Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons^™

What’S In A Map?: Evaluating Mapping Techniques And Measures Of Culture To Inform Equitable Cultural Planning In Dallas, Texas, Kena Nicol

Planning Masters Professional Reports

The City of Dallas developed a neighborhood typology map to assess cultural resource distribution as part of its 2018 Cultural Plan, representing a relatively new approach that remains underexplored in academic literature. In the same plan, stakeholders identified equity as a central value, highlighting the need for tools that better support equitable cultural planning. This study evaluates the outcomes of two mapping techniques–cultural asset mapping and opportunity mapping – to examine how each represents cultural resource distribution across Dallas and supports equity-oriented analysis. Cultural asset mapping, the standard approach in cultural planning, identifies the spatial distribution of physical cultural infrastructure. …

Developing Design Principles For Multimodal Connection: A Case Study Of The Commerce Bridge Corridor In Dallas, Texas, Panisa Thanpaisarnsamut

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

Downtown Dallas has undergone substantial growth, yet major streets and bridge corridors continue to prioritize vehicular movement, resulting in fragmented and uncomfortable pedestrian environments. This condition is especially evident along the Commerce Bridge corridor, where narrow sidewalks, high traffic volumes, and unclear crossings limit safe and accessible movement between Downtown and West Dallas. Although several parks and public spaces lie in close proximity, the lack of continuous and legible routes prevents these areas from functioning as a connected system.

This thesis investigates how the Commerce Bridge corridor can be transformed into a multimodal connection that supports movement, safety, and user …

Equitable Siting Of Green Stormwater Infrastructure In Urban Areas For Flood Resilience In Vulnerable Communities, Elnaz Chitsazzadeh

Planning Dissertations

Cities face increasing pressure from rapid urbanization, aging gray infrastructure, intensifying rainfall, and uneven flood protection. In this context, green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) and other nature-based solutions are increasingly promoted as tools for climate adaptation, flood resilience, and environmental justice. Yet a central planning challenge remains: how to identify where GSI should be prioritized when flood-related physical burden, weak environmental protection, social vulnerability, and lower recovery capacity overlap. This dissertation addresses that challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, by examining how equitable GSI siting can support flood resilience in vulnerable urban neighborhoods.

Framed by urban resilience and environmental justice, the study …

A Study Of Adaptive Reuse Of A Decommissioned Golf Course Through A Nature-Based Approach: Woodhaven Golf Course, Fort Wort Texas., Justin B. Watson Mr.

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

Across the nation, golf courses are shutting down due to a lack of demand. Golf course developments began in the United States in the early 1950s During that era, demand for golf courses and housing was high. As golf’s popularity grew, developers saw golf courses in developments as high value-add amenities (Grooms, 2010). During the late 1990s and early 2000s, developers across the country raced to construct as many golf course communities as they could even as the number of golfers leveled out (Downey,2011).

Decommissioned golf courses across Texas are being underutilized as potential amenities for both the local community …

Housing Provision In The United States: How Sustainability Approaches Can Address Homelessness, Kortlynn D. Boddie

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

There are over 771,000 people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in the United States, with job loss and natural disasters threatening to increase this number. This project reviews two possible means of providing affordable housing for PEH: using existing buildings, and Additive Manufacturing or 3D printed housing. Twenty cities in fourteen American states were reviewed for current housing unit vacancy, future planned building-to-housing conversions, and requirements to provide Additive Manufactured housing. The number of PEH found in each city was compared to the number of vacant housing units and planned building conversions. Additive manufacturing was studied through its cost and time efficiency, …

Identifying Predictors And Scorecard Ranking Systems For Deck Park Development, Archer J. Morrow

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

This report uses geographic data to identify development predictors and assemble site-ranking scorecards for deck park development. Deck parks are an increasingly popular, if understudied, urban intervention often used to mitigate the effects of highway development, pedestrianized urban areas, and promote development. This research collected data from 19 parks across the United States using the American Community Survey and observed Geospatial Features to develop predictors that relate to deck park implementation measured in $/ft^2. Predictors were analyzed using Pearson correlation testing to assess if there was a significant correlation between certain variables. If a correlation was found, predictors were moved …

