During the latter half of the 20th century, the term sovereignty has become a pivotal concept for describing the political goals of Indigenous movements. The term has come to stand for the general rights of Indigenous peoples to be self-governing and describe efforts to reverse and resist processes of ongoing colonization, dispossession and assimilation. The purpose of this dissertation is two-fold. First, it explores the role of planning in the erosion of Indigenous sovereignty and the creation of conflicts over urban land use and development. More specifically, it examines the role of planning in the project of securing, aggrandizing and normalizing Canada’s sovereignty claims, and illustrates how the idea of sovereignty influences the configuration of relations between Canada and Indigenous peoples. While the concept of sovereignty is not commonly discussed in planning literature or planning policy, it is argued that concepts such as property, jurisdiction, and Aboriginal rights serve as a cipher for sovereignty in the context of planning. This dissertation research finds that the practices and principles of planning aid in the narration of a political imaginary and the creation of a legal geography which affirms Canada’s territorial and moral coherence. This examination of planning is placed against the backdrop of broader historical tendencies in Canadian Aboriginal policy. The second purpose of this dissertation is to consider how taking Indigenous political authority seriously can present new ways of thinking about both planning and sovereignty. It is argued in this dissertation that Indigenous understandings of sovereignty originating in Indigenous law and Indigenous interpretations of Canadian law must be placed in the foreground in planning theory and practice. In the past, the interventions and alternatives advocated by planning both theorists and policy makers to improve the position of Indigenous peoples in planning processes have largely emphasized the recognition and inclusion of Indigenous peoples and reduced Indigenous struggles over territory to the realm of identity politics. As an alternative, foregrounding Indigenous political authority can present new ways of thinking about both planning and sovereignty.

During the latter half of the 20th century, the term sovereignty has become a pivotal concept for describing the political goals of Indigenous movements. The term has come to stand for the general rights of Indigenous peoples to be self-governing and describe efforts to reverse and resist processes of ongoing colonization, dispossession and assimilation. The purpose of this dissertation is two-fold. First, it explores the role of planning in the erosion of Indigenous sovereignty and the creation of conflicts over urban land use and development. More specifically, it examines the role of planning in the project of securing, aggrandizing and normalizing Canada’s sovereignty claims, and illustrates how the idea of sovereignty influences the configuration of relations between Canada and Indigenous peoples. While the concept of sovereignty is not commonly discussed in planning literature or planning policy, it is argued that concepts such as property, jurisdiction, and Aboriginal rights serve as a cipher for sovereignty in the context of planning. This dissertation research finds that the practices and principles of planning aid in the narration of a political imaginary and the creation of a legal geography which affirms Canada’s territorial and moral coherence. This examination of planning is placed against the backdrop of broader historical tendencies in Canadian Aboriginal policy. The second purpose of this dissertation is to consider how taking Indigenous political authority seriously can present new ways of thinking about both planning and sovereignty. It is argued in this dissertation that Indigenous understandings of sovereignty originating in Indigenous law and Indigenous interpretations of Canadian law must be placed in the foreground in planning theory and practice. In the past, the interventions and alternatives advocated by planning both theorists and policy makers to improve the position of Indigenous peoples in planning processes have largely emphasized the recognition and inclusion of Indigenous peoples and reduced Indigenous struggles over territory to the realm of identity politics. As an alternative, foregrounding Indigenous political authority can present new ways of thinking about both planning and sovereignty.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Jason Brody / This report evaluates the success of the Green Light for Midtown in New York in order to understand the factors that led to its success and thereby determine how social spaces can be created along streets and the initiatives that can be taken by other cities to create such spaces. It begins with a review of historical trends of urbanization that shifted the focus on streets from open spaces to transportation networks. The report attempts to answer a two-fold research question. Firstly, the Green Light for Midtown project in New York that attempted to reinvent the public space on Broadway and Times Square is evaluated in depth to examine the design elements that resulted in a thriving public space. This is done with the help of documents produced by the city and the concerned organizations as well as interviews with the officials in charge of the project. Analysis of the Green Light for Midtown illustrates certain elements that are essential for the design of social spaces along streets and bring the focus back on the pedestrians. Through the second part of the research question, the report attempts to determine the lessons that can be learnt from the New York example. The study reveals certain key elements for the creation of successful public spaces along streets in urban areas. The primary element is to have a political will that enable these changes to take place in the public realm. In addition, the area should be able to maintain a competitive edge in order to attract people and keep them coming back to the area. Finally, the regulations should be made more specific to the context of the area so that the identity of the place can be maintained effectively.