Architecture Commons^™

Public Space And Urban Life: A Spatial Ethnography Of A Portland Plaza, Katrina Leigh Johnston

Dissertations and Theses

The Urban Center Plaza at Portland State University is a high profile place situated in downtown Portland, Oregon. In some ways it is the ideal university plaza providing space for eating, conversing, or limited recreational activity. It is a place that has been studied before, but not in a more in-depth method incorporating quantitative and qualitative analyses. It is also a place that has gone through several stages of development and is the target of many opinions based on casual observations, at times due to these changes. This thesis focuses on an ethnography of place in this particular plaza in …

A Comparative Study Of The Physical Elements In Shiraz Traditional Districts With The Features Of Cpted Approach, Mohammadreza Mohseni, Ahoura Zandiatashbar, Mohammad Masud

Faculty Publications, Urban and Regional Planning

Neighborhood space and district is an issue that has been forgotten in contemporary architecture of cities. With regard to the quantitative increase of districts and also the increase of a unilateral physical view towards them, their security declines and consequently the capacity for crime increases in the residential spaces and fear of crime occurrence among the residents of the districts. In the environmental design, the CPTED attitude is one of the most effective approaches to enhance security. The main pivot of this article is to study the rate of agreements of the physical elements of old districts of Shiraz with …

New York Neighborhoods Fight Land Grabs: Public Parks Going To Professional Teams, Donovan Finn

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

In the diverse New York City borough of Queens, local activists banded together in the early 2000's to fight back against a trio of city-led urban development projects intended to provide public parkland to private real estate developers.

The Rebirth Of The Neighborhood, J. Peter Byrne

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This essay argues that new urban residents primarily seek a type of community properly called a neighborhood. “Neighborhood” refers to a legible, pedestrian-scale area that has an identity apart from the corporate and bureaucratic structures that dominate the larger society. Such a neighborhood fosters repeated, casual contacts with neighbors and merchants, such as while one pursues Saturday errands or takes children to activities. Dealing with independent local merchants and artisans face-to-face provides a sense of liberation from large power structures, where most such residents work. Having easy access to places of sociability like coffee shops and bars permits spontaneous “meet-ups,” …

Mainstreet Art & Cultural Theater Districts - Clovis & Tucumcari Communities, Kelly Gard, Janell Furrow, Cameron Treme, Dale Lusk, Laura Baca, Servando Miranda, Trupti Stellus Pereira, Eliah Guerrero, Daniel Osuna, Kevin Maynard, Justin Depoy, Pete Collins, Stacey George

Design and Planning Assistance Center - Projects

During the spring of 2013 Design Planning Assistance Center (DPAC) of the University of New Mexico's School of Architecture and Planning worked with New Mexico MainStreet to assist Clovis and Tucumcari MainStreet communities and Arts and Cultural District (ACD) initiatives. The work focused on the three historic theaters in Clovis and two in Tucumcari as part of a larger initiative on New Mexico's historic theaters. The studio proposed renovations, adaptive reuses, and additions to the theaters, and proposed both permanent and temporary facilities to create art and cultural theater districts. While these proposals are specific to each theater and community, …

Measuring The Sustainability Of U.S. Public Bicycle Systems, Max W. Williamson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As cities worldwide plan for increasing urbanization levels, new challenges in mobility will arise. Any approach taken to address these new issues will need to consider how to move more people with declining resources, thus the need for a sustainable solution arises. This thesis examines the growing trend of cities creating public bicycle systems as a means to add sustainability to a transportation system and identifies what are the criteria and indicators of a sustainable public bicycle. The criteria and indicators are used to examine data collection techniques of three Public Bicycle Systems in the United States: Capital Bikeshare in …

The Feasibility Of Closing Vehicle Crossings Along St. Charles Avenue: A Study Of Transit Safety And Performance, Vivek B. Shah

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The St. Charles streetcar is an important transit line in the city of New Orleans, with about 65,000 people living within a ½ mile walking distance from it. However, the line experiences a very high streetcar/automobile crash rate due in large part to the large number of grade vehicle crossings over the tracks that lack signalization. Through traffic modeling, the closure of many of these vehicle crossings and the diversion of automotive traffic to the remaining, signalized crossings is analyzed to determine traffic impacts on street network. The result is a modest increase in traffic, about 7-8%, at the remaining …

Feasibility Of Reconstructing Decommissioned Urban Schools: Emphasis Private Involvement, George J. Spinaris, Ra

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

Decommissioned urban schools in the United States have become a problem despite well-intentioned efforts of federal, state and local authorities to reconstruct them. The challenge to school districts, superintendants, local and state authorities is threefold – one arising from the education policy and declining student enrollment. The second challenge is due to inadequate funds for maintenance and renovation of existing facilities. The third from the architectural point of view stemming from an architectural and technological modernity to avoid not so much the possibility of urban sprawl but possible clash of community interests. Urban Sprawl is defined as “The unplanned, …

