Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Urban design and studies'
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1
Elliott-Ortega, Kara. "Urban design as problem solving : design thinking in the rebuild by design resiliency competition." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/98931.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2015.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 124-129).
Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, federal, state, and local governments initiated a series of disaster relief and recovery programs. These efforts were criticized for their lack of coordination, and fueled the public opinion that not only were coastal cities increasingly at risk for storm events due to climate change, but also that the government is not equipped to adequately respond to or prevent future disasters. The Rebuild by Design urban design competition was the first implemented recommendation of the cabinet-level Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, and the main goal for the competition was the procurement of innovative resiliency projects for the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the competition is an unprecedented use of urban design by the federal government, leading to the question of why HUD would turn to an urban design process in the midst of other recovery efforts. Through interviews with designers from the winning design teams, this thesis finds that design thinking, under-examined by the participants, management, and evaluations of the competition, is the underlying theory that explains the benefits of an urban design process in the context of responding to climate change. Design thinking theorizes design as an alternative decision making process that can address complex problems for which there is no correct solution. This leads to the use of design as a method of creative problem solving as well as a catalyst for organizational change. This thesis finds that the competition design teams practice characteristics of design thinking. The resulting design ideas synthesize across regional, social, and economic systems, and offer an improved approach to the current infrastructure practices of flood protection and water mitigation. At the same time, the ability of the design process to fulfill the organizational goals of the competition, such as capacity building for local governments, remains mixed. Finally, this thesis generates recommendations for future iterations of Rebuild by Design as well as cautionary lessons for designers in light of the politics of relying on design as a form of innovation.
by Kara Elliott-Ortega.
M.C.P.
2
Teo, Chong Yean 1966. "Redefining urban design through public-private partnerships." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70356.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2002.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-123).
This thesis started with a search for an expanded framework of urban design and an observation on the way projects were implemented and how downtowns revitalize themselves. The search showed that the expanded framework of urban design should be thought of as both a product and a process. As a product, urban design addresses the urban environment's hardware (the physical attributes and characteristics) and software (the social and perceptual experience of places). As a process, urban design consists of the design and management aspects. To design is to formulate and develop plans and schemes of actions. To manage is to facilitate the outcomes and ensure that they are well kept and would last. The observation on project implementation revealed that successful urban developments require both a good design mechanism and a good management mechanism. A successful development would result in an increase of activities for the area; it can be measured using pedestrian counts, number of new businesses, retail sales, etc. The good design mechanism is the urban design plans that are used to formulate, execute and regulate the hardware and software of urban environments. The good management mechanism is provided by institutions that could develop and market an area or the city itself (including events and activities), manage spaces and places and provide services to the downtown. A look at how most downtowns have responded to the changing needs showed that downtowns are looking at institutional arrangements that embodied public-private partnerships to carry out developments and redevelopment plans, to revitalize themselves and promote growth and to compete with each other and the suburbs. The examples are the business improvement districts (BIDs), downtown associations/alliances, and city center corporations. These institutional setups bridge the interest and needs of the public and private sectors, allow stakeholders in the downtown to work together to shape and create the desired urban environment, and allow the city to market itself as an entire area or a combination of small areas to compete for the share of residents, employment and revenues.
by Teo Chong Yean.
M.C.P.
3
Tham, Karen C. M. (Karen Chern Mei). "Singapore--design guidelines for an urban waterfront." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70203.
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Sheehan, Travis (Travis P. ). "The urban design of distributed energy resources." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70380.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture; and, (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2012.MIT Institute Archives copy: missing pages 99-100.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-115).
Distributed energy resources (DERs) are a considerable research focus for cities to reach emissions reduction goals and meet growing energy demand. DERs, consisting of local power plants and distribution infrastructure, range from urban to neighborhood scale. In optimizing neighborhood scale DERs, one of the many design decisions is a desirable mix of building types to balance energy demand through daily and annual cycles. However, real estate development drives use-mix primarily through market demand forecasts and financial value creation. The research presented here answers two questions: (1) What are the impacts of altering use-mix to conform to a desired energy profile? and (2) Can site design overcome regulatory and perceptual barriers when integrating DERs at the neighborhood scale? These questions are explored through a review of existing incentives and barriers to district energy systems - including policy, real estate, technical, and design issues. Next I identify within a test site, at the neighborhood scale, the energy and design characteristics pertinent to the research presented here. Ultimately, I propose an analysis framework to examine the energy-form-finance issues encountered when planning a neighborhood scale energy district. Using the resulting framework, I perform a sensitivity analysis that measures the financial impact of altering use-mix to balance energy loads.
Finally, I propose an appropriate site design informed by the review and analysis. Recent policies like the Murton Rule in London, which offer incentives for small power plants, have increased the popularity of the neighborhood scale district energy systems. Though the literature covers financial, regulatory, and engineering aspects of these systems, few studies explore the impact of DERs on urban form at the neighborhood scale. This thesis demonstrates that issues of meeting real estate demands and power demands can be resolved elegantly if one approaches the problem holistically.
by Travis Sheehan.
M.C.P.
M.Arch.
5
Lorah, Katherine P. (Katherine Peterson). "Disruptive by design : the promise of the tech-enabled design competition." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/81649.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2013.Pages 112-113 blank. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-108).
At their best, urban design competitions offer access to innovative design thinking for competition sponsors; high quality spaces for the benefit of the public; and career advancement for designers. However, many feel that competitions are falling short of these aims, frustrating organizers and exploiting designers while leaving the public largely out of the dialogue. This thesis explores the potential of web-based social technologies to improve the urban design competition model so that it better serves all parties. It establishes a current model for urban design competitions before examining some precedents for related processes that have been disrupted by emerging social technologies. The study concludes with a proposal for a new, tech-enabled urban design competition on the eastern side of MIT's campus.
by Katherine P. Lorah.
M.C.P.
6
Mizuhara, Midori. "Excavating L.A. : urban design futures of new transit." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/81648.
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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2013.Pages 136-137 blank. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 130-135).
After decades of planning, recent voter approved tax initiatives have enabled Los Angeles to expand its mass transit infrastructure. Fast tracked construction projects of subway and light rail lines will connect areas of the city for the first time since the early 20th century streetcar era. Increasing levels of population growth currently challenge LAs low density, horizontal, suburban form to fold inward and build upon itself in new ways and the city has embraced transit oriented development (TOD) as a strategy for accommodating this new growth at higher densities. This moment provides a unique opportunity for architects, urban designers, and planners to rethink large scale urban design projects in LA and generate urban forms that reflect the identity of the city, as opposed to importing outside models. This thesis explores urban design futures through the lens of the TOD and aims to create an LA-specific model. In a city that is defined by multiple layers of massive infrastructural systems, designers need to think about how projects fit into larger-scale systems in order to mediate these systems and find design opportunities within them. What are the LA-specific urban design goals that should guide new transit oriented development? How can this scale of urban design project leverage large-scale infrastructure systems and landscape elements to enhance the public realm, mediate the environment, and create an intermediate symbolic orienting structure for the city? This thesis research explores these questions through three forms of inquiry: theory, mapping and design. Theory research aims to understand what is meant by "LA urbanism" and creates a framework by which to understand future project within. Mapping research generates a design agenda and attitude about the project. Design research tests this agenda through a new LA-specific TOD strategy through both site specific and prototypical design processes.
by Midori Mizuhara.
