Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Variations In Dropout Rates Across Virginia, Joshua K. Bowser

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis, this study attempts to capture variation in dropout rates across Virginia counties and cities. With the respective dropout rates as the dependent variable, seven independent variables are used accordingly in order to provide as much explanatory power as possible. At the 10 percent significance level, four of seven variables are statistically significant with an adjusted R2 of .374. Important policy implications can be derived from the model and its statistically significant variables. The model finds that the percentage of blacks in the population, university access, the unemployment rate and single female-headed households to …

Impact Of Universal Health Coverage On Health In Late Life, Nathalie Huguet

Dissertations and Theses

The growth of the elderly population is a major public concern in industrialized countries. Understanding the factors contributing to better health in late life is essential. Canadians appear to be healthier than Americans, yet concrete findings that determine whether older Canadians are healthier than older Americans are missing. The primary goal of this study is to examine the relative importance of the health care system in explaining why older Canadians may be healthier than older Americans. To achieve this goal, this study (a) assessed if older Canadians are healthier than older Americans; (b) investigated the impact of health care coverage …

Redrawing The Color Line : A Case Study Of The Alliance Of Minority Chambers Of Commerce In Portland, Oregon, Francisca Inez Trujillo-Dalbey

Dissertations and Theses

This study focused on a minority coalition formed in 2002 to secure municipal parking lot contracts in the City of Portland, Oregon. It is grounded in Bates and Howell's (1998) theory of barriers to minority entrepreneurship. The minority group's actions are applied to Butler (1991), Prabhu (1999), and Dees' (2001) theory of social entrepreneurship. The formation of the coalition provides empirical support for Allport (195411979) and Pettigrew's (1998) positive intergroup contact theory.

The creation of minority group coalitions for community economic development purposes, using the chamber of commerce structure, adds to the community economic development literature. Further, the intercultural communication …

Niche To Mainstream In Sustainable Urban Food Systems: The Case Of Food Distribution In Portland, Oregon, Bowen Close

Pomona Senior Theses

To address the negative environmental, political, and social consequences of the dominant, industrialized global food system, communities around the world have developed goals and values underlying a sustainable food system. Conceptualizing food production, distribution, and consumption as systems helps clarify the ways food affects social and natural environments, with the distribution element as the critical juncture where the product reaches the consumer. Urban food systems are a particularly important environment in which to study movements toward sustainability. This paper focuses on the movement for a sustainable food system in Portland, Oregon, with particular focus on the city’s markets for …

Nature And Norfolk: The History Of The Norfolk Botanical Garden, Cheryl S. White

Institute for the Humanities Theses

If what they say is true, that first impressions are always the most important, then the city of Norfolk, Virginia could impress anyone. The Norfolk Botanical Garden began as approximately 30 acres surrounding Mirror Lake, adjacent to the proposed Norfolk Municipal Airport in 1938. Today the Garden consists of 158 acres that include a variety of garden styles, manmade canals, and extensive educational facilities. It serves as the first and last view visitors have of Norfolk. The Norfolk Botanical Garden is an example of interdisciplinary co-operation. Biology, urban planning, landscape architecture, and various political involvements are all expressed within the …

Examining The Effects Of Transit Service On Commuting Mode Choice And Residential Location Choice, Jaturapat Bhiromkaew

Dissertations and Theses

Empirical studies on the link between land use characteristics and travel behavior may generate biased estimates when the choice of residential locations is influenced by mode preference (i.e., residential self-selection). Without appropriately addressing this matter, the effects of land use characteristics on travel behavior may be overestimated. This study aims specifically to address the residential self-selection problem related to transit service. It also aims to take into account the effects of density and transit service at the origin and destination on mode choice because the level of transit service is often correlated with density. Mode choice effects associated with density …

Oregon's Approach To Health Care Reform : An Analysis Of The Role Of The Business Community In The Evolution Of The Oregon Health Plan, Peter Chuka Olemgbe

Dissertations and Theses

On February 1, 1994, the state of Oregon implemented its landmark health reform legislation---the Oregon health plan. The plan was conceived as an insurance program which uses a prioritized list of treatment protocols to ration health care services to Oregon's poor residents.

During the planning and implementation process of the program, various groups (political stakeholders) participated to bring the program to fruition. Although it is commonly known that one of these stakeholders was the Oregon business community, it is not clear what form its participation took and the nature of its influence. While it is generally assumed that businesses are …

Environmental Justice And The Role Of Social Capital In An Underserved Urban Community, Lorraine Ann Dillon

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate a community's beliefs, attitudes, and experiences regarding their neighborhood's environmental health issues and the ways in which individuals utilize social capital (the degree to which a community collaborates and cooperates) to improve their environmental health. Research correlating social capital with health status shows that the higher the level of social capital in a community, the better the health. An understanding of why some groups exhibit more social capital than others is important in improving the public health system. The study was accomplished by comparing a convenience sample of two specific groups …

Feng Shui And Neighborhood Development, Kevin Allen Walters

Theses and Dissertations

Planning is a rational process where we rely on training and our five senses, but not so much on our instincts. How can we reclaim this missing element and balance the rational with the intuitive? Feng Shui provides a method for enhancing the current planning process by evaluating the physical form through observation and management of the movement of ch'i energy. The Feng Shui Neighborhood Evaluation checklist, created in Excel, allows the planner to examine the form of a neighborhood to assess the quality of the ch'i. Individual ratings are input for each evaluation point within a category. The Bagua …

The Evolution Of Urban Community Development Corporations In Response To Contemporary Challenges And Opportunities, Sharon L. Bancroft

Theses and Dissertations

Community development corporations (CDCs) have become important vehicles for revitalizing urban neighborhoods. These small, multi-disciplinary groups must adapt quickly to changing conditions in the industry. The author interviewed CDC directors and other industry experts from Richmond, Virginia and Atlanta, Georgia to identify and compare contemporary challenges, opportunities and adaptations among community developers. The cost and availability of land, inadequate funding and organizational capacity were significant barriers in both cities. In Richmond, increasing competition, NIMBY and staff retention were other barriers. In Atlanta, securing community buy-in, the permitting process, and the growing need for affordable housing were other barriers. Increasing public …

Assessment Of Section 404 Wetland Mitigation Compliance And No-Net-Loss In The United States Army Corps Of Engineers, Norfolk District, Kimberley Anne Baggett

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Corps of Engineers is a federal agency responsible for regulating impacts to wetlands. Permit applications requesting authorization to impact wetlands are reviewed using a three step sequence: avoidance, minimization and compensatory mitigation. A national goal of no net loss of wetland acreage and function in compensatory mitigation has been recommended since 1987.Thirty Norfolk District projects requiring compensatory wetland mitigation in the permit years 1996-1998 were randomly selected for field review. The results showed that 10% of the project were never initiated or completed. Another 19% of the projects showed a net loss of acreage. However, many projects …