Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons^™

A Framework For Cooperative Housing In Portland, Me: Lessons From 13 Existing Cooperative Houses In The U.S., Cyndi Gacosta

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Cooperative housing may be a viable and financially-sound alternative for individuals and families of low to moderate income, as Portland, Maine’s downtown area becomes gentrified raising property values to unaffordable heights. Of the 13,546 family households in Portland, 8.7% earn below $25,000, which for an average family of four $24, 250¹ is considered to be in poverty, and 18.4% earn between $25,000 and $50,000. Meanwhile, 13.2% of the 16, 561 non-family households are below the poverty line, and 27.5% earn between $25,000 and $50,000 (US Census Bureau, 2014).

As it becomes increasingly difficult for low to moderate income earners …

Reimagining Future Sustainable, Climate-Resilient Urban Design For Apia, Samoa: Developing Plans For A Developing Nation, Alyssa Kaewwilai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Small island developing states are arguably the most vulnerable, exposed nations on a global scale to the harmful effects of climate change. Particularly in Samoa, an abundance of environmental, economic, and social impacts have severe impacts on both the country as a whole as well as on an individual level. This study analyzes future mitigation strategies of land use and urban design to recreate Samoa’s capital of Apia as a more climate-resilient city to encourage economic growth and to ensure the well-being of all inhabitants. This planning is based upon current challenges of Samoa driven by climate change such as …

Creative Chaos And Effect On The Livable City, Mohammed Qasim Al Ani, Wurood Adeeb Khamees

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

The city is a complex entity and needs the integration of several urban systems. Urban systems, including the development plans and the strict building codes, will lead to the loss of part of the creativity and vitality of urban dwellers. When these laws and plans lose control of the city, the needs of the occupants will be clearly visible, sometimes leading to uncontrolled urban chaos. However, this disorder to count as the driving force of life that drove occupants like Baghdad residents to express their needs. The city life and its complexity will appear through several criteria governing their regularity …

Rough Roads Ahead!?, Sarah Reed, Brooke Thomas, Jim Hellmann

Purdue Road School

Have you ever found yourself in the public's cross-hairs when it is time to implement a few roadway improvements? Are you handicapped in your ability to describe the true value of community planning and economic development planning? Come hear from one dynamic trio with the ability to identify issues and opportunities that others might not see and work to uncover even more ways tin which we are better together.

Final Design Review: Mascoma River Greenway Extension, Sebastian Strong, Sarah Atac, Eleanor Dowd, David Ruiz, Isalys Quiñones

ENGS 89/90 Reports

This report outlines current conditions surrounding the extension of the Mascoma River Greenway (MRG) to downtown West Lebanon, NH and recommends a route to completion. Included in the report are maps detailing potential route alignments and recommendations based on outside research and interviews with numerous stakeholders, Lebanon City officials, and community members. The report is intended to provide context and updated insight into the present and future of the MRG, following in the spirit of the 2010 MRG Action Plan, a document that created a vision for redevelopment of the Northern rail corridor and motivated stakeholders to move the project …

Little Big Planning: A Millennial Planner's Take On Small Town & Rural America, Jeffrey M. Setterlund

City and Regional Planning

When you work as a city or regional planner for a local community, the challenge is to find solutions to small town and rural problems without utilizing almost any of the high-density, mixed use principles you learned in university. However, what I have come to find is that what I thought was the most challenging aspects of my career is often the most rewarding.

How Autonomous Vehicles Will Reshape The Urban Landscape, Ian R. Mccarville

City and Regional Planning

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) will bring one of the largest revolutions to the nation’s transportation system, with major changes in planning policies and the urban environment. While AVs have already been introduced to our mobility network, they still require a human operator behind the wheel. In coming years, as AV technology becomes more sophisticated, it will begin to dominate the roadways due to the technologies ability to maneuver at a much high accuracy and predictability than human drivers. This transition into an AV oriented future will promote road safety, increase productivity, reduce travel and labor costs, and reinvent the urban landscape.

