A personal social learning experience in itself, the thesis articulates the territory/function dialectic as an alternative, social learning paradigm of regional development planning. The current crisis affecting this activity is firstly diagnosed, the underlying problem is then traced to the prevailing orthodoxy, and, in its place, a new paradigm is offered. The story behind the thesis is told via a characterisation of the overall study process as a transition from objective empiricism to empirical subjectivism. The story features highlights of the main case study experiences as well as those insights gained during the actual creation, that is, in the writing, of the ultimate thesis. After identifying the desirable qualities in a contending paradigm, and elaborating the basic elements of the territory/function dialectic, particular attention is given to the significance of territory. This is complemented by a discussion of the fundamental change in the thinking of John Friedmann, who must be credited with originating the subject dialectic. A literature review is presented featuring a consideration of competing paradigms. A detailed contrast of the centre-periphery and territory/function conceptualisations is also presented before concluding with some critical revelations and key insights. The territory/function dialectic is seen to possess the attributes of both a substantive and methodological paradigm. The special paradigm status is bolstered by a consideration of geography's role in relation to the key concept of territory. The paradigm as a whole is seen to underpin an alternative epistemology combining critical science and social learning. The lessons from a social learning experience are elaborated in a revisitation of the original objectives-cum-working hypotheses. These lessons feature: the pursuit of more real theory; the social value of underdevelopment theory; the explicit role of the state as manifest in official practice; and the significance of learning through collective action. The territory/function dialectic is seen to provide the necessary link between theory and practice in an all encompassing manner. The thesis concludes with a review of certain basic, dialectical, dualities. There is also specific consideration of planning and social learning, entailing further distinctions between not only theory and practice, but also between scientific practice and social practice.

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<p> The transportation sector is currently experiencing a disruption with the introduction and evolution of technology and transportation services such as bikesharing, carsharing, on-demand ridesourcing (e.g. Lyft, Uber), and microtransit (e.g. Bridj, Chariot). As these new layers of technology-based transportation options begin to flourish, it is important to understand how they affect our transportation systems and society. This doctoral dissertation analyzes the impacts of ridesourcing on several areas of transportation including: efficiency in terms of distance &ndash; Vehicles Miles Traveled (VMT) versus Passenger Miles Traveled (PMT) &ndash; and travel times, mode replacement, VMT increase, parking, transportation equity, and travel behavior. Realizing the difficulty in obtaining data directly from Lyft and Uber, this research employs an innovative approach by the author becoming an independent contractor to drive for both companies; this allowed the author to gain access to exclusive data and real-time passenger feedback. The datasets include actual travel attributes &ndash; such as times, distances, and earnings &ndash; from 416 rides (Lyft, UberX, LyftLine, and UberPool), and travel behavior and socio-demographics from 311 passenger interviews. This dissertation estimates a low ridesourcing efficiency rate compared to other modes, mix of modes replacement, overall increase in VMT, decrease in parking demand, low wages (i.e. net earnings) for drivers, travel behavior changes for users, as well as relationships between modality style, trip purpose, and stated reasons for mode replacement. These results give us insights into the impacts of ridesourcing on several key aspects of transportation. This, in turn, will help cities and transportation organizations better account for ridesourcing in their planning and engineering processes (e.g. travel demand models) as well as policy decisions.</p>

<p> The work described is aimed at developing a unique and modifiable model for analyzing transit system improvements, with specific emphasis on the concept of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). In particular, the use of multiple variables that have been developed over the years as a result of a number of transit analyses, in a novel manner is described. The area of study was the light rail transit system (LRT) known as Lynx in Mecklenburg County, NC and over a period of development between 2001 and 2012 which included the actual construction phase from 2005 to 2007. An index model was developed to combine and magnify the potential impacts of each of the identified variables as they related to one another and the surrounding urban environment. These variables included land value, housing unit density, and others that are often been associated with TOD. The results of this combined and comprehensive analysis served to identify areas that are likely associated with the transit system, primarily proximity to the LRT system, i.e., areas where changes in the TOD-related variables were consistent with a positive relation to recognized TOD principles. Some areas within the service area showed especially high positive attributes of TOD, for example, Uptown Charlotte, a major hub of a current phase of LRT development, as well areas of other future enhancements. An extension of the work described should include the evaluation of additional variables as applicable data sets are made available, including, but not limited to, employment change, property vacancy statistics, and crime.</p>

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The impact of road transport and road transport infrastructure on the environment is an important public issue in the United Kingdom today. Economists have suggested that the present Trunk Road appraisal process undervalues the environmental impact of road schemes because environmental impacts are not included in the monetary cost-benefit process, i.e. they are externalised. Furthermore, critics state that the present evaluation process is complicated by the number and type of qualitative and quantitative measures of environmental impact, this leads to confusion and non-standardisation in the decision-making process. In answer to these criticisms it has been suggested that monetary values of environmental impacts should be incorporated into the Trunk Road appraisal process, i.e. placing environmental benefits or losses into the cost-benefit framework and hence simplifying the decision-making process. This research identified the present methods of monetary valuation, and showed that these have insufficient institutional or public acceptability to be used for the purpose of monetary valuation in this case. This research therefore examined a new methodology for placing values on environmental impacts. i.e. Stated Preference (SP) techniques. SP determines implicit valuations by asking people to trade-off between a number of different choice situations. SP techniques are widely used throughout the transport industry for placing monetary values on factors such as journey time and ride quality. The research was successful in gaining statistically significant monetary values for Road Safety and Air Quality and respondents were able to understand the SP experiments and to trade logically between choice scenarios. However, the research identified that particular care is required when measuring and representing environmental attributes and attribute levels to respondents, as these impact on the valuations gained. Further research is also required to define the reasons for significant variation within the response data. The reasons for this variation need to be investigated further so that significant valuations can be obtained that relate to the whole population.

This thesis proposes five conceptual headings through which to perceive the city. They are: City as History, Spectacle, A Work of Art, Corporate Image, and Home. Each heading is a complete concept on one level and the part of a greater concept on another. A number of celebrity cities (e.g. London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, etc.) are considered at each of the headings in turn. A city is the spatial embodiment of memory and modernity. Memory and modernity are multi-facaded within a totality. Each of the five conceptions reflects one facade and their juxtaposition provides meanings to each other. A good city can embrace parts of the five conceptions; whereas an ideal city must achieve an equilibrium of them all. The second part of the thesis, The Phenomenology of A City, examines the urban experience and consciousness of citizens, through the gaze of four representational figures of the modern city (the shopper, flaneur, stranger, and transgressor). Finally, the theories were applied to an exceptional modern city, Hong Kong, in which the identity and image of the city is evaluated and explored. It is worth noting that this thesis, if not the first, will be one of the few to analyse the city of Hong Kong from an aesthetic and historical dimension. The modern city is too gigantic and erratic to grasp completely. This thesis, however, approaches it from these several historical and aesthetic viewpoints. It seeks to capture the urban experience of ordinary people with a poetic lens, and through which one glimpses what is it to experience (a very problematic word in this thesis) the modern city.