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / John W. Keller / This report reviews asset building for communities to promote youth healthy development. It addresses a comprehensive approach to youth development by engaging all members and sectors of a community. Bellevue, Washington is a community nationally recognized for its collective approach to tackling issues faced by their youth. The Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets 1997 Survey showed Bellevue youth possessed less than 50% of the developmental assets necessary to become responsible adults. Since receiving these results, Bellevue has continued working to improve the lives of youth in their community by utilizing the knowledge and resources of community members, organizations, and institutions. For this report, Bellevue’s collective engagement was analyzed to identify which developmental assets youth could obtain through participation, support, and engagement in various community sectors. Bellevue was used as a case study for an asset building community for youth, to determine what makes a great community for youth to live and thrive.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Architecture and Regional and Community Planning / John W. Keller / This report is a reconnaissance analysis of the Topeka, Kansas downtown district to determine a process of rejuvenation. Many office buildings are established in or near the downtown core, and bring an estimated 30,000 employees to the area; however, after 5:00 PM much of the work force leaves the downtown making it difficult for retail and entertainment businesses to stay open. The purpose of this study is to analyze the downtown district of Topeka in terms of its strengths and weaknesses, and determine the steps that must be taken before a process of rejuvenation can occur. To accomplish this, the study examines strategic data such as a workforce profile, location information, public facilities, historical and current demographics of the city, along with specific information on the downtown area such as past and present plans for renovation. This analysis also includes current plans in the downtown and how they might impact the future physical development of the central core of downtown Topeka such as the potential realignment of Interstate 70. The key to making any downtown project a success is to acknowledge the weaknesses and threats of the area and to recast them as potential opportunities and strengths for the area. This is why the study has a building survey and a S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Strengths) analysis.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Sheri L. Smith / This paper suggest that a force, when encompassed in a tripod body, the host town, the area community, and the University, can succeed in making necessary improvements to a struggling community, provided this effort is embedded in a shared conceptualization of revitalization planning that will enliven, regenerate, and produce. The result of this effort depends on the balanced exchange between the various stakeholders of higher education within the host communities, and local governments who can all share mutual responsibilities as planners while applying the concept of university community partnership to the City of Fort Valley, a target area and Fort Valley State University. The exchange between stakeholders is used to establish why they, as an inclusive community, should apply this model to distinguish each party's roles then determine the concepts and recommendations that could be utilized to accomplish the ultimate goal of revitalization.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Katherine Nesse / Most adults have grown accustomed to the current design orientation of their communities; however, as adults grow older they will be hard pressed to maintain their current lifestyle and level of activity in their community. This research identifies the importance of incorporating accessibility and usability elements into the streetscape of a community to encourage the integration of seniors into community life. One of the four pillars of the Main Street approach is design. This encompasses the design of building facades, streetscapes, and public spaces. This research looks at the Kansas Main Street program and investigates its success in furthering usability and accessibility of streetscapes in rural communities experiencing an aging population and infrastructure. My thesis is if the Main Street organizations of Kansas were concerned about the access and use of streetscapes for elderly populations, their concern would be expressed in development plans and practices through their Main Street program undertakings. Through this research, I have found that while rural communities see the value in accessible streetscapes their primary barrier to creating them is a financial one.