Digital Commons Network^™

Company-Produced Housing, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

It is getting harder and harder for people working in urbanized areas to find affordable housing near their workplace. As new urbanized office and industrial areas expand and the cost of housing increases, employees are finding themselves having to commute longer distances between work and home. This results in traffic congestion, increased pollution and decreased employee satisfaction. Some companies are finding that the lack of locally available and affordable housing is making it harder to recruit and retain employees.

One solution to this problem is for large corporations to develop housing for their employees within walking distance of the job, …

Overall Economic Development Program For Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

During the Summer of 1992 an informal group of Berkshire County economic development representatives gathered, at the initiative of the City of Pittsfield. to discuss renewing a working relationship between themselves and the Economic Development Administration (EDA), as EDA is viewed as an agency that might complement an array of economic development efforts throughout the county. This group sought the advice of William Fitzhenry, Economic Development Representative, during August. Based on his advice and with the assistance of the University of Massachusetts. Donahue Institute. this informal group sought out technical assistance from the Center of Economic Development, an EDA sponsored …

Towards Restoration Of The Urban Village: Proposals For Mason Square Springfield, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The Mason Square Development Corporation (MSDC), a non-profit group supported by federal block grants has sponsored significant improvements in the economic and social welfare of State Street - the commercial spine of Mason Square. In the past, MSDC has promoted single projects along State Street, but is now seeking a more integrated approach to economic development. Seeing economic vitality as integral to community development, the purpose of this work is twofold. First, we examine Mason Square's rich heritage as a neighborhood system of mixed land uses, taking particular note of the current efforts to try to attract investors, visitors, and …

Marketing Western Massachusetts As A Tourism Destination For International Travelers, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

In the Spring of 1991, a three phase project was begun at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in which the overall goal of the project was to design and implement an economic development program which would assist the information dominated service industries located in Western Massachusetts. The research for the first phase of the project was undertaken by Regional Planning M.A. candidate Maureen Moriarty under the guidance of adjunct Professor Robert Hopley, School of Business Administration, and Professor Meir Gross, Department of Regional Planning. This initial step in the research "entailed the creation of a pilot program in which …

A Community Diagnostic From A Planning Perspective Holyoke, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This study seeks to examine and undertake a diagnostic of the City of Holyoke , a community in Western Massachusetts. The research will employ field visits, interviews, report reading, and library research in an attempt to shed light on certain key planning issues such as, planning tools, downtown, industry, affordable housing, community character, fiscal matters, environmental problems, financial control, and political stability. Each issue will be critically examined in order to better assess the strengths and weaknesses of the community, Finally, this study will conclude with a general overview of Holyoke and list some suggestions related to planning professionally in …

Overall Economic Development Program For The Gardner Labor Market Area Of Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

In July of 1992 Mr. Michael D. Gerry, chairman of the Gardner Redevelopment Authority, contacted the Gardner Office of Planning and Community Development about the community's status regarding its eligibility for E.D.A. funding for a proposed industrial park. In follow-up discussion with the planning office and Mr. William Fitzhenry of the regional EDA Office, it was determined that while Gardner was within an approved area, it needed to prepare a current O.E.D.P., as the most recent one had been approved by the E.D.A. in April of 1975. In as much as the last report had been developed under the direction …

Connecticut River 2020 Project: Cost And Economic Impact Analysis, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This project addresses the following issues:

1) Analysis of the cost of abating water pollution sources contaminating the Lower Connecticut River for the communities of Agawam, Chicopee, Holyoke, Ludlow, South Hadley, Springfield, and West Springfield.

2) Analysis of the impact of water pollution abatement measures on the economy of Hamden and Hampshire Counties.

3) Analysis of the impact of additional economic development on Hamden and Hampshire Counties resulting from an improved river resource.

4) Assessment and analysis of increased recreational activities resulting from a cleaner river resource.

The research was conducted by the Center for Economic Development at the University …

Adaptive Reuse Of Historic Mills In The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Uxbridge, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This study was made possible by the support of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission. In particular, we would like to thank James R. Pepper, the Executive Director, and Nancy L. Brittain, the community planner for the Corridor. Mr. Pepper's vision and political skills were invaluable for initiating this project. Ms. Brittain provided essential guidance and a much-needed understanding of the local community, economy, and needs. We would also like to thank Professors Jack Ahern, Mark Lindhult, and our department head, John Mullin, for their valuable advice and comments on the study and report.

