Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Restoring The Mississippi River Delta In Louisiana Ecological Tradeoffs And Barriers To Action, Alison Maulhardt

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the Louisiana 2012 Coastal Master Plan’s ability to reconcile conflicting economic and ecological demands on coastal resources. The Louisiana Coastal Master Plan was unique in combining flood control and coastal restoration under one authority. However, the objectives of flood control and coastal restoration can be in conflict. The plan was also unique in its approach of restoration from a working coast perspective. However, the objectives of ecological restoration and economic productivity do not always agree. By conducting semi-structured interviews with major coastal stakeholders, this research will explore how the planning process has accommodated the views and values …

Reflections Of Globalization: A Case Study Of Informal Food Vendors In Southern Ghana, Arianna J. King

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In the context of rapid urbanization, globalization, market liberalization, and growing flexibility of labor in the post-Fordist era, urban environments have seen economic opportunities and employment in the formal sector become increasingly less available to the vast majority of urban dwellers in both high-income and low-income countries. The intersectional forces of globalization, and neoliberalization have contributed to the ever-growing role of informal economic opportunities in providing the necessary income to fulfill household needs for individuals throughout the world and have also influenced social, cultural, and spatial organization of informal sector workers. Using a case study and ethnographic information from several …

Here I Am And Here I’M Not: Queer Women’S Use Of Temporary Urban Spaces In Post-Katrina New Orleans, Vigdís María Hermannsdóttir

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis builds on previous work on the relationship between queer identities and urban space. Drawing from an analysis of two recurring New Orleans-based queer women’s events, I examine how lesbians and queer women not only use but also actively produce social spaces of their own through participation in events organized specifically for lesbians and queer women. Using qualitative methods, I examine the ephemeral and transient quality of lesbian and queer women’s social spaces in post-Katrina New Orleans and the processes through which such spaces come into being. I argue that lesbian and queer women’s production of ephemeral social spaces …

Urban Utopias And Suburban Slums: A Demographic Analysis Of Suburban Poverty And Reurbanization In American Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Isabelle Notter

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study examines 2000 and 2010 Census data to determine the resettlement patterns of urban and suburban residents in 23 American metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Previous research discusses the development of an affluent suburbia, leaving postindustrial cities in decline. However, recent literature suggests the reurbanization of postindustrial cities by the creative class, a Return to the City movement fueled by middle class entrepreneurs, artists, and technocrats. Alongside reurbanization are increases in poverty, and racial and ethnic enclaves in suburbia. The literature shows these trends as two separate, independent processes. This study investigates the relationship between these processes within MSAs. Consistent …

Swamp Surburbia And Rebellion Against A Culture Of Crime: The Birth Of Black Skateboarding In The Big Easy, Aubrey Edwards

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research addresses a significant gap in previous work on the formation of urban and suburban black skateboarding subcultures. By using data generated through oral histories, photographs, mapping, and literature review, this study explores why black youth initially began skateboarding in New Orleans in the mid-2000s. In contrast to the scholarly literature and local popular perception, this visual anthropological study aims to provide an alternative origin story of black skateboarding in Post-Katrina New Orleans, and to examine the continuing popularity of the sport within the young black community.

Incubating Success: Building Capacity For Minority Social Entrepreneurs In Central City, New Orleans, Department Of Planning And Urban Studies, University Of New Orleans

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

Since Hurricane Katrina, entrepreneurial activity in New Orleans has grown faster than the national average (Plyer, Ortiz, Horwitz, & Hobor, 2013). Nationally, however, there is an overall lack of minority startups that are backed by venture capital (Schmid, 2015). These disparities are evident in New Orleans as well (Walker, 2014). The Foundation for Louisiana (FFL) and Camelback Ventures (Camelback) seek to address this issue through the creation of an empowerment incubator for minority entrepreneurs near the LaSalle St. corridor in Central City, New Orleans.

To this end, FFL and Camelback commissioned the UNO-PLUS Community Development Finance Capstone team to examine …

Understanding The Uptown Triangle Neighborhood: Mapping Quality Of Life Indicators In The Black Pearl, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp, Tori Berliner, Jessi Boney, Angela De Melo, Cathleen Campbell, Anthony Couvillon, Tarynn Dunn, Florence Djoleto, Jennie Garcia, Kelsea Hundtoft, Syed Islam, Reynaldo Johnson, Taylor Jones, Matt Loftis, Travis Martin, Eric Pate, Johannes Schmid, Lindsey Smith, Nicholas Sorrells, Kathryn Sullivan, Deneka Vallius

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

In the spring of 2015, University of New Orleans (UNO) students enrolled in the MURP 4081/5081 course-Applied Geographic Information Systems: Information Technology for the Planning Profession (also known as ‘Applied GIS’) led by Dr. Michelle Thompson. Since 2008 this course has provided students with a blended experience with learning the theory and receiving an introduction to spatial analysis using the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) ArcGIS software then applying this knowledge as GIS Analysts with a non-profit community partner. In the fall of 2014, Dr. Thompson competed to have this course designated as the inaugural Department of Planning and Urban …

Public Participation Gis And Neighbourhood Recovery: Using Community Mapping For Economic Development, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp

Planning and Urban Studies Faculty Publications

In 2005, New Orleans, Louisiana experienced an interruption in its neighborhood life cycle due to Hurricane Katrina. While federal, state and local administrative policies have tried to manage the process of recovery, the non-profit sector has been a key to the recovery. This paper will examine the case study of the Beacon of Hope Resource Centre (BOH) whose ability to collect data, expand citizen engagement and influence policy made a positive impact upon economic development through public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) with the Regional Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Urban Studies, University of New Orleans. This …