Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Planning For Industrial Land And Industrial Jobs: An Evaluation Of New York City's Industrial Business Zone Program, Jennifer Davis

Masters Theses

In recent years, industrial preservation policies, which aim to preserve urban industrial activity and industrial employment often through the preservation of industrial land, have emerged as a flashpoint in cities across the country that have implemented these policies. While critics contend that industrial preservation policies amount to smokestack chasing in “post-industrial” cities like New York City, industrial preservationists argue that such policies help to preserve well-paying, middle-class jobs and thus represent a tool to mitigate rising income inequalities in cities. Despite considerable attention to these policies, minimal research has evaluated the effectiveness of industrial preservation policies as land use and …

The Government Role In Creating Innovation Technological Clusters In Developing Countries (The Case Of Saudi Arabia), Khalid Mahmoud Dashash

Doctoral Dissertations

Many governments around the world are committed to the idea of creating high-tech industries in their territories. Often they do so by imitating other well-recognized models such as the Silicon Valley. This dissertation investigated three countries economic development plans to understand how government policies could support or hinder the establishment of an Innovation Systems in developing countries. This dissertation claims that to create a successful high technological innovation cluster in any area, a successful innovation needs to be existed to support these clusters. This study used a comparative qualitative pragmatic method that implemented both case study and process tracing to …

Multi-Criteria Decision Making When Planning Sustainable Multimodal Transportation Routes In A Linear Corridor, Marie Louis

Doctoral Dissertations

In urban and suburban locations, public transit can be seen as an effective mode of daily transportation. The majority of the time, travelers would seek the cheapest, shortest, and possibly most eco-friendly means of transit. When designing public transit network systems, transportation planners and decision-makers, with input from stakeholders, should strive to optimize transportation services to meet the needs of the population most efficiently and at the lowest cost, that is, providing a transportation system that s the three E's of the sustainability concept: environment, social equity, and economic. Previous studies have focused on sustainability as the primary concern in …

Planning [And] The Sanitary City: Understanding Implications Of Community-Based Ecological Sanitation Reforms In The U.S., Catherine K. Bryars

Masters Theses

Though most commonly regarded as a revolutionary public health invention, the introduction of conventional wastewater sanitation systems has a mixed legacy in the U.S. A growing body of research links sewage-based sanitation systems with nationwide ecosystem degradation and an unsustainable dependence on vast inputs of materials and resources. In addition to contributing to chronic problems across the country, today these wastewater infrastructures are in various states of disrepair. The EPA estimates that at least $270 billion must be invested in coming years to prevent massive sanitary failures, but municipalities are increasingly unable to fund these expensive (re)investments in buried water-carriage …

Collaborative Decision-Making Processes In Planning: Opportunities And Challenges In The City Of Rafaela, Argentina, Maria Belen Alfaro

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

There is a large body of literature in the planning field on the topic of collaborative processes of decision-making, particularly in the United States and Europe. However, there appears to be less debate on the subject of complementing these ideas with contributions from urban governance. This research aims to contribute to that complementary work. In order to accomplish that, this thesis presents first a theoretical analysis of collaborative rationality and urban governance contributions. This analysis focuses on the articulation of those aspects that can offer a more holistic framework for addressing urban issues in a more inclusive way. Second, it …

Evaluating Economic Development Programs Using Matched Employee‐Employer Data In A Quasi‐ Experimental Framework, Henry C. Renski

Henry C Renski

In the wake of shrinking public coffers, policy makers are demanding greater accountability from their economic development initiatives. In a discipline known for ‘claiming anything that falls,’ attempts to objectively evaluate economic development programs have been stymied by ill-suited data sources and methods. Survey research is expensive and responding firms have an incentive to lie about the effectiveness of subsidies. Publicly available data on employment, wages, and other outcomes are highly aggregated and lack the power to capture impacts from anything other than the most dramatic, large-scale initiatives. Confidential employee- and establishment-level (micro) data holds considerable promise for more rigorous …

Environmental Justice And Roma Communities In Central And Eastern Europe, Krista Harper, Tamara Steger, Richard Filcak

Anthropology Department Faculty Publication Series

Environmental injustice and the social exclusion of Roma communities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has roots in historical patterns of ethnic exclusion and widening socioeconomic inequalities following the collapse of state socialism and the transition to multi-party parliamentary governments in 1989. In this article, we discuss some of the methodological considerations in environmental justice research, engage theoretical perspectives on environmental inequalities and social exclusion, discuss the dynamics of discrimination and environmental protection regarding the Roma in CEE, and summarize two case studies on environmental justice in Slovakia and Hungary. We argue that when some landscapes and social groups are …

