Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Childcare Organizations: A Qualitative Study On Childcare Leaders’ Perceptions Of The Elements That Promote The Work They Do In The Childcare Industry, Paula S. Polito Mrs.

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Research has often highlighted the positive effects of high-quality early care and education on children's development and the economy. However, the challenge of ensuring access to quality care for all children and understanding the perspectives of leaders doing crucial work on the ground remains. Given the strong associations between high-quality early childhood education, brain development, and positive economic outcomes for those who access high-quality care, my paper introduces a theory of change. This theory outlines a pathway from understanding the determinants of quality in childcare centers, as seen through the eyes of industry leaders, to the implementation of policy changes. …

“The East:” A History Of New Orleans East And The Retail Redlining Of Black Middle-Class Suburbs, Charles Miller

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study of New Orleans East, a collection of diverse suburban neighborhoods that comprise the easternmost part of New Orleans. This interdisciplinary research study chronicles the growth and decline of “The East” to more generally understand the challenges facing Black middle-class suburbs. Decades-long mischaracterizations and overstated negative perceptions of The East persist, unjustly and unceasingly detracting from economic development and prosperity and exacerbating the inequities that have long plagued the city’s Black residents. Findings from this dissertation uncover how, in metropolitan New Orleans, residents, city officials, and local news media have effectively stigmatized and written off …

Impacts Of Risk Perception On Elderly Vulnerability: An Exploration Of Effects On Disaster Preparedness In Assisted Living Facilities, Jacquelyn Ann Marchand

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Disasters are increasing in intensity and frequency. With this expectation, it is important for communities to be proactive in disaster preparedness to ensure the safety of their citizens. Vulnerable populations need special consideration in disaster planning. The elderly are one of these vulnerable groups. By 2025 one-quarter of the U.S. population will fall into the 65 or older age category. Age itself does not make a person vulnerable. It is physical and cognitive change that often accompany aging which can make a person vulnerable. The importance of elderly vulnerability and risk perception cannot be overlooked. The casualty data alone can …

Memory Of Wernher Von Braun In Rocket City: The Historians’ Vergangenheitsbewältigung Challenge In Huntsville, Alabama, 1998-2010, Susan Lloyd Mcclamroch

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the conflict that often develops between historians who aim to reveal difficult history or correct a biased view of history and influential stakeholders who possess the agency to maintain historic silences or a skewed version of history. It examines the case in Huntsville, Alabama, when historians at the University of Alabama Huntsville mounted a campaign to inform the community of World War II events in Europe that preceded the immigration and relocation of a team of German rocketeers to establish a missile development program at the US Army’s Redstone Arsenal facility in 1950. Cold War successes made …

Catalysts And Impediments To Tax Increment Finance In Tulsa’S Historical African American Neighborhood, Bria A. Dixon

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis assesses how Tulsa, Oklahoma grew to utilize tax increment financing (TIF) to produce economic activity in Tulsa’s historic downtown area. Specifically, how the creation, history, and maintenance of ONEOK Field, a $60 million, 6,000-seat sports venue in Tulsa’s historically African American neighborhood became the catalyst for Tulsa’s current TIF policy. In examining the fiscal outcomes of ONEOK Field, this thesis finds implications for inequitable investment in and around Tulsa’s Greenwood TIF district

Paradox In The Bayou: Development And Displacement In America’S Wetlands, Allison Oliver Haertling

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The bayou communities situated at the southern ends of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana possess a rich and uniquely diverse cultural heritage. However, economic factors, combined with environmental issues such as land loss from oil and gas dredging, subsidence, and rising seas, have spurred significant migration “up the bayou” in recent decades, threatening the loss of these cultures and leaving behind a population that is growing increasingly more vulnerable. This study investigates the current and anticipated social, physical and fiscal impacts of persistent land loss and population decline on lower Terrebonne Parish, as well as planning strategies for maintaining existing infrastructure and …

Suitability Of Fusing Vehicle Probe Data And Vessel Data To Contextualize The Multimodal Interaction Impacts On Corridor Mobility – A New Orleans Case Study, Kirk Zeringue

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Using New Orleans as a case study, this thesis explores the conflation of vehicle probe data with various vessel datasets to characterize the interactions between container vessels and motor vehicles as it relates to interstate congestion in a port city. The case study investigates the impact of container vessel presence/size, fluctuations in container volumes, and container on barge services on roadway congestion. The exploration relies on comparing different conditions using cumulative distribution functions and the Innovative Trend Analysis. The results showed that fusing vehicle and vessel data is achievable and appropriate, but temporal and data completeness issues can effect results. …

Bringing The Theory Of Street-Level Bureaucrats Into The 21st Century: A Study Of Social Workers In Louisiana, Quian J. Lewis