M.C.P.
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Moinian, Mahtab Maxene. "Future Earth Catalog : urban design in climate change." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/118240.
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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2018.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references.
What is the agency of urban planning and design in climate change? This project explores new ways of engaging with the environmental narrative of our time. I present Future Earth Catalog as six representations of the same body of research, spanning a spectrum from academic thesis to media object, and catalog to playbook. The project departs from convention, both in process and product, in order to place learning and practice into an unfamiliar territory and form a new dynamic with climate change. This is a work in progress, to see the full project please visit www.futureearthcatalog.com.
by Mahtab Maxene Moinian.
M.C.P.
8
Moody, John (John Stearns). "Imagine Pershing Square : experiments in cinematic urban design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/104985.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2016.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 89-121).
Each person experiences urban space through the shifting narratives of his or her own cultural, economic and environmental perceptions. Yet within dominant urban design paradigms, many of these perceptions never make it into the public meeting, nor onto the abstract maps and renderings that planners and designers frequently employ. This thesis seeks to show that cinematic practice, or the production of subjective, immersive film narratives, can incorporate highly differentiated perceptions into the design process. By investigating a single public space, Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles, California, with three cinematic "acts," this project puts three different methodological approaches to the test. Act One, "Pershing Square: Of Time and Place," employs critical theories to investigate the park through cultural conflicts that have propelled design interventions throughout its history. Act Two, "Pershing Square: Sense of Place," employs an ethnographic approach to investigate the park through the diverse perceptions of its users. Finally, Act Three, "Pershing Square: Visions of Place," takes a constructivist approach to re-imagine the park through its users' aspirations. This project runs concurrent with an international competition to redesign the park, which provides a benchmark for comparing the project's findings with conventional use of film in design practice. Although the project will expand beyond the scope of this thesis, initial findings strongly support the value of cinematic methods in communicating broader narratives about urban space and in stimulating design thinking that incorporates a dynamic pluralism of user perceptions.
by John Moody.
M.C.P.
9
Shaw, Jeremy A. (Jeremy Andrew). "Standard values : change in urban arterial street design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38656.
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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-91).
The highway-building industry and highway governance was born in the minds of progressive engineers bent on ushering in a new era of efficiency, progress and modern transport. Governance and standards in California heavily influenced other state highway organizations. This research traces the evolution of values in urban arterial street design and standards in the United States and California. For nearly 100 years, the design criteria of geometric street standards have been based on increasing automobility, as if without end. Since the 1960s, liability concerns have guided significant changes in design standards, mostly based on passive driver safety design. Since then, legal action has given rise to bicycle and ADA-based design standards. Right-of-way constraints have lowered minimum widths and "flexibility" has impacted design philosophy and process. However, these latter forces are not driving fundamental or enforceable change to design standards. Change to mandatory standards remains driven by automobility and liability concerns. Despite conventional standards, unconventional values manifest in the design and planning of streets.
(cont.) Using the case of El Camino Real in Palo Alto, this research explores the difficulty of implementing unconventional street design through the process of changing standards. It then draws on the case of Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles to demonstrate that individual projects under local jurisdiction are more likely to impact the design of streets. Further research is warranted on state highway relinquishment, the philosophy of context-sensitive design, and methods of selecting design speed.
by Jeremy A. Shaw.
M.C.P.
10
Marrella, Michael L. (Michael Louis) 1977. "Mitigating transit noise through urban planning and design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68393.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-94).
This thesis examines how urban design techniques can be used for path mitigation of transit noise. Noise problems from rail transit systems persist despite the existence of at-source noise reduction techniques for rail transit systems and substantial research on architectural acoustic solutions. Conventional planning literature suggests separating noise sources from residential parcels, a theory now seen as inadequate in dense urban environments. Because noise remains a problem, new techniques should be explored to find alternative means of reducing environmental noise. By using computer software to model the promulgation of environmental noise from rail transit, the effectiveness of eight urban design techniques were examined. In addition to the preliminary modeling of the eight techniques, four neighborhoods were modeled to examine how noise promulgates through real environments. Additional urban design elements were then added to the model to determine how these urban design techniques can mitigate noise. This thesis concludes that urban design techniques can be used to mitigate transit noise; however, noise should not be the only consideration when designing the urban environment. Furthermore, the thesis makes recommendations regarding land use policy and transit system management.
by Michael L. Marrella.
M.C.P.
11
Dzegede, Anyeley Yawa 1976. "Historical and cultural narratives in landscape design : design applications for Miami Beach, Florida." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65721.
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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2000.Includes bibliographical references (p. [94]-[97]).
Narrative landscapes are designed environments that use physical elements, spaces and stories to convey messages and make place. Through the use of narrative landscapes, designers can relate the historical and cultural significance of particular places and peoples. The designer must be concerned not only with the contents of the story, but with the role of the readers, the community and in the ideologies and worldviews these narratives imply. The issues involved with creating narrative in the landscape are in the incorporation of the stories and elements of the past and the use of symbolic and didactic media. In our multicultural and highly mediated society, landscape designs for public places should be pluralistic and multi-dimensional. A pluralistic design conveys the stories of personalities, communities, historic events, and places and is made within a community process or with community input. The multidimensional aspect of narrative designs emanates from the blending of abstracted or symbolic forms of communication and didactic forms that carry a series of messages. Narrative landscapes were examined to determine how designed elements and sequencing tell stories in the landscape. The information gathered was used to develop a potential design approach for the Indian Creek Corridor in Miami Beach, Florida.
by Anyeley Yawa Dzegede.
M.C.P.
12
Stabin, Barbara D. (Barbara Donna). "Participatory design--the next step." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70247.
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Murugappan, Meena, and S. Michael O'Young. ""For good design, you pay now; for bad design, you pay later"--or do you?" Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/37427.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2006.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-118).
What is the value of architectural design on office building income? This empirical study of 296 office building located in 11 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) hopes to quantitatively determine if a plain vanilla cereal box suburban office building commands more or less net operating income than an office building with a higher level of design. Previous empirical studies have found a strong influence of design on rents but were limited in geography, building characteristics and total number of observations. In an important study by Vandell and Lane (1990), they found that good architecture commanded a premium of over 20% in office rents. Also, their study showed that good design cost more to produce on average, but not necessarily in every case. Data was gathered from a portfolio of US office buildings and consisted of building metrics and property level 2000-2005 Net Operating Income (NOI). This base data set, MSA dummy variables and architectural attribute dummy variables (created by the authors) formed the backbone of the research. Multiple log linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the economic effects of good design.