Lack Of Infrastructure: Addressing Water Scarcity And Housing Needs In Sand Branch, Yannet A. Mercado

2025 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

In the outskirts of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (DFW), unincorporated communities like Sand Branch face unstable living conditions. Sand Branch, one of the poorest communities in North Texas, has struggled with water insecurity for decades due to the lack of municipal water infrastructure. Residents often rely on donations from nonprofit organizations to meet their basic water needs. This paper explores how implementing a Rainwater Harvesting System (RWH) could enhance their independence and resilience by providing a more sustainable water source. This research examines Sullivan’s work on sustainable housing policies for low-income self-built communities and evaluates the feasibility of RWH as …

Small-Scale Green Infrastructure In Urban Networks - Trinity Presbyterian Church As A Pilot Project, Selvana Getsy -

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

Rapid urbanization and increasing impervious cover in cities like those within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex have intensified flooding, heat, erosion, and declining ecological quality. Although large-scale green infrastructure (GI) interventions are widely recognized as solutions to these issues, small-scale institutional landscapes remain a neglected yet powerful component of urban GI networks. This study functions as a pilot/demonstration project to evaluate the potential of small-scale GI interventions at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Plano, Texas. The goals are to reduce stormwater runoff, provide ecological and microclimatic improvements, increase community engagement, biodiversity enhancement, and environmental awareness in public institutional settings.

The study utilizes a …

Transforming A Public Flexible Space Into An Artistic Place For Leisure – An Artistic Intervention For Downtown Arlington., Sowmya Kanaka

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

Open flexible spaces are often underutilized, undefined, or lacking identity, hold immense potential to become vibrant artistic places that support leisure, culture, and community life. transforming such flexible spaces into Community-led arts places serve as adaptable environments that can shift to meet evolving cultural and recreational needs. By integrating artistic intervention through public art, interactive installations, and creative spatial programming, formerly Underutilized open space becomes an anchor of activity drawing residents and visitors and influencing adjacent areas to align with its renewed identity. Arts-driven public spaces attract consistent foot traffic and recurring events, stimulating social and economic exchange. When artistic …

Assessing Biodiversity For User Experience In Public Parks: Learning From Downtown Dallas, Texas, Amanda A. Esparza

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

Biodiversity loss is a pressing global issue, with far-reaching ecological, social, and cultural consequences (United Nations Environment Programme, 2011). The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recognizes the biodiversity crisis as equal in urgency to the climate crisis and emphasizes the importance of incorporating biodiversity conservation into design practices (Green, 2024). However, regional experiences of the relationship between biodiversity in designed urban landscapes and user experience remain unexplored. The purpose of this research is to gain a general understanding of the level of biodiversity present in downtown Dallas, Texas, public parks and to assess park users’ perceptions and interactions with …

An Analysis Of Structural, Organizational, And Physical Approaches To Disaster Vulnerability: A Case Of Hurricane Harvey In Houston, Tx, Tarsha Hardy

Planning Dissertations - Archive

Global warming and climate change have led to the increased and intensified presence of natural disasters. Cities grapple with the continual challenge of physical, structural, and organizational approaches to reducing disaster vulnerability while constantly working to prioritize the accessibility of safe spaces for the future. The aim of this dissertation is to examine spatial data from Harris County, Texas, in conjunction with key insights from key planning and government decision makers to determine how they can form collaborative and strategic alliances for the development of disaster vulnerability reduction strategies that increase access to safe spaces during imminent disasters. As a …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Arab Refugees: Access To Public Housing And Integration In Dallas County, Texas., Salam Lattouf

Planning Dissertations - Archive

Past research in the Global North has overlooked the housing issues faced by low-income refugees while primarily examining disadvantaged communities and people of color, such as low-income African American and Hispanic populations. Refugees coming to the United States face compound challenges and barriers in securing adequate housing, besides contending with other social and economic difficulties such as language barriers and lack of knowledge in the housing market, which expose them to exploitation and eventually impact their access to opportunities such as employment. Although the literature on housing accessibility for refugees is scarce in the United States, we argue that the …

