Two UO A&AA faculty members have received Small Starts Grants for Sustainable Transportation Research from the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC), totaling one third of the $60,000 awarded to eight faculty members at three Oregon universities.

Associate Professor Nancy Cheng, director of the Portland Architecture Program, and Assistant Professor Deni Ruggeri, landscape architecture Ph.D. program director, were each awarded $10,000 for their projects.

Cheng’s project, "Data-Driven Illustrations for Climate-Smart Communities Scenarios," will bring together community, business, and public leaders to help build healthy, livable communities while reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Portland metropolitan region.

Cheng’s team includes UO architecture Assistant Professor Philip Speranza and architecture graduate student Boyce Postma.

Ruggeri’s project, “From Transit Stop to Urbanity Node. A study of Perceived Livability, Access, Safety and Socialization at the Transit Stop,” seeks to pilot a new methodology for auditing livability at transit stops. As the number of annual bus riders increases due to rising energy costs and traffic congestion, researching every aspect of the transit riding experience—including both traditional and rapid transit stops—becomes imperative.

Ruggeri’s team includes UO landscape architecture graduate students Deven Young and Sarah Cook.

The Small Starts program was conceived for the benefit of researchers who want the chance to undertake a small project that supports innovations in sustainable transportation through advanced technology, integration of land use and transportation, and healthy communities.

Read more on the OTREC website.