(cont.) In addition, a survey taken by 31 architects was used to capture subjective rankings on the all 296 office buildings to determine if there is a consensus as to what constitutes good design. It is hoped that these professionals, who are formally trained and are practicing in the field, are well-qualified to evaluate the design of each building. The survey results showed that the architects' responses are idiosyncratic and subjective. Not only did the individual participant's rankings show no significant relationship with one another, but also did not exhibit any relationship with actual building NOI. The empirical study found that the market paid a premium of 7.9% for buildings with non-center cores. Also, a significant 11.7-13.2% premium was paid for properties with non-rectangular and non-square shaped floor plans. Finally, buildings with 60% to 90% exterior windows commanded a substantial 10.7% premium. These results imply that better-designed buildings generate higher NOI either because the tenants are willing to pay a premium or because the operating costs of the building are less, or both.
by Meena Murugappan and S. Michael O'Young, Jr.
S.M.
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Crisman, Jonathan. "Approximate translation : media, narrative, and experience in urban design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/79149.
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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning; and, (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2013.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis. Vita.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 153-155).
Approximate translation is developed as a design process through which the place-embedded history of an urban environment can be understood, allowing for better design and intervention in that urban environment. Generally, approximate translation champions media, narrative, and experience as design elements that have traditionally been excluded from disciplinary discourse and are necessary for any design in contemporary practice. The processes of displacement, replacement, and surrealization are proposed as three such translations and are demonstrated in the transformation of the Boston neighborhood of Allston into Allstonland (a theme park in Hong Kong), New Allston (a revised Allston with six interventions organized around Platonic Forms), and a live model of New Allston. The live model is developed as a new form of architectural and urban design representation that can incorporate the temporal, mediatic, and experiential elements which are ill-conveyed through conventional means. Ultimately, approximate translation is intended to transform urban environments into their ideal forms, to inject new meaning into empty urban signifiers, to alter local subjectivities, and to generate a new sense of civitas. Theories of media, theming and scripted space, Pop and Surrealist art, Marxism and neoliberal capital, postmodernism, aesthetics, semiotics, modernist architecture, epistemology, and hermeneutics are drawn upon in order to construct a framework for this that is both robust enough for use in practice and pedagogy, as well as mutable enough for further refinement and expansion.
by Jonathan Crisman.
M.Arch.
M.C.P.
15
Fargas, i. Texidó Josep Maria. "Designing rules--heuristics of invention in design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/39036.
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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1991.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-120).
by Josep Maria Fargas i Texidó.
M.C.P.
16
Bhushan, Bharat. "Design elements and urban form : case study, Jaipur, India." Master's thesis, Kansas State University, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/17426.
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Steinemann, Jeremy R. "Successful streets : performance measures, community engagement, and urban street design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/73834.
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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-181).
Over the past decade, local transportation agencies have increasingly re-designed urban arterials, their cities' major surface streets, to better accommodate a wide range of users. At the same time, a growing number of agencies are using performance measurement, the tracking and reporting of specific transportation-related variables, to evaluate and document their impacts. This report attempts to understand the role that performance measurement plays in design decision-making for urban arterial streets. First, the report examines how the selection and prioritization of performance measures shape urban arterial forms. While agencies in the mid-20th Century prioritized automobile performance in arterial design, present-day agencies attempt to balance performance across a broader range of street users and performance goals. Second, the report explores how local agencies can use performance-based planning for urban arterial projects at the same time as they engage in community-focused design processes. Research in transportation policy defines performance-based planning as a framework for agencies to use performance goals and measurement to guide decision-making. Existing research largely neglects the use of performance-based planning for project-level decisions and local transportation agencies. Since performance measurement systems hold agencies accountable to well-defined goals, performance-based planning may have value for both stakeholders and local officals in urban arterial design processes. To understand the potential role of performance-based planning for project-level design, this report examines four cases of urban arterial design: two in New York City (Prospect Park West in Brooklyn and 34th Street in Manhattan), and two in Portland, OR (North Williams Avenue and East Burnside). The cases were chosen because, in each, local officials faced community conflict about design and employed some form of performance measurement. The case study analysis finds that agencies can use performance-based planning to both guide design decisions and to actively engage community stakeholders. Among the cases considered, most employed only some features of performance-based planning, primarily to evaluate impacts and to make modifications to preliminary designs. One case, North Williams in Portland, was unique, however, in using a complete form of performance-based planning as a tool to increase participation by community stakeholders in the design process. Building upon the lessons from North Williams and the other cases, this report recommends a new framework for performance-based planning that attempts to empower stakeholders to participate in design decision-making, but recognizes that performance-based planning alone cannot resolve community conflicts.
by Jeremy R. Steinemann.
M.C.P.
18
Gray, Michael F. "Urban design opportunities for the strip : ideas for Needham Stret." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/79484.
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Han, Eunju. "Locative interaction in urban space : programmatic flexibility." Thesis, Royal College of Art, 2012. http://researchonline.rca.ac.uk/1360/.
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Human spatial experience has recently expanded due to the development of location-aware technology. Locative information has become more significant within urban space; as such, related discourses have attempted to focus on the issue as a way in which we acquire locative information when we experience space. Digital location-aware methods enable the demonstration of live densities of telecommunication through which one can infer temporal and spatial factors of live urban situations. When locative telecommunication data is mapped onto urban space, temporal-spatial demographic maps are obtained. Based on these maps, one can infer the correlation between spatial experience and architectural programmes via on site observation and by determining the multi-layered structure of spatial experience via designed data installation. These considerations aim to investigate locative interaction in urban space in order to expand spatial experience. This research begins with two linked theoretical notions: rhythm analysis and heterotopia—in other words, temporality as it relates to our everyday life and spatiality as it relates to our search for ideal space. In addition to these positions, the following discourses are specifically developed to investigate locative interaction in urban space. Firstly, the temporal and spatial patterns of urban activities are investigated in an attempt to grasp current urban interactions. The telecommunication data is then mapped geographically. Secondly, the gap between the endowed architectural programmes and the observed activities in urban space is explored in order to examine the multi-layered structure of urban interaction. Thirdly, the above discussions are synthesised using a design project that interprets epistemic aspects of this initiative. Lastly, urban rhythms and locative virtual layers are suggested as the concept for locative interaction in urban space where architectural programmes become more flexible, thus expanding spatial experience. Two projects demonstrate as applicable scenarios of locative interaction in urban space; they involve a heterotopia finder and a floating gallery over London. This research suggests a new viewpoint from which to consider our world and its digital presence by mapping a ‘live urban space’ using telecommunication data—an initiative that highlights the importance of people as a crucial aspect of our digital surroundings. This research ultimately contributes to expanding urban spatial experience and providing an informative and holistic mapping structure for architecture and urban design, interweaving it with the digital environment.
