Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Vita. / Includes bibliographies. / by Tsutomu Yata. / Ph.D.

More than twenty metropolitan park systems in the United States were designed and constructed during a period of intense urbanization in the late nineteenth century. Similar conditions of rapid growth in "Sunbelt" cities today, and continued recognition of the need for urban parks, makes understanding of factors significant to the longevity of the historic systems useful. Park systems of Washington, DC, Cleveland, Ohio, Kansas City, Missouri and Minneapolis, Minnesota are compared in the literature and by direct observation. Settings, goals, forms, siting, and activities of these systems are examined. Impacts of suburbanization, changes in transportation, increased leisure, and development of planning bureaucracies are discussed and compared. Findings suggest: graphic plans exhibiting bold images were most likely to be implemented; intent of the design is preserved by careful definition of goals and objectives; and systems organized on the basis of natural topography and drainageways have better maintained their usefulness and identity.

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Open space is one of the most important and most neglected parts of the urban fabric. The rush of rapid urbanization has consumed much land which might better have been left open to exploit its values to society for recreation, food production, flood prevention, aesthetics, and even for shaping urban development. In order for open space to fulfill these functions the use of the land must be planned in advance of development, and open land which has natural qualities that are valuable to society should be preserved. One method which is being used to preserve this land is through the use of conservation easements. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not conservation easements are an effective means of preserving open space, and which level of government is best able to use them. Therefore, the hypothesis was posed that, Conservation easements are an effective means of preserving open space, and they should be implemented by local public agencies. To reach a conclusion about this hypothesis an exhaustive review of all the available literature on the subject of conservation easements was conducted. This was followed by correspondence and interviews with representatives of several public and private bodies which were known to have been involved in the acquisition of easements, or were known to have considered the use of conservation easements. The analysis indicates that the successful use of conservation easements, their acceptance by both public officials and private landowners, and the resolution of the technical difficulties which are inevitable in the application of a developing concept, are evidence that conservation easements are an effective means of preserving open space. Furthermore, the analysis shows that various factors in the use of conservation easements mitigate for different conclusions as to which level of government can best implement them. Therefore, it is concluded that only some conservation easements should be implemented by local public agencies, and that the choice as to which level of government or private organization is most suitable should be based on a knowledge of the easement's purposes and the circumstances under which it is to be acquired and held, as well as on a knowledge of the capabilities of the various public and private bodies. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

New public management practices in the U.S. call for governmental accountability, performance measures and benchmarks. Community benchmarks research provides a basis for current information and further research for planners and educators in the urban planning profession. A benchmark is simply a standard for performance or targeted level of service delivery aspired to by the city. Community benchmarks, as defined by the researcher, are tied to an adopted community plan. Community plans take many shapes including the General or Comprehensive Plan, the city's budget document, or a variety of strategic planning documents. The intent of the study was to complete research and survey mid-size cities to determine common performance practices for urban planning. management. The sample population was 381 cities selected from the National League of Cities and a database was created. The intent was to create a composite of key quantitative variables strongly related to the benchmark cities program. Additional terminal research was conducted from 2000 to 2004 to supplement survey results. Case studies of several select cities were conducted in order to determine the application of community benchmarks.

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