Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Negative Consequences Of Innovation-Igniting Urban Developments: Empirical Evidence From Three Us Cities, Ahoura Zandiatashbar, Carla Maria Kayanan

Faculty Publications, Urban and Regional Planning

Emergent economic development policies reflect the challenges urban growth coalitions face in attracting the footloose tech-entrepreneurs of the global economy. This convergence between the focus on place and the harnessing of global capital has led to the proliferation of innovation-igniting urban developments (IIUD)—place-based economic development strategies to boost the local knowledge economy. Economic developers are using IIUD strategies to convert areas of the city into entrepreneurial “launch pads” for innovation. However, because these developments remain young, considerations to implement IIUDs lack an evidence-base to show the potential for negative consequences on the communities where they are embedded. This research addresses …

A Return To State-Led Integrated Regional Planning? Emerging Approaches From Three U.S. States, Timothy Green, Donovan Finn

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

After decades of neglect, several U.S. states have increased support for regional development planning, creating new programs, organizations, and funding streams to support it. Analysis of programs in three states (New York, Michigan, and Indiana) shows similarities among them as well as contrasts with prior episodes of state-led regional planning. The new programs deliberately sidestep older regional planning organizations like COGs and RPCs in favor of new organizations with larger roles for the private sector and greater access to public funds. The resulting plans focus on individual projects within a pro-development agenda, but still have potential to coordinate action at …

Urban Politics And Policy, Susanna F. Schaller

Open Educational Resources

This class will focus on urban politics and policies as they relate to the economic, social and spatial development of metropolitan areas. We we will ask why cities and place matter and explore patterns of urban spatial development in the US. We will investigate the politics and policies that have led to “urban sprawl” and uneven development, particularly in post World War II period. We will discuss the social, economic, political implications of this form of development, focusing especially on the politics of race and class. By inserting cities, especially NYC, into the global context, we will read about neoliberal …

Micro-Housing In Seattle Update: Combating “Seattle-Ization”, Taylor Haines

Seattle University Law Review SUpra

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Market: A “Public-Commons-Partnership” For Housing, Arielle Lawson

Publications and Research

The commodification of housing has led to new levels of unaffordability for tenants all over the country. With skyrocketing rents and an explosion of homelessness, we are faced with the glaring failures of our capitalist housing system to meet people’s most basic human needs. Recognizing the inherent limitations of “affordable housing” within a profit-driven system, we need a paradigm shift around housing that can change the terms of the debate, and advance a real alternative to the speculative market. A growing housing justice movement — combined with a renewed politicization of tenants — is leading the way. From new rent …

Correctional Landscape Studies: Improving The Restorative Potential, Allyson Fairweather

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

The United States is the world’s leader in incarceration with 2.2 million people currently in the nation’s prisons and jails. On average, one-third of former offenders will return to prison for re-offence within three years of their release (Bureau of Justice Statistics 2018). This cycle is known as recidivism, and demonstrates a major reflection of the criminal justice system’s failure to provide rehabilitation that meets the needs of the incarcerated population. However, horticultural therapy in prison may offer a sliver of hope. Also referred to as Green Prison Programs (GPPs), studies indicate that participants in these programs gain valuable job …

La Construcción Del Imaginario De Una Ciudad Multicultural: El Barrio Chino De Buenos Aires Como Exhibición Pública De Cultura, Yiran Lin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En el marco de la globalización, ha surgido una nueva competencia entre las ciudades contemporáneas donde su multiculturalidad se convierte en símbolo de prosperidad. El imaginario urbano se creó en la intersección de los espacios públicos y los espacios sociopolíticos, de las culturas y sus representaciones, de lo ideal y la realidad. Estas dualidades nos hacen preguntarnos: ¿cómo afecta la espacialización pública de la cultura a la comunidad misma y a la sociedad receptora? ¿Quién se incluye en este imaginario y a quién se excluye? En este estudio, examinamos el Barrio Chino de Buenos Aires como caso de estudio de …

The Right To Housing In Spain: Community Action And Alternative Housing Models, Georgia Sparks

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The right to housing is guaranteed by Spain's constitution, the principles of the European Union, and U.N. human rights treaties to which Spain is signatory, yet Spain scarcely provides affordable housing and leaves its citizens struggling with poverty and unable to find a place to live. Unlike much of the rest of Europe, Spain’s social rented sector represents less than 1% of its total housing stock. Through policies that favor homeownership, promote the real estate market, and privatize social housing, Spain has left its citizens reliant on the private market for their fundamental need for housing. Social movements and nonprofit …