Nature-Based Solutions For Urban Climate Resilience: Assessment Of Environmental Planning & Policy Perspective In New York City, Padmi R. Ranasinghe

Planning Dissertations - Archive

Climate change exerts a profound global influence, elevating the risk of disasters. Rapid urbanization and high population density make cities increasingly vulnerable to disasters. Climate impact is intense for cities in deltas and coastal regions, highlighting the importance of managing urban watersheds effectively. Often, climate change affects people unequally, with marginalized communities being extra vulnerable to climate-related disasters due to where they live (geographical vulnerability) and limited adaptive capacity. People often live in areas vulnerable to climate-related hazards, including flood zones and regions affected by environmental injustices. Enhancing city resilience is crucial, as it needs to reduce vulnerability and exposure …

Achieving Vision Zero On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: Enhancing Pedestrian Safety And Reclaiming Community Identity In South Dallas, Safa Sayeed Khan

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

Fair Park, a neighborhood of South Dallas, has experienced historical displacement, urban neglect, and pedestrian safety inequities, especially along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (MLK Blvd). This boulevard is a vital entryway to Fair Park and a center for local businesses, attracting significant foot traffic. However, it currently lacks essential pedestrian safety improvements. (Dallas Examiner, 2023). Due to its high crash rate, poor sidewalks, lack of crosswalks, and poor lighting, MLK Blvd has been identified as one of Dallas' most dangerous pedestrian areas, despite being an essential vehicle and pedestrian corridor that connects residents to Fair Park (Phillips, 2024; "South …

Barcelona As A Blueprint: Integrating Architectural And Urban Identity To Future Urbanism, Angela Uribe

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Barcelona is one of the largest and most recognized European cities on Spain's Eastern coast. Throughout its history, it has developed a powerful sense of cultural identity through architecture, design, and urban planning. City identity in some modern architectural and urban developments is slowly disintegrating. This is problematic because these historical and cultural aspects help shape the urban and physical environments we live in today. The study focused on Barcelona’s specific planning strategies and design elements to conclude its underlying city identity, which was used as a point of reference for contemporary city development. The results showed that Barcelona’s Cerda …

Exploring The Relationship Between Intraurban Heat, Lower Income Communities And Urban Governance In Arlington, Texas, Brian Campbell

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

The climate is warming at an alarming rate. This has brought many challenges to daily life in cities across the world. One of the most significant of these is intraurban heat and the Urban Heat Island Effect. Per The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, urban heat islands are those urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures versus other outlying areas. As cities become more populated, this and resulting increased infrastructure will enhance the phenomenon. This in turn will exacerbate the negative consequences of this phenomenon to people as well as both the built and natural environments. As cities work …

The Interplay Of Rightsizing And Growth Strategies In Legacy Urban Communities, Alfonso Riera

Planning Dissertations - Archive

This research investigates the rightsizing strategies of a mid-sized, shrinking city in Ohio, to explore the tensions and complexities that rightsizing efforts introduce into the urban governance landscape. The questions that guide this research draw on the theories of rightsizing to reveal the ways in which rightsizing efforts implemented by city officials enabled economic revitalization as well as cultivated a pipeline to urban growth efforts. The research findings contribute to our understanding of rightsizing by revealing the ways that shrinking cities struggle to fully adopt rightsizing as its own end goal, rather than a means to a growth-oriented urban landscape. …

Socioeconomic Impacts Of The Employment Sub-Centers On The Surrounding Areas In The Dallas- Fort Worth Metropolitan Area (Dfw) From 2002 To 2020, Aliasghar Rahimioun

Planning Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation analyzes the effects of the employment sub-centers on the surrounding area. It does so by examining the percentage changes in workers' socioeconomic characteristics such as age, earnings, and industry sectors from 2002 to 2020 while controlling for job and population density. The data for this study is derived from the Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) data set.