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the applicability of Michael Lipsky’s (1980) concept of “street-level bureaucracy” to the profession of social work in 2019. Street-level bureaucrats are public service workers “who interact with citizens in the regular course of their jobs; have significant independence in decision making, and potentially have extensive impact on the lives of their citizens” (Lipsky, 1980:3). They are faced with uncertainties in their work related to inadequate resources, unclear policies, and caseloads/workloads that defy what may be possible to achieve by any one worker. Workers develop routines and “coping mechanisms,” to manage their environments. The routines that they develop …

Sicilian Roots: How The Agricultural Pursuits Of Immigrant Sicilians Shaped Modern New Orleans Cuisine, Laura A. Guccione

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The influx of immigrant Sicilians into southeastern Louisiana in the nineteenth century resulted in a parallel rise of the French Quarter as a culinary destination. Through an analysis of menus, recipe books, city directories, newspapers and census rolls, this work maps the growing influence of Sicilian farmers, vendors, and restaurateurs on New Orleans foodways. The often-overlooked community of Sicilians already living in the city in the early nineteenth century set the stage for the mass migration from Sicily to New Orleans later in the century, when Sicilians gained control of the produce food market in southeast Louisiana. A comparison of …

Hand-Built Ceramics At 810 Royal And Intercultural Trade In French Colonial New Orleans, Travis M. Trahan

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

While trade relations between French colonists and indigenous peoples in New Orleans are well documented, there have been few in depth studies utilizing archaeological sites in the city to illuminate the ways in which such relations shaped the day to day lives of the peoples involved. This work has attempted to elucidate trade practices between these groups by utilizing archaeological data uncovered at 810 Royal Street during excavations from 2015 through 2018. A collection of hand-built ceramics typically associated with indigenous peoples found in French colonial contexts on the site may help explicate the nature of trade occurring within the …

Coastal Fortresses: A Cross-Case Analysis Of Water, Policy, And Tourism Development In Three Gulf Coast Communities, Kimberly A. Krupa

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As a result of development pressures and water resource struggles, once rural, spatially segregated coastal commercial fishing villages along the U.S. portion of the Gulf of Mexico are increasingly tourist frontiers for elites and the emergent businesses that cater to them. Over the course of the twentieth century, water events, from coastal land loss to hurricane destruction to natural disaster, have fast-tracked development projects that have allowed for the expansion of the tourism sector, and relaxed policies to encourage bold new economic development initiatives that often put poor coastal communities and their environment in jeopardy. This outcome is not universal …

Character, Leadership, And Community: A Case Study Of A New Orleans Youth Program, Candace Colbert

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Youth outreach programs use innovative and community-based activities to fill in gaps of education, provide creative outlets, create access to opportunities, and empower youth.¹ This research investigates, records, and compares the ways in which staff and youth participants perceive the experience at a New Orleans youth program. The purpose of the research is to provide insight towards potential program improvement. The participants of this study are from Compassion Outreach of America’s summer program Project Reach NOLA in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. There are twenty-nine participants, between the ages of fourteen and fifty years old. The …

Pedestrians And Bicyclists Count : Developing A Statewide Multimodal Count Program, Tara M. Tolford, Maryam Izadi, Colin Ash, Julius Codjoe

UNO Transportation Institute Publications

The purpose of this study was to research best practices and available methods and technologies for measuring active transportation activity, in order to provide DOTD with needed information in support of the development of an efficient, cost-effective bicycle and pedestrian count program. Measuring progress toward Complete Streets policy implementation, as well as measuring the performance of individual projects in terms of safety outcomes, requires understanding patterns of and changes in active transportation demand so as to a) evaluate safety outcomes relative to rates of exposure, b) identify appropriate, context-sensitive complete streets infrastructure interventions, and c) understanding overall statewide and location-specific …

Analysis Of Spirit Of Charity Innovation District: Community Engagement, Development & Planning, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp, Adriana Bennett, Ashley Goodrich, Hoang Tao

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

The purpose of this project is to give an overview of history, background, planning process of the Spirit of Charity Innovation District and the upcoming development of the former Charity Hospital Building.

Purpose of content analysis is to evaluate all forms of documents and articles available to see what major themes are discussed and carried out to get a sense of what qualities are the most important in the SCID.

