Digital Commons Network^™

Modernizing Civic Building Design For Emergency Shelter Operations: An Architectural Framework With Proposed Design Guidelines For 21st-Century Shelter Readiness, Enrique M. Peralta

Theses

The frequency and severity of climate-related disasters are rising globally, resulting in the displacement of millions of individuals each year. Although this is a worldwide issue, the present research concentrates on the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state region, where severe storms, flooding, prolonged power outages, and other natural hazards frequently necessitate the activation of emergency shelters. While schools, community centers, and other civic buildings are commonly designated for emergency shelter operations, these facilities were not originally designed to accommodate displaced groups during such events. This study focuses on the immediate sheltering period following a disaster, defined as the …

Adaptive Reuse Of Underutilized Strip Malls: Creating Mixed-Use Continuum Care Campuses For Seniors, Julie Le Nguyen

Theses

As suburban commercial landscapes continue to decline, underutilized strip malls present an opportunity to reimagine aging-supportive environments through adaptive reuse. This thesis investigates how these sites can be transformed into mixed-use senior housing and continuum-care campuses through adaptive reuse strategies. Using a comparative case study methodology, the research examines a range of precedents—including senior housing retrofits, dementia villages, and community-based mixed-use developments—to identify key spatial, programmatic, and environmental principles that support aging populations. A five-part evaluative framework assesses project performance across site integration and green space, social and intergenerational engagement, programmatic and service integration, mixed-use activation, and cognitive and environmental …

Extremism Governance In The United Arab Emirates: A Case Study Using Qualitative Policy Framework, Haya Saleh Almansoori

Theses

This thesis investigates how the United Arab Emirates governs extremism using various models of governance and Gareth Morgan’s metaphorical organizational models. This research goes beyond a focus on security and looks at extremism as a governance and policy problem related to social cohesion, institutional trust, and legitimacy. The research utilizes a qualitative case study design through analyzing federal laws and national strategies, as well as institutional frameworks to understand how authority, coordination and meaning are organized in the UAE’s governance of extremism.

The results show that the UAE’s governance of extremism is characterized as a hybrid governance model with hierarchical …

Understanding Behavioral Patterns: A Case Study Of Emirati Ex-Offenders In United Arab Emirates, Salim Ali Al Naqbi

Theses

Research on desistance has helped criminologists to better understand how people change their criminal identity and exercise personal choice. Yet in the UAE, these ideas has not often been applied to prisoners serving one or multiple offenses, even though incarceration and reoffending remain important social concerns. Because of this, desistance theory has not been fully used to study how rehabilitation is managed in UAE prisons, which means that some useful lessons may be missed. This study begins to close that gap by looking at the personal stories of 15 Emirati participants that were formerly incarcerated by adapting a qualitative and …

The Missing Link: Gingos, Ingos, And The Fractured Promise Of Localization, Stella D. Bosch

Theses

This thesis examines collaboration gaps between international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) and grassroots international nongovernmental organizations (GINGOs) in the localization agenda. While humanitarian and development work are often viewed separately, many organizations operate across both areas, shifting between emergency response and long-term engagement. For this research, “localization” refers to efforts aimed at addressing power imbalances and improving collaboration with local actors, especially in small island nations where vulnerabilities and capacities intersect. The study began as a comparative case design across Cabo Verde, Vanuatu, and Comoros but shifted to an explanatory approach after data constraints redirected the scope. Madagascar was added to …

People’S Plate: The Recipe For Equitable Food Distribution, Bayleigh Nicole Thurston

Theses

Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in the United States that disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, leaving millions without access to nutritious meals. In 2023 alone, over 50 million people turned to food assistance programs for additional support1. While traditional nutrition programs like food banks and soup kitchens provide a vital service to many communities, they often lack the capacity to address the multifaceted nature of hunger. The social stigma and alienation associated with seeking food assistance become of little concern when organizations are grappling with daunting challenges of limited resources, logistical hurdles, and the need to provide quality, nutritious meals. …

Design That Builds Communitites: An Evaluation Method For Analyzing, Assessing, And Improving The Way We Plan And Design The Places Around Us, Devine Karas-Gonzalez

Theses

The places around us shape and impact on the way we interact and live within our communities. As such, it is important to place greater emphasis on designing spaces which are meant to better respond to the needs and functions of a place. With an architectural design process this will result in the use of design strategies which will inform much of the design. In this research, multiple design strategies (Smart Growth, Placemaking, Place Value, and Street Experiments) are evaluated and compared using four regionally similar cities to analyze and assess how the different strategies impact the design process by …

Transforming Rural Schools: Adaptive Reuse For Sustained Community And Sustainability, Christine Limbert