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, urban spaces have become increasingly subject to various methods of surveillance and control, especially by physical means. Yet, while 9/11 acted as a catalyst for rapid increases in security measures, the process of securitization has a much longer history. Accordingly, this research looks at how security has been planned and how this has changed over the last four decades in the context of Canada. The dissertation focuses on three Canadian case studies to explore the evolution of security planning: the October Crisis with an emphasis on Montreal (1970), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vancouver (1997), and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Each case represents a significant moment in Canadian security planning and provides insight into the shifting structure of Canada’s security apparatus. Furthermore, these cases offer a lens into the historical transformations of the Canadian ‘security state’. While the issues and actions associated with these cases cut across local, national, and international scales, the impacts of security measures in each were mostly local and urban. To show how Canadian urban spaces have been transformed and controlled by an evolving security framework, I argue that security planning must be understood as a form of urban planning, although one that remains to be properly acknowledged by the profession or even the academic discipline of planning. Given the democratic claims of liberal planning and its professed concern for the good city, it is therefore significant that the security measures studied in these case studies were implemented without democratic scrutiny but with significant consequences for urban experience. This dissertation tells a story of security planning in Canada, demonstrating how its practices have changed over time in ways that are at odds with liberal political values cherished by mainstream planning.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, urban spaces have become increasingly subject to various methods of surveillance and control, especially by physical means. Yet, while 9/11 acted as a catalyst for rapid increases in security measures, the process of securitization has a much longer history. Accordingly, this research looks at how security has been planned and how this has changed over the last four decades in the context of Canada. The dissertation focuses on three Canadian case studies to explore the evolution of security planning: the October Crisis with an emphasis on Montreal (1970), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vancouver (1997), and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Each case represents a significant moment in Canadian security planning and provides insight into the shifting structure of Canada’s security apparatus. Furthermore, these cases offer a lens into the historical transformations of the Canadian ‘security state’. While the issues and actions associated with these cases cut across local, national, and international scales, the impacts of security measures in each were mostly local and urban. To show how Canadian urban spaces have been transformed and controlled by an evolving security framework, I argue that security planning must be understood as a form of urban planning, although one that remains to be properly acknowledged by the profession or even the academic discipline of planning. Given the democratic claims of liberal planning and its professed concern for the good city, it is therefore significant that the security measures studied in these case studies were implemented without democratic scrutiny but with significant consequences for urban experience. This dissertation tells a story of security planning in Canada, demonstrating how its practices have changed over time in ways that are at odds with liberal political values cherished by mainstream planning.

This thesis examines the possibility of applying the concept of interest to public urban land use system planning, although it is not intended that the idea should be limited to urban planning. The concept is considered in detail, as is the question of who can have interests. The conclusion on that is that individuals and the public are the only true categories of interest holders, although interest groups need to be recognised for practical reasons. Corporations and governments cannot be true interest holders. The application of the concept was assessed in relation to the subject-matter of urban land use planning, and a typical land use planning process. The possibility of applying it to a hypothetical system of planning using the pragmatic method was also considered. The final part looked at the ‘institutions’ of planning, that is, law, politics, professional planning, administration, and administrative tribunals, to see how they would likely relate to a planning system based on the use of the concept of interest. The conclusion was that there would be no insurmountable difficulties even If not all of these institutions would readily embrace the concept. The idea was found to be plausible in so far as a comprehensive theory of interest-based urban land use planning was able to be worked out. By considering practical issues throughout, a strong presumption was raised that it would be feasible, although testing and further development of the idea would be necessary. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed method were reviewed. The expected benefits were ensuring that public urban land use system planning was humanistic, and providing a concept, or theme, around which a comprehensive theory of such planning could be constructed. Likely areas of difficulty were misunderstanding due to the lack of agreement on the meaning of the concept, although the meaning that should be adopted for the proposed purpose was spelt out. Secondly, a conservative attitude towards the use of concepts other than interest in planning and related disciplines could cause resistance to the adoption of the proposed method. It was shown how the idea is largely novel, but that recently there has been increasing use of the concept of interest in the land use planning literature. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.