abstract: This dissertation examines the conditions that foster or hinder success of university-based community design centers (CDCs) in the United States. Little is known about the normative underpinnings of CDCs, how successful these centers have been, which factors have contributed to or impeded their success, and how they have responded to the changes in social, political, professional and economic contexts. Adopting Giddens' theory of structuration as a research framework, this study examined CDCs via a mixed-methods sequential research design: a cross-sectional survey of CDCs on current definitions of success and metrics in use; and in-depth interviews to document the centers' histories of change or stasis, and how these changes influenced their successes. The findings of the first phase were utilized to develop a comprehensive success model for current CDCs that comprise measures related to organizational impacts, activities, and capacities. In the multiple case study analysis, four major rationales were identified: universities for public service, pragmatist learning theories, civic professionalism, and social change. These four rationales were evident in all of the studied cases at varying degrees. Using the concept of permeability, the study also exemplified how the processes of CDCs had transformative impacts in institutional, societal, and personal contexts. Multidisciplinarity has also emerged as a theme for the current organizational transformations of CDCs. The main argument that emerged from these findings is that it is not possible to identify a singular model or best practice for CDCs. The strengths and unique potentials of CDCs depend on the alternative rationales, involved agencies, and their social, political and spatial contexts. However, capitalizing on the distinctive attributes of the institutional context (i.e. the university), I consider some possibilities for university-based CDCs with an interdisciplinary structure, pushing the professional, curricular, and institutional boundaries, and striving for systemic change and social justice. In addition to contributing to the theoretical knowledge base, the findings provide useful information to various CDCs across the country, particularly today as they struggle with financial constraints while the community needs they provide are increasingly in demand. Since CDCs have a long history of community service and engagement, the findings can inform other university-community partnerships. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Environmental Design and Planning 2011

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Howard Hahn / In Novato, California, zoning regulations and the city’s urban growth boundary (UGB) have restricted development on open agricultural and hillside land outside the city. These restrictions have added to a shortage of affordable homes in Novato in spite of a demand for housing. Population growth estimates suggest that this demand will continue and strategic development of land outside the current city boundaries will need to occur in order over the next 15-20 years (Bay Area Census Data 2010 and Heid 2004). This report outlines a process of land development which evaluates the success of a development alternative relative to what the land owners, developers and the community want, need, and value. This process involved producing four community design alternatives of varying housing densities for an 867 acre parcel of land just beyond Novato’s UGB. The alternatives were: high density (556 homes), medium density (224 homes), low density (14 homes), and low density + land swap (72 homes). Using a systematic scoring process, each alternative was evaluated based on what the land owner, developer, and the community valued in the development and then awarded each a feasibility score. This score represents likelihood of implementation. The higher the feasibility score, the more likely the alternative could be pursued as a development option. The high density alternative (556 homes) received the lowest feasibility score. It met many of the land owner and developer values, but few of the community values. The low density + land swap alternative (58 homes) received the highest feasibility score. This alternative met nearly all of the developer and owner values as well as the community values. The land swap option of this alternative was unique and made this design more feasible. The swap identified land areas on the site property that could be traded for developable land inside the city boundary allowing Novato to maintain the rural character of the city fringe, while giving the developer land that could be used for future development. This alternative is a compromise that adequately addresses the values of all involved and is therefore recommended as the most feasible design possibility.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Timothy D. Keane / This thesis documents an exploratory design process that examines the efficacy of a framework for designing dementia gardens based on: theory, Stephen and Rachel Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (A.R.T.), (Kaplan and Kaplan, 1989) and Roger Ulrich’s Theory of Supportive Gardens (Ulrich, 1999); John Zeisel’s (2007) process for designing dementia gardens; and design details, Claire Cooper Marcus’ Garden Audit Tool (2007) and Moore’s analysis of exemplary dementia gardens (2007). It documents the integration of theory that is not specific to dementia gardens (Kaplans’ A.R.T. and Ulrich’s Theory of Supportive Gardens) with process (Zeisel) and programming elements that are specific to dementia gardens (Cooper Marcus’ Garden Audit Tool Kit and Moore’s exemplary dementia gardens). The framework was developed during an illustrative courtyard design project for a retirement center whose clientele included patients with varying need levels. Throughout the illustrative design project, knowledge of the four A.R.T. characteristics (Being Away, Fascination; Compatibility and Extent) guided design decision-making in an effort to create an engaging environment, where improved health outcomes and restorative person-environment interactions could occur.