Theses

In many small towns, there are little to no places for gathering and community to exist except for an often community central location of their school, even though the schools become a community hub they are not immune to the effects of the outside world, and with a population decline trend, they face the threat of becoming closed from low enrollment and inefficient use. There could, however, potentially be a different solution other than consolidation, partial adaptive reuse. By analyzing input from those who would be affected by the school closure, analyzing previous closure and their effect on the smaller …

Adaptive Reuse Of Abandoned Schools, Dayana Williams

Theses

This thesis investigates the adaptive reuse of abandoned school buildings in economically declining communities, mainly focusing on how these transformations can contribute to sustainable community revitalization. The research highlights Columbus, Ohio, where school closures and grade realignments threaten to leave many school properties vacant, especially in minority neighborhoods. This adaptive reuse strategy presents an opportunity to address issues such as urban decay, resource efficiency, and social equity by repurposing these buildings into multifunctional community assets. The study adopts a multi-method approach, including literature reviews, case study analysis, and community needs assessments, to identify best practices and critical challenges in adaptive …

Beauty Beyond Barbed Wire: Chiura Obata’S Perspective Of The Horizon, Bri Carlson

Theses

Depictions of the environment are an integral part of American art history because they convey cultural relationships of all who inhabited the land. The environment is often a stagnant force that harbors lifetimes of human history. One of these histories is the incarceration of about 120,000 Japanese immigrants and American citizens in 1942 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They were forced to evacuate their homes, lives, and families to live in detention centers and prison camps where living conditions were subpar. Many turned to art making to cope, and some artists used their work to silently protest and visually …

Intersectional Feminist And Queer Activists’ Agendas In The Contemporary Arts: The Use Of Socio-Politically Fueled Motifs As Subjects In The Field Today, Florence V. Bonner

Theses

This paper explores the Intersectional Feminist and Queer activist's work in the Contemporary arts through a reconsideration of the existing scholarly literature and the use of social media platforms from the third wave of Intersection and Transnational Feminist and Queer work. Looking specifically at motifs that connotate to the bodies of people assigned female at birth, there are recognizable impacts at both micro and macro community levels. This research is done in an Intersectional Feminist and Queer theoretical methodology to better understand the implications of valuing multifaceted identities in the 21st century. This paper identifies artists and activists who work …

Design With, Not For, Local Community: Utilizing E- Participation Tools In The Design Of Socially Sustainable Vertical Emirati Public Housing, Omar Sherzad Shareef

Theses

Few years ago, local and federal governments in the UAE started to design and develop vertical public housing for Emirati residents as a new public housing typology that is believed to be more environmentally sustainable. Dibba Al-Hisn Housing Scheme in Sharjah and Al-Ghurfa Project in Al-Fujairah, are two recently developed vertical Emirati public housing projects developed by Sharjah Housing Directorate and Sheikh Zayed Housing Program (SZHP) respectively. Both projects, have been professionally designed, however, the residents’ opinions were not considered in the design process. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to explore the potentials of utilizing the advanced …

Establishing A Seven-Stage Iterative Framework And Card-Based Toolkit For The Facilitation And Sustainment Of Communities Of Practice, Michelle O'Keeffe

Theses

This thesis explores the establishment of a framework and card-based toolkit to support the facilitation and sustainment of Communities of Practice (COPs), with a particular focus on COPs in the education domain. COPs have been present in various sectors, such as healthcare, business, finance, and education, for over three decades. These communities bring together individuals who share common problems, concerns, or areas of expertise, aiming to improve their practices collectively. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the best approaches to facilitating, developing, and sustaining COPs over time. To address this gap, four empirical studies were conducted. These studies …

Urban Waterfront Revitalization: A Case Study Of Downtown Waterfront In Rochester, New York, Yaoyu Lorrain Xiao

Theses

This research paper presents a case study of the Rochester downtown waterfront revitalization project. The project aims to revitalize the neglected waterfront and create a vibrant and attractive space for residents and visitors alike. Key factors contributing to the success of the Rochester downtown waterfront revitalization project include strong community engagement, public-private partnerships, adaptive reuse of existing structures, and a focus on sustainability. The study finds that the revitalization efforts have led to uneven economic, social, and environmental benefits for the community. The purpose of this study is to gain a comprehensive evaluation of the current status, difficulties, and potential …

Emerging Trends And Challenges Of Corporate Social Responsibility: The Case Of The United Arab Emirates, Noura Eisa Al Harasi

Theses

This research shed light on the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by examining the trends, benefits, and challenges of CSR in the UAE. The research contributed to the literature in the field of CSR by providing a comprehensive understanding of the concept in a non-Western context that can represent a generalizable model, not only for the UAE, but also for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that share similar corporate culture with the UAE. In this regard, the research serves as a reference work into CSR beyond the UAE as it answered the following …

An Appreciative Inquiry Of Community Based Disability Sports And Physical Activity Provision To Guide Future Development, Jennifer O Carroll Reidy