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Yeung, Mei-nai Carina, and 楊美娜. "Urban purifier + information cells." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2001. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31986225.
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Lohe, Ellen Corinne. "Depolarizing the process : residential redevelopment and Seattle's design review." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105062.
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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2016.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 95-98).
In Seattle, a city with a robust public process around issues of urban growth, recent rapid redevelopment in low-rise neighborhoods has intensified the public debate over design and density. Conflict over individual development projects has escalated as the city struggles to balance economic and population growth with community needs, leaving many residents anxious about congestion, affordability, and a changing built environment. This thesis examines Seattle's design review, which is the central public piece of the city's development review process, and evaluates its success as a collaborative process in this context of divisive growth. Urban design and regulations such as design review are often regarded as the exclusive realm of design professionals; this thesis argues that design review must embrace its role in a participatory planning process. Research draws on existing models of design review as well as collaborative planning theory to evaluate how Seattle's design review can further employ deliberative strategies to reduce polarization over growth and better address community needs. Analysis suggests that the city's framework for design review, which fosters stakeholder relationships and local knowledge as well as design expertise, could be further enhanced by emphasis on dialogue, training, and alignment with other city departments and neighborhood plans.
by Ellen Corinne Lohe.
M.C.P.
22
Ebo, Ifeoma Nkemdilim. "City design and social exclusion : Abuja, Nigeria in review." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/37664.
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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (p. 61-62).
This thesis investigation explores the relationship between city design and social exclusion, and more specifically, how modernist principles of urban design and development policy have contributed to social exclusion in Abuja - the capital city of Nigeria. This study is facilitated through reading the city and its unique and common characteristics. Based on my experiences in the city over a three month period, I use my understanding of urban development, and relevant documents to examine the nature of exclusion in the Abuja plan and process of development. Front the results of this analysis the presence of exclusion in Abuja is enhanced by the use of colonial policies and selective use of modernist planning/processes of development. Furthermore, the relationship between social exclusion and city design in Abuja is the continuation of a legacy of colonial urban development and divisive urban form in traditional Nigerian cities.
by Ifeoma N. Ebo.
M.C.P.
23
Lewis, John Simon 1953. "Transportation linear referencing toolboxes : a 'reflective practitioner's' design approach." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68368.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2000."September, 2000."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 395-407).
Seventy percent of the data of a typical transportation agency (e.g., bridges, accidents, etc.) has location as a primary reference. A Linear Referencing System (LRS) is the main way of identifying the location of this data and providing a storage key for it in a database. LRS is based on a one-dimensional offset on a predefined network. In theory, it is one of the simplest spatial cases. In reality, it can be spatially and analytically quite complex. LRS to quite recent date has been little formally researched. That research which has occurred has been the construction of large and comprehensive conceptual data models. This thesis is not primarily aimed at new "tool building research". The existing models have been based to only a limited extent on a fuller analysis of the nature of transportation and spatial data; they have not considered relevant field and wider methodological concerns (i.e., they followed a "model-driven" approach). The goal here is to create a more appropriate foundation and base from which LRS tools may be most appropriately built (i.e., a 'field-driven" approach). A "practitioners perspective" view of LRS was sought. Such a more holistic understanding was sought through the adoption of a "layered methodology" of research that involved gaining the perspectives of a variety of disciplinary viewpoints. This research framework was developed especially for this thesis based on the ideas and work of Schon and Reich. The approach involved in short a desk exercise in fundamental consideration of the nature of LRS, a deeper, cross-field synthesis and literature research, four in-depth state DOT LRS case studies, a panel of transportation field experts, a panel of national data model experts, and a limited object-orientated modeling exercise. The conclusion reached is that while LRS in the simple case can be modeled in general forms, it is also an "exception-driven" field. Thus, a "toolkit approach" may be more appropriate for LRS. It is inferred that this may hold for other similar application areas in transportation and planning. Further research would further develop the holistic layered methodology adopted here and further define the proposed LRS transportation application toolboxes.
by Simon Lewis.
Ph.D.
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Baird, Wyllys Thomson, and Anne Elizabeth Winker. "Cityfront Center, Chicago, Illinois : the design and approval processes." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/71399.
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Jacobson, Lillian Ring. "Drawing outside the lines : participatory design in unincorporated communities." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/98937.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2015.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 148-152).
Design is both a mode of communication and a collaborative process. It is a powerful tool with which to convey ideas about the built environment and unlock creativity. Yet urban planning has not harnessed design's potential to engage communities in participatory processes. Urban design has been guarded as an exclusive realm for experts rather than a shared process that utilizes the knowledge of both professionals and community members. Urban planning has long struggled to successfully involve the public in its processes, and this thesis argues that participatory design is the key to meaningful community engagement in planning. Participatory design is particularly important when planning in marginalized communities. It provides participants with a sense of ownership over their communities and exposes the manifestation of oppression in the built environment. Using Paolo Freire's idea of "consciencizacion," this thesis tests participatory design's ability to allow both designers and community members to gain critical consciousness and work towards social change together. The research for this project focuses on marginalized unincorporated communities that have been systematically excluded from city annexation practices because of their racial and socioeconomic makeup. These communities have been left under the jurisdiction of counties, lacking infrastructure, adequate emergency services, public open spaces, and sufficient political representation. This thesis also explores the impact of participatory design processes on teenagers in unincorporated communities who often bear the brunt of their communities' oppression, and are rarely consulted in planning decisions. My research concentrates on a participatory design process I conducted with high school students in a predominantly Latino unincorporated community outside of Santa Rosa, California. This community suffered a tragedy in 2013, when a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed by a Sonoma County Sheriff in a vacant lot along Moorland Avenue. The incident spurred community protests and organizing for change, and led to my involvement with the neighborhood. My work with the Santa Rosa teenagers revealed the importance of design in participatory processes. The physical act of designing unlocked students' creativity, built their capacity to think spatially and feasibly, and showed them the power of young people's voices in creating neighborhood change.
by Lillian Ring Jacobson.
M.C.P.
26
Gunter, Dawn. "Emergent Morphogenetic Design Strategies." Scholar Commons, 2010. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/3433.
Full textAbstract:
Emergent morphogenetic designs provide a superior architectural response to programmatic, technical, structural, environmental and spatial requirements that conventional unit based architectural forms are too inflexible to fully address.
Architecture has reached an exciting stage in its development, where structures are attempting to behave more like nature, which does not function as a static state, but as a complex grouping of symbiotic processes which are constantly evolving to adapt to environmental changes.
Digital fabrication and materials engineering have promoted an explosion in formal architectural typologies. By utilizing these digital tools and enhanced materials to embrace a morphogenetic design strategy, architecture can respond rapidly, through multiple permutations to respond to multiple performance criteria. This approach outlines a design process that generates a typology and through multiple reiterations, changes as the design reacts to new performance criteria being added, or the model not adequately meeting the criteria being tested.