Esta dissertação de mestrado versa sobre algumas questões acerca de participação, tais como estratégia na educação e para a cidadania, da conquista de espaços públicos em suas transformações físico-políticos e qualitativo na gestão ambiental. Trata-se da análise das experiências em assentamentos subnormais em que, apesar terem sido trabalhos contratados pelo poder público, o arquiteto/pesquisador procurou planejar, desenvolver e xecutar os projetos através da visão de quem estava recebendo os investimentos. Entendendo que participar é poder tomar decisão em algum processo que irá mudar o destino de uma determinada situação, de forma espontânea ou não, mirando um futuro que desde já no presente deve ser melhorado. Assim é preciso que os sujeitos sociais tomem de informações preciosas, e provoque discussões num espaço múltiplo, diversificado perceber e encarar as questões da paisagem relamente relevantes. Fruto da discussão, podem começar a aparecer soluções criativas, no processo de tomada de decisão que melhor atenda às necessidades e aos anseios da população em questão. Muitos foram os conflitos, principalmente, entre o arquiteto/pesquisador e o contratante/poder público, em virtude das diferenças de entendimento e abordagem, que se interpuseram na reconstrução de um espaço urbano em que, por lei, era obrigatório o envolvimento ou a participação do usuário para validar o próprio empréstimo. Entre essas diferenças estava a divergente concepção do que seria qualidade para a população, a que estariam destinadas os investimentos, constituídas de famílias de poucos recursos. Também apresenta uma síntese metodológica no aprimoramento para a elaboração de projetos e obras de urbanização de favelas, atendendo não apenas a administração pública como também a população que recebe o investimento tendo como desafio a dimensão de uma educação não-formal, potencializando uma maneira ativa de participação popular que aponta, partir da manifestação do coletivo, para uma qualidade de cidadania, que institui o cidadão como criador de direitos para abrir novos espaços, capaz de influenciar políticas públicas. / This masters degree dissertation addresses some issues regarding participation, such as education and citizenship strategies, in achieving public areas in their physical-political and qualitative transformation in the environment management. The dissertation is refering to the analysis of experiences in sub-normal settlements where the architect/researcher strived to plan, develop, and execute projects from the perspective of those receiving the investments, although Public Power contracted their jobs, by understanding that participating is being able to make decisions in some process that will change, either spontaneously or not, the destiny of a given situation, targeting a tomorrow which should be improved as of today. Thus, social individuals need to gather worthy information and stimulate discussions within a multiple environment that is diversified in away to perceive and cope with actually relevant issues of the scenario. Resulting from discussions, creative solutions may start to come up in the decision-making process that better meet the needs and wishes of the target population. Many conflicts ensued between the architect/researcher and the contracting party, Public Power, because of the differences of understanding and approach that interfered in the rebuilding of an urban area where the involvement or participation of users was mandatory by law to validate the loan itself. Among these differences, there was the divergent conception of what should be considered as quality for the population for whom investments were designated and what was constituted of low-income families. Also, what it is presents a methodological synthesis to improve project design and urbanization construction works in squatter settlements - favelas - by responding not only to public administration, but also to the population receiving the investment. The challenges include: the dimension of an informal education, and the empowerment of an active manner of popular participation that points to, from the populations manifestations, a citizenship quality, one which institutes the citizen as a rights designer to open new areas, enabled to influence public policies.

User contributions are vital to online communities; therefore it is important to know how to motivate user participation to ensure flow and quality of content, and to generate more traffic and revenue to community owners. In contrast to previous research which has explored the motivations of participants in already existing online communities, I investigate whether a new niche online community with a particular focus(women in Science and Engineering sharing their personal experiences through stories) can be started through a design that follows best practices for community design and principles derived from theories of motivation. The design of the WISETales community is based upon insights from literature in three main areas: social psychology, computer science, and gender studies. A social visualization which serves informational, navigational and motivational tool was also developed. One pilot study and two exploratory studies were carried out to evaluate the need for such a community, its design and interface usability. The design of the community and visualization, along with the results from the studies, their analysis and discussion are presented in the thesis.

User contributions are vital to online communities; therefore it is important to know how to motivate user participation to ensure flow and quality of content, and to generate more traffic and revenue to community owners. In contrast to previous research which has explored the motivations of participants in already existing online communities, I investigate whether a new niche online community with a particular focus(women in Science and Engineering sharing their personal experiences through stories) can be started through a design that follows best practices for community design and principles derived from theories of motivation. The design of the WISETales community is based upon insights from literature in three main areas: social psychology, computer science, and gender studies. A social visualization which serves informational, navigational and motivational tool was also developed. One pilot study and two exploratory studies were carried out to evaluate the need for such a community, its design and interface usability. The design of the community and visualization, along with the results from the studies, their analysis and discussion are presented in the thesis.

