Approximately one out of every seven Canadians over the age of 15 years (3.4 million people) has some level of disability. The increasing prevalence of disability in our aging society is commonly accepted as fact with both disability and the severity of disability gradually increasing with age (Statistics Canada, 2001). Recognizing that persons with disabilities often face "barriers" to full participation in society, some provinces have enacted human rights or accessibility planning legislation to remove these barriers. This study examines the process of accessibility planning for persons with disabilities within Canadian municipalities with a population of between 50,000 –500,000, otherwise referred to as mid-size cities (MSC). The underlying assumption of this research is that mid-size Canadian municipalities are carrying out some form of accessibility planning using planning instruments [or other tools] to remove barriers and improve accessibility for persons with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to determine: first, what planning instruments are being used in the design of open space and built environments in MSCs to remove physical barriers, and what other tools are available to attain greater accessibility for persons with disabilities living in mid-size urban settings. Secondly, to consider who is involved in the implementation and use of planning instruments and other tools, and to determine what are their respective roles. Third, to discover the conditions under which planning instruments and other tools are being applied, to learn what financial or other resources are being allocated and how are they being allocated in the short and long term. This study concludes that planning instruments are being used to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities in mid-size Canadian municipalities. Planning tools are not the only way to remove barriers to persons with disabilities. Furthermore, the effectiveness of those tools is clearly contingent upon available human and financial resources. Nevertheless, the study finds that municipal planners and others are using these essential planning tools in a variety of ways to remove physical barriers to accessibility. Inherent in all efforts to remove barriers is the active involvement of persons with disabilities. Thus, involving persons with disabilities in the development and application of planning instruments and other tools has the potential to build the foundation of successful accessibility planning efforts in Canadian mid-size communities. These conclusions have implications for research in the area of accessibility planning and recommendations for Canadian planning practice.

Planning practitioners and academics continually search for ways to help revive ailing downtowns and to better understand the factors that influence the success or failures of downtown revitalization. Most of the literature dealing with such revitalization attempts focuses on either larger urban areas or small rural municipalities -- much of it is based on anecdotal evidence drawn from a very limited number of observations (Filion, et al. 2004; Gratz and Mintz, 1998; Leinberger, 2005; Robertson, 1995, 1999). For the most part, downtown revitalization strategies have focused on either physical or functional improvements. For the mid-size city (population between 50,000 to 500,000), the need for new remedies grounded in an understanding of their present day downtown challenges, is becoming increasingly evident. Recent studies have observed that those mid-size cities ranked as having successful or very successful downtowns all shared distinctive attributes such as high levels of pedestrian activity; a strong tourist or visitor appeal; a well-preserved historical district; attractive natural features such as waterfronts; and the presence of a university in the downtown (Bunting et al. 1999; Filion et al., 2004; Lederer and Seasons, 2005). This dissertation focuses one such factor – the presence of a university. It examines the university role(s) in downtown revitalization and collaborative partnerships between community and university. Collaborative planning theory was used to help conceptualize this research by providing further insights into the dynamics, nature, and roles of these “town-gown” partnerships. Community-university partnerships continue to grow and appear to be helping meet the challenges and complexity of downtown planning issues. However, little empirical research is available on the role of universities in downtown revitalization initiatives, especially in mid-size cities. Using a conceptual framework that included a literature review, field trips, a web-based questionnaire survey, and telephone interviews, information was collected about mid-size city downtowns, roles of universities, university and downtown revitalization, and community-university partnerships. Given the review of the available literature and the information provided by surveyed respondents, universities appear to be playing an important role in downtown revitalization primarily through economic development and human capital investment. The ability for partners to engage more freely in a mid-size city is apparent because they are more readily known and available to each other unlike their counterparts in larger urban centres. Strong leadership, relationship building, accessibility, and open lines of communication limit issues of mistrust and alienation amongst partners. Collaborative planning theory (Healey, 1997, 2003) helped illustrate the importance of mutual learning and relationship building to members who have or are involved with a community-university partnership. Although the roles of partners varied, the weight placed on such roles must be considered as of equal value. The planning process in building vision, capacity building, and negotiating outcomes can be led by community and facilitated by university partners – two very different roles yet weighted equally. The research also suggests that the use of collaborative planning for downtowns is appropriate in settings where collective action is necessary to help provide resources toward revitalizing ailing downtowns. Planners, therefore, must handle a number of roles: listening, educating, facilitating, mediating, advocating, communicating, and organizing. For the university, service learning also plays an important role in educating and developing community -- especially in downtown revitalization. It challenges universities to broaden their missions towards becoming “engaged” campuses supporting not only what is important to them within their own domain but outside as well (i.e. their host community). However, the degree of collaborative effort with universities (i.e. faculty, staff, and students) is dependent on an institution’s culture and its level of support for community engagement and outreach. This research provides new insights into the collaborative nature of the community and university partnership. The knowledge gained from this research provides further understanding of the implications for planning by informing planners and policy-makers about how these partnerships can facilitate downtown revitalization.

