Architecture Commons^™

The Future Of The Urban Street In The United States: Visions Of Alternative Mobilities In The Twenty-First Century, Esther Zipori

Dissertations

This dissertation is concerned with the present and future of urban streets in the United States. The goal is to document and analyze current visions, policies, and strategies related to the form and use of American urban streets. The dissertation examines current mobility trends and offers a framework for organizing visions of the future of urban streets, evaluating them through three lenses: safety, comfort, and delight: assessing physical conditions in accordance with livability standards toward sustainable development. At the same time, it demonstrates the way 12 scenarios (NACTO Blueprint for Autonomous Urbanism, Sidewalk Labs: Quayside Project, Public Square by FXCollaborative, …

How Can Design Thinking Transform Diversity Initiatives For Architectural Trade Organizations In The United States?, Leroy Stewart

Dissertations

This study intended to assess design thinking as a variable regarding its utilization as a tool to increase the number of African American architects in the United States. The research was grounded in the speech given by Whitney Young to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1968, and the initial partnership between the AIA and the National Organization of Minority of Architects (NOMA) in 2001 to increase the number of African American architects to 15,000 by 2030. Through the qualitative methodology, via descriptive phenomenological analysis (DPA), fourteen participants, all of whom were African American licensed architects, were interviewed to …

Crash Injury Severity Prediction With Artificial Neural Networks, Rima Abisaad

Dissertations

Motor vehicle crashes are one of our nation's most serious social, economic and health issues. They are the leading cause of death among children and young adults, killing approximately 1.35 million people each year. Providing a safe and efficient transportation system is the primary goal of transportation engineering and planning. To help reduce traffic fatalities and injuries on roadways, crash prediction models are used to forecast the injury severity of potential crashes and apply precautionary countermeasures accordingly. Most of these models are reactive as they use historical crash data to categorize crash-related factors. Recently, advancements have been made in developing …

Ecological Restoration Parks In Xi’An, China: An Evolving Type, Han Yan

Dissertations

This dissertation examines four urban ecological restoration projects used as public spaces in the city of Xi'an, China. The overall goal is to understand the social and ecological implications of the site features at both design and planning scale and define what is ecological restoration in China's urban context. The result of the research shows that the top-down planning initiatives approach for establishing ecological restoration sites in urban areas that meet the need for more public open space in addition to restoring healthy urban ecological systems is very different from the definition of what is traditionally understood as "ecological restoration". …

From Roundabout To Roundabout: Tahrir Square (1869- 2021), Mariam Abdelazim

Dissertations

Tahrir Square not only represents a symbol of liberation but also reflects the modern history of Egypt. Its several physical changes signify the rise and fall of the monarchy, colonialism, modernism, nationalism, capitalism, echoing a constantly changing definition of the Egyptian public space. And while the surrounding façades physically define the square, either the authorities or the public control its activities.

Khedive Ismail founded the square around 1869 as a roundabout on his “Paris along the Nile” modern city. Between 1882 and 1947, the site became the barracks’ location for the British troops who colonized Egypt. In 1952, an Egyptian …

Recovering Untold Stories: Everyday Lives Of Women In Republican Istanbul, 1930-1960, Zehra Betul Atasoy

Dissertations

This research explores the everyday lives of urban women from various social strata in Istanbul between 1930 and 1960. It designates the implications of the Republican reforms in urban spaces and concentrates on untold stories of women who belonged to varying social settings and professions. The everyday life of the city became more complex with the increase in participation of women during these decades. This research examines the myriad ways in which women asserted themselves in the urban fabric, following three threads. First, women's leisure and economic activities in the newly built public squares are investigated. Then, industrial workers and …

Building Integrated Photovoltaics: Barriers And Drivers In The United Arab Emirates, Daniel Efurosibina Attoye

Dissertations

Buildings consume about 40% of the total annual energy produced globally; however, under the extreme hot climate of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this reaches almost 80%. From an architectural perspective, this study focuses on Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) as a multi-functional, innovative solar technology that provides on-site renewable energy. Researchers affirm that BIPV has the potential to convert the building from a consumer of energy, to a producer of renewable energy while advancing net-zero targets, and maintaining building aesthetics, functionality, and structural stability. Along with other technical and economic benefits, BIPV can also contribute towards advancing the global energy …

In Partnership? Pedestrian Plazas In New York City, Topal Vardi Topal

Dissertations

Traditional public spaces —such as public parks, streets, and public squares—have long been part of the urban landscape. In today’s congested cities, however, creating such public spaces is difficult because they require capital investment, vacant land, and ongoing maintenance. Possibly in response to these obstacles, new types of urban public spaces have emerged.

