Digital Commons Network^™

Measuring Environmental Inequality, James K. Boyce, Klara Zwickl, Michael Ash

PERI Working Papers

This study presents alternative measures of environmental inequality in the 50 U.S. states for exposure to industrial air pollution. We examine three methodological issues. First, to what extent are environmental inequality measures sensitive to spatial scale and population weighting? Second, how do sensitivities to different segments of the overall distribution affect rankings by these measures? Third, how do vertical and horizontal (inter-group) inequality measures relate to each other? We find substantive differences in rankings by different measures and conclude that no single indicator is sufficient for addressing the entire range of equity concerns that are relevant to environmental policy; instead …

The Effect Of Public Health Expenditure On Infant Mortality: Evidence From A Panel Of Indian States, 1983-84 To 2011-12, Andrew J. Barenberg, Deepankar Basu, Ceren Soylu

PERI Working Papers

Using a panel data set of Indian states between 1983–84 and 2011–12, this paper studies the impact of public health expenditure on the infant mortality rate (IMR), after controlling for other relevant covariates like per capita income, female literacy, and urbanization. We find that public expenditure on health care reduces IMR. Our baseline specification shows that an increase in public health expenditure by 1 percent of state-level GDP is associated with a reduction in the IMR by about 8 infant deaths per 1000 live births. We also find that female literacy and urbanization reduces the IMR.

Umass Amherst Campus Green Building Resources, Ludmilla D. Pavlova-Gillham

Campus Planning Community and Conference Presentations

UMass Amherst is a STARS Gold institution that has received numerous awards for its sustainability efforts in higher education. To celebrate the physical elements of the campus sustainability achievements, and to inform campus staff, faculty and students how to support green building projects, Campus Planning and Design & Construction sponsored a presentation to the campus community on Campus Green Building Resources: LEED and Beyond. Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham, Senior Campus Planner reviews the commitment UMass Amherst has made to sustainable design and construction and the range of sustainability/LEED resources available to campus staff, faculty and students as they work on planning, designing …

Planning A Greenway Network For The “Impressions From A Lost World” Exhibit, Kellie Fenton, Tasuku Kamei, Yue Li, Yanhua Lu, Maozhu Mao, Emilie Marques Jordao, James Prendergast, Michalagh C. Stoddard, Ruoying Tang, Jing Wang, Nelle Katharine Ward, Yuqing Yang, Yi Yang, Yu Yu

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

This report describes a proposed multi-modal greenway network that links dinosaur-related sites in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The study conducted by the fall 2015 MLA studio at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst included assessment and design work at regional, sub-regional, and site scales. The proposed Dinosaur Trail Project greenway network was designed to incorporate the goals of the client, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, a historical and cultural organization based in Deerfield, Massachusetts. The project will help preserve, interpret, and highlight the rich history of dinosaur track discovery in the region for future generations.

Open Space & Food Access In The City Of Chicopee, Madison M. Burke, Angelica L. Carey, Nicholas M. Fournier, Marika Kopp, Amanda M. Lipson, Jennifer M. Pacacha, Shannon M. Rice-Nicols

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

The goal of the Master of Regional Planning Studio is to develop a student’s techniques for collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing spatial and non-spatial data and then presenting that collective data in a manner (i.e., report, video, presentation, and charettes) that is understandable to academics, professionals, and the public. Planning Studio allows students to integrate knowledge from coursework and research, and apply such knowledge to resolving representative planning problems. At UMASS Amherst, these problems are found in neighborhood, rural, urban, and/or regional settings.

In the fall of 2015, the City of Chicopee contracted the MRP Studio to create a vision plan …

Routes To The Renaissance For Pittsfield, Ma, Nicholas A. Armata, Laura Caughlan, Ross C. Kahn, Leonard M. Kendall, Sarah Lang, Tiffany Leung, Christopher Mcgoldrick, Stephen Meno

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

The goal of the Master of Regional Planning Studio is to develop a student’s techniques for collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing spatial and non-spatial data and then presenting that collective data in a manner (i.e., report, video, presentation, and charettes) that is understandable to academics, professionals, and the public. Planning Studio allows students to integrate knowledge from coursework and research, and apply such knowledge to resolving representative planning problems. At UMASS Amherst, these problems are found in neighborhood, rural, urban, and/or regional settings.

