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Researchers are in broad agreement that energy-conserving actions produce economic as well as energy savings. Household energy rating systems (HERS) have been established in many countries to inform households of their house’s current energy performance and to help reduce their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In Canada, the national EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) program is delivered by many local delivery agents, including non-profit green community organizations. Waterloo Region Green Solutions is the local non-profit that offers the EGH residential energy evaluation service to local households. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the determinants of household’s participation in the residential energy efficiency program (REEP) in Waterloo Region, to explain the relationship between the explanatory variables and REEP participation, and to propose ways to improve this kind of program. A spatial (trend) analysis was conducted within a geographic information system (GIS) to determine the spatial patterns of the REEP participation in Waterloo Region from 1999 to 2006. The impact of sources of information on participation and relationships between participation rates and explanatory variables were identified. GIS proved successful in presenting a visual interpretation of spatial patterns of the REEP participation. In general, the participating households tend to be clustered in urban areas and scattered in rural areas. Different sources of information played significant roles in reaching participants in different years. Moreover, there was a relationship between each explanatory variable and the REEP participation rates. Statistical analysis was applied to obtain a quantitative assessment of relationships between hypothesized explanatory variables and participation in the REEP. The Poisson regression model was used to determine the relationship between hypothesized explanatory variables and REEP participation at the CDA level. The results show that all of the independent variables have a statistically significant positive relationship with REEP participation. These variables include level of education, average household income, employment rate, home ownership, population aged 65 and over, age of home, and number of eligible dwellings. The logistic regression model was used to assess the ability of the hypothesized explanatory variables to predict whether or not households would participate in a second follow-up evaluation after completing upgrades to their home. The results show all the explanatory variables have significant relationships with the dependent variable. The increased rating score, average household income, aged population, and age of home are positively related to the dependent variable. While the dwelling size and education has negative relationships with the dependent variable. In general, the contribution of this work provides a practical understanding of how the energy efficiency program operates, and insight into the type of variables that may be successful in bringing about changes in performance in the energy efficiency project in Waterloo Region. Secondly, with the completion of this research, future residential energy efficiency programs can use the information from this research and emulate or expand upon the efforts and lessons learned from the Residential Energy Efficiency Project in Waterloo Region case study. Thirdly, this research also contributes to practical experience on how to integrate different datasets using GIS.

Researchers are in broad agreement that energy-conserving actions produce economic as well as energy savings. Household energy rating systems (HERS) have been established in many countries to inform households of their house’s current energy performance and to help reduce their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In Canada, the national EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) program is delivered by many local delivery agents, including non-profit green community organizations. Waterloo Region Green Solutions is the local non-profit that offers the EGH residential energy evaluation service to local households. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the determinants of household’s participation in the residential energy efficiency program (REEP) in Waterloo Region, to explain the relationship between the explanatory variables and REEP participation, and to propose ways to improve this kind of program. A spatial (trend) analysis was conducted within a geographic information system (GIS) to determine the spatial patterns of the REEP participation in Waterloo Region from 1999 to 2006. The impact of sources of information on participation and relationships between participation rates and explanatory variables were identified. GIS proved successful in presenting a visual interpretation of spatial patterns of the REEP participation. In general, the participating households tend to be clustered in urban areas and scattered in rural areas. Different sources of information played significant roles in reaching participants in different years. Moreover, there was a relationship between each explanatory variable and the REEP participation rates. Statistical analysis was applied to obtain a quantitative assessment of relationships between hypothesized explanatory variables and participation in the REEP. The Poisson regression model was used to determine the relationship between hypothesized explanatory variables and REEP participation at the CDA level. The results show that all of the independent variables have a statistically significant positive relationship with REEP participation. These variables include level of education, average household income, employment rate, home ownership, population aged 65 and over, age of home, and number of eligible dwellings. The logistic regression model was used to assess the ability of the hypothesized explanatory variables to predict whether or not households would participate in a second follow-up evaluation after completing upgrades to their home. The results show all the explanatory variables have significant relationships with the dependent variable. The increased rating score, average household income, aged population, and age of home are positively related to the dependent variable. While the dwelling size and education has negative relationships with the dependent variable. In general, the contribution of this work provides a practical understanding of how the energy efficiency program operates, and insight into the type of variables that may be successful in bringing about changes in performance in the energy efficiency project in Waterloo Region. Secondly, with the completion of this research, future residential energy efficiency programs can use the information from this research and emulate or expand upon the efforts and lessons learned from the Residential Energy Efficiency Project in Waterloo Region case study. Thirdly, this research also contributes to practical experience on how to integrate different datasets using GIS.

