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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

2025 Applied Research Fellows Study Accessibility for King County Parks

Each summer, CSDE and the Population Health Initiative collaborate with CSDE External Affiliate Rebeccah Maskin (King County Demographer) to offer the interdisciplinary Applied Research Fellowship Program for UW undergraduates and graduate students. This summer, the Applied Research Fellowship team worked with stakeholders at King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks to assess accessibility of parks in urban unincorporated areas.

The team explored different measures of accessibility, eventually using spatial isochrone analysis that calculates walking distance based on walking speed and existing street and walkway infrastructure. Spatial cluster analysis of park access by Census block group identified low-access park clusters in urban areas of southwest King County. The team also conducted an on-the-ground assessment of park facilities, signage, and general accessibility at Dick Thurnau Memorial Park in White Center with informal interviews of park users. See their final presentation and report for more details.

The team was led by CSDE Research Scientist Jessica Godwin included 3 graduate students and 2 undergraduates:

  • Xinyuan Hao (MS student, Environmental Health),
  • Mark Nepf (PhD student, Evans School and CSDE Trainee),
  • Annie Xu (PhD student, Psychology),
  • Sarah Desai (Senior, Anthropology, Environmental Studies), and
  • Nupur Gorkar (Senior, Human Centered Design & Engineering).

Knox and Jones-Smith Featured in Seattle News Outlets About Research on Healthy Food Benefit Programs

CSDE UW Affiliate Melissa Knox (Economics) and CSDE External Affiliate Jessica Jones-Smith (UC Irvine) recently published a research article in JAMA Network Open titled, “Healthy Food Benefit Programs, Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, and Food Security,” that was featured in the Seattle Times, UW News, the Seattle Medium, and Greenspace. Programs that make fruit and vegetables more accessible and improve food security for low-income families have the potential to reduce health disparities and improve population health. Fresh Bucks is a $40/month healthy food program that helps Seattle neighbors afford fruits and vegetables. Dr. Knox, Dr. Jones-Smith, and their co-authors’ research shows that Fresh Bucks households experience a 31% higher rate of food security, they consume at least three daily servings of fruits and vegetables 37% more often than those assigned to a program waitlist, and other important data. To read the full study, visit this link.

*New* UW Libraries Webinar – Allowable Publishing Costs: Demystifying NIH’s RFI on Limiting Article Publishing Coverage (09/09/25)

Allowable Publishing Costs: Demystifying NIH’s RFI on limiting article publishing charge coverage (Zoom)

Tuesday, September 9th from 4:00-5:00pm

Sign Up to Attend

The UW Libraries is hosting a webinar on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposal to limit the amount of grant funding that could be contributed to publication costs. The recent Request for Information (RFI) on Maximizing Research Funds by Limiting Allowable Publishing Cost includes options ranging from no longer supporting publication costs to limiting how much of an award could be used towards publication costs. Join them for an informational panel to explore the purpose and scope of the NIH RFI, demystify the options presented, and hear varying perspectives on approaches for responses–all to help position you to write your own response to the RFI. Colleagues from all fields are welcome, noting that other federal agencies may model their policies on those of NIH.

Sutton, Hagopian, and Almquist Publish Article on Homelessness, Tent Encampments, and Proximity to Amenities in Seattle

CSDE External Affiliate and former T32 Fellow Aja Sutton (Portland State University), CSDE UW Affiliates Amy Hagopian (Health Systems and Population Health) and Zack Almquist (Sociology), and co-author Whitney Walker (ETS REACH), recently published a research article in Cities: the International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning, titled, “Encampments as neighbors: Encampment location and proximity to amenities among Seattle, WA’s unhoused population.”  In this article, they investigate how Seattle encampments’ proximity to basic amenities compares to those in emergency shelters and rental units using rich spatial, administrative, and outreach worker data from Evergreen Treatment Services (ETS) REACH. They also discuss the implications of providing effective support for people living unhoused, and present what is likely the most comprehensive and recent study of Seattle neighborhood amenities proximity among the unsheltered population. To read the full research article, visit this link.