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Thesis (M. U. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Also available in print.

Doctor Educationis / This research has sought to investigate the language policy of Namibian schools against the background of international literature on the advantages of mother tongue as medium of instruction during the initial years of school. The historical background of the formulation and implementation of the current policy is dealt with in Chapter 2. The theoretical aspects of language planning as explained in the literature will focus on aspects like the underlying principles for language planning. This chapter will furthermore discuss information regarding the status and the use of the mother tongue as medium of instruction in Namibia during the first three years of school. In Chapter 4 a literature review of Cummins's linguistic interdependence principle, as well as the different options or models for a bilingual language approach in education, is discussed in detail and compared to the Namibian situation to find the best possible model which could be adapted for Namibia. Chapter 5 investigates the results of a survey that has been conducted in Namibia to determine the level of English language proficiency of teachers. These findings are compared to find a relation between repetition rates of learners, Grade 10 examination results per region, as well as the teacher qualifications per region. Chapter 6 proposes a gradual bilingual language model for Namibia. First the rationale will be dealt with, followed by a detailed description of the model and how it is to be implemented. Chapters 7 and 8 deal with the research methodology that was undertaken in the form of a questionnaire and interviews with educationists regarding the use of the real medium of instruction, the perceptions of educationists on the language policy, and their proposals to change the language policy. Their perceptions of the proposed language model are discussed in order to identify ideas on how to streamline it. In Chapter 9 questions concerning the implications of implementing a bilingual language policy with regard to what is possible, practicable, and affordable will be dealt with. The last chapter, Chapter 10, will compare the current language policy, a policy proposed by NIED, and the model proposed here, before a number of recommendations are made.

Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: leaves 100-103. / by Richard David Goldstein. / B.S.

Thesis. 1978. M.C.P.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. / Bibliography: leaf [121]. / M.C.P.

The intent of this exploratory case study was: (1)to compare a model of expected formal business plan content with the content of actual business plans developed within a single company, (2)to develop a modified model of formal business plan content which recognizes organizational influences on plan content, (3)to propose a method for evaluating business plans based on this modified model. The firm studied was Fast Delta Corporation, a "Fortune 500" multidivisional manufacturing company in a high technology industry. The business plan content analyzed in this study was produced through a planning system similar to those implemented by other multidivisional companies. In this study, planning by middle managers rather than top management was the primary focus. The study method was based on the analysis of formal plan content rather than direct observation or inquiry about the planning process. Study steps included: (1)test of goodness of fit between a simple model of expected business plan content and the actual content of business plans produced through the Fast Delta Corporation planning system. (2)analysis of deviations of the actual content from the expected content model. This analysis included comparison of actual formal plan content with non-content characteristics of the formal plans, with the content of business strategy case studies from other firms, and with the content of Fast Delta Corporation managers' responses to case studies in business strategy. The results of this study showed that Fast Delta Corporation formal business plan content was influenced by several factors. These included short-term corporate-wide concerns; shared assumptions among managers about the strengths and limitations of the study firm; and constraints on strategy which may be characteristic of other firms with similar structure, at a similar life cycle stage, or within the same industry. From these results a modified model of business plan content was developed which considered these influences. The validity of this model suggests that the plan analysis techniques used in this study were effective techniques for identifying the planning assumptions which underlie business plan content produced through a firm's formal business planning system. The results and conclusions of this study are significant for top management, middle management, corporate planning staff, and those doing research in strategic planning.

Urban theorists and policy makers have begun to re-evaluate the importance of culture in urban development models. Culture is now widely viewed as a critical factor in the economic and social health of cities. Notions of creativity and the growing recognition of the role that culture-rich environments can play in attracting the “creative class,” are being partly expressed in the widespread adoption of urban cultural planning strategies. Cultural planning is commonly defined as the identification (mapping) and leveraging of cultural assets to support local community and economic development. It is also often explained as a “cultural approach” to municipal planning, an approach that entails effective cross-departmental and cross-sectoral collaboration in the implementation of strategic goals outlined within the cultural plan. A literature has been written on the potential of cultural planning by leading experts in the cultural policy field, especially from Australia and Britain. However, there has been a noticeable lack of critical research on this cultural development approach by scholars in Canada, where cultural planning is a relatively new and emerging municipal activity. This dissertation examines the policy and planning scope of the increasingly popular yet under-explored “municipal cultural planning” movement in Ontario, Canada. Research began with a thorough review of the cultural planning literature. Cultural planning deficiencies and research gaps identified in the international literature were subsequently addressed through an analysis of all ten existing cultural plans in Ontario’s mid-size cities. The analysis of plans was complemented by thirteen in-depth interviews with municipal staff responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of cultural plans. Aside from addressing the interpretations of and rationales for municipal cultural planning, the information derived from document analysis and interviews was used to address four important issues that have been either ignored or only addressed in a cursory way in the literature: the nature and actual extent of community consultation and cultural mapping in the cultural plan development stage; the accuracy of the growing arts policy labelling of cultural planning abroad as it applies to municipal cultural planning; the relationship between cultural planning and its conceptual roots in urban planning; and the outcomes of the cultural planning strategy. It was found that the development of cultural plans involved substantial community input, albeit not through the participatory “cultural mapping” process that is often claimed to be the preliminary step of cultural planning. In addition, it was observed that the increasingly common charge, particularly from Australia, that cultural plans are overly focussed on traditional arts sector concerns was not found to be the case with most cultural planning initiatives in Ontario. Further, while a strong urban development and planning-oriented basis has been used to differentiate cultural planning from traditional arts policy, the scope of cultural planning concerns in the sphere of urban planning practice was observed to be, with some noticeable exceptions, fairly superficial. However, this research also found that the strategic objectives outlined within cultural plans, which address a broad range of policy and planning activities related to cultural and community development, were generally being implemented and were effecting change.

