Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Departmental Strategic Planning: Examining The Institutional And Organizational Linkages That Influence Departmental Strategic Planning Processes In Local Government, Adam Mobbs Aug 2013

Departmental Strategic Planning: Examining The Institutional And Organizational Linkages That Influence Departmental Strategic Planning Processes In Local Government, Adam Mobbs

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the organizational and institutional factors that contribute to strategic planning efforts within the specific context of municipal government departments. It uses a mixed-methods approach consisting of a quantitative and qualitative analysis. The qualitative data was collected through interviews with department heads from two municipalities – Markham and Vaughan – that demonstrated enhanced strategic management processes, while the quantitative data was collected through a questionnaire that measured the perceptions of department heads employed by mid-sized Ontario municipalities. The findings reveal that each measure contained in the Strategic Management Processes Index demonstrates a relatively healthy level of management processes …


Landowner Behaviour In The Upper Thames And Grand River Watersheds: A Study Of Factors That May Explain The Conservation Behaviour Of Farmers, Jeffrey Brick Jul 2013

Landowner Behaviour In The Upper Thames And Grand River Watersheds: A Study Of Factors That May Explain The Conservation Behaviour Of Farmers, Jeffrey Brick

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the factors that may explain why some farmers choose to remove conservation lands, while others choose to restore them. It uses a survey that was administered to rural landowners in the Upper Thames River and Grand River watersheds in Southwestern Ontario to collect information on landowner characteristics and behaviours, as well as literature reviews to provide insights into the value of conservation lands and the changing economic conditions in the study area. Eight independent variables that may explain the conservation behaviour of farmers were assessed. The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between property size and the …


Planning Bicycle Infrastructure Based On The Quickest Or Easiest Route Method, Olena Tokmylenko May 2013

Planning Bicycle Infrastructure Based On The Quickest Or Easiest Route Method, Olena Tokmylenko

All Theses

Current bicycle models assume average speed along the route and among routes and that travel time is proportional to distance. There is no method that determines realistic cycling time based on change in speed due to topography. My research proposes a model for the development of bicycle infrastructure based on reducing travel time and level of difficulty. I identified that topography, human power, and riding speed have strong relationship and developed a bicycle travel time model where speed is a function of human power and topography. I solved the shortest route problem with time impedance where time was computed based …


Evaluating Social Sustainability In Plans For Inter-Cultural Cities, Diane Faye Gapas Apr 2013

Evaluating Social Sustainability In Plans For Inter-Cultural Cities, Diane Faye Gapas

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, there is an increasing interest and awareness on sustainability and sustainable development. Sustainability is comprised of the three E’s: environment, economy and equity. Of these three, the equity or the social sustainability component is often overlooked. As cities become more global and demographically diverse due to immigration, diversity’s impact to the city should be addressed through policies and plans. The content analysis and evaluation of city plans, policies and urban design examines their response to accommodating and including inter-cultural diversity using identified indicators of social sustainability and equity. This study finds that the length of time a city has …


Managing Tribal Lands And Resources In Michigan: Tribal, State, And Federal Influence, Elise M. Crafts Apr 2013

Managing Tribal Lands And Resources In Michigan: Tribal, State, And Federal Influence, Elise M. Crafts

Masters Theses

Michigan Indigenous Tribes, along with the State and Federal government, are key players in current environmental management programs and policy. The current relationship between these three entities is not clearly defined. Using qualitative data collected through collaborative interviews with employees and members of multiple Michigan Tribes, this study narrates the present dynamic of the Tribal-State-Federal environmental relationship. The Federal government's legal obligation to Michigan Tribes may mitigate potential tension between Tribal and Federal environmental departments, as Tribal-Federal communication is historically established by treaty. Across the country, Federal, State and Tribal departments face similar environmental concerns but the extent to which …