This paper adopts a geographical perspective to understand the conceptual and theoretical issues of resort morphology. Resort morphology refers to “the forms and associated functions of a destination area and their development”. Resort towns are differentiated from other urban areas in terms of morphology because of their functional emphasis on tourism. The literature reflects the significant interest of European geographers in the morphological study of coastal resort towns. However, limited attention has been given to resort morphology in developing countries. It is argued that the complex of contextual factors that influence the morphological character of resorts needs to be considered and, furthermore, there is a great need to develop a systematic approach for investigating resort morphology. Based on a review of literature, this paper first introduces the contributions and implications of related research to the understanding of resort morphology: study of resort evolution, the Recreational Business District, urban morphology, and Geographic Information System (GIS) applications. Then, the situation of China is addressed because there is a striking contrast between the rate of change and increasing complexity of Chinese resorts and the very limited amount of studies from either western or Chinese scholars. A quantitative-qualitative mixed research approach is introduced to understand transitional resort morphology in China. It involves classifying land uses, building a descriptive and explanatory framework, creating form-function maps, and the analysis of morphological characteristics. Two study areas are selected for detailed examination: a coastal resort town, Sanya and a lake-based resort town, Wuxi. Morphological changes associated with key contextual factors influencing tourism and recreational development are analyzed in these places. A comparative discussion of Sanya and Wuxi indicates similarities between their development patterns of resort morphology and their present morphological features but significant differences in terms of history, evolutionary process, tourism resources, location and level of economic development. It is less helpful simply to define models applicable to distinct Chinese water-based resort towns than to identify similarities among them. Rules for resort study in the Chinese context are recommended and the characteristics of morphological transformation in a typical water-based resort town are summarized in view of resort development patterns. It is indicated that the morphology of a typical water-based resort cluster can be in large part a function of its recreational hinterlands (urban areas), and whether it is well-planned or more naturally developed. Finally, the relationships between contextual factors, tourism development, and resort evolution and resort morphology are interpreted in the context of Chinese water-based resort towns. The significance of morphological research on current as well as past resort structure for future planning and conservation activities is indicated. A systematic approach, which combines the morphological method, the functional method and the evolutionary method, is suggested to study resort morphology. By using resort evolution theory, it is indicated that resort morphology can be clearly identified and explored within a conceptual framework. This study also shows that GIS techniques are highly applicable in the study of resort morphology. This study indicates that water-based resort morphology in China is presently characterized by intensive land use and dense development, fast settlement expansion associated with growing vacation property development, and a generally clustered pattern of accommodation. Tourism planning in China has developed procedures and strategies with little consideration for the historical process. Therefore, this study has implications for making reasonable development strategies and efficiently implemented policies and plans. Academically, resort morphology is clarified in both Chinese and Western contexts. Also, common characteristics of Chinese water-based resort towns are summarized and phenomena generated from western studies are tested in the Chinese cases.

This paper adopts a geographical perspective to understand the conceptual and theoretical issues of resort morphology. Resort morphology refers to “the forms and associated functions of a destination area and their development”. Resort towns are differentiated from other urban areas in terms of morphology because of their functional emphasis on tourism. The literature reflects the significant interest of European geographers in the morphological study of coastal resort towns. However, limited attention has been given to resort morphology in developing countries. It is argued that the complex of contextual factors that influence the morphological character of resorts needs to be considered and, furthermore, there is a great need to develop a systematic approach for investigating resort morphology. Based on a review of literature, this paper first introduces the contributions and implications of related research to the understanding of resort morphology: study of resort evolution, the Recreational Business District, urban morphology, and Geographic Information System (GIS) applications. Then, the situation of China is addressed because there is a striking contrast between the rate of change and increasing complexity of Chinese resorts and the very limited amount of studies from either western or Chinese scholars. A quantitative-qualitative mixed research approach is introduced to understand transitional resort morphology in China. It involves classifying land uses, building a descriptive and explanatory framework, creating form-function maps, and the analysis of morphological characteristics. Two study areas are selected for detailed examination: a coastal resort town, Sanya and a lake-based resort town, Wuxi. Morphological changes associated with key contextual factors influencing tourism and recreational development are analyzed in these places. A comparative discussion of Sanya and Wuxi indicates similarities between their development patterns of resort morphology and their present morphological features but significant differences in terms of history, evolutionary process, tourism resources, location and level of economic development. It is less helpful simply to define models applicable to distinct Chinese water-based resort towns than to identify similarities among them. Rules for resort study in the Chinese context are recommended and the characteristics of morphological transformation in a typical water-based resort town are summarized in view of resort development patterns. It is indicated that the morphology of a typical water-based resort cluster can be in large part a function of its recreational hinterlands (urban areas), and whether it is well-planned or more naturally developed. Finally, the relationships between contextual factors, tourism development, and resort evolution and resort morphology are interpreted in the context of Chinese water-based resort towns. The significance of morphological research on current as well as past resort structure for future planning and conservation activities is indicated. A systematic approach, which combines the morphological method, the functional method and the evolutionary method, is suggested to study resort morphology. By using resort evolution theory, it is indicated that resort morphology can be clearly identified and explored within a conceptual framework. This study also shows that GIS techniques are highly applicable in the study of resort morphology. This study indicates that water-based resort morphology in China is presently characterized by intensive land use and dense development, fast settlement expansion associated with growing vacation property development, and a generally clustered pattern of accommodation. Tourism planning in China has developed procedures and strategies with little consideration for the historical process. Therefore, this study has implications for making reasonable development strategies and efficiently implemented policies and plans. Academically, resort morphology is clarified in both Chinese and Western contexts. Also, common characteristics of Chinese water-based resort towns are summarized and phenomena generated from western studies are tested in the Chinese cases.