The purpose of this research is to understand if and how downtown university campuses contribute to mid-size city downtown revitalization, how this contribution is measured, and the implications for planning practice and planning theory. To address this research question, a mixed methods approach was used which included a literature review, the use of two case studies, a survey administered to downtown businesses, a web-based survey administered to students, faculty and staff and interviews conducted with municipal planners. The two case studies were: Wilfrid Laurier University’s Faculty of Social Work (WLU FSW) in downtown Kitchener, Ontario and the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture (UW SA) in downtown Cambridge, Ontario. The findings of this research indicate that downtown university campuses do contribute to downtown revitalization in mid-size cities. The WLU FSW and UW SA campuses are not, however, a panacea for their respective downtowns, nor are they significant contributors to downtown retailing or a major catalyst. Rather, the WLU FSW and UW SA campuses act as stabilizing influences on the downtown, bringing confidence to and about the downtown for residents, potential downtown visitors and potential downtown investors. They are examples of revitalization strategies that contribute to the improved reputation of the downtown and city. They are strategies that build on existing downtown strengths (e.g. adaptive re-use of heritage buildings, the complementing of existing businesses and services) and they are part of a larger community vision for these downtowns. The WLU Faculty of Social Work campus and the UW School of Architecture campus are both examples of effective and successful university-community partnerships. Recommendations based on the findings of this research are provided for municipalities, planning practitioners and academics. This research contributes to the limited but expanding literature on mid-size cities, mid-size city downtown revitalization and university-community partnerships. Recommendations for further research are also provided.

Triazenes, compounds containing a diazoamino moiety (–N(1)=N(2)–N(3)<), are known for their reversible cis-trans isomerization character and hence, have the potential to be used in photoswitchable devices and photostorage media. However, little is known about their cis-trans isomerization mechanism. In this thesis, kinetic studies on the thermal cis-to-trans isomerization of N-(phenylazo)-substituted nitrogen heterocycles are presented. It is shown that the isomerization rate constant increases as the size and electron-donating character of the cyclic amine increases, as the electron-withdrawing character of the para substituent group on the phenyl ring increases, and as the polarity of the solvent increases. All these trends are interpreted in terms of a rotational isomerization mechanism involving a dipolar transition state. In addition, photolytic cleavage of the N(2)–N(3) bond of target substrates is shown to be affected as well by the size and electronic character of the cyclic amine, the electronic character of the phenyl ring substituent, and the polarity of the solvent, with the result that the photolysis yield increases as the isomerization rate decreases. Theoretical calculations on target substrates both in the gas phase and various solvents were also performed based on DFT-B3LYP/6-31+G* method. Overall, the cis-to-trans isomerization is predicted to take place through rotation around the N(1)=N(2) bond. Furthermore, the calculated energy barriers are found to be influenced by the size and electronic character of the cyclic amine, the electronic character of the phenyl ring substituent, and the polarity of the solvent, consistent with the effects obtained experimentally from the kinetic studies.