Pedestrian plazas, one of these new types, is the topic of this research, with a focus on the New York City Plaza Program, which was the first such program in the U.S. For this research, the design, management, and use characteristics of five completed pedestrian plazas were …

Building The Petro-Polis: Oil Capitalism, Imperialism, And The Making Of Abadan, 1908-1933, Reza Mortaheb

Dissertations

Abadan is the most prominent of all the oil company towns the British Petroleum Company built in Southwest Iran. Located at the border of Iran and present-day Iraq, by the mid twentieth century Abadan not only accommodated the world’s largest refinery, it had also become Iran’s most populous industrial city. This dissertation focuses on the process of urban development on Abadan Island between 1908 and 1933. Drawing on primary archival documents and secondary sources, this dissertation discusses how Abadan’s establishment and its changing urban form and spatial organization were the product of broader historical processes. Imperial intelligence and practical requirements …

Brasilidade In Built Form: Tracing National Identity In Modernist Architecture In Brazil, 1922–1968, Angela Starita

Dissertations

The conceptual framework of Brazilian national identity in built form changed drastically between the 1930s and the 1960s, from the Baroque of colonial-era Brazil to the improvised constructions of the poor. The advocates of these architectural imaginaries were not suggesting that these styles be copied. Instead, they used them as a type of hermeneutic for explicating how Modernism should be deployed in order for it to be authentically Brazilian. The transition from the colonial model to an aesthetics of poverty was a result of a confluence of factors. These included the country’s relatively new struggle to define itself away from …

Developing A Computational Framework For A Construction Scheduling Decision Support Web Based Expert System, Feroz Ahmed

Dissertations

Decision-making is one of the basic cognitive processes of human behaviors by which a preferred option or a course of action is chosen from among a set of alternatives based on certain criteria. Decision-making is the thought process of selecting a logical choice from the available options. When trying to make a good decision, all the positives and negatives of each option should be evaluated. This decision-making process is particularly challenging during the preparation of a construction schedule, where it is difficult for a human to analyze all possible outcomes of each and every situation because, construction of a project …

Policy Alternatives That Provide California School Districts With The Policy Options Necessary To Develop Facilities To Enhance Student Learning Opportunities And Optimize Financial Resources, Brett Mitchell

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop policy alternatives by the years 2019 to 2025 that would assist state policy makers, legislators, and advocates in adding definition to California school facility development and funding.

Methodology: This study involved descriptive statistics using a Delphi study method. Within the theoretical framework established for policy analysis, this Delphi study was inclusive of the knowledge and expertise of an expert panel that was nominated through peers. The Delphi panel consisted of 24 experts knowledgeable about statewide school facilities policy in California. The Delphi study was comprised of 3 rounds of electronic questionnaires …

Urban Food Entrepreneurship, Governance, And Economic Development In The Post-Industrial Cities Of Newark, New Jersey And Dayton, Ohio, John C. Jones

Dissertations

The local governments of post-industrial cities in the US struggle to foster economic development and to find uses for underutilized or abandoned urban land and buildings. Partly in response to growing consumer interest in locally produced foods, food entrepreneurs are increasingly using these underutilized urban properties for farming or for producing value-added food products. However, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, existing policies and regulatory regimes of local and state governments often restrict the ability of urban food entrepreneurs to grow. This dissertation documents urban food entrepreneurship in the post-industrial communities of greater Newark, New Jersey and greater Dayton, Ohio. The …

Crafting An Empire: The Hereke Factory Campus (1842-1914), Didem Yavuz

Dissertations

One of the starkest examples of the Ottoman Empire's new modernity was the fabrics and carpet model factory founded at Hereke in 1842. This dissertation focuses on the evolving conditions and social developments that took place over seventy-two years of production at Hereke, and discuss that the factory represented a microcosm of the Empire's wider industrial labor history. Hereke was used as a lens through which to explore a range of themes that, taken together, highlight the lifestyles of the early Ottoman workforce and its industrial relations: labor management, industrial action, child labor, class, gender, housing, education, clothing fashion, the …

A Methodological Framework For Quantifying Impacts Of Truck Traffic On Regional Network With Implications To Transport Policy, Chaitanya Narendra Pathak

Dissertations

Increased global trade has promoted the importance of shipping industry and the introduction of mega-ships has created an opportunity to be more cost-effective. Because of this, the expected change in freight transportation influences the operating regimes and schedules at the port terminals. Trucks being the predominant mode of transportation used to carry the freight transport, there is a growing concern about the impact of trucks in the region. The problems are further expected to grow as the improvements to resolve them are hindered by funding shortfalls. Public agencies are therefore involved in developing comprehensive state freight plans that outline immediate …