New Orleans: A Living Laboratory Dueling Narratives-Tourism Vs. Freight, Peter Alexander Webb

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research concerns the history of how the stories—narratives—which people tell about the Port of New Orleans and its related freight transportation have impacted Port-related traffic congestion on the last mile. “Last mile” refers to the last segment of a freight journey. In the context of the Port, it is the distance between the Tchoupitoulas Street exit ramp on US 90 and the entrance/exit of the Clarence Henry Truckway. The Clarence Henry Truckway is a 3.5-mile one way in/one way out dedicated truck route behind the floodwall of the Port on Tchoupitoulas street. Its access is threatened by proposed tourism-related …

Using Digital Mapping Techniques To Rapidly Document Vulnerable Historical Landscapes In Coastal Louisiana: Holt Cemetery Case Study, Alahna Moore

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis outlines a technique for rapid documentation of historic sites in volatile cultural landscapes. Using Holt Cemetery as an exemplary case study, a workflow was developed incorporating RTK terrain survey, UAS aerial imagery, photogrammetry, GIS, and smartphone data collection in order to create a multifaceted database of the material and spatial conditions, as well as the patterns of use, that exist at the cemetery.

The purpose of this research is to create a framework for improving the speed of data creation and increasing the accessibility of information regarding threatened cultural resources. It is intended that these processes can be …

Post-Katrina Retention Of Law Enforcement Officers: A Case Study Of The New Orleans Police Department, Richard A. Williams Sr

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study of the New Orleans Police Department and identified factors that affected the retention of law enforcement officers post-Hurricane Katrina. The NOPD was chosen because the agency was an extreme case and experienced the unprecedented separation of over 300 officers during and post- Hurricane Katrina. The variables examined included tenure, age, salary, education, and job satisfaction, as well as, race, sex, marital status, and New Orleans residency.

This research is significant because in a time of decreasing budgets and increased cost to replace employees, where skills are scarce and knowledge is important, recruitment is costly, …

Neighborhood Development Foundation: Homebuyer Locations And Purchase Dates In New Orleans (La) And Nearby Metro Parishes, 1986-2017, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp, Brittney Moore, Jennie Garcia

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

The New America Public Interest Technology “Financial Inclusion & Citizen Participation” (FI&CP) project is focused on evaluating the public and private financial policies, tools and practice (FPTP) that impact the ability for people to increase their personal and family wealth. The FI&CP is evaluating the PFTP case study cities of New York (Bronx City), Chicago, IL, New Orleans, LA, and St. Louis, MO using big and small/community data to identify use and access to financial services such as credit cards and mortgages. The New Orleans case study focuses on p3GIS (public and private participation geographic information systems) in a dynamic …

Land Use Planning & Historic Preservation Property Assessment Tool In New Orleans: The Algiers Main Street Demonstration Project, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp, Ian Butler-Severson, William Cespedes, Nicole J. Coleman, John Flemister

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

Service-learning is a critical component of the student-centered education model at the University of New Orleans (UNO). For students to apply their knowledge activities within, classes are developed to provide technical service and experiential knowledge for community organizations. In the fall of 2017 students in the MURP 4050/5050 “Urban Land Use Planning & Plan Making” course combined their recently acquired knowledge of how policy affects the use of applying new planning tools in practice. Specifically, the course focused on the application of Federal and State policies for identifying and evaluating the significance of properties under Historic Preservation (HP) guidelines. This …

Frameworks Of Recovery: Exploring The Intersection Of Policy & Decision-Making Processes After Hurricane Katrina, Kim Mosby

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to understand how local and national newspaper articles and African American residents frame obstacles to returning to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. It explores how recovery planning processes and policy changes influenced the decision-making processes of African Americans displaced to Houston through a content analysis of the media and qualitative interviews with displaced and returned residents. The study shows the media and participants framed disaster recovery policies as creating opportunities and gaps in assistance that varied by location. Participants described how policy decisions that created gaps in assistance compounded the difficulty of returning for working- and middle-class …

Evacuation And Return: Increasing Safety And Reducing Risk, The University Of New Orleans Center For Hazards Assessment, Response & Technology

CHART Publications

The City of New Orleans enlisted UNO-CHART to improve the evacuation of the vulnerable populations in the city, defined broadly to include those who are not able to access or use the standard resources offered in disaster preparedness and planning, response, and recovery. To do this, UNO-CHART analyzed the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), the City Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP) and Special Needs Registry databases, conducted a literature review of risk communication best practices, reviewed ready.nola.gov for content and readability, conducted a social vulnerability analysis of the Evacuspots, conducted interviews and focus groups with vulnerable populations in the City of New …

Decoding Nopd's Thin Blue Line, Thomas Harrington

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The New Orleans Police Department history dates back to the 1800’s. Since its inception, the department has been pledged by misconduct, low morale, and low public opinion. This research used Akers Social Structure, and Social learning theory or SSSL to understand the socialization process of the department and determine if the process could attribute for misconduct, the blue wall of silence, and the thin blue line.