The terms used to encompass this new design strategy are emergence, evolutionary optimization or morphogenetic design. This strategy utilizes tools in parallel that have been developed independently by different disciplines, including theoretical mathematics, materials engineering, bio-mimicry, environmental studies and digital technologies.
The site is a parcel located on Tampa Bay at the outlet of the Hillsborough River, where the existing unit based Tampa Convention Center will be replaced with the new performance based Convention Center. The research methods will be simulation and modeling research. This method will start with a performance based program, and submit the models to multiple permutations. Each performance criteria will be applied to develop an iterative process that re-informs the shape, design, structure and materials, and can be evaluated at the conclusion of the design process, testing the accuracy of the Thesis.
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Noll, William Edward. "Consumer market research applied to indigenous design single family development." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/76409.
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Donham, Thayer 1958. "Passing judgement : the interaction between local and federal design review." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65722.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2000.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-65).
How do local design review processes affect the design of federal buildings? By law, the federal government is only required to consider local ordinances, but, nevertheless, it sometimes chooses to engage in the local design review process. This study looks at why the federal government makes the choice to participate in a local review, what factors influence that decision, and how that design review is likely to affect the design of the federal building. Since the 1990's, the Courthouse Construction Program of the General Services Administration has been actively building and renovating federal courthouses in the downtown of cities throughout the United States. Four federal courthouses, located in Portland, OR; Boston, MA; Concord, NH; and Santa Ana, CA, were chosen as case studies. These cases represent four different attitudes toward design review ranging from a legally binding design review to no design review at all. In each case, it was determined that factors other than the local jurisdiction's zoning ordinance influenced whether the federal government allowed a local design review to occur. The local jurisdiction's commitment to urban design, the state of the local economy, and the politics of the courthouse design group all contribute to the decision to involve the local government in a review of courthouse design.
by Thayer Donham.
M.C.P.
29
Oishi, Jun 1966. "A tangible interface for a virtual reality presentation and design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/28792.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 58).
It is important for city planning projects and large-scale building construction to involve stakeholders and feedback their opinion to the project. This thesis introduces a Tangible Interface for Virtual Reality Presentation and Design (TIVR). TIVR is designed to establish an intuitive, interactive user interface that will enable better communication between architects, city planners, clients, neighborhoods, and stakeholders. This thesis also evaluates the effectiveness by experimental conditions. The results suggests that TIVR provide a better condition for stakeholders to understand the project and state their opinion.
by Jun Oishi.
S.M.
30
Ueda, Satoru. "Conflict management in the design of the Charles River crossing." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70242.
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Offenhuber, Dietmar. "Participatory infrastructure monitoring : design factors and limitations of accountability technologies." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90115.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2014.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references.
This dissertation investigates practices of participatory infrastructure monitoring and their implications for the governance of urban infrastructure services. By introducing the concept of infrastructure legibility, the three essays of this dissertation investigate ways to make waste systems and their governance more legible: its formal structure, its informal practices, interactions between the user and the provider, the individual and the system. The first essay presents an analysis of the collection and transportation of Municipal Solid Waste and Recycling based on the electronic tracking of individual garbage items. It estimates the extent to which transportation diminishes the benefits of recycling and investigates how predictable the final fate of a discarded object is depending on its material characteristics and the place where it was thrown away. The findings show that the impact of transportation is under-estimated especially in the case of electronic and household hazardous waste. Furthermore, the collection mechanism assumes a decisive role in this respect. The essay concludes with discussing potentials and limits of active location sensing for making waste systems more legible and accountable. The second essay investigates data collection methodologies for recycling cooperatives in Brazil, answering the following questions: how do waste picker cooperatives and associations respond to data reporting requirements from local governments and companies? In addition, how can available location-based technologies support data management and organization of these recycling cooperatives and associations? Based on the methodology of Participatory Design, the study evaluates technologies for data reporting and the organization of waste picker cooperatives. Using data from citizen feedback systems operating in the larger Boston area, the third essay investigates the role of design in shaping the interaction between the citizens and the city. It investigates the following questions: Which assumptions about the users are embedded in design of existing feedback systems? What motivates users to participate, and how do the systems' design choices correspond with these motivations? By what mechanisms do these systems facilitate and constrain the interaction between citizen and city? The results show that the design differences of feedback systems are associated with different subjects and stated motivations in citizen reports.
by Dietmar Offenhuber.
Ph. D.
32
Johnson, Stephen Thor. "Design and implementation of decision support systems for environmental management." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/74795.
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Proakis, George John 1972. "Strategies for design : shaping private development adjacent to transit stations." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/69441.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2002.Page 161 plank.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 157-161).
Most urban planning practitioners agree that development near transit stations should be dense, should mix uses and should be oriented for pedestrians. To spur transit-oriented development, government must do two things: define the elements that make transit station-area design work, and create the regulations and process that ensures these elements become a part of station-area development. This thesis finds the elements that create a superior pedestrian experience near transit stations, and proposes a system of regulations, incentives and processes to make sure that developers integrate these elements into their projects. Design recommendations are based upon a review of successful and unsuccessful design elements at twenty-one case study station areas in California, Virginia and Arizona. Regulatory and process recommendations are based upon a review of four case study communities that have instituted different strategies for design. Conclusions are drawn from these cases and applied to the Tren Urbano system, a new rail system being completed in metropolitan San Juan, Puerto Rico. To successfully spur private development of high quality station-area projects, government must connect the four elements that influence design: the development community, the government institutions, the development process, and the regulatory framework. First, planners must choose to strengthen either development processes or regulatory framework. In places with a more politically volatile culture, it is better to strengthen regulations than to strengthen process. In stable political environments, it is better to rely on a stronger development process than a stronger regulatory framework. Institutional capacity and development community capacity both improve as government and the development community learn from each other. This feedback loop creates progressively stronger results. In San Juan, the regulatory framework needs to be strengthened, while the development process needs to be institutionalized. The institutional capacity, particularly at the Tren Urbano planning office, is strong. This capacity needs to be transferred into other government agencies and into the development community that will build projects in the station area.
by George John Proakis.
M.C.P.
34
Bal, Ufuk Serim Erkal. "Utilization of Urban Design Principles In Designing The Urban Space Case Studies On The Netherlands And Turkey/." [s.l.]: [s.n.], 2007. http://library.iyte.edu.tr/tezler/master/sehirplanlama/T000602.pdf.
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Gargarian, Gregory Mark. "The art of design expressive intelligence in music." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/12559.
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Jia, Zheng M. C. P. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Cyclone shelters and cyclone resilient design in coastal areas of Bangladesh." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/77834.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 203-210).
