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Sacramento, California, in many ways, is similar to Portland. California’s capital has seen a recent growth spurt and now is facing economic issues and infrastructure needs comparable to those here. But in other ways the two cities are very different. Sacramento has fewer people with fewer avenues of public transportation, but in a larger geographic area and with limited safe walking and biking options for residents.

Portland State University students are hoping to help a south section of Sacramento address some of those issues via a design studio called 鈥淎 home for La Familia.鈥� The group La Familia works with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) to advocate for improvements in the community near its headquarters.

鈥淥ur studio looked at the urban forms and urban patterns of south Sacramento,鈥� said Mark Raggett, a senior planner at the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and studio co-leader with James McGrath, an adjunct assistant architecture professor at PSU. 鈥淲e were looking at existing conditions and then thinking of some big improvements.鈥�

The students’ work was part of a three-year contract between Sacramento and PSU’s Center for Public Interest Design through its Urban Sustainability Accelerator program. The students looked at some of the challenges facing the area.

鈥淲e were doing an analysis of the community at the district scale and then proposing what might be some improvements based on a larger system look,鈥� Raggett said.

The students focused on improving an area of Franklin Boulevard, which serves as a gateway to the area. They found that Franklin’s character is similar to that of Portland’s Southeast Division Street east of Interstate 205. Transportation became a focal point for the students.

鈥淭here was a lot of interest in finding out (whether) we get a (bus) stop in front of La Familia,鈥� Raggett said. 鈥淓xtending the service south would better serve the community and increase the opportunities for non-driving trips.鈥�

Another transportation issue is the fact that the area is cut in half with a light-rail line with only one stop at the far northern end. Accessing that station is difficult for many area residents.

鈥淭hey have well-intended light rail,鈥� said Sergio Palleroni, a PSU architecture professor and director of the Center for Public Interest Design. 鈥淭hey were designed for wealthier people to come into downtown. They end up bisecting poor communities, and the mayors don’t want to see that.鈥�

The students studied the possibility of adding a light-rail station more centrally located to potentially increase ridership among area residents. The students traveled to Sacramento and met with residents in a half-day design charette to identify issues facing residents in the community.

鈥淲e wanted to get ideas, issues and challenges that could help direct the students’ work,鈥� Raggett said.

They weighed possibilities such as adding on-street parking or new facilities such as a cultural center or auditorium. They also considered greenways and east-west connectors between major north-south thoroughfares.

One key reason that residents did not walk more, they said, was concerns about safety and conditions of the sidewalks. Then there is Californians’ love affair with cars.

鈥淚 think that it is so car-focused there that there are some things they haven’t really addressed yet,鈥� said Amy Peterson, a third-year graduate student attending PSU’s architecture school. 鈥淭hey have a little more walkability downtown and they are trying to integrate that into south Sacramento. Because everyone is so car-focused in sort of a California way 鈥� (other modes of transportation) aren’t so front and center.鈥�

How much of the students’ ideas and concepts become reality is largely up to SACOG and La Familia. California recently passed a carbon tax that is now yielding revenues that could be used to implement many of the students’ concepts.

鈥淭hey are student ideas that can help La Familia and SACOG shape proposals to actually be implemented,鈥� Raggett said.

Regardless of what eventually becomes reality in the area, there is a chance it will have a Portland flavor.

鈥淚t will probably lead to RFP for the design,鈥� Palleroni said. 鈥淚t will create the call for projects that will hopefully be built.鈥