Boxborough Economic Development Study: Phase 2, Technical Memo, Henry Renski, John Mullin, Camille Barchers

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The Town of Boxborough’s Economic Development Committee (EDC) contracted with the Center for Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to produce an economic development study. Phase II began in January of 2020 and provides a deeper evaluation of the development scenarios proposed at the completion of Phase I, involving four key components: 1. Summarize the results from a survey of citizen preferences on the Phase I scenarios. 2. Produce a series of "vignettes" to explain the key elements of the different scenarios to the public. 3. Assess the potential market demand for specific office, retail, and other commercial …

Streets, Sidewalks And Covid-19: Reimaging New York City’S Public Realm As A Tool For Crisis Management, Donovan Finn

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

The 2020 COVID-19 outbreak has caused significant disruption to economic and social systems. New York City, as the United States’ largest city and among the nation’s most densely populated, was an early epicenter of the crisis. Modifications to the design, planning and operations of the city’s public realm have been important components of the city’s overall response to mitigate the effects of the pandemic while also facilitating economic recovery and providing social, educational, and recreational opportunities for city residents. This commentary provides an overview of New York City’s urban design responses to COVID-19, highlighting some of the successes and limitations …

Urban Development In Nepal And The Impacts Of Covid-19, Ambika P. Adhikari, Keshav Bhattarai

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

The Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has created a public health crisis worldwide and is impacting the way we plan and design cities. While much is still being learned about Covid-19, we have seen that the virus spreads quickly and its fatality rate is also significant. The virus has already seriously impacted the global economies and most urban activities.

During pandemics, regular public interactions in the city can be the cause for spread of communicable diseases. In this context, urban planning should include approached to help mitigate the spread of virus. Designs of facilities should help the residents to physically distance themselves …

The Role Of Geospatial Information And Effective Partnerships In The Implementation Of The International Agenda For Sustainable Development, Etta Delores Jackson

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon (2014), repeated the core promise in the 1986 UN Declaration on the Right to Development, in which the General Assembly called for an approach guaranteeing meaningful participation of everyone in development and the fair distribution of the benefits of that development. To this end, partnerships are central and can lead to the dignity of the citizens involved as they participate in the development of their own communities. This dissertation research conducted in Manyatta A and B in the Port City of Kisumu, Kenya sought to do just that. The purpose of this study …

A Case Study: The Role Of Compassionate Cities, Healthy Cities, And Un Sustainable Development Goals In City Leadership And Planning, Lisa A. Berkley

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This research is a case study examining the relevance of three holistic city frameworks—Compassionate Cities, Healthy Cities, and UN Sustainable Development Goals—to the intentional or tacit thinking of city leaders, community leaders, and activists of Marina, California. Beginning with a discussion of the origin and development of the three frameworks, the study occurred in three phases: Phase I involved interviewing the five elected leaders, city manager, community development leaders, and two planners; Phase II consisted of a survey of appointed city leaders and community organizers and activists; and Phase III was an analysis of relevant public discourse, drawing from local …

The Relationship Between Separated Bicycle Lanes And Bicycle Crashes In Denver, Colorado., Wonsun Chang

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

Cyclists feel more comfortable when they ride in a bike facility separated from traffic. Therefore, cyclists tend to prefer separated bicycle lanes over other lanes. It follows that cities are increasing the installation of separated bicycle lanes for bicycle utilization and bicycle safety. However, previous research has proven that separated bicycle lanes cause more crashes. Through empirical study, this paper examined the impact of both separated bicycle facilities and shared roads on bicycle crashes and which is safer or dangerous among methods of the separation. This study deals with bicycle accidents in Denver from 2013 to 2019. This research creates …

La Sostenibilidad De La Reconstrucción 2014-2019 Tras El Gran Incendio En Valparaíso: Una Mirada Desde La Habitabilidad, Resiliencia Y Preparación En La Gestión De Desastres, Dana Kulma

