Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Timothy D. Keane / Papago Park is an extraordinary urban space that has a rich history in the development of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The park was settled by pre-historic civilizations and has since been a significant recreation space for more recent generations. Although the park has been treasured among locals for ages, the development of large tourist attractions and other program elements have not been part of a cohesive park design. The park lacks a sense of unity and a strong local identity. Papago is unique in the fact that it is the only major urban park that showcases the native Sonoran Desert ecosystem. Conservation of these limited areas of native landscape is important. There is great potential for Papago to better respond to the environmental, educational, and recreational needs of the public. With this master plan, development of Papago Park is guided in order to unify park elements and strengthen its identity. It is intended that a cohesive park design which focuses on conservation of native landscape with an integrated social program will help Papago Park gain proper recognition on a regional and national scale.

Master of Arts / Department of Geography / Max Lu / Given the ongoing incidence of housing displacement related to the commercial redevelopment of neighborhoods, and its implications for the health and quality of life of affected households and communities, there is a need for insight into what factors influence the quality of a move and movers' chances of successful post-move adjustment. In this study, qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 26 men and women representing 18 households from three redeveloped eastern Kansas neighborhoods was employed to examine residents' experiences of displacement. Five factors were examined: attachment to home and neighborhood, community social ties, relative sense of control and mastery over the circumstances of relocation, opinions of the amount of monetary compensation or relocation assistance received, and support for a redevelopment project. The results show that attachment to home influenced feelings about having to move, although it did not preclude contentment with a post-move dwelling. Attachment to neighborhood had both social and environmental components. Neighborhood social ties were difficult to replicate for many residents in their post-move neighborhoods. Perceptions of control over the circumstances of a move were negatively affected by problems with communication and information-sharing between residents and relocation authorities, causing stress and difficulties finding replacement housing. Satisfaction with compensation was tied to perceptions of upward housing mobility, while dissatisfaction was influenced by perceptions of having been a victim of official graft. Expressed support for redevelopment projects was in the main grudging, and support for a project did not appear to greatly influence a positive disposition toward moving. Experiences connected with displacement are not monolithic, and neither are its outcomes. Householders forced to move may concede that relocation has had at once negative repercussions and benefits. Having achieved upward housing mobility or experienced improved quality of life subsequent to moving did not eradicate residents' wish to have been 'treated better,' monetarily or otherwise, by relocation officials. This oft-expressed desire calls attention to the need for greater awareness of, and sensitivity to, the nature of residential place attachment and the special problems of those forced to move.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / John W. Keller / The purpose of this document is to use an existing transit system as the standard by which another community can model their own. It begins with the discussion of a brief history of mass transit in the United States—focusing on the detail that competing automobile manufacturers began the demise of transit ridership in this nation. As the 1950s came to a close, the nation’s transit systems saw the peak of ridership. However, the post-war era brought about massive suburbanization and more automobiles per household. The American no longer needed to ride transit, except for those still living in the dense urban cores of cities like New York City. The document moves into the discussion of the fundamentals of mass transit. It explains the importance of population base, ridership, and funding. Depending on the type of system, a minimum population base is recommended in order to support the proper system. Ridership is a key focus of transit, for without it, a community is just wasting resources. Finally, funding is very important. No transit system can support itself on fares alone and still remain a viable alternative to the automobile. Transit systems must procure funding from a variety of sources including all levels of government in order to obtain sufficient revenue to operate successfully. The heart of the document focuses on the CyRide bus system in Ames, Iowa—serving the Ames community and Iowa State University since 1976. CyRide is a special system in that it serves a total population of only 54,000, but sees an annual ridership of 5 million. Their success is based on a longstanding relationship with the community complimented by staff that posses the passion to ensure the highest quality service day-in and day-out. This report discusses the fine details of how that system functions on all levels. The document concludes with the discussion of Manhattan, Kansas—a city with approximately the same population as Ames, and is home to Kansas State University, which as approximately the same student enrollment as Iowa State. Manhattan currently does not have a transit system, but is seeking to implement one in the coming years. The overall intent of this report is to draw conclusions based on the performance of CyRide and provide recommendations to the City of Manhattan regarding the implementation and operation of a transit system.