This paper investigates how the size of a firm affects its licensing strategy for patented technologies through empirical analysis of the characteristics at the technological, firm, and industry levels. Only firms with commercialization capabilities are considered in this study in order to compare the incentives of utilizing technologies internally with the incentives of selling them for licensing revenue. Focusing on licensing motivated by non-strategic purposes, empirical analysis shows that large companies are less willing to license patents that fit into their business focus, as well as those which have a low technological value in general. On the other hand, small firms are more inclined to license patents which are more relevant to their business focus, but less innovative on average. This study also finds that market share and competition intensity are important factors in their licensing decisions: the more competitive and the smaller the market share of the patents owned by large firms, the higher the chance that firms will list them on the market. In line with the revenue versus competition framework by Arora and Fosfuri (2003), this paper concludes that large firms are generally more concerned about the rent dissipation effect over the revenue effect from licensing, while the opposite is true for smaller firms.

An experimental ball-milling study was performed to compare the deagglomeration behavior and the evolution of the particle size distribution with increasing milling time of two relatively coarse WC powders used for the production of cemented carbide cutting tools. The WC-powders were found to have distinctly different particle size distributions and particle morphologies prior to milling. Lab-scale WC samples were made using a range of different process parameters and milling times. These were then analysed by means of microscopy, laser light scattering, gas adsorption BET analysis and X-ray powder diffraction, XRD, to attain particle size distribution, specific surface area and a mean crystal size, respectively. The results suggested a linear relation between log(particle size) and log(milling time) between 10 and 80 hours milling. The viscosity was shown to have a minor effect on the milling efficiency. Both the number of collisions of milling balls per unit time as well as the kinetic energy of the milling ball affected the size reduction; more collisions or higher energy resulted in a higher milling efficiency. The evaluation of the effect of the process parameters on milling efficiency was facilitated by the use of simple scaling factors. For example, all milling curves for samples with different WC amounts coincided when rescaling the milling time using a scaling factor based on the weight of the WC and milling balls. The same scaling factor could be used with success for rescaling the results from different trials obtained with laser light scattering, gas adsorption and XRD. The results of this work are useful for future work on modeling of the milling process which should lead to more accurate predictions of the outcome of milling unit operations.

Approximately one out of every seven Canadians over the age of 15 years (3.4 million people) has some level of disability. The increasing prevalence of disability in our aging society is commonly accepted as fact with both disability and the severity of disability gradually increasing with age (Statistics Canada, 2001). Recognizing that persons with disabilities often face "barriers" to full participation in society, some provinces have enacted human rights or accessibility planning legislation to remove these barriers. This study examines the process of accessibility planning for persons with disabilities within Canadian municipalities with a population of between 50,000 –500,000, otherwise referred to as mid-size cities (MSC). The underlying assumption of this research is that mid-size Canadian municipalities are carrying out some form of accessibility planning using planning instruments [or other tools] to remove barriers and improve accessibility for persons with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to determine: first, what planning instruments are being used in the design of open space and built environments in MSCs to remove physical barriers, and what other tools are available to attain greater accessibility for persons with disabilities living in mid-size urban settings. Secondly, to consider who is involved in the implementation and use of planning instruments and other tools, and to determine what are their respective roles. Third, to discover the conditions under which planning instruments and other tools are being applied, to learn what financial or other resources are being allocated and how are they being allocated in the short and long term. This study concludes that planning instruments are being used to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities in mid-size Canadian municipalities. Planning tools are not the only way to remove barriers to persons with disabilities. Furthermore, the effectiveness of those tools is clearly contingent upon available human and financial resources. Nevertheless, the study finds that municipal planners and others are using these essential planning tools in a variety of ways to remove physical barriers to accessibility. Inherent in all efforts to remove barriers is the active involvement of persons with disabilities. Thus, involving persons with disabilities in the development and application of planning instruments and other tools has the potential to build the foundation of successful accessibility planning efforts in Canadian mid-size communities. These conclusions have implications for research in the area of accessibility planning and recommendations for Canadian planning practice.