Theses

In 2008, the Irish Sports Inclusion Disability Programme (SIDP) was established to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in a variety of sports and physical activity. Regular monitoring has been sporadic and disparate (Sport Ireland, 2016). Using the four-stage method of Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider, 1987), a series of interviews was undertaken with providers of the SIDP. Fourteen Coordinators, SIDOs and sports development workers were interviewed about the strengths, impacts and future for the SIDP. Six participants of the programmes also took part in a focus group concerning their perspectives of the current state and future potential for the …

Building Community Through Urban Renovation On Pittsburgh's Riverfront, Shian Wu

Theses

Every city has its most important place for citizens to promote informal sociability and urban connection with humans. The riverside is the most important urban connection in Pittsburgh. Each side of the bridge has a different development level. The design of the riverside pedestrian path can build a connection between both sides of the bridge and help urban development in the north side of Pittsburgh. The aim of the study is to analyze the connection between architectural open space, pedestrian trails, and riverway trails and to propose methods that are suitable for developing a mixed-use building that will help improve …

Communities And World Heritage Nomination: The Journey Of The Valentia Transatlantic Cable Ensemble, Elizabeth Baxter

Theses

In recent years, the role of communities in the stewardship of World Heritage (WH) sites has been recognised and encouraged by UNESCO. Communities have formally been included in all WH processes from nomination to inscription on the WH List. This case study documents a community-led approach to Ireland’s first industrial WH nomination; The ‘Valentia Transatlantic Cable Ensemble’ (VTCE) on Valentia Island, Co. Kerry. Objectives of this project have been fulfilled through a comprehensive literature review and a qualitative research design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the Valentia Island community and other stakeholders. Examination and analysis of the data …

Life In Mossville, Louisiana: Policy Implications Of Toxic Waste Exposure And Environmental Racism, Clare Kelsey

Theses

Environmental damage disproportionately affects communities of color. Understanding how environmental racism uniquely affects marginalized communities is crucial to effectively develop public policies that will address the systematic racism that is rooted in many existing policies and practices. The town of Mossville, Louisiana provides a case study of a Black town that experienced devastating environmental pollution as well as displacement from the oil and petrochemical industries in the region (Rogers, 2015), with few residents still in the area. This thesis presents a qualitative study utilizing peer-reviewed literature, secondary sources, and life narratives of Mossville residents. These oral histories serve to amplify …

Creating A Responsibly Made Product For A Handcrafted Business, Jordan Khusnulgatin

Theses

The purpose of this project is to build a small scale handcrafted product and business from scratch that incorporates sustainable practices. There are many factors that make up a business. For this project in particular, the main concern will be centered around all aspects of the product and customer experience, including finding a niche, the aesthetic, branding, packaging, pricing, sustainable practices, and creating a business plan. This project will follow the steps described above to discover a niche and the basis upon which this handmade business will be derived from, providing a physical example of what a thoroughly thought-out handcrafted …

Gated Communities In The Uae: From A Social Sustainability Barrier To A Catalyst, Marwa Salem Al Jaberi

Theses

Gated communities are commonly defined as residential areas with restricted access, where commonly public spaces are privatized. The main characteristic of gated communities, based on the physical aspect of the development, involves gates, walls, guards, and closed-circuit surveillance. Scholarly studies have focused on the phenomenon of gated communities through covering its implications on the society and the city, where the benefits of this type of development have been frequently questioned. Gated communities have been linked with their negative impacts on the communities as socially segregated areas form the surrounding urban context. Nonetheless, several other studies advocated paradoxical theories related to …

A Study Of Paragraph Five In Caritas In Veritate: Re Understanding Relationality, Self Gift And Love, William Corbishley

Theses

Along with Deus Caritas Est and Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict XVI in Caritas in Veritate provides a Christological response to the suffering in the world. In Paragraph 5 of CIV is a particular call to Christians to meet their responsibilities to love God and their neighbour in the broader human community. CIV 5 embeds the task for each Christian to accept the logic of truth of God's Love for their lives and build a relationship with God through the Person of Jesus Christ. Accepting this truth generates responses where people in self-gift love the other and constitute instruments of grace …

Studying The Impact Of Urban Densification On Social Sustainability: The Case Of Bida Bin Ammar Neighborhood In Al Ain, Uae, Lubna Mohammad Ghaffar Shekfa

Theses

As cities are under the influence of rapid development, industrialization, modernization, and globalization, a key task for local authorities, urban planners, and residents are to understand what makes a neighbourhood socially sustainable. In Al Ain City in the UAE, urban sprawl has been a persistent sustainability problem caused by low urban density and has led to the heavy reliance on private cars. To overcome this problem, urban densification as a sustainable planning approach is recommended. Al Ain 2030 Plan has adopted this approach for the redevelopment of the Asharej District. This research aims at studying the application of urban densification …