Behaviors And Perceptions Concerning Online Nutrition Information Among Young Adult Midwest University Students, Brenda Moeckly

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Watering The Seed: A Model For Change In Jinotepe, Nicaragua And Beyond, Andy Douglas

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

Alternatives To Standard Minimum Parking Requirements: A Study Of Best Practices And Its Application To Dallas, Texas, Sarah Rachel May, Andrew Whittemore

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

Development in Dallas would be more compact and multi-modal if the city refocuses its parking policies away from parking quantity to parking quality. To validate this hypothesis, this professional report compares and contrasts parking policies and best practices of municipalities that have adopted alternatives to standard minimum parking requirements to draw suggestions to present to the City of Dallas. Current parking policy in Dallas has a simple minimum parking requirement (MPR) based on the size and type of use, calculated by recommended industry standards circa 1950 and adjusted through the mid 1980's as automobile ownership has increased. This has made …

Learning From Los Ramblas, Matthew Crowley

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

This report seeks to create a catalog of urban design elements that can be used as a professional reference for practicing planners. It will use the Ramblas, a series of streets in Barcelona as the area of study to understand how urban design elements can be successful. The historical evolution of the streets and how they developed into what they are today is presented. It is not suggested that the Ramblas would be recreated in another context but instead elements would be understood for their value and use within their context. Those elements will be catalogued to create a set …

The United Hayward Bicycle Proposal, Maurice Mcclure

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

Joint Use Partnerships: Evaluating The Feasibility Of A Joint Use Partnerhsip Between The City Of San Luis Obispo And Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Kathryn S. Mineo

Master's Theses

As demand for additional athletic fields continues to increase, the City of San Luis Obispo is struggling to meet the recreation needs of the community. This project evaluated the feasibility of a joint use partnerships with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for the shared use of the University’s underutilized Sports Complex, and made recommendations of strategies to address the City’s recreation needs. This project reviewed current and professional academic literature on successful approaches to joint use partnerships; conducted case study analyses on two Cal Poly facilities; and worked with City and University officials to examine the issues associated with establishing …

Urban Design Study & Proposal: Hayward City Center, Bradford J. Debranch

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

From Carson Pirie Scott To City Target: A Case Study On The Adaptive Reuse Of Louis Sullivan’S Historic Sullivan Center, Lisa M. Switzer

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

This study provides an in-depth exploration of the adaptive reuse of one of Chicago’s most iconic structures over the course of a year from the Summer of 2011 to the Summer of 2012. The Sullivan Center was converted from a mid-scale retailer to City Target. Through extensive interviews with the Target development team, Chicago city officials, historians and Landmark Commission representatives this study documents the conversion and identifies the successes and opportunities of the project. The study follows the project from design development to completion, and provides insight on the local community perspective on the development.

Advisor: Mark Hinchman

An Update Of The 1984 Haymarket Redevelopment Plan: Lincoln, Nebraska, Stephanie Rouse

Community and Regional Planning Program: Professional Projects

In 1984, Lincoln, Nebraska committed resources to renovating the Haymarket District to change it from a decayed manufacturing center into a viable business district. They successfully created a historic landmark district, commissioned a blight study and declared the area blighted, and then created a redevelopment plan. The 1984 Haymarket Redevelopment Plan examined the thencurrent district conditions and proposed future development that would support a thriving business district. Twenty-eight years later, that plan is being re-examined to determine what parts of the plan were realized, what the current district looks like, and how the current environment creates the need for an …

Building Healthy Communities: Integrating Walkability Concepts Into Local Land Use Planning, Jenna Danelle Muhlbach

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

In recent years, American communities have been diagnosed with several chronic health diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Several researchers attribute sedentary lifestyles as one of the contributing factors to chronic diseases. The lack of physical exercise can be blamed by the auto-dependent suburbia lifestyle that many generations have become accustomed to. Poor land use developments have roads and freeways dominating the use of space, with the intent of having an automobile get from one place to another as efficiently as possible. This has allowed places to be much further apart therefore it has had a negative impact …

Cloning And Characterization Of Hypothetical Exported Proteins From Community Associated Staphylococcus Aureus, Haninder Kaur

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Are The Mara Salvatrucha And 18th Street Gangs A Threat To Our National Security, José A. Ortiz

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Circulator Shuttle Implementation Plan For The City Of Pittsburg, California, Justin Shiu

Master's Theses

This study examines how a shuttle system can meet transportation needs in Pittsburg. A circulator shuttle connecting major commercial nodes, public facilities, and residential locations, can increase travel options and improve accessibility to key locations. A review of best practices and transit planning standards provides a means to determine the cost of a shuttle service. The base costs of service are then applied to three alternatives for different shuttle route alignments: 1) a north-south route along Railroad Avenue only, 2) a north-south route along Railroad Avenue and an east-west route to Century Plaza, and 3) a north-south route along Railroad …

