Browsing by Author "Barnes, Philip"
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Item 2018 Update to the 2008 City of Milford Comprehensive Plan(2018-01) DeCoursey, William J.; Raab, Linda P.; Minni, Nicole M.; Eisenhart, Scott; Barnes, Philip; Oza, JeelThis plan was prepared by the City of Milford Planning and Zoning Commission with assistance from the Institute for Public Administration (IPA), a unit within the School of Public Policy & Administration at the University of Delaware. IPA links the research and resources of the University of Delaware with the management and information needs of local, state, and regional governments in the Delaware Valley. IPA provides assistance and research projects as well as training programs and policy forums. it serves as the 2018 update to the original 2008 City of Milford Comprehensive Plan. It was adopted in January of 2018 and certified in May of 2018.Item Answering the call: Offering and analyzing civil discourse opportunities in undergraduate public affairs education(Journal of Public Affairs Education, 2022-12-06) Barnes, Philip; Morris, Michael P.; Pierce, Andrea L.; Shaffer, Timothy J.The widening cracks in the foundations of American democracy are leading to appeals for higher educational institutions generally, and public affairs programs specifically, to offer more courses on civil discourse. In this paper, we conduct a curriculum scan to evaluate the extent to which public affairs programs have answered these calls at the undergraduate level. The findings indicate that civil discourse-themed courses are essentially absent in the largest undergraduate public affairs programs, leaving the calls woefully unanswered. Then, analyzing students’ pre-post survey responses from a new course that offered content on the intersection of civil discourse and public policy making, we find that a civil discourse-themed course can simultaneously answer the calls and ensure that students meet the objectives of baccalaureate public affairs education recommended by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. The results are encouraging for public affairs education and democratic governance alike.Item Autonomous Vehicles in Delaware: Analyzing the Impact and Readiness for the First State(2017-04) Barnes, Philip; Turkel, EliThe sci-fi reality of self-driving, networked, autonomous vehicles is nearly here. Ford claims it will sell these vehicles within five years, and most analysts expect modest sale numbers by the late 2020s and widespread adoption throughout the 2030s and 2040s. The consequences of the impending autonomous vehicle revolution for Delaware’s economy, its residents, and visitors are significant. Public and private stakeholders will need to adapt current practices and processes to accommodate the new advancement in transportation. State regulations that govern vehicles and drivers will need to evolve with the technology. Cybersecurity and privacy limits will be tested. The insurance industry will be required to develop new products and actuarial models. Claims of liability will be argued and settled in the courts. There will also be impacts, both positive and negative, to important transportation and urban planning areas, especially roadway safety, ownership, parking demand, vehicle miles traveled, roadway congestion and capacity, development patterns, infrastructure design, jobs and the economy, state and local budgets, fuel efficiency and carbon emissions, and transportation equity. The authors of this report attempted to preview the possible impact that autonomous vehicle deployment would have on each area. Major information gaps exist on autonomous vehicles, and there are complex interactions among areas that render such previews extremely challenging and uncertain. Despite these difficulties, the table summarizes the report’s findings. The findings are based on a long- term view and assume full, widespread penetration of autonomous vehicles across all Delaware roadways with a corresponding decline in manually-driven vehicles. A confidence measure was added to articulate the level of certainty/uncertainty for each area. Entries in the table should not be accepted as absolute truths, but rather as starting points for preliminary discussions on policy and administrative options to minimize negative impacts and amplify positive ones. In terms of readiness to accept autonomous vehicles, the state is well prepared technologically. The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) possesses an extensive telecommunications network that can be leveraged for autonomous vehicle integration, and DelDOT is proactively upgrading its systems in anticipation of autonomous vehicle deployment. DelDOT plans to install a transportation-specific wireless network in Dover, test signal timing and traffic light priority in Smyrna, and develop software to partially automate decision-making at the state’s Transportation Management Center. These are positive steps that will make Delaware attractive for vehicle testing, operation, and deployment. From an administrative standpoint, the state could accelerate the evolution of its governance systems and institutions to align with the technological advance. If action is taken now, Delaware could position itself to be a leader in the autonomous vehicle area.Item Climate-Conscious Comprehensive Planning in Delaware: Developing and Piloting a Planning Process in Milford, Delaware(2017-08) Barnes, Philip; Sussex County, DelawareGiven the extent of Delaware's vulnerability to three climate change impacts—sea-level rise, heavy precipitation, and increased temperatures—climate-conscious planning must become normal practice for Delaware’s municipalities. The climate-conscious planning process was piloted in Milford as the municipality updated its comprehensive development plan. The vulnerability assessment was completed using both the geographic information system and public mapping strategies, and the results were communicated through the language in the comprehensive plan chapters. This was the