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The beautiful port city of Valparaíso, Chile is home to 42 colorful hills that overlook the Pacific Ocean. This unique city, however, is also home to multiple disasters, including urban and forest fires, tsunamis, landslides and earthquakes. This descriptive study explores the case of the 2014 “mega-fire” that destroyed 3,000 homes and affected the lives of 11,000 residents. Through five semi-structured interviews and the review of several academic and official documents, the present study analyzes the process of post-disaster reconstruction, seeking to understand the habitability and the resiliency of the reconstructed houses and neighborhoods. In order to understand the challenges …

¿Historia Y Cultura Al Viento? Los Efectos De La Construcción Del Aeropuerto Internacional De Chinchero En El Patrimonio Arqueológico Circundante, Becca Teachey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Durante los últimos 40 años, el gobierno del Perú ha hablado de construir un nuevo aeropuerto internacional en Chinchero, Perú. Chinchero es una ubicación perfecta debido a su proximidad a numerosos sitios turísticos y su gran cantidad de tierra que tiene el potencial de servir como un sitio de construcción. Sin embargo, Chinchero también es conocido por su riqueza en historia, belleza natural y ruinas arqueológicas del imperio inca. Con la construcción de un nuevo aeropuerto internacional en Chinchero, el patrimonio cultural y la integridad de la arqueología allá están en peligro. Se dice que el aeropuerto atraerá más turistas …

Laguna De Los Datos: Usos Y Percepciones De Rnu Laguna De Los Patos, Río Grande, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, Rosa Kirk-Davidoff

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La protección de las áreas naturales urbanas es un tema importante que requiere tanta atención a los aspectos humanos de estos espacios como a sus características naturales. Río Grande, Argentina tiene un sistema de reservas naturales urbanas (RNUs) que comenzó en 2012 para proteger el hábitat de las aves migratorias en la ciudad. En este proyecto, estudié las actividades y las percepciones de los visitantes de una de estas reservas, RNU Laguna de los Patos. Conté todas las personas que visitaron la reserva durante 13 días, registrando lo que hicieron y cuánto tiempo se quedaron. También encuesté a una muestra …

La Mujeres Y Su Derecho A La Cuidad: Una Evaluación Del Proyecto De Integración Urbana En Villa 31 Con Perspectiva De Género, Stephanie Fernandez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The urbanization project unfolding in Villa 31 in Buenos Aires is one of the largest and most well funded projects of its type. At its inception, the project sought to integrate Villa 31 with the rest of Buenos Aires. The project looked to incorporate Villa 31, a low-income neighborhood, in the city into the fabric of the bustling Buenos Aires. However, the integration project not only struggled to bring that dream to fruition, but it has largely left the needs of women in the neighborhood unmet. Specially, women are still being denied access to economic opportunity, security and justice despite …

“El Dialogo Es Unilateral... No Cambian Una Coma”: La Participación Y Protección De Derechos En El Proyecto Del Hábitat Del Barrio 31 En Buenos Aires, Jacqueline Negro

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación estudia el proyecto de urbanización en el Barrio 31 de la Secretaría de integración social y urbana de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires que empezó en el año 2015. Tiene un enfoque especifico en el proyecto de Hábitat, lo que tiene el objetivo mejorar las situaciones de vivienda en el Barrio. Es constituido de dos equipos: Mejoramiento de Vivienda y Reasentamiento. Este informe analiza la cuestión de la participación de los vecinos en tomar decisiones que afectan a sus viviendas y estilos de vida desde la perspectiva de los derechos humanos internacionales. A través de entrevistas con trabajadores …

La Lucha Por Urbanización: El Derecho De Elegir Donde Y Como Vivir, E. Joella Hartzler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite Chilean government efforts to eradicate campaments, or informal settlements, the number of campamentos has drastically increased in the recent years. These informal settlements originate from the urban migration in 1940-60, but persist today due to the difficulty to access affordable housing and the lack of appeal of social housing projects. To be considered a campamento, there must be eight or more families living on unregulated land without at least one of the three basic services: electricity, potable water, or a sewage system. The department of Housing and Urban Development, the Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo, recently reinforced the efforts …

“In Principle” Versus “In Reality”: Assessing The Potential Of Adaptive Urban Governance Toward Urban Flooding In Ho Chi Minh City’S District 7, Cindy Pham Nguyen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Flooding has become the new normal in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). During the rainy season, many areas of the city experience severe inundation that seriously impacts infrastructure, traffic, and economic transactions. As the effects of climate change unpredictably and rapidly manifest in Southern Vietnam, the frequency and impact of urban floods are projected to increase. In addition, within the last few decades, HCMC has rapidly developed and urbanized, transforming itself into the economic center of Southern Vietnam. However, previous studies and international experts have determined that rapid, poor development may be exacerbating urban flood issues.