The dissertation aims to answer five crucial research questions. These questions delve into how the percentage change of socioeconomic characteristics of employment sub-centers affects households' income, ethnicity, age, and gender in the surrounding area of the employment sub-centers. The study also seeks …

A Study Of Multimodal Accessibility Equity And Spatio-Temporal Relationships Between Transit, Job Density And Modal Split, Seyedsoheil Sharifiasl

Planning Dissertations - Archive

In North American cities, the land use and transportation systems are associated with low-density, suburban-type urban development, where the built environment contributes to a mobility pattern that is extremely reliant on automobiles. Several studies in the past decades have documented noticeable and concerning patterns of unjust and unsustainable transportation in this context. As a result, for those population groups with limited access to private transportation, this form of urban structure is equivalent to limited access to opportunities, leading to various environmental and social problems. These problems exacerbate inequities in access to transportation, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. From a sustainable development …

The University Of Texas At Arlington: Green Infrastructure Report, Center For Metropolitan Density, Uta Office Of Facilities Management, Uta Office Of Sustainability, City Of Arlington, Us Epa, One Architecture & Urbanism, Climate Resilience Consulting, Sherwood Design Engineers, Taner R. Ozdil

Center for Metropolitan Density Publications - Archive

On the University of Texas at Arlington campus, investing in green infrastructure is critical for managing stormwater and heat stress today and addressing the emerging challenges caused by a changing climate: shifting precipitation patterns, “cloudbursts” or flash floods, and more frequent and severe extreme heat events. In 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided technical assistance to UTA as part of the tenth anniversary of the Campus RainWorks Challenge, a national design competition that advances green infrastructure design on college and university campuses across the country. This report builds on UTA’s extensive engagement with the competition and envisions the campus …

How An Environmental Crisis Catalyzed Community-Led Planning To Address Racial Inequities: A Case Study Of Shingle Mountain, In Southern Dallas, Evelyn Mayo

Planning Masters Professional Reports - Archive

Equity is one of the “Four E’s” representing the core values for planning at the City of Dallas, Texas (City of Dallas, Core Values). However, many neighborhoods in Southern Dallas endure environmental injustices partly because land use planning ignores or disregards the needs of low-income communities of color. This report examines the Shingle Mountain environmental justice crisis in Southern Dallas to illuminate the environmental injustices that the community of Floral Farms has endured partly due to misguided planning and the neglect of the city of Dallas.The study focuses on examining how the grassroots, community-led land use plan developed by residents …

Evaluating Usage, Acceptance, Integration, And Safety Impacts Of Demand Responsive Transportation (Drt) Services, Muhammad Arif Khan

Planning Dissertations - Archive

Transportation systems are vital in providing accessibility and mobility to city residents. Auto-oriented transportation systems have faced several challenges, including traffic congestion, crashes, and environmental pollution. Proponents of mass transit systems present them as a sustainable alternative to private automobiles. Although mass transit offers several benefits, these benefits are not very significant in rural, midsized, and low-density cities due to low public transit ridership. New modes of public transit, such as demand-responsive transport (DRT), also called on-demand public transport, have recently gained popularity across the United States. DRT systems are used in several mid-sized cities, either as an alternative to …

Gambian Transnationalism And Urban Spatial Expansion: An Analysis Of Motivations And Consequences Of Us-Based Gambian Emigrants' Real Estate Investments In The Greater Banjul Area, Matthias St. Clair Greywoode

Planning Dissertations - Archive

This study was the first comprehensive study of the transnational housing investments of Gambian emigrants in the Gambia and contributes to the literature on immigrant populations in host countries by illuminating the transnational nature and activities of immigrant populations. Transnational migrants send significant amounts of remittances back to their countries of origin annually and research indicates that they continue to grow both in real terms and as a proportion of their country's respective GDP. Most of these migrant remittances are invested in residential housing developments which makes studying the impact of migrant investments on the economies of origin countries an …

The Relationship Between Transit-Oriented Development (Tod) Stations And Health Outcomes, Mohammed Hafiz

Planning Dissertations - Archive

The relationship between the built environment and health outcomes, including obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, asthma, and heart diseases, has been significantly related (Chandrabose et al., 2019). Urban planning plays a significant role in shaping the built environment of cities that are affecting public health. Historically, urban planning and public health are connected due to the impact of the built environment. Consequently, the concerns about health outcomes became an issue in urban planning. This research focuses on health outcomes within the built environment. Specifically, considering more physical activities in Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) station areas, the study investigates its …