first effort in Delaware to develop a fully climate-conscious comprehensive plan. In previous comprehensive planning efforts in other municipalities, climate change had only been addressed a handful of times and only very narrowly in the environmental chapter.Item Coastal Resiliency Needs Assessment in Sussex County(2017-05) Barnes, PhilipCommunities in Sussex County, Delaware, must address their vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change impacts such as frequent flood events, sea level rise, and increased temperatures. To assist communities along the way, many Delaware state agencies and organizations offer a range of resources to local municipalities for hazard mitigation and resiliency-building. An important question is whether these state-level resources, which include technical and financial assistance programs, align with and serve the local needs of Sussex County communities. To help answer that question, a needs assessment was conducted at the municipal level to evaluate the level of fit between state offerings and the hazard mitigation and resiliency-building demands of Sussex County towns. Delaware Coastal Programs (DCP) partnered with the Institute for Public Administration (IPA) at the University of Delaware to conduct research on the local hazard mitigation and resiliency needs of Sussex County municipalities. Information on local needs was acquired through interviews with municipal leaders in several Sussex County towns. The interview data was analyzed, local needs were identified, and they were compared to a recently completed inventory of state agency service offerings to determine gaps. This report provides a summary of the completed research. It begins with a description of the research context, including discussion of a newly formed resiliency partnership comprising representatives of various state agencies. The report outlines the research methodology, describes the findings, and concludes with a set of recommendations to improve and enhance the effectiveness of resiliency-building activity in Sussex County municipalities.Item Community responses to global complexity: Planning Sustainable Communities and the Transition Movement(University of Delaware, 2015) Barnes, PhilipLocal communities are under increased pressure to develop socio-economically by accommodating the forces of global complexity. Yet global complexity is incredibly energy and resource intensive and generates net negative consequences for environments and communities at all scales. Local communities experience adverse impacts when they accommodate global complexity, especially technological dependence, loss of self-governance, and inequitable distributions of resources. Furthermore, when they accommodate global complexity, local communities contribute to its growth which amplifies the impacts and ultimately perpetuates a harmful cycle. This dissertation identifies and evaluates two alternative development strategies that are increasingly popular with communities, Planning Sustainable Communities and the Transition Movement, to determine if they are effective and viable responses to global complexity and its local impacts. Planning Sustainable Communities is an urban planning reform effort that seeks to align planning practice with the sustainable development framework. The Transition Movement is a grassroots development strategy designed to prepare communities for the impacts of peak oil, climate change, and a dysfunctional global economy. Data is collected through a review of the responses' literature, semi-structured interviews with practitioners, participant observation, and an open-ended survey. The borough of Media, Pennsylvania, where both responses are currently implemented, is examined to add depth of understanding to the analysis. The data is thematically structured and evaluated against relevant criteria: increasing community technological independence, strengthening local self-governance, enhancing distributive equity, and confronting and mitigating growth in global complexity. The analysis demonstrates that both responses are effective and viable development strategies that can generate net positive outcomes for local communities, while the Transition Movement response is more effective than the Planning Sustainable Communities response at mitigating growth in global complexity. To improve their performance going forward, both responses must acknowledge, confront, and avoid the potentially inequitable outcomes that could arise through their local community development strategies. Finally, to generate co-beneficial outcomes and amplify the positive outcomes for local communities, numerous recommendations are offered whereby the two responses can cooperate and work together to achieve shared goals.Item Connected and Automated Vehicle Primer(Institute for Public Administration, 2018-05-10) Barnes, PhilipItem Delaware’s Automotive Future is Electric(Institute for Public Administration, 2021-04) Barnes, Philip; Hernandez-Limon, JorgeThis policy brief provides insights and recommendations for EV-ready counties, cities, and towns so local officials can begin laying the groundwork for the EV future.Item Economic Impacts of Connected and Automated Vehicles in Delaware(Institute for Public Administration, 2018-05-10) Barnes, Philip; Kelly, Christopher; Swan, BrettItem Green > Grey: Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Implications for Delaware GreenInfrastructure Landscape(Institute for Public Administration, 2021-07-08) Barnes, Philip; O'Hanlon, Julia; Matera, MadisonBeginning in fiscal year 2021, the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration (IPA), in partnership with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), began a year-long work plan devoted to green infrastructure. Applied research and public service components included outreach to various stakeholders, facilitation of a virtual workshop, and the development of resources designed to provide information on the challenges, opportunities, policy implications, and best practices of green