Urban design, urban planning, and architecture are three major pillars that shape cities. Students who study these subjects learn how to design buildings, plan the layout of roads, and account for a variety of factors that could influence the day-to-day lived experience of citizens. But there is a fourth pillar that is equally as important to consider when making developmental decisions for a city: economics.
Dr. Jenny Liu, an associate professor in the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University, is an economist by trade who focuses on public policy, urban issues, and social equity. She is interested in sustainability, the impacts of public policy, and generally making her city a better place.
This dedication is reflected in her recent research projects, which apply economic research and analysis to help organizations and communities. Read on to learn more about how Liu is making a difference at PSU, in Portland, and beyond.
Economic and Social Impact Study 2024
When PSU wanted to quantify how valuable it was to the Portland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), it commissioned the Northwest Economic Research Center (NERC) in the College of Urban and Public Affairs to conduct an economic impact study. Liu, who is NERC’s assistant director as well as a PSU professor, took the reins.
Most universities conduct economic impact studies every so often to highlight the financial importance of the school in its region. The last study examining PSU was conducted in 2019. Together with PhD student Hyeoncheol Kim, Liu went one step farther and studied the social impact of PSU along with its economic impact.
“We wanted to show that the investment that the state and the region have put into PSU is actually generating a lot of return in terms of training, workforce development, and creating collaborations and partnerships all across the region between students, faculty, staff, and our really broad network of alumni,” Liu explained.
The study, published in July 2024, showed that PSU’s economic impact was more than $1.8 billion in the 2023 fiscal year. That is to say, PSU brought over $1.8 billion to Oregon that year. The economic impact was recently cited in the press release for a new state bill, HB 2556. The bill designates PSU as Oregon’s Urban Research University.
Liu and Kim also found that PSU had a large social impact on the Portland MSA region, including but not limited to the following:
- PSU generates dozens of intellectual properties and other sources of innovation via research activities.
- Seventy-four percent of bachelor degree graduates stay in the region and continue to live and work there five years after graduation, contributing to the economy.
- PSU embodies its motto, “Let knowledge serve the city,” through many of its programs, like the Learning Gardens Laboratory, HRAC, and Better Block PSU.
- PSU is the most racially and ethnically diverse public university in Oregon.
The paper won the 2024 Paul Polzin Prize for Best Paper from the Association for University Business and Economic Research (AUBER). The award recognizes “originality, quality of argument, positioning, and writing style.”
ODOT partnership
Currently, Liu and two PhD students, Kim and Eun Jun Choi, are working with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Climate Office to create a new benefit-cost analysis framework for the state. Benefit-cost analyses are necessary for any agency applying for federal grants to show the federal government that the benefits of a given project outweigh the costs. What Oregon wants to do differently from any other state is include a deeply comprehensive framework that prioritizes sustainability, equity, and multimodality.
“Agencies typically acknowledge that equity is an important component of their work, but it is not explicitly accounted for in most benefit-cost analyses,” said Liu. “In our first year or so, we really spent a lot of time on reviewing the literature and reviewing best practices across the country as well as internationally to figure out, ‘Does anyone actually do this, and do they do it well?’...What we’ve found so far is that, at least in the US, no one actually does this…on the equity side, there is no clear guidance or consistent way to incorporate it into the framework.”
The project is still ongoing; Liu and ODOT are roughly halfway finished.
Looking ahead
Liu has several projects that she’s hoping to start in the near future. One is with ODOT and Dr. Anne Brown from the University of Oregon, studying the effects of discount programs on micromobility and how different types of discounts and promotions for micromobility options affect low-income communities.
Other possible projects center around state and local public finance (which is also one of the classes she teaches Masters of Urban and Regional Planning students), providing economic or public finance analyses on potential ballot measures.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on, so I do have to pick and choose a little bit,” said Liu with a smile.
No matter what the projects may be, Liu is certain to be working toward improving her community, whether it be on statewide level or a national level. Her Economic and Social Impact Study quantified the benefits of having a diverse university, her benefit-cost analysis work with ODOT is helping to lay a foundation for developing the state in a way that will benefit all citizens, and her possible future projects will inform how to best support low-income groups. To keep up-to-date with Liu’s work and Toulan School news, sign up for our quarterly newsletter here.