Architecture Commons^™

A Comparison Of Park Access With Park Need For Children: Case Study In Cache County, Utah, Shuolei Chen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Childhood obesity is one of the nation’s most serious health problems. There are growing efforts to prevent childhood obesity by improving opportunities for physical activity in their communities. The outdoor settings of the built environment, such as parks and open spaces, can offer children opportunities for physical activities, experience with nature, and social interaction, which contribute to children’s physical and psychological health. However, children’s physical access to parks is often inequitable. Simultaneously, the quality of parks also varies. These disparities caused the inequitable distribution of health-promoting features of built environment among disadvantaged groups who may not have access to other …

Redefining Landscape Norms: Exploring The Influence Of Normative Landscaping Patterns In Washington County, Utah, Ryan White

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As water supplies in the American West become increasingly strained by growing populations and threats of drought and climate change, water managers and governments are working to maximize water-use efficiency. With well over half of municipal water being used on outdoor irrigation, improved landscape water efficiency has been a clear candidate for conservation messaging. Because social norms play a significant role in what conservation behaviors individuals adopt voluntarily, conservation messaging strategies often try to influence and shift norms in favor of improved behaviors. A clear understanding of the existing norms, demographics, and cultural values of an area is essential to …

Moab Futures: A Bioregional Planning Analysis, Utah State University

Bioregional Planning Studio Reports

Since its inception, Utah State University's Bioregional Planning Program has conducted landscape-level planning studies across Utah, specifically addressing planning for the future. Rooted in Ian McHarg's seminal book, Design with Nature (1969), the Bioregional Planning Program investigates how biophysical systems influence settlement and culture, and, inversely, how settlement and culture shape biophysical systems.

A Sustainability Assessment Of Utah's 29 Counties: Testing A Multivariate Graphical Method Of Sustainability Assessment, Thomas Cluff

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Sustainability provides a framework to help guide future planning, policy, investment, and development actions toward achieving multidimensional development goals. The goals of planning for sustainable development aim at a future with high quality of life in a healthy and protected environment.

This paper adopts, reviews, critically examines, and tests a previously-developed methodology for sustainability assessment. The tested approach applies an interactive evaluation model to combine existing data to explain sustainable development possibilities for each evaluated locale. The model's results, presented through a graphic interface, can build knowledge to improve planning decisions and implementation actions for sustainability. The assessment can help …

Community Renewable Energy: The Potential For Energy Generation On Public Land In Cedar City, Utah, Betsy Byrne

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As the world's population rises and becomes increasingly more urbanized, there is a greater demand on our resources. Current energy production practices are based on resources with finite supplies and are associated with environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas and particulate emissions, water resource use, and resource extraction. In contrast, renewable energy production is based on free, continually replenished sources with relatively few environmental impacts. Distributed renewable energy generation involves producing energy close to the point of consumption. The distributed generation model increases energy autonomy at the local level.

Distributed renewable energy generation is fairly common at point of use. …

Blacksmith Fork - Little Bear Watershed Alternative Futures Study, Scott Mccomb, Emmet Pruss, Thomas Terry, Conner White

Bioregional Planning Studio Reports

The following project was carried out in conjunction with the Logan River Task Force, under the chairmanship of Dr. Frank Howe. The Logan River Task Force was formed to develop an overall approach for managing the Logan River that balances ecology with people's social values for the river including public safety and property protection. Although the work of the Task Force has focused primarily on the Logan river, the Bioregional Planning graduate students have provided the Task Force with contextual information about the watershed, by exploring alternative futures for the Blacksmith Fork and Little Bear watersheds. This work expands on …

Using Landscape Visualization To Inform Streetscape Design, Brent C. Chamberlain, Rebecca Liu, Jessica Canfield

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

The streets of commercial districts play an important role in the social fabric of communities. A well-designed streetscape provides an opportunity for thriving commerce, aesthetic enjoyment and public forum. The purpose of this study was to investigate how different elements of streetscape design influence a person’s preferences for the space. Using 3D visualizations of existing and possible future conditions, we studied the effects that infrastructure design had on perceived safety and attractiveness. Our study site was a small college town in the US. Results demonstrate that green infrastructure, including trees and bioswales, improve attractiveness and safety. Parking strategies also have …

Public Art And Land Value: Spatial Relationships In Denver, Colorado, Nicholas Decker

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Public art is justified and sold based on a variety of purported public benefits, including spatial identity, enhanced use, and improved value. Very little research has been done to quantify these or any other large-scale impacts. In this study, the relationships between land value and public art are examined. Denver, Colorado was chosen as the area of study due to its extensive library of accessible data and its active public art program.