3d Printing Concrete Structures And Verifying Integrity Of Their G-Code Instructions: Border Wall A Case Study, Jason Breland

Dissertations

Thanks to advances in Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology and continued research by academics and entrepreneurs alike, the ability to “3d print” permanent concrete structures such as homes or offices is now a reality. Generally, AM is the process that allows for a 3d model of an object to be converted into hardware instructions to generate that object layer by layer using a malleable medium such as a plastic. Specifically, large scale concrete AM can now generate a structure, such as a building, layer by layer more quickly and efficiently than traditional construction methods [6, 39]. This innovative, semi-autonomous process promises …

Amending The Building Code Of The City Of New York: Exploring Forces That Influenced Change, Dolores Spivack

Dissertations

This study seeks to understand the forces that influenced changes (i.e., amendments) to the Building Code of New York City over an approximately one hundred and ten year period spanning from 1898, the year of the city’s consolidation, through 2008, the year of the major code amendment following September 11, 2001. Although the emphasis is on this period, building codes specific to New York City since 1625 are researched to cultivate a broader understanding of the changes to building codes throughout the city’s history. In particular, the focus is on the building issues that the amendments sought to change and …

Using Similarity To Achieve Trust To Enhance Decision Making In Vehicular Safety Applications, Hind Obaid Hamad Saeed Al Falasi

Dissertations

Vehicles exchange different types of messages either periodically or as needed for different types of applications. The data in the network of vehicles can be used to extract valuable knowledge to support various applications in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). Knowledge gained from the gathered data can be used to create local views of the network for individual vehicles; for instance, a vehicle can form a view of a subset of the network using neighboring vehicles’ directions of travel, speeds, and the types of applications they run. In the network, vehicles that have common attributes and requirements facilitate the establishment …

Light Rail And Changing Development Patterns In Dallas, San Diego And Jersey City, Joseph S. Buga

Dissertations

Between 1985 and 2014, 19 metropolitan areas in the United States built new light rail systems at a cost of over $30 billion. The US Department of Transportation funded a major share of the costs, with support from state and local public funding sources. This dissertation begins by providing an introduction to this era of light rail projects by placing them in the historical context of surface transit improvements in the United States. A compendium of the 1985 to 2014 light rail systems is then presented. Also included is a review of the various federal laws that have spurred light …

A Framework For Guiding The Briefing Process In Public-Private Partnerships In The Uae Construction Industry, Rauda Saeed Ali Saif Al-Saadi

Dissertations

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is a procurement method that employs a long-term contractual arrangement between public and private sectors with the intention of developing a public facility. A PPP brief must supply information that not only particularizes the project requirements but also specifies its program, risk management, expected performance output and payment mechanism. Many challenges currently face the briefing process of PPP projects in the UAE. A uniform briefing process has not been agreed, because there is no unified tender law or PPP procurement process in the country. The main aim of this research is to develop a framework for guiding …

Tools Developed For Courtyard Design To Enhance Daylight Performance In Adjacent Spaces Under Desert Clear Sky Conditions, Maitha Mohamed Dalmouk Al-Nuaimi

Dissertations

The court or courtyard refers to an area surrounded by the walls of a structure. It does not have a roof and is open to the sky. The courtyard is functionally an outdoor space that can be used in many ways: to provide extension to the indoor activities in the outdoors, to create a central space for social activities, and/or to create a private garden. Its high popularity is understandable as it improves building's functions and occupants' security and privacy; and it promotes fresh air and light. The majority of studies have been carried out on the environmental aspects of …

Rationalizing Everyday Life In Late Nineteenth Century Istanbul C. 1900, Ersin Altin

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the rationalizing process of everyday life in late nineteenth century Istanbul, within the framework of the modernization agendas that swept the Ottoman Empire from the 1830s on. Starting with the period known as Tanzimat (literally ‘the reforms’), the study covers the Hamidian period (1876-1909), Second Constitutional Era (1908-1918) and first seven years of the Turkish Republic (1923-1930) noting the complexities of shifts and novelties by looking at daily practices and discourses, as well as the relationships between them.

