In the Netherlands urban construction and development has gone through a progressive process starting from the post-War era all the way to the 21st Century. The focuses have taken physical, economic, social and environmental aspects into consideration and Dutch cities witnessed urban policies addressing urban reconstruction, urban renewal, urban revitalization and regeneration. Prominent urban renewal policies including Urban Renewal Funds, ISV along with Big City Policy all indicate the trend of decentralization from the state to local municipalities and a new power structure between participants at the local level. Further as was observed, urban renewal process in the past decade has been facing obstacles. This dissertation aims at examining local sectors’ roles in the process of urban renewal and urban regeneration in the Netherlands, the trends of reforms and ramifications of their responsibilities, and governance strategies when decentralized administration is becoming the norm under Neo-liberal urban development era. Cases studies from the city of Amsterdam will serve as base stones demonstrating steering of direction of urban construction strategies with emphasis of urban renewal and regeneration, and the shifts of governments’ roles. Apart from that, municipalities’ roles will be examined by their actions along with the policies and the mechanism of cooperation with different social stakes in making projects happen. By understanding the cooperation mechanism and local endeavor indicated by municipalities, semi-public entities and public initiatives, the dissertation will proceed in discussing how different parties contributed in achieving public good in the ending sections. Literature review will project the development scope of urban renewal strategies in the Netherlands from post-war era till today. By synthesizing documents generalizing development patterns and critics about achievements and insufficiencies of urban renewal projects, it is possible to draw out emphasis and local characteristics of urban renewal strategies in the Netherlands. During the process of policy adjustments, national and local government changed their roles in urban governance in terms of financial supports and supervision. Local governments are key leaders in the administrative and cooperative mechanism. More partnership and cooperation happening in the local level with both public and private sector are the focus to be revealed through cases studies. Finally it comes discussions about achievements and insufficiencies with the Netherlands’ experience with evaluations of achievements in terms of public goods. As this is a dissertation in aim at synthesizing policy instruments and in situ local practices, methods and methodologies from both inductive and deductive modes will be applied, covering methods of archival studies, field studies, cases studies, surveys and interviews and methodologies of content analysis, ethnographic methodology and discourse analysis. In the parts of implication and conclusion, governance structure will be discussed with observation of the new trend after 2000. Roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders will be revealed following with discussions of features of Dutch urban renewal. Achievements of urban renewal policies and projects will be evaluated and recommendations from cases studies will be presented in the last part. / published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Design / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

The urban population of the Nepal, like most of the Asian countries, is increasing rapidly owing to an influx of migrants from other parts of the regions who come to the capital in search of employment, education, better health services and security. The decade long conflict not only triggered rapid urbanization of cities by migration from rural parts of the country but also hindered the development of new cities and towns. Today, Nepal is in a transition phase and political transformation will take place sooner or later and there will be opportunities for development of new towns and cities as the country is progressing towards federal system. For the past few decades Kathmandu, the capital city has seen unprecedented changes in terms of urbanization. Kathmandu recorded the highest population growth rate in a decade with 60.93 percent and a population density of 4408/sq.km (CBS, 2011). In the absence of a strong planning and regulating body, lack of proper housing facilities and development of economic and social activities, degradation of environment and the undesirable urban sprawl is ever spreading. Houses are being built with no proper provision of road, water supply, drainage, electricity and telephone facility. From private led to government led projects, there have been a lot of land developments in the city to meet the land and housing demands. Land pooling or land readjustment scheme is regarded as one of the most successful tools for land development as it is a public private partnership scheme and involves community in the planning process. However, there are a number of issues and problems that exist in the land pooling areas as well. So far, there are no studies done to measure or evaluate the socio-economic impacts of such projects on the community and the neighborhood. In this context, this study aims to delve on the socio-economic impacts of land pooling projects on the community. The study has been carried out taking an example of Nayabazar land pooling project, which has been considered as one of the successful and fastest in implementation. The research has been carried out to measure different indicators of socio-economic impact assessment mainly change in demography, change in aesthetic quality of neighborhood, change in employment, income, change in retail/housing markets etc. The research has been carried out by conducting questionnaire surveys, interviews from key informants, informal focus group meetings and secondary data sources. The study recognized the issues behind the impacts of land pooling on the community both socially and economically. The literature framework and analysis facilitated to generate recommendations for to mitigate such impacts, which are taking place in Nayabazar land pooling area. One of the major findings of the study has been the lack of strong and decisive institution to take charge of management and further development of the study area. / published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Design / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

published_or_final_version / Urban Design / Master / Master of Urban Design

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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The desire to obtain a perfect physical environment and a more satisfying way of life is typical of Western Civilization, since it possesses dynamic force and incorporates economic strife for progress. The Central Area of a city is generally considered as the focal point of both communal and commercial life. It is in this Central Area where the greatest concentration of human activities from all parts of the Metropolis exist. [...]

Stormwater is the component of runoff that is generated by human activities, and has gradually become a key issue in achieving sustainability in urban environments. When vegetation and soils are replaced with roads and buildings, less rainwater infiltrates into the ground or is taken up by vegetation, and more becomes surface runoff. A greater area of impervious surfaces leads to increased stormwater runoff volume and velocity, and consequently increases the risk off looding and erosion. Being able to reduce stream flows and pollution of surface flows, green roofs are one technology that may help in alleviating this storm water crisis. This thesis developed a different and effective methodology for quantifying the effects of green roofs on stormwater runoff and calculating the runoff volume and rate for residential housing communities before and after applying green roofs. The method utilizes local climate data like rainfall and evapotranspiration rate, the water use properties of vegetation like crop coefficients of plants, and the areas of impervious surfaces; and then compares the different effects of green roofs in different locations having disparate climatic conditions. It was found that the best way to achieve zero runoff was to green a portion of the total rooftop area and disconnect all impervious surfaces. Implications of this methodology on city planning and site design and for future research are then discussed.

Using the community of Pemberton, BC, as a case study, this thesis explores the impacts of rapid growth and growth management on social conditions and long-term social well-being in small towns. In recent years, rapid growth in Pemberton has had a significant impact on social and economic conditions in the community. Yet with little attention in the literature to small town growth management, or to the relationship between growth management and social sustainability, the community has little guidance in planning for sustainable change. Employing both primary and secondary research methods (including key informant interviews, a review of the relevant literature, and analyses of related reports, government publications, and survey results), this analysis is intended to contribute to the general body of knowledge about rural growth management planning, and to the community's efforts to sensitively and sustainably manage its growth. In so doing, the study first establishes the theoretical context by considering the history and dimensions of growth management, and by exploring the concept of social sustainability and its relationship to growth management planning. Subsequently, in examining a number of areas of social and economic change in Pemberton (the economic base, the balance of residential and economic growth, housing affordability, town character, and community amenities), this study explores the impacts of growth on equity, social capital, and quality of life in the community, and offers the following lessons for sustainable growth management in other small towns. First, it demonstrates the ways in which growth can impact local social conditions, and the opportunities and constraints it presents for the preservation of social sustainability in the future. Furthermore, it illustrates the importance of considering the regional context in the design of growth management policies and incorporating an informed public into planning processes. Most importantly, this analysis reveals the ways in which a comprehensive and proactive growth management strategy which embodies community values and priorities can improve the likelihood that a community's long-term social well-being is preserved in the face of change.