Environmental Justice And Roma Communities In Central And Eastern Europe, Krista Harper, Tamara Steger, Richard Filcak

Krista M. Harper

Environmental injustice and the social exclusion of Roma communities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has roots in historical patterns of ethnic exclusion and widening socioeconomic inequalities following the collapse of state socialism and the transition to multi-party parliamentary governments in 1989. In this article, we discuss some of the methodological considerations in environmental justice research, engage theoretical perspectives on environmental inequalities and social exclusion, discuss the dynamics of discrimination and environmental protection regarding the Roma in CEE, and summarize two case studies on environmental justice in Slovakia and Hungary. We argue that when some landscapes and social groups are …

Across The Bridge: Using Photovoice To Study Environment And Health In A Romani Community., Krista Harper, The Sajó River Association For Environment And Community Development, Hungary

Anthropology Department Faculty Publication Series

This photo essay is the product of a partnership between Prof. Krista Harper, the Sajó River Association for Environment and Community Development, and community organizer Judit Bari. The project took place in a small city in northeastern Hungary hit hard by factory closings since the collapse of state socialism in 1989. The Roma community, about 20% of the town’s population, has been especially vulnerable. A team of six young people participated as photographers and discussion participants, working closely with Harper and Bari. Other community members joined discussions of the images. The team held a photo exhibition in the neighborhood where …

Across The Bridge: Using Photovoice To Study Environment And Health In A Romani Community., Krista Harper

Krista M. Harper

This photo essay is the product of a partnership between Prof. Krista Harper, the Sajó River Association for Environment and Community Development, and community organizer Judit Bari. The project took place in a small city in northeastern Hungary hit hard by factory closings since the collapse of state socialism in 1989. The Roma community, about 20% of the town’s population, has been especially vulnerable. A team of six young people participated as photographers and discussion participants, working closely with Harper and Bari. Other community members joined discussions of the images. The team held a photo exhibition in the neighborhood where …

Parking Regulation Strategies And Policies To Support Transit-Oriented Development, Ryan W. Lundergan

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

This thesis identifies and explores the effects that new parking strategies and policies could have on transit-oriented development (TOD) success levels. Additionally, it makes the case for TOD parking regulation reform, and is designed to educate planners and stakeholders on how to successfully and responsibly shape parking regulation in the planning and implementation process, so that land use in the region allows the synergistic provision of sustainable transportation specifically to the Boston region.

Transit-Oriented Development is viewed and defined differently throughout research and literature, with its most common traits being compact, mixed use development near transit facilities and high-quality walking …

Place And Prosperity: Quality Of Place As An Economic Driver, Reilly J. Catherine, Henry C. Renski

Henry C Renski

recent report from the Brookings Institution commissioned by GrowSmart Maine concluded that achieving long-term economic health for Maine depends on preserving and investing in the state’s “quality of place.” In this article, based on a report they did for the Governor’s Council on Maine’s Quality of Place, Catherine Reilly and Henry Renski examine whether quality of place is indeed a viable driver of community economic development. They note that Maine has a comparative advantage in quality of place, but that quality-of-place initiatives need to be regional, strategic, and multidimensional, and to involve public, private, and non-profit sectors.

Wild Capitalism: Environmental Activism And Postsocialist Political Ecology In Hungary, Krista Harper

Anthropology Department Faculty Publication Series

"Wild Capitalism" examines environmental issues in the "New Europe" of the twenty-first century. Specifically, it looks at how the meanings of "civil society" and "environment" have changed as environmentalists encounter the political and ecological realities of life after state socialism. Although environmentalism is a global social movement, environmental politics is a grassroots process in which activists creatively translate environmental issues into cultural idioms and political processes.

Wild Capitalism: Environmental Activism And Postsocialist Political Ecology In Hungary, Krista Harper

Krista M. Harper

"Wild Capitalism" examines environmental issues in the "New Europe" of the twenty-first century. Specifically, it looks at how the meanings of "civil society" and "environment" have changed as environmentalists encounter the political and ecological realities of life after state socialism. Although environmentalism is a global social movement, environmental politics is a grassroots process in which activists creatively translate environmental issues into cultural idioms and political processes.

Gill, Massachusetts: The Mariamante Parcel, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

In December of 2004, the small Massachusetts town of Gill took a tremendous step to influence its own future. A fifteen acre parcel of land in the south of town, near the intersection of two important town roads, had been put up for sale by its previous owners. The land had been under an agricultural preservation restriction, a program enabled by Massachusetts General Law Chapter 61 A. As part of this restriction, if the land were ever sold, the town would have right of first refusal.

