, and planning processes. Using these theoretical frameworks to guide resiliency workshops with upper-class high school students, this research offers a unique perspective of what youth desire in community development and disaster recovery. Qualitative data was gathered from youth resiliency workshops and summative analysis was conducted to discover themes among youth responses. The findings indicate that young citizens are prepared to engage in local civic affairs, which contributes to a healthier and sustainable community. This study further highlights that youth have valuable and unique perceptions of their community and a concern regarding social equity and justice in community development and resilience.”

STUDENT RESEARCH

Vulnerability Assessment of East Harris County Carlo Chunga Pizarro "Harris County is a highly urbanized County. The eastern side of Harris County is made up of many unincorporated communities. When a disaster strikes unincorporated areas, it can expose vulnerable communities to face greater risks, and depleting disaster recovery. This report focuses on the intersection of hazard exposure, physical vulnerability, and social vulnerability of the unincorporated communities in East Harris County. This assessment aims to understand potential hazards, physical, and social threats for East Harris County that will support future pre-disaster mitigation. This report has three main sections: Hazard Exposure, Physical Vulnerability, and Social Vulnerability. In addition, this report will address spatial patterns of the location of vulnerable populations in East Harris County."

Cost-Benefit Analysis of the ENDEAVRide Telemedicine Service in Nolanville, TX - Nancy Manoj “The COVID 19 pandemic has highlighted the need for better access to healthcare especially in smaller cities in the U.S. It has also made telemedicine consultations more ubiquitous. In November 2020, the ENDEAVRide Autonomous Vehicle Telemedicine service was deployed in Nolanville, TX as a pilot program. This study aims to evaluate the sustainability of this service by conducting a cost-benefit analysis. It also aims to understand and quantify the benefits that this mobile healthcare service would afford the community. Net present value is used as the indicator to predict the profitability of the program over a period of 10 years at return rates of 5% and 3%. Quantified community benefits include traffic safety costs, productivity costs, and preventable hospital stays. It is found that the service would be sustainable as long as a revenue of about $15 is collected per telemedicine consultation at 10 consultations every day. The addition of the ENDEAVRide telemedicine service could save the community over $4.5 million. It could also reduce the doctor-to-patient ratio in the city and potentially catapult Nolanville, TX to one of the top-performing cities in the U.S. in terms of health outcomes.”

Texas Target Communities Complete Streets and Connected Communities: Multimodal Mobility in the Inner West Corridor, Houston - Eddie Millard

An Analysis of Demographic Underrepresentation in Historic Preservation in the Brazos Valley - Steven Hayes

“My professional paper project investigated the transportation system in the inner west/ Washington Avenue corridor of Houston, characterized by significant population and employment growth in recent years. I compiled and analyzed vehicle, pedestrian, and cyclist traffic and crash statistics and existing plans, which I supplemented with on-the-ground observations to make a series of recommendations on roadway and facility design as well as planning guidelines. Houston has the highest rate of traffic deaths among major cities in the country, with pedestrians and cyclists severely overrepresented relative to their mode share. Additionally, the city remains among the most polluted in the country despite significant improvements in the early 21st century. Although the city has set impressive targets for addressing these challenges, more work is necessary to fully embed planning goals within design and policy frameworks. This report sought to identify these gaps and effective strategies to improve safety, equity, and transportation options.”

“The demographic underrepresentation of Black, Indigenous and communities of color in historic preservation programs is a well-known presumption about the field. Existing literature establishes structural reasons for the relative lack of extant BIPOC architectural heritage in the cultural landscape, as well as institutional and social factors which suppress interest and trust among already underrepresented communities in engaging with official channels of historic preservation in the present. Critically engaging with existing U.S. regulatory standards, another body of literature explores how the philosophical underpinnings and regulatory concepts of the early preservation movement still often perpetuate inequalities in preservation decisions in the present.