The Blackstone River Valley …

Municipal Economic Analysis Forces That Drive The Local Economy, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This project examines the economies of 13 municipalities in Southeast Massachusetts. Seven of the towns are located in Bristol County: Acushnet, Berkley, Dighton, Freetown, Raynham, Rehoboth and Westport. Five are located in Plymouth County: Carver, Lakeville, Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester. And one, Plainville, is located in Norfolk County.

The Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) has asked the Center for Economic Development to look at the forces which drive the local economies. SRPEDD has asked for some of the data to be shown over time so as to illustrate changes in the local marketplace. Examples of the data …

Inventory Of Industrial Property Executive Summary Franklin County, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

It is not uncommon for cities and towns to actively seek economic and industrial development in times of economic stress. However, the desire to promote industrial activity and broaden the tax base is often left to the government or the town leaders. Town residents do not necessarily share this vision of development with town government. Industry, especially in rural Massachusetts, is still perceived as belching smokestacks creating myriad environmental problems.

Although a large number of towns wish to broaden the tax base and share the tax burden with new development, few have positioned themselves well to gain from or proactively …

Socio Economic Profile A Comparative Report Holliston, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This report contains a Socio Economic Profile for the Town of Holliston, Massachusetts. It includes profiles for population, housing, income, labor force, occupation, industry, and commuting.

Greenways As Vehicles For Social Expression, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

Traditionally, the recognized functions of greenways include water resource protection and pollution abatement, riparian habitat enhancement and biodiversity, flood hazard reduction, recreation, environmental education, noise attenuation, microclimate enhancement (cooling and pollution abatement), and the reduction of bank erosion and downstream sedimentation (Platt, 1992). Phil Lewis simply prefers to think of greenways as environmental corridors, which he dubs "E-ways," for the four main purposes of environment, ecology, education, and exercise (1990). In this paper a fifth "e" purpose of expression will be suggested.

As a beginning four different ways of promoting expression will be illustrated with examples. These means will include …

Mill Reuse Potential The Draper Mill Complex Hopedale, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The purpose of this study was to determine the reuse potential of the 1. 7 million square foot Draper Mill in Hopedale, Massachusetts. The study was undertaken at the request of the Hopedale Industrial Development Committee. Their goal was to develop a means of diversifying the community's tax base. When the Draper Mill was in full operation approximately sixty percent (60%) of the Town's taxes were paid by the Mill. Today, with the Mill empty, ninety percent (90%) of the Town's taxes come from residential uses. The Committee sought to develop a means to diversify Hopedale's tax base and thus …

A Comparative Analysis Fire, Police, And Public Works Departments Pelham, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

In an ongoing effort to evaluate the effectiveness of its operations, the Town of Pelham engaged the services of the Center for Economic Development (CED) at the University of Massachusetts to examine the Highway (DPW), Police and Fire departments.

To that end, CED produced a detailed matrix comparing Pelham's three departments with those of three other communities; contacted professional and government organizations for potentially useful trends and researched additional information requested by the town. Herewith are the results of these efforts.

It was agreed that a comparative analysis of an extensive list of descriptive characteristics between Pelham's and three other …

Impacts Of Decreased Military Spending In Western Massachusetts Communities: Some Preliminary Considerations, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The following report addresses how the current changes in defense spending will impact communities in Western Massachusetts. It is evident that military spending will continue to decrease. This decrease, combined with the overall decrease in manufacturing industries is having an adverse impact on many communities. The degree of impact and how to offset, or respond to these changes is a concern of many community planners, and is the subject of this report. The information contained in this report is useful for local planners and citizens who may not necessarily have a background in regional economics or industrial development or military …

Developing A Local Organizational Structure For Industrial Development, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

Many communities in Massachusetts currently utilize a variety of publicly-funded economic development organizations that help to generate and maintain economic activity and growth. Given the importance of economic development to cities and towns that are currently facing high unemployment rates, eroding tax bases and vacant space, it is crucial that these organizations operate effectively and receive the support necessary to continue their operations.