In recent years, city …

Boxborough Economic Development Study: Phase 1, Technical Memo, Camille Barchers

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The Town of Boxborough’s Economic Development Committee (EDC) contracted with the Center for Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to produce an economic development study. Phase 1 of the study, conducted from September through December 2019 by Regional Planning Studio master’s students, began with an investigation of existing conditions and public opinion on economic development and concluded with four plausible future economic development scenarios designed to support the eventual creation of the Town’s long-term economic development plan.

Innovation Districts As A Strategy For Urban Economic Development: A Comparison Of Four Cases, Joshua Drucker, Carla Maria Kayanan, Henry Renski

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

Innovation districts are a relatively new strategy in urban economic development. They have been fast gaining attention and popularity, due in part to energetic third-party promotion and the apparent successes of two early adopters: Barcelona and Boston. As additional cities establish and promote innovation districts, it benefits policymakers to possess information regarding their characteristics and suitability as an economic development approach.

We conduct in-depth case studies of four innovation districts in the United States—located in Boston, Detroit, Saint Louis, and San Diego—that present contrasting settings, policies, and outcomes. The empirical information is drawn primarily from interviews with the innovation district …

Towards A Passenger Station On The East-West Massachusetts Train Line - The Case For Palmer, University Of Massachusetts Amherst Center For Economic Development, Umass Design Center

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The purpose of this report is to examine the feasibility of the Town of Palmer becoming a passenger stop on a proposed East-West rail line that would connect to Union Station in Springfield and South Station in Boston. The report is presented in two parts. Part one presents the primary reasons that would make the case for a stop being placed in Palmer. The second presents a series of case studies to stimulate ideas on how Palmer could promote further growth through the creation of transit oriented development (TOD) around any future stop.

The findings in this report are based …

Placemaking/Displacement: Architectures Of Exclusion In The Bay Area, Gordon Douglas

Faculty Publications, Urban and Regional Planning

This working paper presents new research and argumentation regarding the way we think about the material culture of place and argues that thinking hard about place is essential for addressing social inequality in our cities. Drawing on new empirical research – ethnographic observation, photography, and interviews – it takes the varied communities and landscapes of the San Francisco Bay Area as a lens through which to interrogate the prominent trend of so-called “placemaking” in urban planning, development, and design. I argue that placemaking is intellectually incoherent and frequently elitist in practice, often ignoring existing places while portending a real possibility …

Ua1c2/57 Parking Structures Photos, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Images of the parking structures and parking lots.

Ua3/1/5/2 President's Office-Cherry Campus Buildings, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by the President's Office during the Henry Hardin Cherry administration regarding the construction and maintenance of buildings.

Ua1b3/6 Parking & Traffic Committee, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by the Parking & Traffic Committee.

Measuring Landscape Performance: Case Study Investigation, Hannah Michelle Lopresto, Brandon Zambrano, Catherine De Almeida

UCARE Research Products

Participating in the Landscape Architecture Foundation’s 2018 Case Study Investigation has been an incredibly informative experience for our research team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We are eager to shine a spotlight on the landscape performance of two Great Plains projects: P Street Corridor, a revitalized downtown streetscape in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park, a waterfront redevelopment in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Working on the post-occupancy study of both projects has been extremely beneficial in understanding how reclaiming underutilized sites can create high-performing landscapes. Both are public projects in urban settings with primary goals of transforming formerly unpleasant, …

A Worldwide Model For Boundaries Of Urban Settlements, Erneson A. Oliveira, Vasco Furtado, José S. Andrade, Hernan A. Makse

Publications and Research

The shape of urban settlements plays a fundamental role in their sustainable planning. Properly defining the boundaries of cities is challenging and remains an open problem in the science of cities. Here, we propose a worldwide model to define urban settlements beyond their administrative boundaries through a bottom-up approach that takes into account geographical biases intrinsically associated with most societies around the world, and reflected in their different regional growing dynamics. The generality of the model allows one to study the scaling laws of cities at all geographical levels: countries, continents and the entire world. Our definition of cities is …