Building Homes And Hopes In Bangalore, India, Sherry S. Saroufeem

Construction Management

Habitat for Humanity Global Village is an organization that continuously sends volunteers to work on construction projects around the world. My team and I were chosen to go to a village in Bangalore, India, where we dug and poured home foundations for three families in need. Given the opportunity to combine my love for construction and my passion for helping those in need, I was certain that this was the senior project for me. I wanted the capstone of my college educational experience to reflect a hands-on approach, where I had the opportunity to make a difference and see an …

Feeling Green: The Benefits Of Green Space On Urbanites' Mental Health, Kathryn A. Hoagland

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

This investigation intends to determine the best methods for incorporating public green space into dense urban areas, for the betterment of residents' mental health. Data from studies showing differences in the prevalence of anxiety and depression in urban and rural areas are discussed alongside data from studies looking at the effect that certain types of green space might have on mental health. While there is no exact consensus on the extent to which nature has positive effects on mental health there is enough of a correlation to argue for the implementation of public green spaces in urban design, in order …

Not Parking Lots But Parks: A Joint Association Of Parks And Transit Stations With Travel Behavior, Keunhyun Park, Dong-Ah Choi, Guang Tian, Reid Ewing

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Urban design literature says that public open space in a station area could promote walking and other types of physical activity, enhance place attractiveness, and increase property values. In the context of station areas, however, there is a lack of empirical studies on the relationship between the presence of parks and sustainable travel behavior, which is one of the primary goals of transit-oriented developments (TODs). This study examined the impact of park provision on transit users’ mode choice in three U.S. regions: Atlanta (GA), Boston (MA), and Portland (OR). This study utilized multilevel multinomial logistic regression to account for hierarchical …

Urban Farming In Inner-City Multi-Storey Car-Parking Structures: Adaptive Reuse Potential, Monika Szopińska-Mularz, Steffen Lehmann

Architecture Faculty Research

The future direction of transport and new global concepts of low-carbon mobility are likely to increase the number of obsolete inner-city multi-storey car-parking structures. The adaptive reuse of these garages is challenged through the continuity of urban change and the need for new mixed-use typologies. The development of technologically advanced farming in these structures could become an innovative strategy that as an interim solution justifies renovation versus demolition and new construction. The paper presents findings from the first stage of the multiple-site case study research on car-parking structures strategically selected in 3 UK cities (Portsmouth, Bristol and Brighton). In order …

Temporary Appropriation Of Public Space As An Emergence Assemblage For The Future Urban Landscape: The Case Of Mexico City, Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Alessandro Melis, Steffen Lehmann

Architecture Faculty Research

Temporary appropriation (TA) is a re-emerging concept which occurs in the urban social landscape as a multidimensional phenomenon. Intended as multi-disciplinary and multi-scalar research, the present paper explores the way in which temporary appropriation could be interpreted as an assemblage product of other assemblages within the urban landscape. It, therefore, seeks to unravel and to re-think the nature of temporary appropriation through interconnected theoretical frameworks such as assemblage theory. Derived from the seminal work of Deleuze and Guattari (1989) and developed further by Manuel DeLanda (2016), assemblage theory focuses on the relations produced by the components of a whole rather …

People, Politics, And Plazas: A Comparative Analysis Of Dallas (City Hall Plaza) And Copenhagen (Rådhuspladsen), Ashley Hong

SMU Journal of Undergraduate Research

Public plazas are an integral part of urban life and they generally take familiar forms. Yet not all public spaces function as intended and, ultimately, not all are successful. The following comparative analysis of Dallas City Hall Plaza and Copenhagen’s Rådhuspladsen explores what makes public plazas “work.” More specifically, while, both plazas are architecturally similar, City Hall Plaza remains largely unused and desolate while Rådhuspladsen is bustling and lively. This multi-method project begins by exploring the historical development of public space in Dallas and Copenhagen and continues with an ethnographic study of each plaza. Findings suggest that the success of …

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Cartoon Corner, Blaze Skyra, Eduardo (Dedé) Rocha

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Theses And Professional Projects: 2017/2018 Ay

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For fulfilment of the MCRP degree at Cal Poly’s CRP department, the student may choose between developing a thesis or a professional project, or a specific individual project in a final planning studio. The following abstracts are from master’s theses and projects defended in the 2017/2018 AY. They are available upon request. Most can be download from Cal Poly’s Kennedy Library at http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses

Learning From California: Highlights From Crp Studios 2017/2018 Ay

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Conversations With Alumni: Kevin Valente, Kevin Valente

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Conversations With Alumni: Ray Hashimoto, Ray Hashimoto

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Urban Design Workshop In Lisbon - Summer 2018, Vicente Del Rio, Diogo Mateus

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The CRP Department has a long established relationship with the Departamento de Urbanismo at the Universidade Lusofona, Lisbon, and over the years there has been various short-term programs between the institutions. In the Summer 2018, the authors coordinated a two-week-long urban design workshop that included study visits to Lisbon neighborhoods and the development of urban design ideas for an area in the Alvalade neighborhood.

