Thesis (M. Inst. Agrar))--University of Pretoria, 2000.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Thesis (M.C.R.P) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2007.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 198-209).

Nowadays more than half of the world´s population lives in cities. Urbanization is viewed as the primary cause of many problems, but also as the primary stage for more sustainable development in the 21st century. But the increasing and ongoing urbanization changes the economic, social, environmental and political setup of cities and can have several negative impacts related to economic and social inequities and environmental damage. At the same time the global sustainability challenges intensifies. Especially cities need to become more sustainable; they need to abolish their dependence on the unsustainable management of resources like water, energy and food.

This professional report aims to develop a transportation performance measurement system that will evaluate and achieve the sustainability objectives for the Austin metropolitan area Activity Centers, while addressing the Federal Livability Principles. It employs the use of local data for the evaluation of performance measures, and provides a platform upon which both current and future development scenarios can be evaluated. Based on a literature review and other studies on travel behavior and transportation performance, it is possible to derive the appropriate indicator measurements according to the sustainability. The overarching purpose of this report is to develop a set of performance indicators that reflect sustainability concerns. These indicators will be appropriately quantified and benchmarked, and will address each objective, such as reduction of automobile vehicle miles travelled (VMT). The main challenge of this report is that many sustainability indicators are not practically implemented at the community level, but can be more easily considered at the aggregate level. / text

Within the bodies of living organisms are multitudes of sustainable design solutions that engineers have yet to master. Through the use of tailored sustainable bioinspired design (BID) tools and methodologies, engineers could access and apply this body of biological knowledge to reduce the environmental impact of engineering designs. However, the underlying theory of BID must be more thoroughly fleshed out – and a clearer understanding of the types of sustainability solutions present in biology must be achieved – before such tools and methodologies can be developed. The goal of this thesis is to tackle both issues and, consequently, lay the foundation for environmentally sustainable BID. The first section of this work critically examines thirteen of the most frequently-cited benefits of BID, using academic literature from both biology and engineering design. This analysis presents a nuanced explanation of the ways BID could improve designs and the conditions in which these improvements are expected. Hence, it provides the theoretical foundation necessary to develop tools and methodologies that capitalize on the design opportunities found in biological organisms. The second section focuses on identifying sustainability-related trends in a pool of existing, sustainable BIDs. The type of environmental impact reduction conferred by the bioinspired feature is delineated using a set of 65 green design guidelines (GDGs) to compare the impact of the BID and a functionally-equivalent comparison product. Additionally, the general design features that impart an environmental impact reduction to the sustainable BIDs are identified, analyzed, and discussed. These results provide insight into the types of sustainability solutions that can be found using biological analogies. / text

The relationship between expressed attitudes and actual behaviour in the context of sustainable development is complex (Staats et al., 2004) and difficult to apply in a policy-relevant manner (Aall and Norland 2005). The household, however, represents a key ‘unit' for understanding the environmental impact of consumption patterns and for instigating educational programmes and policy designed to change consumer behaviour (Simmons and Chambers 1998). Despite this recognition, the majority of academic research relies heavily on individualistic social-psychological approaches, which do not accurately capture behaviours that may arise by virtue of the characteristics of the household (Gronhoj 2006). Recent research indicates that the use of a household diary can be beneficial in helping to capture household environmental activities, in educating householders about their impact, and in identifying major ‘behavioural turning points', where householders may focus efforts to reduce their environmental impact (Hunter et al., 2006). In other words, the use of a diary by householders is a potentially powerful tool in encouraging and facilitating desired behavioural change. The aim of this thesis was to assess the innovative use of a household diary approach as a means of framing and collecting household environmental data, and, critically, as an educational vehicle for bringing about behavioural change, a key target of Defra and Scottish Government policy. In much the same way as we learn a language by writing it down, or as students, learn a topic by studying it, the household diary, which facilitates the recording and writing down of behaviours, presented a powerful avenue for learning about pro-environmental behaviours undertaken within households. The diary encouraged householders to question the unquestioned, invoking double-loop-learning or discursive consciousness. Developing these findings in the context of theories of action or change, it was clear that the potential to empower householders by allowing them to better grasp their environmental impact and as a consequence, recoup positive financial savings and health benefits, was great.