Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Assessing Equitable Distribution Of The Urban Tree Canopy At The Neighborhood Scale In Greenville, South Carolina., April Riehm

All Theses

We are living in an era that necessitates adaptation and resilience. The Earth is warming. Our climate has changed (EPA, 2016). Our planet is also rapidly urbanizing. It is predicted that 68% of people will live in cities by 2050. The City of Greenville is a rapidly growing city in South Carolina that has been losing its tree canopy to development(City of Greenville, 2023). The Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) is a community asset that provides many quality-of-life benefits including improved air quality, stormwater management, carbon sequestration, mental and physical well-being, increased mobility and access, aesthetics, a reduction in energy costs, …

Quantifying Hurricane Effects On Housing: Evaluating Damage, Loss, And Shelter Demands Using Historical And Simulated Storm Tracks, Adish Deep Shakya

All Theses

This research introduces an advanced framework which employs parametric wind field models for peak wind speeds, and building fragility curves, loss functions, and demographic data to estimate for estimating housing damage and loss. The uninhabitable units immediate displaced households, short-term and long-term shelter need households are determined. with a particular focus on those eligible for FEMA assistance. The framework's validity is reinforced by a high correlation in the analysis of recent hurricane events between estimated numbers of displaced households and actual FEMA aid recipients, where FEMA aids about 20-60% of the predicted long-term displaced households. A novel application of the …

Green On The Map - The Influence Of Conservation Easements On The Naturalness Of Landscapes In The United States, Nakisha Fouch

All Dissertations

Large protected areas have long been the cornerstone of conservation biology, however, in an era branded by the human dominance of ecosystems, regional landscape structure and function are often a consequence of accumulated land-use decisions that may or may not include a nod to conservation planning. With underrepresentation of habitats in publicly protected areas, attention has focused on the function of alternative land conservation mechanisms. Private conservation easements (CEs) have proliferated in the United States, yet assessing landscape-level function is confounded by holder and donor intent, national and regional policy, regional landscape contexts, varying extents, resolution, and temporal scale. Over …

An Intergenerational Study Of The Entrepreneurial Nature Of Agritourism Operators, Will Culler

All Dissertations

Economic and non-economic trends have left farm operators of all ages contemplating enterprise diversification strategies to create advantages and to ensure their farms' sustainability for future generations. One such strategy is agritourism, in which a visitor to a working farm or other agricultural setting interacts with the farm landscape or participates in an agricultural process for tourism or leisure purposes. This study aims to contribute to academics, researchers, extension educators, practitioners, and farm service providers who offer training and resources to better equip current and future agritourism operators. The study tested the general hypothesis that agritourism operators' entrepreneurial goals and …

Determining The Value Of Ecosystem Services Provided By Green Stormwater Infrastructure In Coastal South Carolina, Joan U. Ureta

All Dissertations

Rapid urbanization changes the natural hydrology of a landscape, making stormwater management a crucial aspect of land development. As the fastest growing ecosystem globally, an innovative way of managing stormwater is needed to address the increase in urban run-off. In coastal South Carolina, stormwater practices have been widely adopted at the neighborhood level, yet threat of flooding is becoming more evident as the urban population and development continue to rise.

To determine the importance of stormwater practices to coastal residents, we assessed perception on stormwater practices and programs at different decision levels— 1) household, 2) neighborhood, and 3) city/county. Results …

Overcoming Provision Challenges And Barriers To Affordable Housing Development In Small Towns Of South Carolina, Marchell L. Magxaka

All Dissertations

Housing serves as a source of identity and provides privacy, a sense of security, and stability to the occupant (Skobba, Osinubi, & Tinsley, 2020). However, there is not enough housing available to support low-income households who struggle to pay rent or are homeless (Luque, 2020). According to Skobba & Tinsley (2016) 43% of the people who do not live in the metro areas of the United States are living in the South and facing unique challenges. In South Carolina, there are about 72,000 subsidized housing units, which is only enough to serve one out of every five low-income households. Many …

Associations Between Travel Behavior And The Academic Performance Of University Students, Qianying Wu

All Theses

Purpose: Different travel behavior, particularly the choice of commuting modes, will have different impacts on students. On one hand, it has been suggested that active commuting (walking, cycling, and taking transit) will add routine daily exercise. Moreover, health benefits (improved cognitive function and reduced anxiety) from physical activity might increase students' academic performance. Nevertheless, too much physical activity may reduce the time for students to study. Travel time may shorten study time, and study time has been identified as positively contributing to academic performance. Considering that there is limited research examining travel behavior and academic achievement of university students, this …

Planning For Resilient Coastal Communities: An Analysis Of Coastal Plans In South Carolina, Felicia Boulware