This thesis aims at answering two questions under the topic of Harmonisation of Industrial Property Rights Protection Procedures in the European Union. The questions researched are: &ldquo / What are the current systems of Industrial Property Rights protection in the world, in the European Union and Turkey?&rdquo / and &ldquo / Is there a way for Turkey to be included within the EU Industrial Property protection system in the future while still being under the relation of Customs Union?&rdquo / . To answer these questions current systems of Industrial Property Rights protection in the world, in European Union and Turkey is briefly analyzed and following this analysis, a proposal for a closer cooperation in Industrial Property protection system of Turkey with the European Union is given backed up with a comparison of statistical data of EU, Turkey and candidate countries.

Esta dissertação de mestrado versa sobre algumas questões acerca de participação, tais como estratégia na educação e para a cidadania, da conquista de espaços públicos em suas transformações físico-políticos e qualitativo na gestão ambiental. Trata-se da análise das experiências em assentamentos subnormais em que, apesar terem sido trabalhos contratados pelo poder público, o arquiteto/pesquisador procurou planejar, desenvolver e xecutar os projetos através da visão de quem estava recebendo os investimentos. Entendendo que participar é poder tomar decisão em algum processo que irá mudar o destino de uma determinada situação, de forma espontânea ou não, mirando um futuro que desde já no presente deve ser melhorado. Assim é preciso que os sujeitos sociais tomem de informações preciosas, e provoque discussões num espaço múltiplo, diversificado perceber e encarar as questões da paisagem relamente relevantes. Fruto da discussão, podem começar a aparecer soluções criativas, no processo de tomada de decisão que melhor atenda às necessidades e aos anseios da população em questão. Muitos foram os conflitos, principalmente, entre o arquiteto/pesquisador e o contratante/poder público, em virtude das diferenças de entendimento e abordagem, que se interpuseram na reconstrução de um espaço urbano em que, por lei, era obrigatório o envolvimento ou a participação do usuário para validar o próprio empréstimo. Entre essas diferenças estava a divergente concepção do que seria qualidade para a população, a que estariam destinadas os investimentos, constituídas de famílias de poucos recursos. Também apresenta uma síntese metodológica no aprimoramento para a elaboração de projetos e obras de urbanização de favelas, atendendo não apenas a administração pública como também a população que recebe o investimento tendo como desafio a dimensão de uma educação não-formal, potencializando uma maneira ativa de participação popular que aponta, partir da manifestação do coletivo, para uma qualidade de cidadania, que institui o cidadão como criador de direitos para abrir novos espaços, capaz de influenciar políticas públicas. / This masters degree dissertation addresses some issues regarding participation, such as education and citizenship strategies, in achieving public areas in their physical-political and qualitative transformation in the environment management. The dissertation is refering to the analysis of experiences in sub-normal settlements where the architect/researcher strived to plan, develop, and execute projects from the perspective of those receiving the investments, although Public Power contracted their jobs, by understanding that participating is being able to make decisions in some process that will change, either spontaneously or not, the destiny of a given situation, targeting a tomorrow which should be improved as of today. Thus, social individuals need to gather worthy information and stimulate discussions within a multiple environment that is diversified in away to perceive and cope with actually relevant issues of the scenario. Resulting from discussions, creative solutions may start to come up in the decision-making process that better meet the needs and wishes of the target population. Many conflicts ensued between the architect/researcher and the contracting party, Public Power, because of the differences of understanding and approach that interfered in the rebuilding of an urban area where the involvement or participation of users was mandatory by law to validate the loan itself. Among these differences, there was the divergent conception of what should be considered as quality for the population for whom investments were designated and what was constituted of low-income families. Also, what it is presents a methodological synthesis to improve project design and urbanization construction works in squatter settlements - favelas - by responding not only to public administration, but also to the population receiving the investment. The challenges include: the dimension of an informal education, and the empowerment of an active manner of popular participation that points to, from the populations manifestations, a citizenship quality, one which institutes the citizen as a rights designer to open new areas, enabled to influence public policies.

This thesis will divide the concept of member feedback in online communities into three types, namely conversational-, behavioural feedback and content analysis. During this thesis we will argue for the advantages with user involvement in design and how the three types of feedback listed above together with members could be introduced into the design process. We argue that by combining traditional methods such as personas and focus groups with the different kinds of feedback in the design and evaluation process supports usability in online communities. / Denna uppsats kommer att dela på konceptet medlems-feedback i online communities i tre olika typer, nämligen feedback genom konversation, beteende och community innehåll. Vi kommer att argumentera för fördelarna med att involvera användarna i design processen och hur de tre olika typerna av feedback kan användas i denna process. Genom att kombinera traditionella metoder som tex. personas och fokus grupper med dessa typer av feedback kan ett användbarhets mål uppnås. / Hannes Persson 0702-229542 Christian Toft 070-7981770

博士(工学) / Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University