Towards Net-Zero Energy Communities: Evaluating Capacity Of Local Comprehensive Plans For Energy Efficiency In Oregon, Nan Zhao

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

While energy-related issue is conventionally recognized as a large-scale issue to human and natural environment, few researches directly focus on local-level policies and strategies on energy efficiency. This thesis mainly aims to explain how to establish Net-Zero Energy Communities (NZECs) in the respective of local planning and policy. Based on the innovation adoption theory and key factors of NZECs, this study firstly establishes a practical protocol to assist local jurisdictions to develop high-quality local comprehensive plans (LCPs) to promote the development of NZECs. Then, through assessing the capacities of LCPs for local energy efficiency in Oregon, the strengths and weaknesses …

Mixed Method Collaboration In The Built Environment, Dermot Kehily

Conference papers

The built environment discipline or inter-discipline is a relatively new field in academic research. Its subject matter however is based on the traditional disciplines of the construction and property industries. Determining your ontological position and epistemological approach based on the researchparadigm of one of these fields’ may not provide an adequate solution to your research objectives.This paper outlines that framing your research within the broader confines of the built environment; drawing from related fields in an integrated manner may provide a more successful outcome.Arguments whether the built environment is an academic discipline or even the range of subjects thatmake up …

Restoration Of A Declining Inner-Ring Suburban Area: Lamar-Collins, Arlington, Texas, Ashley Shook

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

Inner-ring suburban revitalization and redevelopment is a growing challenge in the United States as downtowns and outer-ring suburbs receive increased investment. Greenfields in fringe cities offer less construction obstacles and more return on investment for private sector developers leaving inner-ring suburbs behind. Additionally, with aging infrastructure and housing stock, declining population, increasing crime, and regional competition for investment, inner-ring suburbs face mounting difficulty toward recovery. One neighborhood at a time, these first-tier suburbs encourage investment from within and outside of the community through various planning techniques, some for successfully than others. Adding to the mounting obstacles is the misunderstanding of …

Pedestrian And Bike Planning: Downtown Of The City Of Granbury, Tx, Saraswati Bhandari

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

Walking is the fundamental form of transportation system. The mode of transportation plays a vital role in the physical form of the city. Before innovation of the automobile, cities were planned in a compact form, and anyone can cross the city by foot. But, innovation of the automobile has brought a drastic change in the urban form and the mode of transportation. Cities started to develop without sidewalks and people were forced to use automobiles. Due to energy consumption, environmental concern and household expenses on automobile, auto culture has been a costly mode of transportation. So, urban planners have developed …

Residential Square In The 21st Century: Applying A Typology To Create A New Urban Morphology, Elizabeth Whittington

Architecture Thesis Prep

"As a low-rise high-density mixed-use typology, the reconsideration of the residential square can provide a new urban morphology that densifies residential zones, while providing safe public spaces. In addition, I assert that through its combination of juxtaposed functional uses, unit typology the language of the façade, the historical European residential square, can articulate the identity of residents."

Housing Indeterminacy: Responsive Design For Diverse And Changing Households, Mark Sousa

Architecture Thesis Prep

"This project hopes to create a new outlook on the future of housing design. Ray Forrest wrote, “The pace of demographic change need not be that dynamic to outpace the capacity of markets or states to provide appropriate dwellings in appropriate locations. […] Dwelling placement or adaptation is always likely to lag.”2 The preceding statement reflects the belief that housing is static and rigid, and that dwelling replacement or major structural adaptation is necessary to accommodate a continually evolving population. On the contrary, responsive housing can release significant pressure on housing systems by anticipating change and providing a lower cost …

Los Osos Strategic Design Plan, Fall 2012, Crp 341 Urban Design Studio

City and Regional Planning Studios and Projects

In the 2012 Fall Quarter, Cal Poly City and Regional Planning Department’s Community Design Lab worked with the community of Los Osos to develop design proposals for four different areas within Los Osos and for general wayfinding and circulation within. The design areas were: Baywood, South Bay Blvd, Los Osos Valley Road East and Los Osos Valley Road West.

Sustainable Water Management On Brownfields Sites, Ryan Fenwick, New England Environmental Finance Center

Sustainable Communities Capacity Building

This practice guide was developed by the Environmental Finance Center Network (EFCN) through the Capacity Building for Sustainable Communities program funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Through a cooperative agreement with HUD, EFCN is providing capacity building and technical assistance to recipients of grants from the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an interagency collaboration that aims to help towns, cities, and regions develop in more economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable ways.

Inclusive Excellence: Compilation Of Information, David Conn

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.