Digital Commons Network^™

Springfield`S Upper Lyman Warehouse District - Visions For Revitalization, Jane Alexanderr, Andre Belperron, Matt Bent, Nick Betts, Anthony Brow, Will Bunker, Tanya Chesnell, Julie Goodwin, Henry Hess, Christopher Johnson, Ryan Kemmerich, Wes Lomax, Nick Mastroianni, Carl Mccrae, Phil Morrison, James Rebello, Sage Sluter

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

This report documents the work of the Senior Urban Design Studio in Springfield’s Upper Lyman District in downtown Springfield. It is part of the Metro Center neighborhood and adjacent to the Union Station that will be revitalized in 2016. The district is challenged by high vacancies and general abandonment. Housing opportunities and market-rate housing in particular are very low. The primary goal of the project was to develop a staged vision to revitalize and rediscover the Upper Lyman Warehouse District and to improve livability in the heart of downtown Springfield for employers, employees, residents, and visitors. The following recommendations can …

Rethinking Reiche, Tracie J. Reed

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Part I of the study examines the differences between two environmental assessment methods for the K‐12 education sector: the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Schools Version 3.0 and the British Research Establishment’s (BRE) BREEAM Education issue 2.0. Credit requirements are compared side‐by‐side and against recommendations from researchers in areas such as acoustics, lighting and indoor environment quality. Strengths in the two schemes and areas for improvement are highlighted, with acknowledgement that each scheme offers components and techniques from which the other could benefit. Part II of the study introduces the Howard C. Reiche Community School in Portland, Maine. …

Fy 2010 Umass Amherst Waste Management Report, Ezra Small

Campus Data

No abstract provided.

Making Connections - Envisioning Springfield's North End, David M. Ahronian, Kelly R. Ashton, Erin G. Bassett, Maxwell A. Cohen, Victor J. Czulak, Gregory S. Dunbar, Brendan T. Farragher, Jonathan L. Gorman, Peter L. Guy Ii, Timothy J. Iles, Piyawut Inthasorn, Travis A. Johnson, Jonathan Koch, Justin J. Kronewitter, Zachary B. Livingston, Matthew Morano, Brian Mulvehill, Kevin C. Murphy, Sean P. O'Connell, Peter W. Stephens Jr., Christopher Tourigny, Bryce P. White, Timothy E. Young

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

This work explores a service learning strategy in the context of the senior Urban Design Studio taught in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The primary goal of this project is to stimulate a conversation in the neighborhoods of the North End, to develop green design strategies, to improve services and businesses for residents and the employees of local businesses, and to foster cultural engagement and interaction in the North End that will enhance the vibrancy, resilience, and quality of life of this urban community. Making connections - Envisioning Springfield's North End …

Revitalizing The South End - The Gateway For Downtown Springfield, Barbara J. Constable, Brian Giggey, Christopher J. Jennette, Julie P. Meyer, Megan M. Plante, Diana W. Slawniak, Ben Eli Webb, Duanchai Yomdit, Deborah A. Zervas

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

This studio report explores a service learning strategy in the context of the Graduate Urban Design Studio taught in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The primary goal of this project is to design the South End as the future gateway for downtown Springfield that will help to transform it into a vibrant urban community.

Green design strategies, improvement of services and businesses for residents and the employees of local businesses, and new housing opportunities will enhance the vibrancy, resilience, and quality of life of this disadvantaged urban community. Revitalizing the South …

Notable Edibles: Sound Bites, Madeleine K. Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

Written by Rebecca Touger, this article describes the radio show "Farm to Fork: The Pioneer Valley's Local Food and Agriculture" which airs every other Tuesday from 6:30-7:30pm EST on WXOJ-LP, 103.3fm, Valley Free Radio. Hosted by: Madeleine Charney, Kelly Coleman, Leslie Cox and Don Persons. Listen via live audiostream: www.valleyfreeradio.org

Modes, Means And Measures: Adapting Sustainability Indicators To Assess Preservation Activity's Impact On Community Equity, Mackenzie M. Greer

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Preservation of and reinvestment in the built environment as a redevelopment tool has been used by cities and towns across the country, in many cases providing significant social, economic and environmental benefits. Potential social effects have often been the least explored aspect of sustainable development, especially with regard to preservation, yet they are often the most challenging, particularly given the potential for displacement.

