Bringing the spatial in - The case of the 2002 Seattle Monorail referendum

    Authors

    A. F. Peterson; B. S. Kinsey; H. Bartling;B. Baybeck

    Comments

    Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Urban Aff. Rev.

    Keywords

    cological inference; mass transit; public goods; referenda; Seattle; spatial analysis; voter behavior; ECOLOGICAL INFERENCE; GROWTH; Urban Studies

    Abstract

    Contests over public goods remain at the forefront of urban political battles in nearly every major city in the United States. The spatial location of the good can play an instrumental role in understanding the contours and outcomes of such conflicts. The authors explore a particular case-voting for a growth-related development project, the monorail, by referendum in the city of Seattle-and examine how a grassroots campaign successfully mobilized voters by targeting both their particularistic and collective interests. The authors conduct analysis at the precinct level and use spatial tools of analysis and ecological inference, finding that voter support for the monorail stemmed from the location of the proposed route and the campaign's progressive appeals to environmental, social justice, and high tech concerns. Although cost overruns ultimately derailed construction of the monorail in 2005, when passed in 2002, the monorail was the most expensive infrastructure project in Seattle's history.

    Journal Title

    Urban Affairs Review

    Volume

    43

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2008

    Document Type

    Article; Proceedings Paper

    Language

    English

    First Page

    403

    Last Page

    429

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000251641800004

    ISSN

    1078-0874

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