<p>Blood in Canada is donated by a volunteer base that is increasingly challenged, through a combination of demographic aging and immigration, to meet the needs of the health sector. Canadian Blood Services, the agency with the mandate to manage blood products in Canada with the exception of Quebec, is therefore actively involved in the development of programs to help increase the number of donors, to improve the retention of existing donors, and to increase the frequency of donation of repeat donors. An important factor that influences blood donation is the accessibility to clinics. Accessibility to clinics is determined by the location of clinics, the resources allocated to each clinic in terms of number of beds and hours of operation, and the distribution of the population in the areas serviced by the clinics. The objective of this research is to investigate, given a set of fixed sites for clinic locations and population characteristics, the potential for increasing the donor yield as a function of accessibility. A case study is presented of the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area, in Canada. Using donor and clinic data provided by Canadian Blood Services, and census information, an objective function is derived by estimating a generalized linear model of donations. The objective function is maximized globally using Genetic Algorithm techniques, subject to total resources available for clinic operations. The results suggest that an optimized allocation of resources to clinic sites has the potential to increase the donor yield by approximately 50% of the current donor base.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

In the intention to establish a geomorphologic zonation of the threat levels due to slope in-stability of the Mocoy hydrographic basin, an analysis of the biophysics conditions was made by using the heuristic method. Space variables of greater incidence in local dynamics were identified and processed in ARC/INFO, and applied methodological proposals associated to the matrix of spatial analysis of Leopold and the system of transparencies of MacHarg. It was possible to identify three levels of threat: low, moderate and high, which were correlated with the operating morphogenetic processes, the geologic structure and lithology, as well as with the land use of this important river basin in the northern flank of the Venezuelan Andes. The analysis of the implicit mechanisms in the collapse of geologic material, as well as the estimation of the future tendency and detection of the areas of greater threat, constitute the basis for a suitable mitigation problem of dangerous slope processes and the sediment contribution tothe fluvial system of the Mocoy river. / Con la intención de establecer una zonificación de los niveles de amenaza geomorfológica porinestabilidad de laderas de la cuenca hidrográfica del río Mocoy, se efectuó un análisis de las condiciones biofísicas, mediante el método heurístico y se identificaron las variables espaciales de mayor incidencia en la dinámica local, tratadas en ARC/INFO y con propuestas metodológicas asociadas a la matriz de análisis espacial de Leopold y el sistema de transparencias de MacHarg. Se logró representar tres niveles de amenaza: baja, moderada y alta, las cuales fueron correlacionadas con los procesos morfogenéticos actuantes, la estructura geológica y litología, así como también con el uso de la tierra de esta importante cuenca del flanco norandino vene- zolano. El análisis de los mecanismos implícitos en el colapso de material geológico, así como la estimación sobre la tendencia futura y detección de las áreas de mayor amenaza, constituyen las bases para una adecuada mitigación del problema de procesos de ladera peligrosos y el aportede sedimentos al sistema fluvial del río Mocoy.