Master of Science / Department of Architecture / David R. Seamon / This thesis provides an overview of some key researchers and research topics in the field of environment-behavior studies (EBS), an interdisciplinary field that examines ways in which the natural and human-made environments contribute to human well-being. A key aim of environment-behavior studies is to better understand clients’ and users’ environmental needs, and to design the physical environment accordingly. Specifically, this thesis highlights two key research questions: (1) What are environment-behavior studies and why are they relevant to architecture and environmental design? and (2) How can environment-behavior studies be drawn upon practically to generate more effective architectural and environmental design? To provide answers to these two questions, the thesis first introduces five “pioneers” in environment-behavior studies— psychologist Roger Barker, anthropologist Edward Hall, psychologist Robert Sommer, urban designer Kevin Lynch, and architect Christopher Alexander—and reviews their major work. This discussion provides a general understanding as to what environment-behavior studies involve and how they have design significance. Next the thesis overviews three major theories developed in environment-behavior studies: (1) territoriality theory; (2) cognitive-mapping theory; and (3) prospect-refuge theory. Each of these theories is overviewed, and pragmatic examples are provided to indicate each theory’s value for architecture and environmental design.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Stephanie A. Rolley / This report will examine the effect that shifting political ideologies have had on the redevelopment process for Penn’s Landing and how citizen activism influenced planning reform along the Central Delaware Riverfront. It addresses the historical development that lead to the demise of Philadelphia’s port industry and waterfront commerce. The study discusses the influences that mayoral administrations from the 1950s to present day have had on planning for Penn’s Landing. The report reviews the public forums held by Penn Praxis to change the course of planning from a top-down approach to a grassroots effort and evaluates the progress that has been made in the years following the forums. An analysis of the political ideologies of Philadelphia’s mayoral administrations is made to determine that the most effective approach to advancing waterfront redevelopment along the Central Delaware Riverfront involves discovering the right balance of private investment and public involvement.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Melanie F. Klein / The trend of urbanization is escalating on a global scale, in many cases sprawling outward at the expense of decaying urban centers, post industrial infrastructure, and other neglected landscapes. There is a critical need for intelligent, responsive, and resilient urban planning and design. The Smoky Hill River’s neglected cutoff channel running through the heart of Salina, Kansas, is exemplary of these phenomena. Although the historic channel operates as an important landscape infrastructural system for stormwater conveyance, it remains largely inactive in terms of its connections to adjacent neighborhoods, cultural significance, and economic driving potential. Landscape Urbanism, a relatively new realignment in urbanism theory, involves the concept of engaging dynamic urban processes and facilitating or enhancing relationships through design, providing potential remediation to many urban dilemmas. While still speculative and experimental, its application in metropolitan environments has garnered acknowledgment in the design community. Landscape Urbanism’s relevance toward micropolitan and small metropolitan cities, however, remains largely unexplored. The relationship between the revitalization of the historic Smoky Hill cutoff and Salina, facilitated by local advocates the Friends of the River, explores the application of Landscape Urbanism theory in smaller urban environs. Through the analysis of precedents exhibiting Landscape Urbanism strategies, the careful inventory of characteristics unique to specific sites along the historic channel, and synthesizing the Friends of the River goals and objectives, applicable strategies that influence design methodology by engaging key urban systems are found and applied. The design of these sites act to “catalyze” adjacent areas through connectivity and enhancing the cultural, environmental, and economic health of the district. Design implementation at a strategic site catalyzes immediately adjacent districts, followed by the catalysis of the entire channel. In its final state, the historic channel becomes re-integrated into the City of Salina as a vital system, engaging and enhancing the urban field as a whole.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional & Community Planning / Huston Gibson / As a legislative technique, the application of initiative or referendum is considered unconventional, yet frequently utilized to address local conservation issues throughout most of the United States. The subject of its appropriateness continues to remain under debate, especially in the field of planning. This longitudinal study employs a descriptive trend analysis on conservation measures conducted by local governments between 1996 and 2012, in order to identify any changes or consistencies in application. Subsequently, personal interviews were conducted with experienced local government officials to facilitate an understanding of current perceptions, specific experiences, and the outcomes relationship to comprehensive and capital improvement plans. Some key findings from this study include numerous relationships between ballot box conservation and election cycles, and a misperception by local governments of the passage capabilities of ballot box conservation. The inferences from this study will aid local governments and planners to consider or reconsider their stance on the use of ballot box conservation. Additionally, if local communities and governments do choose to practice or continue to practice the use of ballot box conservation, this study’s key findings will assist them in making their measures more successful.