Bangladesh is one of those countries that are most vulnerable to tropical cyclones. In recent decades, cyclone mitigations by the Government of Bangladesh and international organizations have greatly increased the coastal communities' resistance to cyclones. This thesis focuses on cyclone shelter programs, one of the most important cyclone mitigating measures. Although cyclone shelters have proven to be effective, they are currently not adequate, which requires more research and development for a more resilient future. This thesis has five chapters: an introduction that defines the problem, a broad review of settlement history and hazards in coastal Bangladesh, a planning chapter that zooms in on the issues at five spatial scales, followed by a design chapter that zooms out from proposals for improving shelter site planning to a more comprehensive analysis of the spatial network of shelters, and larger-scale coastal environmental planning and policy. The conclusion highlights the main contributions of this research: 1) developing a multi-scale integrative approach; 2) expanding the range of choice for structural cyclone mitigations; and 3) addressing environmental and cultural diversity and specificity in physical planning and design. This research can contribute to the improvement of cyclone shelters in Bangladesh and so as to make a successful program even more successful. Keywords: Bangladesh, cyclone shelters, flood hazards, mitigation, disaster resilient design
by Zheng Jia.
M.C.P.
37
Martinez, Janet Kathryn Griffin 1951. "International dispute settlement system design : analysis of the World Trade Organization." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/28786.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 237-241).
The dispute settlement process established by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1994, (the "DSU"), has drawn widespread attention. While the DSU is the most used international dispute settlement process, it is geared to resolving complaints by one country against another concerning enforcement of the WTO rules and obligations. This research has examined the WTO in two dimensions: first, how does the DSU fit within a larger system of processes for resolving policy making and implementation, as well as enforcement disputes. Secondly, how do those processes measure up to the characteristics of effective dispute resolution. In answer to the first question, I have categorized policy disputes into three orders: first-order disputes in policymaking, second-order disputes in policy implementation, and third-order disputes in policy enforcement. The same issues, e.g., agricultural subsidies or intellectual property, emerge in all three dispute orders. First-order disputes are resolved by all WTO members through consensus-based negotiation. The negotiation experience of the last four multilateral trade negotiations--the Kennedy Round, the Tokyo Round, the Uruguay Round and the pending Doha Round--are assessed. Second-order disputes are considered by all WTO members through operating committees and the Trade Policy Review Mechanism. Third-order disputes are resolved through the DSU; 304 cases were submitted from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2003. More effective dispute resolution processes tend to exhibit a number of characteristics: they involve lower transactions costs in terms of economics, time, bureaucracy, diplomacy and opportunity; parties are satisfied with the outcome and the process; relationships among the affected parties
(cont.) are not damaged; and recurrence of the problem among the same and other parties is minimized. This research suggests that the three dispute orders be considered as an integrated system of dispute settlement. In doing so, the WTO--and other international institutions--can achieve more effective resolution of policy problems by taking advantage of the relative strengths available through each dispute order settlement process.
by Janet Kathryn Griffin Martinez.
Ph.D.
38
Akers, Adriana Sandoval. "Neighborhood design and public life : lessons from Beijing's hutong and superblocks." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/98924.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2015.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 87-93).
Beijing's Hutong, centuries-old neighborhoods composed of narrow streets and courtyard housing, are famous for harboring a tight-knit social fabric and a vibrant public realm. Over the past thirty years, large-scale redevelopment of hutong neighborhoods has occurred, and new neighborhoods in Beijing and in much of China have primarily come in the form of high-rise buildings arranged in superblocks. This model of neighborhood design has been criticized for its energy inefficiency, auto-centric nature, and perceived lack of respect for traditional Chinese urban forms. Less explored to date is the fact that residents of superblock neighborhoods often complain about a lack of community interaction and public life, particularly as compared to hutong neighborhoods. This thesis examines this phenomenon and asks the following questions: What accounts for the disparity between community interaction in superblock neighborhoods as compared to hutongs? Can urban design and the built environment play a role in fostering community and public life in contemporary Chinese neighborhoods? What lessons can be drawn for urban designers and planners in regards to the impact of neighborhood design on public life? The thesis begins by reviewing a history of major urban form changes throughout Beijing's history with a focus on neighborhood design. A field study undertaken in Beijing in January 2015 provides the primary data for the research, including resident interviews and observations of public space use in a hutong and two superblock neighborhoods. Using the data generated through the field study as well as secondary sources related to Chinese neighborhood design, a set of conclusions is drawn regarding how the built environment affects public life and community interaction in Beijing neighborhoods. Finally, a series of design recommendations is presented, focusing on the ways that urban design can support an active public life while meeting the high densities required in rapidly urbanizing contexts.
by Adriana Sandoval Akers.
M.C.P.
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Lave, Rebecca A. (Rebecca Anne). "Designing change--transforming cultural attitudes towards the natural environment through design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68329.
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Fiala, Joshua Charles. "Humanizing the city : festivals as a human adaptation of public space." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/50116.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2009.Author also earned an Urban Design Certificate from the Program in Urban Design; a joint graduate program with the Dept. of Architecture and the Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Vita.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 174-179).
As currently conceived, the contemporary city will not advance beyond its present level of achievement. This research frames the city within three root values upon which all decisions made in the city are based. The three root values are continuity, connection and openness. Under the present priorities of city making, the contemporary city is heavily biased toward continuity. A paradigm shift is required in the way cities are conceived and developed to rebalance the three root values with the intention of creating cities that are better places for humans to inhabit. This shift is a call for a more human city. This research investigates a collection of urban design principles that are intended to humanize the city and improve them as settings for human use and occupation. The research utilizes the festival as a temporal moment in the city of uniquely human-centered use. It is a moment in which the human becomes the dominant priority in the organization and occupation of space, while other systems of the city are temporarily interrupted. Through a series of six festival case studies a number of consistent adaptations of space emerge in which the festive events highlight strategies for humanizing space in the city. The urban design principles highlighted by this research include adapting spatial containment, restructuring movement, exposing meaning and commonality, attracting density of people, removing separation of uses, increasing overlapping activities, and spatially and temporally scripting and choreographing all of these strategies.
(cont.) These principles are then examined through a design test that shows their applicability in making humanizing adaptations of space and ultimately creating more human cities.
by Joshua Charles Fiala.
M.C.P.
41
Ziegenfuss, Kathleen Kane. "Constructing use in surface parking lots : strategies for enhancing lots as part-time public spaces." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/50583.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2009.Author also earned an Urban Design Certificate from the Program in Urban Design; a joint graduate program with the Dept. of Architecture and the Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning.
Includes bibliographical references (p. [151]-[156]).
Surface parking lots occupy vast amounts of land in urbanized areas-at times covering up to 40% of land in downtown areas in the United States. It is estimated that there are seven parking spaces for every vehicle in the nation; given that a vehicle can be in only one place at any given time, there are underutilized, vacant parking spaces all around us. This thesis argues that vacant parking spaces create an opportunity for more intense use of the land. It investigates which types of surface parking lots are best suited for which types of activities, based on physical design characteristics, multiple-use considerations, and a zoning and regulatory framework. It recommends the most attention is given to parking lots in neighborhood commercial areas and large surface parking lots that occupy entire city blocks. The thesis argues for the creation of more part-time public spaces through the use of underutilized parking lots. This argument is partially based on public spaces' social benefits, increased economic development potential, linkages with increased public health, and aesthetic-related benefits. Issues raised in creating public spaces on parking lots (both public and private lots) are addressed and possible approaches to overcome these obstacles are suggested. Strategies for creating more use on surface parking lots are identified from a municipal perspective, for those who coordinate events on parking lots, parking lot owners, and for developers.
