Researcher(s):
Anna Blythe
ENVS course(s): 400 Initiated: September 2016 Completed: May 2017 Go to project site
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Public private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly being used to fund large scale transportation projects around the world. Although the concept of PPPs has existed for decades, their merits and drawbacks remain hotly contested. Supporters of PPPs maintain that they provide increased funding for public facilities and save taxpayers from having to shoulder the burden of cost overrun for large-scale infrastructure projects. On the other hand, critics argue that PPP projects largely serve over-invested areas, thereby continuing to exacerbate social inequalities at a global scale. My project investigates the effectiveness of PPPs through Portland's Nike BIKETOWN bikeshare: a bikeshare created by both the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Nike Corporation. From interviews, spatial mapping, and social media analysis, my project addresses the question: who BIKETOWN ultimately serve? My study finds that while Portland’s bikeshare takes significant efforts to make BIKETOWN accessible to a wide demographic, not everyone is taking advantage of these services.