Studying Urbanism In Copenhagen, Laura Traffenstedt, Justin Wong

Focus

Travelling and learning from other places, cultures, and experiences is a fundamental aspect of education. Copenhagen, Denmark's progressive capital and one of Europe's most livable cities, has long been a laboratory for sustainable planning and design ideas. Seniors Laura Traffenstedt and Justin Wong comment on their experiences studying urbanism in Copenhagen at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad - DIS.

Envisioning A Future For Dinuba: Revitalizing Downtown And The Railroad Corridor, Vicente Del Rio, Hemalata C. Dandekar

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During the Spring Quarter 2018, a graduate and an undergraduate studio run by Hemalata Dandekar and Vicente del Rio, respectively, collaborated with Dinuba, a small town in California's Central Valley. Responding to a request from the city manager, the students were charged with envisioning how to redesign and revitalize the city's downtown and the abutting under-developed and under-utilized railroad corridor.

Planning For Sea Level Rise: Redevelopment Concepts For San Francisco's Embarcadero, Hemalata C. Dandekar, Vicente Del Rio

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In the Fall Quarter 2017, the third-year urban design studio run by the authors collaborated with San Francisco's Port Authority in developing ideas for how the city's Embarcadero waterfront could be redeveloped to its full potential, enhancing livability and preparing for sea-level rise. The thirty-two students, organized into six teams, developed plans and ideas for different sectors, as highlighted in these pages.

Urban Water Scarcity In Sana'a, Yemen, Aliza Herzberg

Focus

This essay is based on Aliza Herberg's final paper for the CRP Department's Cities in a Global World taught by Dr. Laura Tate in the Winter quarter of 2018. Open to all majors, the class explores the social and economic implications of urbanization and the international political economy on global cities, such as authenticity, gentrification, migration, social and environmental justice, and urban security. Students also assess global challenges through specific case studies, such as the one discussed by Aliza in this essay.

Designing For A Driverless Future In Downtown San Luis Obispo, Amir Hajrasouliha, Erik Anderson, Miles Barker, Kent Harrison, Edgar Hernandez, Sarah Howland, Madilyn Jacobsen, Justin Klaparda, Erin Kraft, Cara Meche, Mark Pasanen, Leeza Segal, Dustin Stiffler, Elizabeth Yee, Qijun Zeng

Focus

The graduate class CRP 512 Introduction to Visual Communication and GIS, focuses on skill development in visual communications and GIS through a planning exercise. In the Winter quarter of 2018, the class was assigned the re-design of two blocks in downtown San Luis Obispo. The students focused on developing visions and design ideas for a future with autonomous vehicles.

Variations On City Form, Carlos Almeida

Focus

Carlos Almeida is a Portuguese-American architect licensed and accredited in the European Union with more than 30 years of experience in four continents. FOCUS publishes a series of his line-drawings that represent his poetic explorations of urban forms. An accomplished graphic artist, Carlos collaborates constantly with the Urban Sketchers group (see his work at http://carlos-almeida.com/en).

Some Thoughts On Urban Sketching, Filipa O. Antunes

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The CRP department recognizes the importance of sketching as graphic thinking and a means to learn from what we see. Filipa Antunes, a renowned urban sketcher and artist who recently exhibited at the Louvre in Paris, presents some thoughts on how she approaches sketching as both a rational and an emotional process. All illustrations in this article are by the author. Follow Filipa's work at https://www.facebook.com/DesenhoFilipaOliveiraAntunes/

Lost Spaces As Hidden Assets: A Reflection On A Current Design Issue, Torina Wilson, Amir Hajrasouliha

Focus

University campuses face two common problems: lack of facilities for the expanding enrolment numbers, and inadequate spaces for the changing education and recreational needs. Based on his expertise and research, Amir Hajrasouliha discusses the potential of adapting left-over campus open spaces to respond to these needs, adapting their physical and technological capabilities to encourage multiple academic and non-academic functions.

Streets Are Not Enough: The Introverted Block As A Neglected Type, Ivor Samuels, Anna A. Kantarek

Focus

Modernism in planning and urban design led to the erosion of the traditional city's morphology. Samuels and Kantarek use the plan for Nowa Huta, a 1949 new town near Krakow, to point out the problems related to the introvert block, particularly walkability, connectivity, and the lack of direct entrances to the residences from the street. The introvert block type evolved into present-day gated communities.

Attitudes Toward Preservation And Management Of Historic Religious Sites: A Study Of Three Missions In California, Daniel Levi, Vicente Del Rio

Focus

The public meaning and the appropriate social uses of historical sites are fundamental for their preservation. Levi and del Rio discuss the results of an attitude survey of three California Missions. The respondents' perception their authenticity, the appropriateness of their uses, and the acceptance of modifications have important implications for planning and management.