(cont.) The thesis concludes with a discussion on implementation of creating more use on surface parking lots through zoning standards, design guidelines, and publicity strategies. The thesis concluded with a theoretical discussion on the ideal types of conditions for increased use on surface parking lots. The overarching finding is that the challenge of constructing more use on surface parking lots is primarily an issue of having the will to work through the necessary bureaucratic codes and regulations; by posing strategies to help facilitate this process, a palette of ideas for creating more use on surface parking lots can be utilized by any interested stakeholders.
by Kathleen Kane Ziegenfuss.
M.C.P.
42
Snider, Sarah E. (Sarah Elizabeth). "The return of streetcars to western American cities : reintroducing streetcars in Denver's historic streetcar neighborhoods." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/50106.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2009.Author also earned an Urban Design Certificate from the Program in Urban Design; a joint graduate program with the Dept. of Architecture and the Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning.
Includes bibliographical references.
Modern streetcars are making a comeback in the United States after their disappearance in the mid twentieth century. They resemble their distant relative, also known as the trolley, in many ways but express a contemporary, provide modern conveniences, and act as a magnet for redevelopment within the city. Modern streetcars build on the theory behind the European tram systems and provide desirable transportation options to support a range of densities in urban living. Currently in the United States, Portland, OR and Seattle,WA operate one modern streetcar line and have plans to expand their singular line into a network. Using these two routes, the plans for system expansion, and the individual cities that support them as case studies, this thesis analyzes the potential for streetcars to return to Denver, CO.The analysis for the Mile High City was conducted using my knowledge of and research on Denver and the surrounding metropolitan region, its historical skeleton that developed around the streetcar, and the City's current trends in public transportation and planning processes. Based on a multifaceted analysis that includes studying the relationship of potential streetcar route length, multi-modal connections, major destinations, high bus ridership routes, projected residential density, projected employment density, and redevelopment potential based on use and zoning, Denver is in fact an appropriate city for the return of streetcars.
(cont.) Not only would one streetcar be successful, but an integrated system could serve the City and its surrounding urban neighborhoods well. Taking the analysis one step further, the research attempts to compare a potential modern streetcar system for Denver with the historic streetcar routes that operated until 1949. Many observations arise, including the obvious difference in the limited number of modern lines versus the vast number of historic routes. Modern streetcars typically occur on primarily mixed-use corridors rather than pass through strictly residential neighborhoods as they once did. It is also evident that modern streetcars in Denver would direct redevelopment within the city whereas historic streetcars directed development to the edge of the city.This ability to direct development and redevelopment within the city's boundaries in addition to providing transportation fit in line with Denver's goals for growth management, multi-modal transportation options, and neighborhood revitalization.
by Sarah E. Snider.
M.C.P.
43
Goh, Kian. "A political ecology of design : contested visions of urban climate change adaptation." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/101368.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: Ph. D. in Urban and Environmental Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2015.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 281-311).
From the eastern seaboard of the United States to coastal cities in Southeast Asia, severe weather events and long-term climate impacts challenge how we live and work. As the debates over cities, planning, and climate change intensify, governments are proposing increasingly ambitious plans to respond to climate impacts. These involve extensive reconfigurations of built and "natural" environments, and massive economic resources. They promise "ecological security" and the perpetuation of capitalist growth. Yet they often involve intractable social questions, including decisions about how and what to protect on sites that are home to already marginalized urban residents. Scholarship on urban adaptation planning has tended to reinforce divisions between social and spatial, drawing a line between designed and engineered solutions and sociopolitical measures. It often assumes urban politics to be contained and cohesive. And it has relied on static conceptualizations of the city as a bounded territory, neglecting interconnections across networks and broader processes of globalization, urbanization, and geopolitics. This dissertation, on the urban spatial politics of climate change adaption, is posed as a conceptual and methodological counterpoint to the dominant discourse. Exploring what I call a political ecology of design, I investigate sites and strategies in three cities, New York, Jakarta, and Rotterdam. Looking, on one level, at city and national initiatives, including Rebuild By Design in New York, the "Great Garuda" sea wall plan in Jakarta, and Rotterdam Climate Proof, my dissertation also searches out alternate narratives, the "counterplans" - including community resiliency in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and grassroots design activism in the informal "kampungs" of Jakarta - and new global/urban networks - the multiscalar, multilevel connections through which urban concepts travel, transform, and embed. I focus on the contested visions, the interrelationships of local and global, and the role of design in urban adaptation. I ask, in the face of climate change and uneven social and spatial urban development, how are contesting visions ofthe future produced and how do they attain power? I ground my research in theories of sociospatial power relationships - the social production of space (Lefebvre 1991), urbanization and uneven development (Harvey 1985; Smith 1984), spatial justice (Soja 2010), and the geographies of policy mobility (Peck 2011; Roy and Ong 2011). I also look to theories of the interrelationships between social, ecological, and technological processes in and through cities (Bulkeley et al. 2011; Hodson and Marvin 2010). I develop a method of urban relational analysis to study disparate yet highly interconnected sites. On one level, this is a mixed methods study of multiple design strategies across different cities, combining semi-structured interviews with field and participant observation, and spatial and visual methods. On another, I build on frameworks for a more reflexive approach to case selection and analysis (Burawoy 2003; McMichael 2000) and a relational reading of sites - each understood through the others (Amin 2004; Massey 2011; Roy 2009). In Ananya Roy's words, "to view all cities from this particular place on the map." I find that, 1) in this new landscape of climate policy mobilities, urban adaptation projects, globally constituted, are reformatted by and to local urban sociospatial systems, 2) climate change motivates relationships, but plan objectives often transcend climate-specific goals, and 3) the production of alternative visions - "counterplans" - opens terrains of contestation, enabling modes of organizing and resistance to hegemonic systems. These findings emphasize the agency of marginalized urban communities, the sociopolitical role of design, and the embeddedness of climate change responses within multiple scales and levels of global urban development. They imply that planners committed to just socio-environmental outcomes engage across the range of urban scales and networks, and learn from critical social and political imaginaries and practices. I end with speculations on an insurgent, networked, urban ecological design practice.
by Kian Goh.
Ph. D. in Urban and Environmental Planning
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Markel, Christina Paige Buist. "Building voluntary sustainability : how urban design can promote care for ecological systems." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/59579.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2010.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references.
