Abstract: Increasing pedestrian space is vital in keeping COVID-19transmission rates low, especially in a densely populated city like New York. Our proposed solution is to transform streets with light vehicular traffic into pedestrian-dominated spaces. That said, we strove to design a solution that focused on public health, social equity, and transportation accessibility, while also being flexible, scalable, and sustainable. Streets closed for the short-term would utilize additional infrastructure such as analysis of real- time foot-traffic data to identify high density areas and green...

Abstract: The issue of small business closures has significantly increased in Portland, Oregon since the COVID-19 pandemic. Local food, grocer, and retail stores face temporary and permanent closures as social distancing and safety measures are held in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Our proposed solutions intend to alleviate financial burdens placed on local businesses while also considering the impacts on the environment and social capital. Most importantly, Portland will address these three factors with the creation of a business-oriented co-op, a democratically run...

Abstract: Lead in drinking water is a sustainability and health issue, especially in modern-day society. As of early 2018, 53% of public schools in South Seattle and 36% of schools in North Seattle have been found to have concentrations of lead above the district’s standard of 10 ppb. The consequences of drinking lead water, even at very low concentration levels, are harmful because it accumulates in the body over time; therefore, the EPA set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water to zero (EPA, 2020). Children are especially vulnerable to lead because low exposure...

Abstract: Following the outbreak of COVID-19, homelessness in San Francisco has been increasing at alarming rates. With this increase invulnerable populations, the city of San Francisco has been using hotel rooms, city-managed tent sites, and other programs to help mitigate the effects of this public health crisis. After researching the various initiatives that the City took to combat the effects of COVID-19 on its homeless population, we discuss our own proposed solutions that were founded on the basic principle of viewing housing as a human right. Furthermore, we emphasize the...

By Caitlin Aarons, Tatiana Allbritten, Shanni De La Cruz, Annika Del Rosario Abstract: Original residents of Boston, Massachusetts are under threat from high levels of gentrification. North and West Boston, home to a rich Italian immigrant community, face threats of displacement with the influx of outside businesses, private developers, and redlining. Alternatively, the driving force behind gentrification within East and South Boston is climate change and green gentrification: efforts to create flood resistant luxury buildings and parks have driven up the cost of living. Thus, solutions...

By Michelle Huynh, Calvin Lee, Michael Lee, Jacqueline Markham Abstract: This paper provided the potential solutions for the growing problem that is coastal flooding. These solutions include building adaptations such as structure elevation and wet floodproofing, and community-wide solutions such as mangrove restoration. There is particular emphasis on coastal flooding in Miami, Florida and ways this problem can be addressed while also providing data and feasibility concerns that will likely be crucial to the approach this paper takes. This paper additionally anticipated means of paying...

By Maria Delgado, Hannah Ilagan, Catherine Tran, Nikhil Trivedi Abstract: The Central Valley in California accounts for half of the nation’s fruit and vegetables production. As the primary industry in the Central Valley, agriculture is the main source of jobs in this region: 337,000 in agricultural production and 222,500 in agricultural processing (Central California, 2018). With the additional complexity of carbon emissions from human activity, this region is highly vulnerable to the health effects that result from air pollution. This is especially the case for Fresno, CA. Located in San...