This thesis reviews literature where the issues of preservation, redevelopment and sustainability intersect. A set of best practices was developed that can be applied to other cities and towns to help balance preservation- and equity- enhancing activities. …

Regenerative Architecture: A Pathway Beyond Sustainability, Jacob A. Littman

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

The current paradigm in the field of architecture today is one of degeneration and obsolete building technologies. Regenerative architecture is the practice of engaging the natural world as the medium for, and generator of the architecture. It responds to and utilizes the living and natural systems that exist on a site that become the “building blocks” of the architecture. Regenerative architecture has two focuses; it is an architecture that focuses on conservation and performance through a focused reduction on the environmental impacts of a building.

This paper introduces regenerative architecture as a means for architectural design. I present the Nine …

Fy 2009 Umass Amherst Waste Management Report, Ezra Small

Campus Data

No abstract provided.

Notable Edibles: Sound Bites, Madeleine K. Charney

Madeleine K. Charney

Written by Rebecca Touger, this article describes the radio show "Farm to Fork: The Pioneer Valley's Local Food and Agriculture" which airs every other Tuesday from 6:30-7:30pm EST on WXOJ-LP, 103.3fm, Valley Free Radio. Hosted by: Madeleine Charney, Kelly Coleman, Leslie Cox and Don Persons. Listen via live audiostream: www.valleyfreeradio.org

Vision Of Self-Sufficiency Comes Alive (On Less Than Two Acres!), Madeleine K. Charney

Madeleine K. Charney

A Montague, Massachusetts family relishes their traditional homesteading lifestyle.

Foodroutes Network And The Local Food Movement, Madeleine K. Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

A feature article on the national nonprofit organization FoodRoutes Network (FRN), which describes itself as “dedicated to reintroducing Americans to their food—the seeds it grows from, the farmers who produce it, and the routes that carry it from the fields to our tables.”

Vision Of Self-Sufficiency Comes Alive (On Less Than Two Acres!), Madeleine K. Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

A Montague, Massachusetts family relishes their traditional homesteading lifestyle.

An Analysis Of Methods For Identifying Local Import Substitution Opportunities To Foster Sustainable Regional Economies, David Elvin

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Import substitution presents many economic development opportunities that can help regions achieve greater economic sustainability and self-reliance. Yet import substitution is largely neglected in economic development theory, practice and literature. There are few methods and resources available to planners trying to identify import substitution opportunities. However, impending economic challenges, such as energy market instability, climate change and carbon emissions regulation, mean that planners will be called upon with greater frequency and urgency to help regional economies adapt.

This study offers and evaluates two methods for identifying import substitution opportunities within a regional economy. The first method is rooted in economic …

Letter From Chancellor Cole Establishing The Environmental Advisory Performance Committee (Epac), Dr. Thomas W. Cole

Campus Data

A letter written by Chancellor Cole to the Director of the Physical Plant Patrick Daly, establishing the Environmental Performance Advisory Committee (EPAC) and charging it with numerous tasks. This committee is now the Chancellor's Sustainability Committee and currently chaired by Campus Sustainability Manager, Ezra Small.

Chemistry For A Sustainable Future, Julian Tyson

Chemistry Department Faculty Publication Series

No abstract provided.