The town's recent Community Development Plan has identified the parcel as a prime site …

Economic Development Plan Town Of Warren, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This section of the Comprehensive Plan identifies economic development strategies within the framework of various development opportunities available to Warren given its current economic and geographical standing within the region. These economic development strategies strive to meet the needs and desires of the residents of Warren, Massachusetts based on their input and an analysis of local and regional economic trends and conditions. These potential economic strategies, intended to promote future economic growth, are in alignment with the Town’s core values and community goals.

Warren currently has two village centers, an active mill complex, significant open space, rivers and wetlands, and …

Town Of Billerica, Massachusetts Master Plan Appendix B Community Charrette Results, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This is Appendix B of the Town of Billerica, Massachusetts Master Plan. This Appendix contains the results of a Community Charrette in Billerica, Massachusetts that helped identify the desires of residents in the community.

Town Of Billerica, Massachusetts Master Plan Appendix C Community Survey Results, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This is Appendix C of the Town of Billerica, Massachusetts Master Plan. This Appendix contains a summarized report of the results of a community survey.

Town Of Billerica, Massachusetts Master Plan, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

Billerica is a community rich in history and burgeoning with change. We come from colonial, agrarian roots, participated in the industrial revolution and enjoyed our day as a vacation destination. Billerica changed as the post war economy changed and became a haven for those, many from the city, seeking a close-knit community to raise families. We are now at the forefront of a high technology economy that has brought with it jobs, hotels and more change. As a community we struggle with our desire to preserve our historical character as a rural community and our realization that economic development is …

Town Of Billerica, Massachusetts Master Plan Appendix D, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This is an appendix for the Town of Billerica, Massachusetts Master Plan. This Appendix contains a community buildout analysis for Billerica.

Connecticut River Economic Adjustment Project, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The purpose of this study was to inventory various environmental and economic criteria for the region. In the second phase the data was analyzed for implications for development potential. In phase three the Net Available Land Analysis methodology will be allied on the town level to two towns that meet one or more of the three Economic Development Administration criteria. The region chosen was Enfield, Connecticut and Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Economic Development And Planning Report, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This report identifies the planning and economic development needs of the tristate region between the Blackstone River Valley and Quinebaug-Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridors in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

The Economic Impact Of Housing Investment Through The Community Preservation Act In Boston, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This report attempts to look at the need for affordable housing and economic impacts of housing in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Its premise is that the economic impact of housing is significant and involves a multitude of factors, from the monetary effects of the construction process to the impact of personal income on the local economy.

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy For Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The purpose of this report was to establish the goals and objectives that would guide the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. These goals and objects were the result of deliberations of the countywide CEDs Coordinating Committee.

Economic Development Of Erving, Massachusetts, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This report presents information on Erving, Massachusetts’ economy and main economic development issues. It begins with an analysis of demographic, labor, and employment statistics, then discusses some key issues that pose challenges to and provide opportunities for future development. It concludes with recommendations for taking action to address challenges and to seize opportunities.

Guide To Green Planning And Regulation Practices In Suasco Watershed, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This report discusses six planning tools or techniques selected by the client that have been used in six different SuAsCo (Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers) communities. The six case studies highlighting these tools as they applied in the watershed and Eastern Massachusetts were assessed as to their strengths and weaknesses in light of current national practices.

Town Of Lawrence, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This report takes a look at the town of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Lawrence, originally a rural farming town, was transformed into a major industrial center when Boston Entrepreneurs developed huge textile mills on the Merrimack River to use the power of its water falls. The mill owners built canals, a dam and reservoir, boarding houses and a machine shop for locomotives, creating one of the first industrial complexes in the country.

Town Of Andover, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

Andover is a suburban community of 32 square miles with a population of 29,000. The town is located just 20 miles south of Boston at the intersection of I-93 and I-495. With easy access to the city and Logan Airport, Andover is home to many of the largest high-technology firms such as Hewlett-Packard, Raytheon, Digital, Gillette, and Genetics Institute.

Town Of Georgetown, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This report focuses on the town of Georgetown, Massachusetts. While it was still widely forested, with many acres of open and recreation land, the town also had a walkable village core as well as industrial and commercial development. The town was renowned for its thriving antique industry and also boasted an organ manufacturing company, a supermarket and an expanding public golf and country club.

Town Of Methuen, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

Methuen, Massachusetts played a significant role in this country’s industrial revolution, which began in the Merrimack Valley. In the mid-to late 19^th century, mills along the Spicket River and Spicket Falls produced hats, shoes, and textiles.