Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Creating A Successful Wayfinding System: Lessons Learned From Springfield, Massachusetts, Yanhua Lu

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

The masters project presents findings from recent work the author completed related to wayfinding, and wayfinding systems. This work began as part of a graduate urban design studio, followed by work as a research assistant at the UMass Design Center in Springfield, on a new “demonstration” wayfinding system installed in Springfield, Massachusetts. The wayfinding project was done in association with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the Springfield Office of Planning and Community Development, was implemented with the main goals of improving public health by encouraging more people to walk.

Wayfinding systems are increasingly seen as an important part of …

A New Vision For An Old Institution: Addressing The Challenges For Urban And Peri-Urban Agriculture At The Waltham Experiment Station, Kevin C. Hartzell

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

Urban and peri-urban agriculture has a new place in (sub)urban landscapes because of the suite of ecosystem services it can provide including, but not limited to; increased local food production, waste recycling, stormwater infiltration, and reconnecting urban dwellers to their food source. The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Waltham Experiment Station, located in Waltham, Massachusetts, is poised for redevelopment as a model for multi-use urban agriculture production, research, and education as well as a living laboratory to monitor and document the ecosystem services provided to the surrounding community. This project will focus on educational and research categories within the theme of …

The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station Study: A Socioeconomic Analysis And Closure Transition Guide Book, Jonathan G. Cooper

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

Between February 2013 and December 2014, four communities hosting a nuclear power plant in the U.S. were faced with the sudden closure of the plant. These closures were largely attributable to market changes in the energy sector, driven by sustained growth in the natural gas industry. The rise of natural gas-fired plants has recently forced several of the nation's older coal-fired and petroleum-based power plants into early retirement, and nuclear industry analysts suspect that the nuclear closures of the past two years may be just the beginning of a similar trend.

Unfortunately, the extent of nuclear power plant closure impacts …