Human behavior is, in aggregate present state, unsustainable by the ecosystem of the earth. This thesis develops a behavior change model of how societies can move from unsustainable to sustainable behavior, and, because behavior is in large part a result of personal conviction, the factors that result in voluntary behavior change towards more environmentally sustainable behavior. The three key factors that trigger a desire to behave sustainably are intellectual understanding of ecosystems, engagement with ecosystems, and feedback on personal ecosystem impacts. Urban design is a key element in how the ecosystem is presented and culturally interpreted, and this thesis examines how urban design can be used to promote care for the ecosystem by offering experiences that provide the factors of behavior change. Several example cases are provided, as well as an examination of how we sense natural systems and design suggestions.
by Christina Markel.
M.C.P.
45
Duffy, Catherine Marie. "lndoor recreational walking in semi-public spaces : assessing demand and design standards." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/49697.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2009.Includes bibliographical references (p. 147-153).
Encouragement and facilitation of walking for health and community benefits has recently become an important focus in the city planning and public health fields. Urban design guidelines have increasingly highlighted pedestrian transportation and recreation as important elements for community design. Although various techniques to increase walking such as crime prevention, traffic calming and streetscape improvements have been employed in cities and towns across North America, cold, icy and snowy weather conditions as well as other factors prevent many individuals from walking year round. This thesis identifies indoor walking spaces and programs as a potential supplement to outdoor walking spaces, discusses challenges and opportunities offered by these spaces and programs and highlights potential contributions to the community-building and public realm design. An assessment of demand for indoor walking programs and a review of best practices for implementation is presented through interviews with walkers, planners, planners, architects and health professionals across the United States and Canada. The results of these interviews reveal the existence of an interest in indoor walking, especially among retired senior citizens. In general, walkers are not particular about the aesthetic design of the places available for indoor walking, but stress the importance of having access to a reliable place to walk and a need for social interaction.
(cont.) Discussions with space/program providers and additional research allow reveal the challenges inherent in creating indoor walking programs and offer potential solutions for implementation. Awareness of walker preferences and common program challenges can help planners determine locations for indoor walking programs and appropriate policy interventions in order to both increase the number of walkers throughout the year and enhance connectedness and pedestrian activity in communities.
by Catherine Marie Duffy.
M.C.P.
46
Edwards, Jennifer Lynn M. C. P. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Life Cycle Assessment goes to Washington : lessons from a new regulatory design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/49695.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2009.Includes bibliographical references (p. 37-41).
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a quantitative tool that measures the bundled impact of an individual product over its entire life cycle, from "cradle-to-grave." LCA has been developed over many decades to improve industry's environmental performance, and also to create environmental labels for consumer products. But in recent years, LCA has been used to inform policy and set regulatory standards. This thesis examines early experience with the first U.S. life-cycle policy: state Low-Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS). California is the first state to implement an LCFS, which caps the total carbon intensity of the transportation fuels sold in the state. Regulators measure the carbon value of different fuels on a fuel-cycle basis, including upstream extraction, processing, harvesting, conversion, and transport. California's recent experience indicates that, while a life-cycle approach to policy brings numerous environmental benefits, LCA is not well matched to applications that rank different products or assign numeric benchmarks for dissimilar products. Further, since LCA was developed for individual products, it lacks capacity to deal with dynamic interactions, industry-wide impacts, and forecasting, all of which are important for policy decisions. As an alternative, future policies that are organized around life-cycle impacts should first establish concrete goals with a thorough planning and visioning process, and then apply LCA as an exploratory tool to determine the low-impact methods to achieve these articulated goals.
by Jennifer Lynn Edwards.
M.C.P.
47
Ervin, Stephen. "The structure and function of diagrams in environmental design : a computational inquiry." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/14222.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1989.Vita.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 252-261).
by Stephen McTee Ervin.
Ph.D.
48
Ferrara, Catherine G. "Learning through competition : resilience on the Jersey Shore after Rebuild By Design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/104993.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2016.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 109-114).
and regions have gained a sense of urgency to plan and prepare for environmental change. Cities, nonprofits, and the federal government are increasingly adopting the architecture field's design competition model as a tool for resilience planning. Competitions promise to yield creative design ideas that would not come to light through traditional planning processes, and to foster public interest and support for investment in climate resilience measures. Little research exists, however, evaluating the practical implications of design competitions or how their outcomes are perceived by local planners and residents. This thesis examines the potential for competitions to foster a shift toward resilient design in local planning practice. The three municipalities that serve as cases -- Asbury Park, Keansburg, and Toms River, New Jersey -- each received detailed visions and plans for substantial resilience projects through the federal Rebuild By Design competition, but did not win any financial support for their implementation. Through interviews with local and county-level planners and elected officials, this thesis finds several positive effects of the competition experience on local planning, including new awareness and interest in longterm visioning and cross-boundary collaboration. Findings also include a set of ongoing challenges -- primarily, limited local capacity and regional politics -- against which the competition alone is inadequate to help communities realize resilience. The thesis concludes with proposals to help resilience competitions better serve the places and people for whom they are generating ideas, as well as broader recommendations for future exercises in policy innovation for resilience planning.
by Catherine G. Ferrara.
M.C.P.
49
Thelander, Max William. "Design against nature : flooding, water supply, and public space in Los Angeles." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/73711.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2012.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-85).
Starting in the late 19th century, Southern California saw the first of several waves of explosive population growth that have resulted in today's mega-region. While many early settlers were attracted by the city's famous sunshine, the surging population exceeded locally-available water supplies early on. Los Angeles responded by building a vast system of aqueducts to appropriate waters from across the West. At the same time, Los Angeles faces the most severe flooding hazard of any major American city, due to the rare but extreme rainfalls that are intrinsic to its Mediterranean climate. Historically, the Los Angeles River had flowed freely across the basin, but soaring demand for land set the stage for battle between an unpredictable natural system and modernist engineering methods. The river was converted into infrastructure, a concrete channel designed to chute stormwater out to sea as quickly as possible. Since the mid-1980s, a movement to 'revitalize' the river has gained increasing momentum. The river is one of the few remaining open spaces in many parts of central LA, and could form the backbone of a regional trail network to rival the freeways, as well as making ecologically valuable habitat connections. However, much of this vision depends on reducing the need for river to convey the entire watershed's runoff. The 21st century will present California with greater water supply challenges, as well as the potential for more severe urban flooding. It is clear that the last century's approach of building mega-scale, single-purpose infrastructure cannot sufficiently meet future needs. What is needed now is a decentralized approach to stormwater, in which rain is captured where it falls. This approach holds the potential to reduce flooding (enabling revitalization of the main river channel), reduce dependence on imported water by recharging local aquifers, and reduce downstream water pollution, among other benefits. However, the widespread implementation of this concept will depend on the public taking a much more active role in managing their watershed.
by Max William Thelander.
M.C.P.
50
Baxter, Christie I. "In search of the master builder : government use of design/build contracts." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/14050.
Full text