Determination Of The Cost Optimum Passive Cooling Design Solutions For Residential Buildings In Uae: The Case Study Of Sharjah Governmental Villas, Raghad Azzam Ghazal

Theses

على مدى العقود الثلاثة الماضية، شهدت الإمارات العربية المتحدة تطور ا حضري ا سريعا ، وتم تصنيفها كأعلى نشاط بناء في العالم لكل كيلومتر مربع. قطاع البناء هو أكبر مستهلك للطاقة وأكبر مساهم في انبعاثات ثاني أكسيد الكربون في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، حيث يستخدم حوالي 60 ٪ من إجمالي الكهرباء. يستهلك القطاع السكني حوالي 30 ٪ من إجمالي استهلاك الكهرباء )هيئة كهرباء ومياه دبي، 2017 (. الهدف من هذه الأطروحة هو تحديد أفضل الحلول المستدامة من حيث التكلفة الإجمالية للفلل السكنية في الإمارات العربية المتحدة. المنهجية المتبعة في هذه الأطروحة ستأخذ في عين الاعتبار الجوانب البيئية والاقتصادية لمرحلتي الإنشاء …

Primary School Space Design In The City Of Beijing: A Design Demonstration That Promotes The Physical Well-Being Of Children, Dan Wu

Theses

In recent years, obesity and health problems have increased among children in China because they participate in fewer physical activities than in previous years. The reasons for this change include academic overload, the increased number of students, and the limited amount of open space in cities. It has, therefore, become important to encourage students to engage in more outdoor exercise. Children aged 7 to 12 are considered primary school age in China. They spend most of the day at school, where physical activity opportunities should be provided. Architectural design can help improve the quality of spaces by laying them out …

Adaptive Reuse As A Means For Socially Sustainable (Re)Development: How Reuse Of Existing Buildings Can Help To Establish Community Identity And Foster Local Pride, Ian Gauger

Theses

Two trends in building today are urbanization and a focus on sustainability. Concerns about sustainability, especially in building and city design, have been growing for decades now, and are being driven forward by fears over the effects of climate change. Urbanization is rapid population growth in many cities around the world caused by an influx of people from suburban, exurban, and rural communities. In some parts of the United States which experienced suburbanization during the middle part of the 20th century, this is a return of population to the city, or a reurbanization. This growth has led to a need …

A Sustainable Residential Community That Promotes Urban Dwellers’ Well-Being – New City Development In Nanjing China, Xingyan Wang

Theses

The process of rapid urbanization has brought not only opportunities for the development of urban areas but also challenges for the design of quality urban space, especially for residential neighborhoods and public spaces. For the past four decades, the most common housing option for urban dwellers in China has been an apartment in a high-rise concrete tower in a gated residential community. This type of housing model initially improved the living conditions for residents and helped to solve the land shortage issue; however, that model can no longer fulfill residents’ demand for well-being or maintain a sustainable way of living. …

The Impact Of Pocket Parks To Enhance Public Space And Realm In Ajman, Uae, Manal Abdalla Al Shamsi

Theses

Green spaces in urban life play an important role in maintaining healthy lifestyle and providing a calm and peaceful place for roaming around. Large new urban park projects are gradually decreasing in dense cities, and small green spaces like pocket parks are likely to become more important. However previous studies showed that multiple research studies on small urban green spaces have been conducted. On infill sites and other overlooked city corners, pocket parks are created. Apart from the obvious benefits of the ecosystem and the environment, they can be a small but important step towards a fair architecture. The project …

The Assessment Of Walkability As A Social Aspect Of Sustainability: The Case Of Dubai Neighborhoods, Uae, Rania Elsaed Elesawi

Theses

In an attempt to reduce car dependency, the process of planning, mainly on a neighborhood level, has recently been directed to focus on the accommodation of walkability as a significant factor of planning development. This approach contributes not only to improving urban patterns but also majorly in addressing issues of sustainability. The social aspect of sustainability has not received much attention and is considered the least described pillar. The positive association between aspects of human behavior and built environment, particularly walkability, suggests that measuring social aspects of sustainability may be conceivable especially in the context of community development. Sustainable neighborhoods …

Guide For Sustainable Design Of Neom City, Khaled Fallatah

Theses

Urban planners and architects have concerned about the architectural style and theme of the NEOM city, because most of the new cities in the area seemed to be a generic city, no one wants to have another Dubai, Manhattan and Singapore. So what is the best code or development guideline should a new city in the area of Saudi Arabia should fallow to become the most sustainable city without losing the Saudi’s identity? This thesis research will provide a form-based code guide for sustainable development of NEOM City in Saudi Arabia for architectural character based on research and analysis of …