Browsing by Author "Hauf, Austin"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Governing Dockless Bike Share: Early Lessons for Nice Ride Minnesota
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2018-11) Douma, Frank; Hauf, Austin
    Dockless bike share systems present an opportunity for cities to expand access to bike share by lowering costs and geographic barriers, but also create additional challenges in the areas of maintenance, parking, and right-of- way management. Most dockless providers are also private, venture-capital funded entities, representing a significant departure from current public and non-profit approaches. Other cities have encountered challenges in securing cooperation from these operators in areas such as data transparency. This raises a key question: To what extent can cities use contracts and governance to exchange use of the public right-of-way for operating requirements that advance equity, accessibility, innovation, and other goals? Using case studies from other U.S. cities and drawing insights from the wider “smart mobility” literature, this research presents recommendations for regulating dockless bike share in cities and ties these approaches to the implementation of Nice Ride Minnesota’s dockless pilot. It will also examine prominent challenges in coordination and implementation and highlight novel approaches with an eye towards the future of bike share in the Twin Cities.
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    Rehydrate Ramsey: Strengthening, Enhancing, and Protecting Water Resources
    (Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2017) Hauf, Austin; Mohamed, Kowsar; Guerrero-Combs, Maia
    This project was completed as part of the 2017-2018 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Ramsey. Natural resources are highly valued by Ramsey residents, and the City has taken measures to protect these resources. However, some risks to natural resources and measures to protect them are poorly understood by residents. To better communicate the value of these resources and best practices for protecting them, students in Dr. Fernando Burga’s Land Use Planning class were enlisted to inventory Ramsey's aquatic natural resources, explain potential risks to these resources from human activities, outline Ramsey’s conservation policies and best practices for protecting these resources, and quantify the economic benefit from protection. A final report is available.
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    Sidewalks in St. Louis Park Understanding Resident Perceptions and Behaviors, Effects on Property Values, and Accessibility
    (2019-05) Daly, Erin; DeGrado, Alena; Hauf, Austin; Sevening, Haley; Van Dort, Leoma
    St. Louis Park is a first-ring suburb in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, with varying land use patterns based on proximity to Minneapolis. The city has developed a number of plans to improve its pedestrian network, including the Connect the Park plan that identifies a six-year funding stream for implementing new sidewalks to increase connectivity, improve safety and accessibility, and enhance livability. While many residents support the City’s efforts to implement sidewalks, some have concerns related to how sidewalks could affect property values, increase crime, remove trees/green space, and create a maintenance burden for residents. In addition, City staff have also heard from residents that sidewalks will not be used because everyone drives or that streets are quiet enough for pedestrians to walk on the road. To evaluate the concerns raised by residents and measure the future impacts of St. Louis Park’s planned sidewalk and trail implementation, students from the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs - University of Minnesota partnered with the City of St. Louis Park on a capstone project.