Evaluating Award Winning Open Spaces - Madison Brossett “The American Planning Association (APA) has evaluated and awarded planning projects around the county for many years. One of these awards, the American Planning Association Great Places in America, is given annually to spaces, streets, and neighborhoods nominated by the public based on a theme chosen by the APA. There is little data published about how the APA picks the finalists or whether standards are presented to the public to create a competitive nomination pool. In the early 2000s, the APA published a series of eleven Parks Briefing Papers (PBP) that have been used in literature to provide key ideas about how cities use parks. This paper uses these briefing papers and current literature to create a rubric to assess the 2019 APA Great Public Spaces winners. The analysis found that the award-winning parks varied widely in overall scores in categories derived from the PBP. This rubric could be improved and used as a base rubric in future APA Great Public Spaces contests to provide a more objective and comprehensive scoring.”

In understanding the cultural landscape as itself a form of narrative meaning with material, political, and psychological effects, this paper aims to study the demographic representativeness of two prominent historical repositories: state Historical Markers and the National Register of Historic Places. Drawing from previous studies which have variously employed quantitative word count and content analysis methods, this paper will use a constructivist coding method to parse both historical repositories in the Brazos Valley region of Texas for narrative themes. Finally, this paper will make brief recommendations for future improvement based on existing literature on best practices for inclusion of underrepresented communities in historic preservation practice.”

2020-2021 Annual Report

OUTREACH The Planning for Hazards Website In collaboration with FEMA R8, partners from the Colorado Resiliency Office, and Resilience Action Partners, TxTC contributed to the Planning for Hazards Website which provides tools and enables counties and municipalities to prepare for and mitigate hazards by integrating resilience and hazard mitigation into plans, codes, and standards related to land use and the build environment. Planning For Hazards provides detailed information, specific to hazards common to the State of Colorado, and applicable to many regions including Texas, about how to assess a community’s hazard risk levels and how to implement land use planning tools and strategies for reducing those risks. The Guide also includes a section on Community Engagement, providing a valuable resource for communities to start the process of planning in a meaningful way.

Housing Recovery Plan Evaluation Tool, Version 2.0 In response to Texas Senate Bill 289 of the 86th Legislative Session, scholars Shannon Van Zandt, PhD, AICP, Jaimie Masterson, AICP, Michelle Meyer, PhD, Chandler Wilkins, MUP, Erika Koeniger, MPA, drafted the housing recovery plan evaluation tool on behalf of the Texas General Land Office. The bill allows local governments to establish disaster recovery plans and establish procedures for state review of those plans.

Summer Educator Fellowship Program Through the Summer Educator Fellowship program of the MENTORS project led by Dr. Robin Fuchs-Young of the College of Medicine, the project team, composed of Dr. Nasir Gharaibeh, Dr. Galen Newman, and Jaimie Masterson, designed, led, and conducted a day-long virtual training with high school students in Hidalgo County. The workshop explored the growing frequency and intensity of flood events and described green infrastructure solutions and how they can offset flood impacts. Participants learned how they could evaluate their own streets drainage system and performed a self-assessment of street drainage systems in their neighborhood and presented their findings.

Brazos School of Inquiry and Creativity In June of 2020, students form the Brazos School of Inquiry and Creativity participated in hands-on experiences learning the basics from the 4 departments within the College of Architecture. Students used an augmented reality app to build LEGO structures, created a 3-D model using photogrammetry, and learned the intersection of social and economic characteristics and the placement of city resources.

Certificate of Community Engagement We are at the beginning stages of developing an undergraduate Community Development certificate potentially housed within the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning. Once fully developed, this certificate will be available to all students from various majors and disciplines.

Texas Target Communities PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS Brazos Valley Council of GovernmentsEconomic Disaster Resiliency Workshop, January 28th-29th, 2021 Representatives from A&M's Texas Target Communities Program and the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, including Jeewasmi Thapa, Siyu Yu, Maria Watson, Joy Semien, Michelle Meyer, and Andrew Rumbach, hosted presentations at the Brazos Valley Council of Government's upcoming Economic Disaster Resiliency Workshop. Jeewasmi and Siyu presented "Planning for Prosperity in Small Towns and Rural Regions," and Michelle, Andrew, Maria, and Joy hosted a session on "Linking Economic Development and Hazard Mitigation Planning."

Texas A&M University’s Melbern G . Glasscock and the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center roundtable, October 30,2020 Dr. Davis participated in the virtual roundtable discussion titled Coastal Communities and Justice exploring issues of environmental justice, energy, climate and the resiliency of coastal communities in Texas and beyond.