All Theses

Resilience is very important to the longevity of inhabited coastal regions. Sea level rise threatens human systems and exacerbates erosion, saltwater intrusion and flooding in coastal regions. Planning for resilience is one way to ensure that coastal communities are prepared for and able to persist through hazardous events, both ongoing and intermittent. This research amasses resilience policies in four categories: ecological, land uses, social, and economic, which reflect concepts of social-ecological resilience. These policies were selected based on their applicability to coastal regions and academic consensus on best practices to increase resilience. These policies were combined in a matrix that …

Charleston Contradictions: A Case Study Of Historic Preservation Theories And Policies, David Payne

All Dissertations

The philosophy, policies, and practices of historic preservation are currently struggling with how to incorporate Modern architecture, as many of these buildings are reaching the threshold to be considered historic. Since one of the movement's original goals was to counteract Modernism, it is ironic that many of the buildings initially opposed by historic preservation are now forcing the profession to consider their designation and preservation. The potential preservation of many of these buildings raises important philosophical and practical contradictions for the profession that require further study and resolution.
This study presents the results of a case study of three Modern …

Public Participation In Brownfield Redevelopment: The Role Of Public Participation In State Administered Voluntary Cleanup Programs, Erik Simon

All Dissertations

One of the key redevelopment tools for brownfield sites in the United States is the use of state administered Voluntary Cleanup Programs (VCP). These programs offer development entities the opportunity to cleanup and/or remediate the effected site in exchange for protection from liabilities. Public participation is a common component of such programs and each state has differing levels of policies and activities. This research investigates the different levels of public participation through state administered VCPs and seeks to understand how those different levels can affect cleanup and/or remediation plans for respective brownfield sites. The results show that there is a …

An Exploratory Study Of The Potential Impacts Of Yoga On Self And Community: Creating Mindfulness, Self-Actualization And Social Capital, Lauren Ponder

All Theses

ABSTRACT
Yoga, literally translated means yoke or connection and is a process by which relationships, respect and transformation can occur. It is believed that mindfulness is a result of the practice of yoga and can be easily understood in its opposite of mindlessness. When change takes place within self, or one's own body and mind, both positive transformation towards more conscious action and mindfulness is hypothesized to be transferred to one's community. Community is self-defining in that it is based on a sense of shared purpose and common goals. Yogis, those who practice yoga, could be responsible for a positive …

Villager Participation In The Relocation Of El Gourna, Egypt, Paul Duggan

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT
In 2005, approximately 850 families from the historic village of El Gourna, Egypt were relocated to a new village. The relocation was part of a government initiative to protect ancient records and artifacts from Egypt's Middle Kingdom contained in the Tombs of the Nobles that lay beneath the houses of the village. A special feature of the relocation was an effort made the local authorities to involve of local village leaders and residents in the process.
In the 1990s, about 8 to 10 million people per year were involuntary relocated due to large development projects, or about 100 million …

Integrating Brownfield Redevelopments Into The Urban Fabric, Ryan Medlen

All Theses

The American landscape is dotted with hundreds of thousands of sites that are contaminated and underutilized. These sites bring down surrounding property values and face unique barriers that inhibit their redevelopment. Addressing these sites is complicated as a result of the number of sites needing attention and the limited resources to address them with. Much work has been done about the characteristics of these sites but minimal work has been done with regards to how they relate to surrounding area. The work that has been done in regards to brownfields and their relationship to the neighborhood has focused on site …

Assessing African National Adaptation Programmes Of Action: Giving A Voice To The Voiceless, Natalia Valenzuela-Cevallos

All Theses

ABSTRACT
The earth continues to experience climate change. Although it is occurring worldwide, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are particularly in danger from various adverse consequences due to their low adaptive capability. In order to assist LDCs prepare for climate change, the United Nations (UN) established the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs). Part of the rationale behind the creation of the NAPAs was to help LDCs prepare for climate change effects, while protecting the poor and using sound environmental management. To date, 47 LDCs have submitted NAPAs to the UN, from which 32 are African LDCs.
Prior to this …

Using Geographic Information Systems To Analyze Accessibility In The West Bank, Jacob Elliott

All Theses

With the recent failure of another highly publicized peace talks, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains a polarizing and contentious geopolitical crisis. Following the Israeli victory in the Six Day War of 1967, the West Bank and its substantial Palestinian population have lived under Israeli occupation. In response to the First Palestinian Intifada (uprising), lasting from1987 to 1993, the Israeli military imposed varying degrees of regulations to limit Palestinian mobility within the West Bank. The mobility constraints, most notably in the form of checkpoints, roadblocks, and physical obstructions, dramatically increased in volume and scale during the Second Intifada from 2000 to 2005. …