In the fall of 2015, the City of Pittsfield contracted the MRP Studio to create a vision plan …

Creating The West Gate Entrance: Erosion And Water Quality Solutions For The University Of Massachusetts – Amherst Campus, Nathan A. Frazee

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

The impacts of development have degraded the Tan Brook to the point that water pollution and flooding issues are affecting residents and the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus as well as the adjacent Mill River Watershed. Water quality measurements indicate high levels of conductivity possibly due to winter salting. This proposed design solution includes a vegetated swale that integrates sand filters and bioretention basins. These applications within the design could reduce erosion issues and improve water quality while providing students, faculty, and staff a location for educational purposes, recreation, and respite. By embracing innovative and aesthetic solutions, the West Gate …

Effects Of Disinfectants On The Formation Of Aldehydes, Megan Dutra

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

Disinfection by-products have been the subject of intense study in the water treatment community due to the established adverse health effects of many known by-products and the postulated adverse health effects of many other known and unknown by-products. Aldehydes are one such group of by-products, containing compounds of both known and postulated health effects. This thesis explores the formation of simple alkyl aldehydes due to different disinfectants; these relationships are important because they can aid in determining possible by-product formation of potentially harmful substances with a particular disinfectant or disinfectant combination. Compounds such as these biodegrade easily, presenting a potential …

Occurrence, Formation And Persistence Of Halobenzoquinones: A Case Study On 2, 6 -Dichloro-1, 4 -Benzoquinone, Aarthi Mohan

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

Halobenzoquinones (HBQs) constitute an emerging class of potentially carcinogenic disinfection by-products (DBPs). Given that HBQs are not measured in routine analysis of drinking water, there is little data on their occurrence in the USA. The presence of 2, 6-dichloro-1, 4-benzoquinone (2, 6-DCBQ) in US drinking water facilities was investigated in 8 utilities to provide an initial assessment of occurrence and fate in relation to the regulated DBPs. Point of entry (POE) and distribution system (DS) samples with DCBQ concentrations greater than the 90th percentile values were from treatment plants that used free chlorine. Across distribution systems, DCBQ exhibited decreasing concentrations …

Stream Temperature Modeling: A Modeling Comparison For Resource Managers And Climate Change Analysis, Lynn Brennan

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

In the Northeast U.S. increasing stream temperatures due to climate change pose a serious threat to cool and cold water fish communities, as well as aquatic ecosystems as a whole. In this study, three stream temperature models were implemented for two different case-study basins in the Northeast Climate Science Center region. Two coupled hydrology-stream temperature (physical) models were used: VIC-RBM and SWAT-Ficklin et al. (2012). The third model implemented was a nonlinear regression (statistical) model developed by Mohseni et al. (1998). Metrics were developed to assess these models regarding their prediction skill, data input requirements, spatial and temporal resolutions, and …

Poverty Grass: Biology And Management, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Fact Sheets

No abstract provided.

Umass Amherst Friends Of The Library Newsletter - Spring/Summer 2015 (No. 49), Jay Schafer

Library News for the Friends of the UMass Amherst Libraries

Only time will tell if 3D printing is really the next industrial revolution; all indications are that it is indeed a transformative technology. UMass Amherst Libraries, with the support of the Friends of the Libraries, are providing our students and faculty with the opportunity to experiment and engage with this new technology through the creation of the MakerBot Innovation Center. The first such center in New England and the first located in a university library, the Innovation Center provides access to over 50 3D printers, 3D scanners, and an innovative 3D printing software platform that links the printers together, providing …

Effects Of Sulfidation And Natural Organic Matter On The Deposition Of Silver Nanoparticles, Yunqui Chen

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

Environmental transformation through sulfidation and complexation with natural organic matter (NOM) are two major factors that may affect the fate and transport of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the aquatic systems by changing their dissolution, deposition, and surface properties. To understand the impact of sulfidation and NOM on the aggregation and deposition of AgNPs, a combination of dynamic light scattering and quartz crystal microgravimetry with dissipation monitoring was used. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-capped AgNPs that were modified through sulfidation and/or complexed with NOM had a greater extent of deposition than unmodified PVP-AgNPs. Specifically, the deposition extent of sulfidized AgNPs in the presence of …

Backpack Spray Calibration Fact Sheet, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Fact Sheets

No abstract provided.

Prioritizing Mitigation Of Road-Stream Crossings For Resident Aquatic Organisms By Accounting For Habitat Quantity, Quality, And Accessibility, Rachael L. Weiter

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

Road crossings and dams may act as barriers to movement for a wide range of aquatic organisms in lotic freshwater systems. Limited funding constrains the number of barriers that may be mitigated by repair or removal, so systematic methods of prioritization are needed for selecting barriers for mitigation. A new formulation is proposed that links the number of organisms in the watershed to the amount and quality of accessible habitat in order to quantify habitat connectivity of a watershed. The method is applied to a case study performed on the Upper West Branch of the Westfield River in Massachusetts, with …

Urban Redevelopment And Gentrification: How Will Hartford's Downtown North / Downtown West Master Plan Affect The Adjacent Neighborhoods?, Jesse Regnier

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

The purpose of this project is to determine the impact of a redevelopment master plan on the existing population surrounding the project area. In the Spring of 2014, the City of Hartford, Connecticut and Utile prepared a redevelopment Master Plan for a portion of their downtown titled "Downtown North / Downtown West: A Plan for the City of Hartford". The Downtown North (DoNo) section of the plan area consists of vacant lots, parking lots, and underutilized properties, many city-owned, which appear prime for redevelopment. My research questions and analysis focus on the housing portion of this Master Plan in the …

Preservation Through Design: Reclaiming Franklin Park's Place In The Future Of Boston, Junzhi Yu

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

This project is a demonstration of heritage landscape preservation done through a new design for Franklin Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Design from a preservation perspective requires sensitivity to the interacting forces between site history, existing conditions, and future needs, especially when engaging a historical landscape that was designed by a renowned figure like Olmsted. The goals of this project are to rehabilitate the Franklin Park site, securing its integrity and historical value, while allowing changes and future growth to take place.