Texas A&M University’s Libraries virtual lecture series, April 28, 2021 Dr. Deidra Davis’ lecture, titled Through an Environmental Justice Lens: Where land contamination, public participation, race, and industry collide, corresponded with the library’s lecture series focused on understanding how discriminatory policies and practices in these areas perpetuate inequities in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities.

2021 ASLA Conference held in Galveston, Texas, April 29, 2021 Dr. Davis was one of four panelists at a session, titled A Journey Through 165 Years of Texas, engaging the panelist in a lively discussion on the life of Frederick Law Olmsted, his experience traveling through Texas- pre-Civil War, his encounters with the people, and the landscapes.

Cooper, John T., (July 2020). Ensuring Equity in Disaster Response. 9th Annual Building Resilience Through Private-Public Partnerships Conference Cooper, John T., (Sept 2020). Virtual Meeting Pilot Program Ad-Hoc for the Gulf Scholars Program. National Academy of Sciences. Cooper, John T., (Oct 2020). Resilience & Equity. North Carolina Rural Center Webinar. Cooper, John T., (Oct 2020). Effective Strategies and Innovative Models for Action. Environmental Justice . Cooper, John T., (Oct 2020). A Building Accessible for All: Equity and Inclusion Principles That Assure Participation and Positive Outcomes for Everyone in the Community. Building on Higher Ground: Community Resilience Strategies for the Storms to Come. Cooper, John T., (Jan 2021). Justice, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in Disaster Management & Adaptation. SCDRP Session. Cooper, John T., (Feb 2021). Social Capital and Connectedness for Resilience.Applied Research Topics for Hazard Mitigation and Resilience Cooper, John T., (April 2021). Discussion on Winter Storm Uri (The Freeze), racial disparity, place and planning. Iced Out.

2020-2021 Annual Report Engaged Research for Community Resilience to Climate Change Engaged Research for Community Resilience to Climate Change is a guide to successfully integrating science into urban, regional, and coastal planning activities to build truly sustainable communities that can withstand climate change. It calls for a shift in academic researchers’ traditional thinking by working across disciplines to solve complex societal and environmental problems, focusing on the real-world human impacts of climate change, and providing an overview of how science can be used to advocate for institutional change. Engaged Research for Community Resilience to Climate Change appeals to a wide variety of audiences, including university administrators looking to create and sustain interdisciplinary research groups, community and state officials, non-profit and community advocates, and community organizers seeking guidance for generating and growing meaningful, productive relationships with university researchers to support change in their communities. Jaimie Masterson co-authored the book with TxTC fellows Shannon Van Zandt, Galen Newman, and Michelle Meyer along with chapter authors from faculty John Cooper, Jr., Katie Kirsch, Jennifer Horney, Garett Sansom, and community partners Charles X. White, Juan Parras, and Juan Elizondo.

Cooper, John, Jaimie Hicks Masterson. Engaged Research for Community Resilience to Climate Change. New York, NY: Routledge 2020; 250 -263; 395-407

TABLE OF CONTENTS & AUTHORS Chapter

Author(s)

1 - Introduction: our global story

Jaimie Hicks Masterson, Shannon Van Zandt

2 - A case for engaged research and practice

Shannon Van Zandt

3 - Resilience is Rawlsian

Shannon Van Zandt

4 - Origin of the Institute for Sustainable Communities

Galen D. Newman

5 - Discovery initiatives

Galen D. Newman

6 - Breaking down the walls: challenges and lessons learned in interdisciplinary research

Katie Rose Kirsch, Jennifer A. Horney, Garett T. Sansom, Galen D. Newman

7 - The community in work

Charles X. White, Juan Parras, Juan Elizondo, Jaimie Hicks Masterson

8 - Empowering learners

Jaimie Hicks Masterson, Michelle Annette Meyer

9 - Integrated Impact

Jaimie Hicks Masterson

10 - Ethics of community-based research

Jaimie Hicks Masterson, John T. Cooper Jr.

11 - Program evaluation

Michelle Annette Meyer

12 - Conclusion-lessons and regrets

Shannon Van Zandt