A case study was conducted in which twenty former NOPD officers on the department from 1979 to 2004 were interviewed. They were only identified by race, gender, and the number of years on the …

A Case Study Of A Six-Time Convicted Serial Rapist: The Search For Explanation, Ricardo E. Fernandez

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This case study discusses rape theories by performing a case study of a convicted serial rapist, hereafter referred to as “Carl Criminal.” This pseudonym has been used throughout this research effort in order to avoid the additional contributing to the celebrity status of the true rapist who has committed these vicious sexual assaults. Locations have also been changed in order to prevent contribution of further clues that may help identify the rapist and avoid embarrassment, humiliation, and further mental anguish for the rape victims.

On January 18, 1999, Carl Criminal, a 38-year-old white male Sheriff’s Deputy with a local sheriff’s …

Women In Nontraditional Occupations: A Mixed Methods Qualitative Case Study On Women In The U.S. Concrete-Construction Industry, Sefla Fuhrman

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods qualitative case study is to gain a deeper understanding about the factors that contribute to and/or hinder women’s participation in the construction industry by examining women’s experiences within one very industry-specific, male-dominated nontraditional occupation (NTO)—the concrete industry. In this study I utilized a combination of methods including interviews and survey research, as well as case analysis of an organization specifically involved with this population, the Women In Concrete Alliance (WICA). This investigation identifiesd some of the reasons why women’s participation remains low, discusses some of ways that the private, public, and educational sectors have …

Findings For The Placement Of Tiny Houses In New Orleans, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp, Jennie Garcia

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

This report are the findings of research on Tiny Houses in the City of New Orleans. This project looks at the issues related to how and/or if ‘prefabricated’ housing is defined by housing type, conforms to zoning and is valued (by the assessor and private banks) in the New Orleans market. The case study will summarize existing and proposed ordinances that relate to the design and siting requirements for houses on wheels and without. The definition of tiny houses built by Preservation Tiny House Company falls into the category of ‘mobile homes’ or ‘trailers’ which many manufactured houses are considered. …

Rehabilitation And Blight Remediation: An Analysis Of Affordable Housing Policy And Development In New Orleans, E. Michelle Butcher

Senior Honors Theses

The City of New Orleans (CNO) Office of Community Development approved funding to rehabilitate 81 properties (73 of which were actually used in the project) that were moved from the site of the VA/LSU Medical complex to scattered sites city-wide. These homes, which were located in a proposed historic district, were chosen to be part of a blight remediation initiative monitored by the CNO Office of Performance and Accountability “BlightSTAT” meeting. This research examines the impact of this U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sponsored affordable housing program on the New Orleans blight remediation plan. The case study on the …

Culture, Design, And Identity: An Analysis Of The French Market District, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

This report provides an analysis of the current conditions of the French Market District (the District), and the UNO-PLUS team’s recommendations for improvement. Methods of analyses include site visits, pedestrian and traffic counts, mapping, and review of the City of New Orleans’ Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

Protecting The Future By Preserving The Past: A Report To The St. John The Baptist Parish Historic Preservation Study Committee, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

St. John the Baptist Parish is home to a considerable amount of historic landmarks and neighborhoods. Presently, sixteen properties throughout St. John and the national historic district of Garyville are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Although prestigious, this mostly honorary recognition provides limited legal protections for their preservation (Miller, 2008). As a result, St. John the Baptist Parish has lost a significant amount of historic property. A program to protect the parish’s significant historic and cultural landmarks can help preserve and revitalize areas of established historic value and capitalize on existing parish assets. In fall 2016, …

Community Corridors Bright Futures: Old Algiers Main Street, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

Located just across the river from the French Quarter, Old Algiers is the second oldest neighborhood in New Orleans and is just fifteen minutes from downtown. Since the 1960s, the neighborhood has suffered from disinvestment and lost residents, jobs, and commercial activity, while the proportion of vacant and underutilized lots has grown. Because it did not flood during Hurricane Katrina, Old Algiers did not benefit from many of the public and private resources that helped rebuild and re-energize other parts of the city. Currently, its proximity to downtown, relatively affordable real estate, and rich cultural history make it a prime …

Advocacy Coalition Formation, Mobilization, Sustainment, And Fragmentation: A Case Study Of The New Orleans Federal Alliance (Nofa) And The Federal City Project, Gerald J. Ormerod

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

U.S. military bases and installations represent trillions of dollars of capital investment towards the nation’s defense infrastructure. The Department of Defense, in its response to the end of the Cold War with the Soviet Union in the 1980s, sought to reorganize and optimize this basing infrastructure to meet the emerging threats of the 21^st century. A series of nationwide Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) efforts were chartered by Congress to facilitate this task, identifying hundreds of obsolete or unneeded military installations. During the last BRAC effort in 2005, the Naval Support Activity New Orleans was targeted for closure, with …