Urban theorists and policy makers have begun to re-evaluate the importance of culture in urban development models. Culture is now widely viewed as a critical factor in the economic and social health of cities. Notions of creativity and the growing recognition of the role that culture-rich environments can play in attracting the “creative class,” are being partly expressed in the widespread adoption of urban cultural planning strategies. Cultural planning is commonly defined as the identification (mapping) and leveraging of cultural assets to support local community and economic development. It is also often explained as a “cultural approach” to municipal planning, an approach that entails effective cross-departmental and cross-sectoral collaboration in the implementation of strategic goals outlined within the cultural plan. A literature has been written on the potential of cultural planning by leading experts in the cultural policy field, especially from Australia and Britain. However, there has been a noticeable lack of critical research on this cultural development approach by scholars in Canada, where cultural planning is a relatively new and emerging municipal activity. This dissertation examines the policy and planning scope of the increasingly popular yet under-explored “municipal cultural planning” movement in Ontario, Canada. Research began with a thorough review of the cultural planning literature. Cultural planning deficiencies and research gaps identified in the international literature were subsequently addressed through an analysis of all ten existing cultural plans in Ontario’s mid-size cities. The analysis of plans was complemented by thirteen in-depth interviews with municipal staff responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of cultural plans. Aside from addressing the interpretations of and rationales for municipal cultural planning, the information derived from document analysis and interviews was used to address four important issues that have been either ignored or only addressed in a cursory way in the literature: the nature and actual extent of community consultation and cultural mapping in the cultural plan development stage; the accuracy of the growing arts policy labelling of cultural planning abroad as it applies to municipal cultural planning; the relationship between cultural planning and its conceptual roots in urban planning; and the outcomes of the cultural planning strategy. It was found that the development of cultural plans involved substantial community input, albeit not through the participatory “cultural mapping” process that is often claimed to be the preliminary step of cultural planning. In addition, it was observed that the increasingly common charge, particularly from Australia, that cultural plans are overly focussed on traditional arts sector concerns was not found to be the case with most cultural planning initiatives in Ontario. Further, while a strong urban development and planning-oriented basis has been used to differentiate cultural planning from traditional arts policy, the scope of cultural planning concerns in the sphere of urban planning practice was observed to be, with some noticeable exceptions, fairly superficial. However, this research also found that the strategic objectives outlined within cultural plans, which address a broad range of policy and planning activities related to cultural and community development, were generally being implemented and were effecting change.

Distribution, warehousing and logistics facilities located in Canadian municipalities have significant impacts on surrounding land uses and on nearby transportation infrastructure, not to mention the broader socio-economic environment. While there is considerable literature available concerning the location choices of generic industrial firms, explorations of logistics firms’ locations have been less extensive. This is somewhat surprising because of the increasing ‘footlooseness’ of logistics firms and the potential issues surrounding their activity, for example related to the amount of freight traffic that they generate. There is a need for the public sector, including planners and economic developers, to better understand the requirements of the logistics industry in order to accommodate these firms while mitigating potentially adverse impacts to communities. The goal of this thesis is to identify and assess the relative importance of factors that influence the location choices of logistics firms in a municipality, and to identify potential issues of operational conflict between municipalities, their residents, and logistics firms. A web-based survey of logistics professionals has been carried out to help address this goal. Semi-structured interviews were then undertaken with participants who completed the survey and indicated an interest in further participation in the study. Overall, 42 completed survey responses were received, and 10 follow up phone interviews were conducted. The ability to operate 24/7 was reported as one of the most important location factors in addition to land costs, proximity to transportation infrastructure, and access to a skilled workforce. Transportation infrastructures such as rail intermodal facilities and airports are seen as important regional considerations but close proximity is not important on a site specific level. Through interview results participants indicated problems with parking bylaw requirements, and operating restrictions during the nighttime as challenges related to their specific location. Results confirm general understanding of what drives location choice for industrial firms, but the additional necessity for a robust operating environment for logistics firms highlights the need for planners to pay particular attention to the specific requirements of this important economic sector.