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Katherine Nesse / Few things dominate American culture like sport. Sports function as a universal language, as something that people identify with. The provision of stadiums in the United States represents some of the largest public investments found on a municipal level. Over the past 10 years soccer has become one of the most popular sports in the U.S. Consequently, the provision of soccer stadiums is becoming an important economic issue. The lack of research regarding the economic impact of soccer stadiums and the techniques in which city planners can address the economic performance of soccer stadiums will be addressed in this study. The study employs a multiple regression analysis to understand the relationship between economically successful sports stadium characteristics and the economic impact of soccer stadiums. The multiple regression analysis considers each of the 16 Major League Soccer stadiums in the U.S. and discovers the relationship between the economic impacts of each stadium and the presence of successful sports stadium characteristics at those stadiums. The regression analysis resulted in a conditional estimate of the impact of successful sports stadium characteristics on the economic impact of soccer stadiums. No significance can be drawn between the economic impact of soccer stadiums and successful sports stadium characteristics. Although successful sports stadium characteristics have little impact on economic performance, planners should still encourage the use of successful characteristics in stadiums. Planners have the skill set to plan for stadiums that benefit the public economically, socially, psychologically, and environmentally. Planners must continue to find ways to ensure that soccer stadiums have a positive impact on the cities that build them.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Katie Kingery-Page / Experiences in natural environments are perceived as a human necessity. Additionally, prior studies show that nature access has emotional, cognitive, and psychological benefits for children. Nature is defined as a space comprised mostly of vegetation that allows an individual to escape common surroundings. Access is defined as the ability to interact with high-quality nature by walking or biking in close proximity to one’s place of residence. This geospatial analysis employs Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and site analysis to assess whether or not socioeconomic factors, and their relationship to housing choice, affect a child’s access to nature. The study includes measures of socioeconomic status and how these factors influence a child’s access to nature within parks and school facilities. The results show that including qualitative factors enhances the traditional model of measuring “distance as access.” There was no inequality in access found in the study area when qualitative factors are included. The project implication is that communities can focus public resources and planning efforts in areas lacking access to nature for children. This leads to geographically less segregated neighborhoods and improved equity in nature access across a community.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional & Community Planning / Hyung Jin Kim / Planning researchers and professionals have recently noted the social, economic, and cultural benefits food truck activity can provide within a community. As a result, the proliferation of food truck activity has challenged planners to reconsider the role of streets and urban spaces. Food trucks have the potential to enliven the urban landscape and enrich the quality of public life by serving as revitalization catalysts in urban spaces. While food trucks have become an increasingly visible aspect of street life, few jurisdictions have determined an effective manner to regulate and promote food truck activity. The study recommends how cities can improve current food truck policies in order to enable the revitalization of urban spaces through food truck activity. Using Kansas City, Missouri as a study area, the primary question was explored through three secondary inquires and their related methods. First, a GIS-based spatial analysis identified the spatio-temporal characteristics of food truck locations via social media data mining processes. Second, a survey of food truck vendors and interviews with city staff highlighted stakeholder conflicts that pose barriers to food truck activity. Third, a policy review in key cities and the development of a policy framework helped determine appropriate policy guidelines that allow food trucks to operate effectively in a city. The cumulative findings of the study informed food truck policy guidelines for Kansas City, Missouri. The policy framework also provides a structure for cities to utilize in order to analyze their own regulations. Sixteen significant policy areas are included in the framework, with the policy areas falling into one of three categories: permitting and enforcement, streets and spaces, or public health and safety. Appropriate policies that balance the needs of stakeholders allow food trucks to operate effectively, thus allowing cities to capitalize on the urban revitalization effects and other benefits that food truck activity provides within urban spaces.