To date, however, the performance of many of these organizations has not been evaluated in a systematic manner, and the extent of their effectiveness is unknown. Only through a formal evaluation process can it be determined if …

Business Matchmaking Feasibility Study - Just Find The Right Fit: Western Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This study explores the feasibility of a business matchmaking program for Western Massachusetts focusing on import substitution. Business matchmaking programs currently operate throughout the U.S.A. and Canada. Their goal is to retain capital in the area and develop the area's economy by linking local businesses to each other, and with national and global markets. Twelve operating programs were investigated and assessed for their adaptability to the Western Massachusetts context. Area businesses and economic experts were interviewed to determine if a similar program would work here.

From the twelve program models examined, four were selected as being the most applicable, and …

A Revitalization Study Main Street Returns For The Future Gardner, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This Regional Planning studio project was undertaken for the Gardner Industrial Foundation ("the Foundation"). The Foundation requested that we make development recommendations for a 20 acre site along Main Street, adjacent to the "Central Business District" of Gardner, Massachusetts. The Site, containing mostly vacant manufacturing facilities, is a large and visually significant part of the downtown area. It is visible from Route 2, the main transportation highway in the region and is the "gateway property" to Main Street and the Central Business District after exiting Route 2 and heading downtown. The Site is fast becoming an eyesore given the recent …

Proposed Relocation Feasibility Of The Steamship Authority Terminal: Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This studio project conducted by second year Regional Planning students from the University of Massachusetts examined the potential impacts of moving the Steamship Authority Ferry Terminal from its current location in downtown Tisbury to town owned land on Beach Road, just west of the Oak Bluffs draw bridge (See Figure 1). The Steamship Authority acts as the life line which connects Martha's Vineyard to the mainland. After a preliminary evaluation of limited data, safety emerged as the predominant concern associated with the relocation site. With the other impact categories essentially balancing each other out, is the additional risk associated with …

Inventory Of Industrial Property For Franklin County, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The inventory is presented in table format to facilitate easy reference. The towns are presented in alphabetical order and each parcel within the town by map and lot number.

A description of table categories is as follows:

• Map/Lot: Each parcel in town has a map and lot number for purposes of assessment. This reference to map and lot number may be used to locate a particular site on an assessor's map. This reference is also key in accessing any site or·owner information.

• Address: This field indicated the address for the site in question.

• Owner: This field provided …

Initiating The Development Of An Integrated Waste Management Curriculum, W. David Conn

City and Regional Planning

The National Recycling Coalition, in recognition of significant changes in the field of solid waste management and the resulting need for people with new knowledge and skills, has assembled a committee to develop an “integrated waste management curriculum.” This paper identifies and discusses several possible objectives for such a curriculum, and explores issues associated with different ways in which it might be initiated.

The Uses Of Art: Medieval Metaphor In The Michigan Law Quadrangle, Ilene H. Forsyth

About the Buildings

Within the architectural diversity of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus, a campus with a spread and a variety as extended as that of the university community itself, there is a place apart: the Cook Law Quad. The distinct ambiance created by the quad's buildings seems at variance with the melange that marks the rest of the campus where the free growth of the university over a long period of time has resulted in structures of various styles and uneven levels of distinction. Yet the quad's special character is not simply a matter of its architectural unity, as is often claimed. There …

Review Of The Origins Of Modernism In Russian Architecture By William C. Brumfield, Wendy Salmond

Art Faculty Articles and Research

Wendy Salmond reviews The Origins of Modernism in Russian Architecture by William C. Brumfield.

A New Town Hall For Skaneateles, New York, Stephanie Burton

Architecture Thesis Prep

"A town hall has to transcend being generic and take on the idiosyncrasies of its specific context. The context, in turn, needs to inform the program and make it unique to the site. The history of the typology has shown the evolution of a building type that is identifiable in its form.... A town hall is a typology, that by definition, is strongly influenced by history and part of its role is to reflect and embody the specific history of a place..."