Shelter Scape 7: Combining Regenerative And Earth Sheltered Practices For A New Housing Community In Massachusetts, Laura Gayle Keskula

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

Global Climate is projected to change significantly over the next decade. Given the potential impact of these changes, human relationships with the landscape will change. We as a people will have to re-evaluate our behaviors, activities and aesthetics; and our communities might have to re-assess and re-classify their current land use designations; as is the case potentially for Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton, Massachusetts. Under the projected climatic changes, the future snow making and sustaining ability of this mountain is of question and at potential risk; and these questions therefore beg the discussion of what to do instead with …

Gentrification And Community Development Groups: Boston Area, Aqsa Butt

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

Gentrification plays a significant role in the Boston area. Its influx of affluent residents benefits those who are economically stable. There is considerable increase in housing costs and in property value for locals that may contribute to their housing insecurity. Community Development groups assist lower income residents that may lack guidance, social, economic, and political power to address issues that arise with subsidized housing.

An analysis of vulnerable populations in Boston: elderly, poor, minorities, homeless, substance dependents, and the disabled, reveal a challenge for Community Development Groups: gentrification contributes to housing insecurity of local residents. The city needs to redefine …

No Space Left Behind - Graduate Urban Design Studio - Landarch 606, Christopher H. Counihan, Matthew R. Hisle, Yanhua Lu, Maozhu Mao, Emilie Marques Jordao, James S. Prendergast, Michalagh C. Stoddard, Ruoying Tang, Jing Wang, Nelle Katharine Ward, Yuqing Yang, Yi Yang, Yu Yu, Kellie Fenton, Yue Li, Yuquing Wu

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

The following report documents the work of the 2015 Spring Graduate Urban Design Studio course in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning. This fourteen week studio focused on using tactical urbanism to engage Springfield’s Metro Center neighborhood with visions to revitalize the downtown core of this legacy city.

In addition to completing the components of a traditional urban design studio (site analyses, schematic plans, spatial designs, and programming), the student teams also developed conceptual projects to immediately engage the public. These efforts culminated in a free afternoon walking tour throughout the Metro Center that presented several tactical interventions. …

Green Infrastructure For Framingham, Massachusetts: Greenway Planning And Cultural Landscape Design, Aqsa Butt, Justin Cooper, Matthew Crosby, Elyse Couture, Valerie Degroote, Andrew Duncan, Caroline Fay, Adam Fearing, Russell Greene, Mark Gullifer, Bladimir Hernandez, Daniel Keirstead, Christopher Johnson, John Milos, Jing Pan, Benjamin Perrett, Rebecca Jean Walton

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

The senior undergraduate, Bachelors of Landscape Architecture studio at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst developed a town-wide greenway plan for the Town of Framingham’s Department of Community and Economic Development. This conceptual plan connects the town’s natural, cultural, and recreational resources through a network of pedestrian and bike trails. This plan also seeks to connect the diverse neighborhoods within the Town to these resources and provide alternative means of local residents to access jobs, schools, and retail centers. The greenway plan builds on Framingham’s Open Space and Recreation Plan (2013), which identified the need for a regional greenway system to …

2015 Pesticide Safety: Cost Cutting Ipm, Hilary A. Sandler, Martha Sylvia

Cranberry Station Extension meetings

No abstract provided.

2015 Pesticide Safety: Pesticide Safety Review 2015, Martha Sylvia

Cranberry Station Extension meetings

No abstract provided.

Public Consultations On Undergrounding Power Lines For Downtown Revitalization: The Cases Of Pleasant Street In Northampton, Ma And Main Street In Medfield, Ma, Noam Goldstein

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

This research is about a particular form installation of electric cables known as Undergrounding. The term undergrounding is associated to the fact that this type of infrastructural installation consists in burying the power lines beneath the surface instead of leaving these cables hanging on top of poles that are spread throughout the landscape.

2015 Pesticide Safety: Insect Update, Martha Sylvia

Cranberry Station Extension meetings

No abstract provided.

2015 Pesticide Safety: Fruit Rot Management, Erika Saalau Rojas

Cranberry Station Extension meetings

No abstract provided.

2015 Pesticide Safety: Resistance Management, Martha Sylvia, Hilary A. Sandler, Erika Saalau Rojas

Cranberry Station Extension meetings

No abstract provided.

2015 Pesticide Safety: Farm Safety, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Extension meetings

No abstract provided.

2015 Pesticide Safety: Weed Research Update, Katherine Ghantous, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Extension meetings

No abstract provided.

2015 Pesticide Safety: Adjuvants: Improving Herbicide Performance, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Extension meetings

No abstract provided.