infrastructure approaches in Delaware. This brief summarizes policy implications for Delaware's green infrastructure landscape and highlights additional best practices.Item Hosting Electric Vehicle Charging Stations(Institute for Public Administration, 2021-04) Barnes, Philip; Sikora, VincentTo meet current and future charging capacity demands, local governments and property owners who would like to host EV charging stations can pursue innovative partnerships and create a robust network of EV chargers in Delaware.Item Lewes Executive Committee on Resiliency: A Resilient Community Partnership(Institute for Public Administration, 2022-05-26) Barnes, Philip; Reitz, JenniferThe City of Lewes is one of Delaware’s most climate-vulnerable communities and is committed to developing and implementing climate resiliency policies and practices. In 2021, the Mayor and City Council empaneled an eleven-member Lewes Executive Committee on Resiliency (LECR) to identify, debate, and recommend resiliency measures that City Council could adopt. This brief provides details of the options and an analysis of their impacts.Item Local Policies for Electric Vehicle Readiness(Institute for Public Administration, 2021-07) Barnes, Philip; Sikora, VincentLocal governments in Delaware have a role to play in supporting the ongoing transition to an electric vehicle (EV) future, especially for EV charging stations and infrastructure. Federal and state governments have sizeable policy levers that they can pull to direct transportation systems and markets toward EVs, but so too do municipalities. Indeed, Delaware’s local governments could use their legislative and administrative authority over zoning, parking, signage, and building codes to foster EV-readiness and reap the benefits of the technology, which includes economic development, increased property values, and cleaner local environments.Item Resources to Support Electric Vehicles in Delaware(Institute for Public Administration, 2021-06) Barnes, Philip; Hernandez-Limon, JorgeLocal governments in Delaware will play a major role in facilitating the transition to electric vehicle (EV) transportation. Fortunately, there are a range of resources—financial, technical, and informational— that are available to assist municipalities in their efforts. This brief outlines these resources.Item Technopolitical Regimes and Climate Change: A Transcript of an Interview with the Carbon Cycle(New Vision for Public Affairs, 2014-05) Barnes, PhilipDespite the urgent response that climate change demands, debate over climate change policy goes round and round without showing signs that it can rest long enough for action to be taken. Meanwhile, the situation with the atmospheric commons continues to deteriorate. In a desperate attempt to constructively contribute to the climate change debate and break through the morass, this paper engages with Act or Network Theory which affords practitioners the freedom to dialogue with the non-human. The result is a transcription of an interview with The Carbon Cycle. Using the concept of the technopolitical regime, The Carbon Cycle identifies two broadly defined philosophies that humans use to frame climate change policy. The two technopolitical regimes, what The Carbon Cycle calls the Interventionists and the Egalitarians, are informed by conflicting values. According to The Carbon Cycle, humans will need to face the difficult challenge of negotiating a policy response to climate change that lies somewhere between the interventionist and the egalitarian strategies. Depending on the policy approach taken, the implications for society-nature relationships and democratic governance are radically different and are teased out in this conversation.Item Urban Planning for Connected and Automated Vehicles(Institute for Public Administration, 2018-07) Barnes, Philip; Swan, BrettConnected and automated vehicles (CAVs) will require Delaware municipalities to rethink urban planning. As CAVs become common, action is needed on parking, land use and design practices, and suburban sprawl.Item The Use of Smart-Growth Scorecards/Assessment Tools to Advance Sustainable Land-Use Practices(2016-06) Scott, Marcia; Li, Mingxin; Barnes, Philip; Stavru, William; Dayan, Sinaya; Jones, Curtis; Matthews, Justin; Cragle, JeffFew studies have gauged causal linkages between shifting smart-growth agendas and the development of new tools to evaluate smart-growth outcomes. Both the implementation of smart-growth practices and efforts to measure the effectiveness of initiatives and outcomes have been influenced by a host of socioeconomic, demographic, technological, and environmental factors as well as shifting housing, travel, and communication preferences. Through a literature review, informational interviews, and survey of smart-growth scorecard users/developers, this research finds that both the concept of smart growth and the development and use of scorecards/assessment tools have co-evolved. Shifting state and federal legislation, leadership, political agendas, and funding have shaped the extent to which smart-growth practices are implemented and evaluated at the local government level. While federal and state governments have developed programs to incentivize implementation of smart growth strategies at the local government level, measuring outcomes of smart growth remains challenging. New assessment tools, scenario-planning techniques, and interactive visualization tools are being crafted to engage and educate the public on smart-growth-related topics and planning outcomes. Building local government capacity, funding support, technical assistance, and an open environment for information sharing and education is needed.Item Whiz, Not Bang: Electric Vehicle Technology(Institute for Public Administration, 2021-05) Barnes, Philip; Hernandez-Limon, JorgeThis policy brief explains the difference between electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles, and standard petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles with an internal combustion engine (ICE).