ArcGIS is used as an analytical tool to investigate these relationships. Public art data was obtained from Denver's GIS database and edited according to factors important to the …

Concentrated Use Areas: Characteristics And Management Strategies On The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Zachary F. Maughan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Outdoor recreation management has become common practice on public lands over the past century. The United States Forest Service (USFS) has been a leader in the category of recreation management during that time period as well. One management niche associated specifically with national forest land is the field of dispersed recreation. Within the field of dispersed recreation management, USFS staff address recreation use in a variety of ways. One such method has been the development of Concentrated Use Areas (CUAs) in dispersed recreation settings. These areas are generally defined as undeveloped recreation areas that sustain resource impacts and require management …

Archaeological Tourism Opportunity Spectrum: Experience Based Management And Design As Applied To Archaeological Tourism, Brian Mazzola

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Archaeological sites need a new management and development framework to address the pressures resulting from an increasing interest in archaeological tourism. This new framework needs to address both the imminent threat that increased tourism brings (overuse, crowding and additional wear) to the site as well as the widening range of experiences that tourists expect. Over the last decades, management frameworks have been developed in many fields of tourism to address similar issues. The most widely known of these approaches are the Recreational Opportunity Spectrum (ROS), the Tourism Opportunity Spectrum (TOS) and the Ecotourism Opportunity Spectrum (ECOS). These frameworks provide several …

Green Infrastructure Performance In Stormwater Quality, Hailey Wall

Research on Capitol Hill

No abstract provided.

Crash Course Or Course Crash: Gaming, Vr And A Pedagogical Approach, Brent C. Chamberlain

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

The human brain is wired for spatial thinking (GERSMEHL & GERSMEHL 2007), and research has demonstrated that spatial visualization abilities can be improved through education (SORBY & BAARTMANS 2000). This paper describes the uses of cutting edge technology and games to grow spatial thinking, improve spatial design, and solidify landscape planning concepts within the classroom. Specifically, this paper discusses how SimCity 2013, ESRI CityEngine and the Oculus Rift were embedded within a graduate level landscape planning course to see if it improved students understanding of spatial concepts and interest in using related new technologies. While the paper provides a narrative …

Low-Impact Infrastructure: Development And Design Potential For Surface Application Alternatives For Subsurface Infrastructure In Yellowstone National Park's Upper Geyser Basin, Michael R. Pace

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In sensitive and iconic landscapes, such as Yellowstone National Park’s Upper Geyser Basin, construction and expansion of visitor services is hindered, and often blocked, by the potential for environmental damage that could occur during the installation of subsurface utilities. These utilities, crucial to the success of development, require an alternative method of installation when placed in locations requiring special consideration and protection.

Yellowstone, in particular, is faced with the responsibility of protecting limited hydrothermal resources while also providing access to the general public. Sub-surface utilities threaten this responsibility due to the unknown nature of much of the subsurface

geology in …

Bear River Pipeline Concept Report Volume 2, Bowen, Collins & Associates, Hdr Engineering

Water

No abstract provided.

Bear River Pipeline Concept Report Volume 1, Bowen, Collins & Associates, Hdr Engineering

Water

No abstract provided.

Insites, 2014, Utah State University

inSites

Magazine of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

Dramatic Play Affordances Of Natural And Manufactured Outdoor Settings For Preschool-Aged Children, Kimberly K. Cloward Drown

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Concern for child wellness has led play professionals to explore natural playscapes as a means to enhance free play and consequently child development. For preschool children, dramatic or make-believe play is particularly beneficial for enhancing cognitive, social, and emotional skill. Dramatic play in collaboration with other children (sociodramatic play) and, surpassing that, complex socio-dramatic play (group make-believe with a sustained theme that uses sophisticated symbolism) are most valuable for development.

This study compared natural and manufactured outdoor play settings to determine which provided the most opportunity for quality dramatic play. Twenty-four 3- to 5- year olds were observed during daily …

Exploring The Potential Of Resident Employed Photography As A Context Sensitive Technique In Roadway Design, Christopher S. Harrild

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of the study was to explore the potential of resident employed photography as a tool in roadway design. Key elements of this tool that may contribute to context sensitivity in roadway design were identified and explored.