Valley Free Radio Program Takes Things ‘Farm To Fork’, Madeleine K. Charney

Madeleine K. Charney

Written by Amanda Cather, this article describes the radio show "Farm to Fork: The Pioneer Valley's Local Food and Agriculture" which airs every other Tuesday from 6:30-7:30pm EST on WXOJ-LP, 103.3fm, Valley Free Radio. Hosted by: Madeleine Charney, Kelly Coleman, Leslie Cox and Don Persons. Listen via live audiostream: www.valleyfreeradio.org

Valley Free Radio Program Takes Things ‘Farm To Fork’, Madeleine K. Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

Written by Amanda Cather, this article describes the radio show "Farm to Fork: The Pioneer Valley's Local Food and Agriculture" which airs every other Tuesday from 6:30-7:30pm EST on WXOJ-LP, 103.3fm, Valley Free Radio. Hosted by: Madeleine Charney, Kelly Coleman, Leslie Cox and Don Persons. Listen via live audiostream: www.valleyfreeradio.org

Umass Amherst Sustainability Plan, Brian Fitzpatrick

Sustainability Reports & Plans

This document is arranged in accordance with the guidelines specified in the Agency Sustainability Planning and Implementation Guide for the Massachusetts State Sustainability Program. The State Sustainability Program was established in July 2002 by Executive Order No. 438, which requires state agencies to “work diligently and expeditiously to develop and implement policies and procedures to promote environmentally sustainable practices.” The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMA) is in the unique position to educate the next generation of the professional workforce in sustainable practices. The University feels that it is important for us to first have a firm understanding of sustainable development …

Stormwater Management Trends: A Review Of Tools, Techniques And Methods For Design And Development Of The Land With Implications For Sustainable Design, William C. Cone

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

The design of stormwater management systems is currently undergoing scrutiny and revision. This has been a long ongoing process that began to take shape in the late 1980s following the adoption of new federal regulations controlling discharge of pollutants into water bodies, rivers and streams. It became apparent after these regulations began to have an affect that other sources of pollution existed that were less easily pin pointed to a single source. Researchers and engineers began looking at stormwater as a culprit. This corresponded with revisions to the understanding of ecology as well as deeper richer understanding of the natural …

The Usher Plant Review And 8-Point Action Plan, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The Usher Plant is located on Arch Street off of Route 2 in Erving, Massachusetts in the center village of the town. The plant is a rich part of the social, economic, and cultural identity of the town and its residents. The Erving Paper Company occupied this plant from 1964 to approximately 1990, when the company consolidated and moved its operations leaving over one-hundred workers either displaced or unemployed and the Usher Plant vacant.

The closing of the Usher Plant approximately 10 years ago has had a tremendous impact on the community residents, as well as Erving's center village merchants …

Composting Cranberry Leaves, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

Composting may offer a reasonable alternative to facilitate the management of these leaf piles. Composting hastens natural breakdown processes associated with biological materials. Farm-produced compost fits well as part of a more sustainable food production system. The organic matter produced from the composting process could be incorporated back into the cranberry production system, used in other agricultural settings, or marketed to the public as a soil amendment or mulch.

Renovating Producing Cranberry Acreage, Carolyn Demoranville, Hilary A. Sandler

Cranberry Station Best Management Practices Guide - 2000 Edition

Over the course of time, conditions may arise on the bog (e.g., weed infestations, invasion by nonproductive mongrel vines, etc.) that may become severe enough to necessitate renovation of the bog. Renovation is a costly procedure in both time and money. Thoroughly consider the implementation of all other available remedial activities before initiating renovation of the bog. If positive outcomes are not obtained within a reasonable time frame, then consider renovation.

Economic Sustainability Plan For Adams, Massachusetts: Ten Year Projection Plan, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The client for this project is James Leitch, The town administrator for the Town of Adams. In addition, we are working in close conjunction with the Center for Economic Technology (C.E.T.).

The purpose of this project is to assist Adams in the creation of a ten year economic action plan, which is only one-third of Adams proposed Comprehensive Sustainability Plan. The Comprehensive Plan is to be completed by the merger of three plans: the 1997 University of Massachusetts Landscape Architecture Studio Report on environmental elements within the Town, our 1998 Economic Action Plan, and a Social Plan, to be developed …