Building Preliminary Guideline For Earthquake Evacuation, Guang Miao

All Theses

Disaster frequency appears to be increasing. The impact of those disasters has increased substantially in terms of mortality and economic losses. Evacuation, as an inevitable part of disaster management systems, plays a critical role in disaster mitigation. The efficiency of all-hazard disaster evacuation could be increased by making appropriate decisions on policies and practices for planning, preparedness and response, and taking certain traffic operations, management and control. Common principles for large disaster evacuation have been established, mostly based on the experience of hurricane events. However, earthquakes have a series of special characteristics, which are different from other disasters, such as …

Turkish Informal Housing Settlements As A Typology For Modern Generative Processes In Urban Design: A Case Study Of Karanfilkoy And Fatih Sultan Mehmet Neighborhoods In Istanbul, Turkey, Noah Billig

All Dissertations

Generative development processes adapt to existing conditions and unfold over time. Generative urban design theory proposes that successful communities must be planned and built incrementally, with current and future users participating throughout the process. The theory critiques the modern development processes of master planning and design that disregard adaptations through the building process. Successful examples of generatively built structures and neighborhoods are often cited from pre-20th century traditional societies and vernacular architecture. Generative approaches to urban design and planning need more modern 20th century examples and case studies of successful generatively built structures and communities.
Informal settlements are often cited …

How Do Planners Participate In Formulating Viable Green Infrastructure Plans?, Kaylen Francis

All Theses

The planning field is increasingly involved in balancing biodiversity with the expansion of urban areas to meet changing societal demands. Regions, states and cities have begun trying to mitigate the negative effects of sprawl by creating green infrastructure plans to conserve open space. However, little is known about planners' roles in facilitating and/or implementing these visions in cities with a population of over one million people in the core and hinterlands. The goal of this project was to study the Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure Vision to determine if planners played a role in its formulation and/or implementation, and if so, …

Acclerated Vehicle Retirement: Toward A Conceptualized Framework For Design And Implementation, Nathan Woods

All Theses

ABSTRACT
In the past Accelerated Vehicle Retirement (AVR) programs have been implemented to combat the economic and environmental costs of automobile dependent societies. Seventy-five such programs have been implemented worldwide since 1990. This thesis examines correlations among factors affecting program performance, the relationship of articulated program objectives to program performance, and how factors affecting program performance influence environmental concerns. Employing a mixed methodology, this analysis answers how an accelerated vehicle retirement program can be designed to maximize desired outcomes and minimize undesirable outcomes. The results of this analysis demonstrate that the order and type of objective stipulated by a program …

Concentrated Poverty And Community Development: A Look At How Upstate South Carolina Municipalities Address Issues Of Distressed Neighborhoods, Anna Brown

All Theses

America is known to be a place where there are opportunities to move in and out of social and economic classes. What about people that live in an area of concentrated poverty? Typically, residents of a neighborhood where 20 to 40 percent of the population lives at or below poverty face extreme barriers to these opportunities for a better life. Historically, government at the local, state and federal level have attempted to solve or at least assist these issues of distressed neighborhoods, particularly through what is known as community development. By having more local knowledge, municipal governments have first hand …

The Role Of Planning Tools As Strategies For Combating Childhood Obesity, Jacquelyn Coats

All Theses

The failure of traditional health models to successfully combat childhood obesity is apparent when considering its sustained prevalence in the United States. Childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past three decades and health officials recognize the need for integrative strategies in order to reverse the trend (CDC, 2010). The historical roots of planning and public health offer a potential venue for collaborative strategies to address the macro level factors that affect community health. This thesis examines how planning tools have been adapted to incorporate health strategies, whether or not such methods are sustainable, and what relationships are essential for …

Urban Design And Stormwater Management: An Integrated Approach To Public Hardscape Design, Jared Draper

All Theses

Among the hierarchy of motivations, Maslow identifies the social as one of the levels that generates drive in individuals (Maslow, 1970). The urban environment is a place that has great opportunity for social interaction with design and planning of public spaces. Public spaces serve an important function in society and the design of these spaces can attract or repel a population. As specific elements are incorporated in public space and especially public hardscape design, designers should not neglect the issue of sustainability. According to the Brundtland Commission, sustainability includes the 'policies and strategies that meet society's present needs without compromising …

A Planning Framework For African American Heirs' Property In Rapidly Suburbanizing Locales, Alison Rowland

All Theses

Heirs' property resulted from post-Civil War land acquisitions and purchases by African Americans that have been passed down through generations without clear title of ownership or a last will of testament (Mitchell, 2000; Dyer, 2008). As the surrounding landscape develops, growth pressures threaten community integrity and increase property taxes, making it difficult to retain properties (Rivers, 2007b). Encroaching development fails to maintain the cultural context of existing settlement patterns of heirs' properties as well as fails to integrate them into the surrounding landscape (Cross, 2008; Johnson, et al., 2009). The literature has been decidedly silent in addressing the strategies that …