Within this historic framework, the main focus is the changing relationship between everyday objects and behavioral patterns of the …

Green Vs. Sustainable: Analyzing And Expanding Leed (Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design), Sonay Aykan

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the possibility of including new socio-economic indicators in green building rating systems in order to promote innovative practices in the building planning, design, construction and operations by introducing a broader definition of sustainability in the building industry. It provides a comparative analysis of the frameworks, indicators and measurement methods of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which is a voluntary green building rating system, and the reporting guidelines of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) by examining several selected socio-economic indicators from GRI and questioning the possibility of introducing similar indicators (credits) in LEED. By doing so, it …

Is The Public Invited? Design, Management And Use Of Privately Owned Public Spaces In New York City, Te-Sheng Huang

Dissertations

Researchers in urban planning, urban design, landscape architecture and sociology often criticize the increasing privatization of public space in the US for limiting the diversity of uses and users. Privately owned public spaces in New York City have received this critique. However, careful empirical research, with onsite observations of specific spaces and interviews with building managers, architects and city officials, is still largely lacking. Nor have researchers systematically investigated the full range of design features and management regulations and practices that do, or do not, serve to exclude certain kinds of activities and occupants. This study does precisely that as …

Synergy Of The Developed 6d Bim Framework And Conception Of The Nd Bim Framework And Nd Bim Process Ontology, Shawn Edward O'Keeffe

Dissertations

The author developed a unified nD framework and process ontology for Building Information Modeling (BIM). The research includes a framework developed for 6D BIM, nD BIM, and nD ontology that defines the domain and sub-domain constructs for future nD BIM dimensions. The nD ontology defines the relationships of kinds within any new proposed dimensional domain for BIM. The developed nD BIM framework and ontology takes into account the current 2D-5D BIM dimensions. There is a synergy between the 6D and nD framework that allows the nD framework and ontology to be utilized as a unified template for future dimensional development. …

Community Composition, Demographic Change, And The Impact Of Spatial Proximity To Disadvantage On Violence And Gang Presence In New Jersey Municipalities, Brian Engelmann

Dissertations

Neighborhood composition, change, and disadvantage have been shown to influence crime and gang presence in communities. There is a dearth of research, however, that explores whether spatial proximity to disadvantaged areas affects crime and gang presence in nearby locations. Through maps and spatial analysis, this study investigates how neighborhood demographics may vary and may have changed by community type in New Jersey municipalities. Through quantitative analysis and interviews with school and law enforcement officials, the study then analyzes how such community-based phenomena, coupled with proximity to disadvantaged areas, may affect crime, violence, and gang presence in towns and schools.

Findings …

Port Of Call Or Port Of Conflict: The Evolution Of The Port Of New York And New Jersey, Port-City Relationships, And The Potential For Land Use Conflicts On The Newark Bay Waterfront, Colette Santasieri

Dissertations

This dissertation, a case study of the Port of New York and New Jersey, covers three major research topics: 1) the evolution of the port spanning a period of over 200 years; 2) the relationship between the port (and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey) and five municipalities on Newark Bay; and 3) the potential for land use conflicts between the commercial port operations and redeveloping waterfronts for non-industrial uses.

Research about the historical evolution of the Port of New York and New Jersey centers exclusively on the waterfronts and facilities on the Hudson and East Rivers …

From "The Projects" To Houses : Physical Redevelopment, Poverty Deconcentration, And Resident Self-Sufficiency Impacts On Public Housing Residents At Hope Iv Developments In Camden, New Jersey, Michael C. Brown

Dissertations

Since 1992, public housing authorities (PHAs) throughout the United States have been building public housing rental and owner-occupied housing in place of demolished or rehabilitated distressed public housing and simultaneously attempting to deconcentrate poverty and improve self-sufficiency among the affected residents. The distressed housing is usually dilapidated, poorly designed, poorly constructed, poorly maintained, and poorly managed; the residents are very poor, are in constant fear of crime and violence, and have little hope. Previous attempts to address these problems have been piecemeal and often inadequate.

Based on recommendations by the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing in 1992, the …

Experiences Of Pregnancy, Childbirth And Post-Partem Period In Urban And Suburban Immigrant Pakistani Women, Rubab I. Qureshi

Dissertations

A body of research suggests that immigrants arrive in the U.S. in good health, a healthy immigrant effect. As immigrants acculturate and absorb dominant cultural norms (measured by proxy variables such as language preference, employment, smoking and alcohol consumption), their health status deteriorates. There is a need to understand how immigrants adapt to a changed social and cultural environment and how this may influence health.

A study of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period in immigrant Pakistani women living in New Jersey explored the interface of culture, immigration and health. The study employed a three pronged approach. Census data were …

Noxious Odor In Residential Environments : Coping In Reactive And Proactive Ways In Three New Jersey Communities, Maria Beatriz Yabur

Dissertations

Currently little is known about the effects of noxious odor on people's daily lives. This lack of knowledge is apparent in the rules and regulations concerning odor. This dissertation addresses this lack of knowledge by looking at the effects of current noxious odor on residents' lives in three residential communities in northern New Jersey: West Caldwell, Newark's North Ward and Garfield- Lafayette in Jersey City. The research examines the coping process residents adopt to deal with this environmental annoyance.

In this study I explore two ways residents cope with odor: reactively (trying to keep the odor out of their homes) …