State and federal transportation agencies have identified principles and potential outcomes with the intent to guide processes that are sensitive to the context of a project’s surroundings. The improved design of public roadways to meet the needs of those who live and travel along them is the goal of these agencies. Resident employed photography is the use of a photograph to obtain …

The Spatial Relationship Between Crime And Public Transportation: A Geospatial Analysis Of Salt Lake City's Trax System, Joel W. Warren

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is well-known that, when it comes to crime, some neighborhoods are safer than others. Researchers who make maps of crime have observed that some areas of cities have more crime than others. These areas of high crime are often called hot spots. Crime pattern theory explained why some neighborhoods have more crime than others by looking at criminal events as a meeting between a motivated criminal and a target. Social scientists, geographers, and city planners have shown that criminals generally choose targets from places they see every day, for example on their ride to work or the grocery store. …

Preserving Legacy: The Development Of The Design Workshop Archives And Digital Collection At Utah State University, Amanda J. Dunlap

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Though magazines, books, and slideshows have attempted to share glimpses of landscape architecture, its fixed geographic location inherently limits who can experience it. In a move to address this dilemma, Design Workshop has partnered with Utah State University's Merrill-Cazier Library Special Collections and the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Department to capture the firm's definitive works. The creation of the Design Workshop Archives and Digital Collection conveys the firm's story, sharing it with a broad and diverse audience through the use of physical archives, a digitally accessible partner, oral histories, and online learning objects to be utilized in the classroom. …

Meeting The Needs Of Refugees In Utah Through Interior Design, Valerie Diane Jenkins

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This thesis will discuss a collaborative project between the senior students in the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (LAEP) department and the Interior Design (ID) Program. In an effort to understand and address the needs of the refugees who reside in South Salt Lake we will research, go on site visits, speak with refugee families, and meet with the outreach coordinator for the refugee community of South Salt Lake. All needs, whether observed or mentioned specifically, will be taken into account and addressed within the parameters of the project.

LAEP students will create an urban plan for the redevelopment of …

The History Of The Department Of Landscape Architecture And Environmental Planning At Utah State University, Aaron Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study presents an examination of the history of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning. The study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to produce a holistic view of the events that influenced change with the Department and it is presented through a social constructionist lens. The qualitative methods were primarily driven by oral history interviews with former faculty, as well as analysis by the author of historical documents. The quantitative analysis involved the use of an alumni survey to measure changes in demographics, values, predispositions, and perceptions regarding the LAEP Department amongst the student body, and how …

An Evaluation Of Current Applications Of 3d Visualization Software In Landscape Architecture, Jie Yan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The design process is important to all landscape architects. It helps generate ideas to solve problems in an efficient amount of time and insure that all stages of a project are completed. Generally, a design process includes project acquisition, inventory and site analysis, conflicts identification, public involvement, draft products, and final presentation. Among these elements, public involvement has been recognized as one of the most important elements in the landscape design process. It not only helps professionals get projects done smoothly, but it also helps with long-term client retention. Traditional two-dimensional communication methods using renderings, design plans, and maps have …

The Role Of The Transcendent In Landscapes, Kathryn E. Sonntag

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For as long as humans have designed spaces, they have done so not just to meet basic physical needs but in quest of higher aspirations, including those spiritual and intellectual. These were spaces of contemplation, conducive to the transcendent experience, found in abundance in premodern times, and generally communal in nature. They are less prevalent now, yet there is ample evidence that the need for spaces of contemplation as well as transcendent experiences is as real as ever, despite the current lack of spaces providing such a transcendent connection. Past communal landscape design that provides for the possibility of the …

Recovering The Moca River: An Exploration Through Sustainable Strategies For Developing Countries, Marleny Santana Diaz

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Natural watercourses are being negatively affected by growing urbanization in different cities of the world. Within these circumstances the concept of river restoration has gained relevance, becoming a worldwide priority in water management. In developing countries, river restoration plans, conditioned by social and economic limitations, are mainly focused on a single approach, typically relying on short-term, low technology strategies.

In the long term, these strategies tend to fail because they usually avoid integral solutions that address the interconnected factors contributing to river degradation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a framework of river restoration planning for developing …

The History Of The Department Of Landscape Architecture And Environmental Planning 1939-2014, Utah State University, Laep Department

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 75th Anniversary

As the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at Utah State University celebrates its first 75 years of existence, it is appropriate to reflect back on the individuals who have laid the foundation for what the department has become, and to trace its evolution from the first two graduates in 1940 to over 1,500 today. Given the amount of time covered, the plethora of actors involved, and the many stories to be told, it is inevitable that events have been missed. It is hoped, however, that enough is presented to provide a substantial overview of the program’s growth and …

Professor John Ellsworth Interview Transcription, John C. Ellsworth

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 75th Anniversary

No abstract provided.

Professor Vern Budge Interview Transcription, Vern Budge

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 75th Anniversary

No abstract provided.

Professor Craig Johnson Interview Transcription, Craig Johnson

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 75th Anniversary

No abstract provided.

Professor Richard E. Toth Interview Transcription, Richard E. Toth

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning 75th Anniversary

No abstract provided.