Permeation Of Several Gases Through Elastomers, With Emphasis On The Deuterium/Hydrogen Pair, M. (Mark) W. Fitch, W. J. Koros, R. L. Nolen, J. R. Carnes

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Diffusion and Permeation Coefficients for He, H2, D2, O2, and N2 in a Variety of Elastomers Were Measured by Simple Manometric Methods. the Elastomers Studied Were Butyl Rubber; Hypalon® 40 and 45; Viton® E60 and GF; Hydrin® 100 and Filled Hydrin® 100; Kraton® G, FG, and KG VTEOS; EPDM; Epoxidized Natural Rubber; and Neoprene. Consistent with Earlier Studies, Elastomers with Higher Glass Transition Temperatures Exhibited Lower Diffusion Coefficients. the Ratio of Diffusion Coefficients of the Hydrogen Isotope Pair Differed from the Purely Molecular‐weight‐based Prediction. Deuterium's Slightly Smaller Size Relative to Hydrogen is Consistent with Observed Deviations from the Molecular‐weight‐based …

Computed Versus Observed Inelastic Seismic Low-Rise Rc Shear Walls, Franklin Y. Cheng, G. E. Mertz, M. S. Sheu, J. F. Ger

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A technique of calculating inelastic deformation of low-rise shear walls having height-width ratios of 0.5 and 0.75 without boundary elements is presented with consideration of the coupling effect for bending and shear deformations as well as the deformation due to base rotation. An interaction surface of moment, shear, and curvature or moment, shear, and shear strain is developed. The deflections at crack, yield, and ultimate loadings can be calculated separately from bending and shear deformations, which are compared favorably with experimental results. The shear deformation is significant for the low-rise walls studied because the deformation due to bending deformation is …

Postbreakage Behavior Of Heat Strengthened Laminated Glass Under Wind Effects, Chris P. Pantelides, Amy D. Horst, Joseph E. Minor

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Results of a full-scale experimental investigation into the post breakage behavior of heat-strengthened laminated glass subjected to windstorm effects are presented. Two different interlayer constructions and two different glazing configurations are examined. The two interlayer constructions are a PVB polymer and a PVB/PET/PBV composite polymer. The two glazing configurations are a conventional dry glazed system and an unconventional system with a silicone anchor bead. Two test criteria are established that relate to effects of a severe windstorm. The first criterion addresses impact with windborne debris; the second defines a wind-load spectrum that represents a severe windstorm of a 4-hr duration. …

Mineralization And Uptake Of Triazine Pesticide In Soil-Plant Systems, Dhileepan R. Nair, Joel G. (Gerard) Burken, Louis A. Licht, Jerald L. Schnoor

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Deep-Rooted Trees Planted as a Buffer Zone Can Intercept Runoff and Eroded Sediments, Thus Reducing Non-Point-Source Pollution Due to Agricultural Chemicals. in This Study, Populus Sp. Were Grown in Bioreactors with an Agricultural Soil (Silt-Loam) and in a Silica-Sand Media; Both Were Spiked with ¹⁴C Uniformly Ring-Labeled Atrazine. the Plants Took Up over 11% of the ¹⁴C Labeled Atrazine Applied to the Silt-Loam Soil and over 91% of that Applied to the Silica Sand Media, with the Majority of the ¹⁴C Accumulating as Nonphytotoxic Metabolites in the Leaves. Research Suggests that, in Addition to Nutrient Uptake, Poplar …

Assessment Of Environmental Implications Of Abandoned Oil And Gas Wells, Donald L. Warner, Cary L. Mcconnell

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A detailed study was made of the potential for abandoned oil and gas wells in the Lower Tuscaloosa sand of Mississippi and Louisiana to act as conduits for movement of saline water from the Lower Tuscaloosa into underground sources of drinking water (USDW's). Finite-difference numerical modeling determined the extent that water might be forced from the Lower Tuscaloosa sand into a USDW as a result of injection into the Lower Tuscaloosa. Within the range of conditions modeled, water from the Lower Tuscaloosa never traveled into a USDW. On the basis of the modeling, we concluded that it is unlikely that …

Collapse Behavior Of Pino Suarez Building During 1985 Mexico City Earthquake, Jeng Fuh Ger, Franklin Y. Cheng, Le Wu Lu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the investigation of the collapse behavior of a 22-story steel building during the September 19, 1985, Mexico City earthquake by studying hysteretic behavior, ductility factors of individual structural components, and overall instability of the building. Extensive inelastic analyses have been performed for the building by using the multicomponent seismic input of actual Mexico City earthquake records. It was found that the structural response exceeds the original design ductility of this building, and most girders in the building have severe inelastic deformation. Due to the load redistribution that results from ductile girder failure, local buckling occurred in many …