A zonation of slope instability hazard levels of the Mount Carmelo region was carried out based on an analysis of the geographical conditions using the Van Westen (2003) heuristic method and GIS. Three levels of instability hazard were established: low hazard areas (no actual harmful phenomena is recorded, although it might occur over the next years), moderate hazard (medium probability that harmful processes might appear over next years) and high hazard (high probability of harmful processes over the next years.) Zonation maps showing hazard areas will be very useful for physical planning and population protection, taking into· consideration   that  these  maps  may  reduce  economic  losses  and  human  casualties due to the above mentioned natural hazards. / Con la intención de establecer una zonificación de los niveles de peligro de inestabilidad  de laderas  de la región  de Monte  Carmelo,  se efectuó  un  análisis de las condiciones geográficas mediante la aplicación del método heurístico de Van Westen (2003) y de un SIG. Los resultados  obtenidos arrojaron tres niveles de peligro  de inestabilidad: peligro  bajo (no se presentan fenómenos dañinos, aunque se podrían presentar en los próximos años), peligro  moderado (moderada probabilidad de que aparezcan  fenómenos  dañinos  que  ocasionen  algún  tipo  de impacto  negativo  en los próximos años) y peligro alto (probabilidad alta de ocurrencia de un fenómeno dañino  para  la población  en  los  próximos  años). Los  mapas  de  zonificación  de áreas de peligro serán de gran utilidad para la planificación de los territorios y para la defensa civil, al contribuir a la reducción  de pérdidas  materiales y humanas que puedan  producirse  ante la ocurrencia  de estos  fenómenos.

Context: Smartphone is gaining popularity due to its feasible mobility, computing capacity and efficient energy. Emails, text messaging, navigation and visualizing geo-spatial data through browsers are common features of smartphone. Display of geo-spatial data is collected in computing format and made publically available. Therefore the need of usability evaluation becomes important due to its increasing demand. Identifying usability requirements are important as conventional functional requirements in software engineering. Non-functional usability requirements are objectives and testable using measurable metrics. Objectives: Usability evaluation plays an important role in the interaction design process as well as identifying user needs and requirements. Comparative usability requirements are identified for the evaluation of a geographical information system (Google Maps) on personal computer (Laptop) and smartphone (iPhone). Methods: ISO 9241-11 guide on usability is used as an input model for identifying and specifying usability level of Google Maps on both personal computer and smartphone for intended output. Authors set target value for usability requirements of tasks and questionnaire on each device, such as acceptability level of tasks completion, rate of efficiency and participant’s agreement of each measure through ISO 9241-11 respectively. The usability test is conducted using Co-discovery technique on six pairs of graduate students. Interviews are conducted for validation of test results and questionnaires are distributed to get feedback from participants. Results: The non-functional usability requirements were tested and used five metrics measured on user performance and satisfaction. Through usability test, the acceptability level of tasks completion and rate of efficiency was matched on personal computer but did not match on iPhone. Through questionnaire, both the devices did not match participant’s agreement of each measure but only effectiveness matched on personal computer. Usability test, interview and questionnaire feedback are included in the results. Conclusions: The authors provided suggestions based on test results and identified usability issues for the improvement of Google Maps on personal computer and iPhone. / +46 (0) 76 55 44 637

Geografi som skolämne är nyanserat och innehållsrikt där specifika metoder och verktyg är väsentliga för inlärning. I och med ett utvecklande digitaliserat samhälle resulterar det till behovet av att lära ut datoriserande verktyg i geografi, däribland Geografiska informationssystem (GIS). Däremot förekommer det barriärer med hur geografilärare i årskurs 7-9 ska implementera kartverktyget, vilket leder till att syftet med undersökningen är att studera hur lärares relation till GIS ser ut. Metoderna som användes var genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer samt en enkätundersökning. Urvalet var baserat på ett kriteriebaserat urval där geografilärare i årskurs 7-9 var respondenterna. Geografilärarnas implementering av GIS var varierande, men samtidigt enhetlig där samtliga respondenter använde webbaserade GIS-tjänster, exempelvis Google Earth, och därmed ingen som genomför undervisning med GIS-mjukvaror. Därav upplevde respondenterna en explicit barriär med GIS-mjukvaror där de orsakande faktorerna var bland annat tid, bristfälliga kunskaper och att det var en ekonomisk fråga. Vid implementeringen av GIS indikerades även en slags omedveten barriär som innefattar att lärare har en ensidig definition och bild av GIS, vilket oftast hänvisas till GIS-mjukvaror. Kontentan av undersökningen är att geografilärares implementering, upplevelse och tolkning baseras på tidigare erfarenheter och utifrån Skolverkets styrdokument, vilket praktiseras genom enkla former av GIS, däribland webbaserade GIS-applikationer.