Neoliberal Park Governance Regimes And The Right To The City: A Critical Assessment Of Social Inclusion In Downtown Dallas Signature Parks, Nazanin Ghaffari

Planning Dissertations - Archive

Privatization has been frequently criticized for diminishing the inclusiveness of public space. This dissertation examines whether private signature parks are more exclusive than their public counterparts utilizing Lefebvre's right to the city, along with theories of public space privatization and governance. To better understand the influence of privatization on the social inclusiveness of public spaces, three publicly-accessible signature parks are deliberately selected in downtown Dallas, based on their ownership and management types: (1) publicly-owned, publicly-managed; (2) publicly-owned, privately-managed; and (3) privately-owned, privately-managed. The research methodology includes semi-structured interviews, in-situ participatory observation, and content analysis of official documents, local and social …

Building On Spatial Mismatch: A New Review Of Literature And An Example Case Study, Steven Matthew Reeves

Planning Theses - Archive

Barriers to employment exist at different levels for minority groups, especially those that are residentially segregated. Many studies have examined these barriers, including a physical separation between the residential location and the available job opportunities since John Kain’s 1968 Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis. However, recent studies of modal mismatch, racial mismatch, and skill or language mismatch, have been identified with significant impact on accessible employment without being included in a comprehensive review of mismatch literature. This research provides an updated literature review of Spatial Mismatch. It also includes a case study of a little-studied region, Dallas – Fort Worth metropolitan area. …

Lost In Translation? Assessing The Intercultural Sensitivity Levels Of Planners In The Dallas- Fort Worth Area, Eihua Corinne Olivia Shaw

Planning Dissertations - Archive

The inclusion of minorities in the public participation process is one of the greatest challenges within the field of planning. However, the political structures around public participation make it difficult for practitioners to respond to the challenges and needs of an increasing number of cultural minority groups in urban regions. Scholars have advised planners to be more sensitive to the needs of minorities, but there are no tools in the planning field to evaluate cultural sensitivity in practice. This dissertation examines public participation related to intercultural sensitivity. In particular, this research adds to a better understanding of the role of …

Planning Practices For The Public Mental Health, Kaitlin A. Mcbride

Planning Theses - Archive

The rapid urbanization taking place in the 21st century poses its own unique set of public health concerns. In addition to changing lifestyles around the world, mental illness rates are higher in our cities. While the conversations surrounding public health usually focus on the physical, mental health has an equal impact on the overall wellbeing of individuals and populations. Just as the planning profession finds it crucial to be involved in efforts to improve the physical public health in cities, we must do the same for the public mental health. Like most professions, planning is guided by our theories. These …

Spatial Decision Support Systems Use In Peacekeeping And Stability Operations Analysis: Spatial Analysis For U.S. Army Civil Affairs Civil Information Management, Earnest R. Lloyd

Planning Dissertations - Archive

Becoming a core U.S. military mission in 2005, Stability Operations deals with the political, economic, social and structural resiliency of a county or region. It is conducted to support and develop a host nation's government, or to initiate governmental services in a non-governed area until the host nation can do so itself. Inherent in this is the provision of public goods, whether the military is the principal provider or to understand the relative public good provision levels within a given area. This understanding is known as situational awareness of the operational environment (OE), a significant issue for any military commander …

Transit, Walkability, And Economic Development In The 21st Century: Explorations From The U.S. Specialized High-Tech Zones, Pivotal Industries, And Innovative Small Businesses, Ahoura Zandiatashbar

Planning Dissertations - Archive

The economy in the 21st century has expanded the depth of creativity, speed, and flexibility in production, high-tech industry, and innovation. Hence, the new economic norm and high dependency on innovation and creativity require educated, talented, and specialized human capital, as well as proximity to research centers and universities. Furthermore, this new knowledge economy has also favored urban spaces that support spontaneous face-to-face encounters and knowledge exchange while appealing to the talented human capital. Besides these specific urban spaces, the transportation infrastructures could have a principle role in the new economy whether through fostering local, regional, or global accessibility to …