The purpose of this research is to understand if and how downtown university campuses contribute to mid-size city downtown revitalization, how this contribution is measured, and the implications for planning practice and planning theory. To address this research question, a mixed methods approach was used which included a literature review, the use of two case studies, a survey administered to downtown businesses, a web-based survey administered to students, faculty and staff and interviews conducted with municipal planners. The two case studies were: Wilfrid Laurier University’s Faculty of Social Work (WLU FSW) in downtown Kitchener, Ontario and the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture (UW SA) in downtown Cambridge, Ontario. The findings of this research indicate that downtown university campuses do contribute to downtown revitalization in mid-size cities. The WLU FSW and UW SA campuses are not, however, a panacea for their respective downtowns, nor are they significant contributors to downtown retailing or a major catalyst. Rather, the WLU FSW and UW SA campuses act as stabilizing influences on the downtown, bringing confidence to and about the downtown for residents, potential downtown visitors and potential downtown investors. They are examples of revitalization strategies that contribute to the improved reputation of the downtown and city. They are strategies that build on existing downtown strengths (e.g. adaptive re-use of heritage buildings, the complementing of existing businesses and services) and they are part of a larger community vision for these downtowns. The WLU Faculty of Social Work campus and the UW School of Architecture campus are both examples of effective and successful university-community partnerships. Recommendations based on the findings of this research are provided for municipalities, planning practitioners and academics. This research contributes to the limited but expanding literature on mid-size cities, mid-size city downtown revitalization and university-community partnerships. Recommendations for further research are also provided.

Triazenes, compounds containing a diazoamino moiety (–N(1)=N(2)–N(3)<), are known for their reversible cis-trans isomerization character and hence, have the potential to be used in photoswitchable devices and photostorage media. However, little is known about their cis-trans isomerization mechanism. In this thesis, kinetic studies on the thermal cis-to-trans isomerization of N-(phenylazo)-substituted nitrogen heterocycles are presented. It is shown that the isomerization rate constant increases as the size and electron-donating character of the cyclic amine increases, as the electron-withdrawing character of the para substituent group on the phenyl ring increases, and as the polarity of the solvent increases. All these trends are interpreted in terms of a rotational isomerization mechanism involving a dipolar transition state. In addition, photolytic cleavage of the N(2)–N(3) bond of target substrates is shown to be affected as well by the size and electronic character of the cyclic amine, the electronic character of the phenyl ring substituent, and the polarity of the solvent, with the result that the photolysis yield increases as the isomerization rate decreases. Theoretical calculations on target substrates both in the gas phase and various solvents were also performed based on DFT-B3LYP/6-31+G* method. Overall, the cis-to-trans isomerization is predicted to take place through rotation around the N(1)=N(2) bond. Furthermore, the calculated energy barriers are found to be influenced by the size and electronic character of the cyclic amine, the electronic character of the phenyl ring substituent, and the polarity of the solvent, consistent with the effects obtained experimentally from the kinetic studies.

This paper investigates how the size of a firm affects its licensing strategy for patented technologies through empirical analysis of the characteristics at the technological, firm, and industry levels. Only firms with commercialization capabilities are considered in this study in order to compare the incentives of utilizing technologies internally with the incentives of selling them for licensing revenue. Focusing on licensing motivated by non-strategic purposes, empirical analysis shows that large companies are less willing to license patents that fit into their business focus, as well as those which have a low technological value in general. On the other hand, small firms are more inclined to license patents which are more relevant to their business focus, but less innovative on average. This study also finds that market share and competition intensity are important factors in their licensing decisions: the more competitive and the smaller the market share of the patents owned by large firms, the higher the chance that firms will list them on the market. In line with the revenue versus competition framework by Arora and Fosfuri (2003), this paper concludes that large firms are generally more concerned about the rent dissipation effect over the revenue effect from licensing, while the opposite is true for smaller firms.