Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Xeror copy of the typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 78-82).

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Xeror copy of the typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 78-82) Also available in print.

This thesis serves the following purposes: (1) to understand the importance of green space values, (2) to understand the importance of the use of values in the decision-making process, and (3) to employ and evaluate a technique called the structured value referendum to elicit values (including green space values) that are important in making a land use decision. Green space is any area that is predominantly undeveloped witJiin the urban environment. Although the importance of green space has been widely recognized since the 1960s, there still exists a limited appreciation for green space functions. The lack of comprehensive values incorporation that includes green space values in land use decision-making processes is a primary cause of green space loss. In order to understand the importance of green space loss and the lack of values incorporation in decision-making, a general concept of value is established. Development of a taxonomy exposes green space's economic, social, ecological, and sustainability values, and helps to underscore their importance in decisional settings. A general discussion on values elicitation reveals that their incorporation into decision-making processes can help set priorities, promote a better understanding of the issue, and lead to the development of more effective decisions. Despite these assets, inclusion of a comprehensive set of values rarely occurs in decision-making processes involving green space, and green space values are often ignored. There are, however, value elicitation techniques that can be used to account for green space values. One technique that has yet to be examined extensively for its effectiveness in aiding land use decision-making processes is the structured value referendum (SVR). The SVR is a voting-based structure that can elicit a full range of values. A literature review and case study evaluate the SVR. In the case study, a referendum based on a land use decision mvorving 100 acres in Richmond was designed and distributed to a random sample of200 voters. The results of the case study could aid Richmond public officials in making a decision for the best use of the land. This case study also reveals that the SVR approach is an effective and feasible means for eliciting values and aiding decision makers in making comprehensive land use decisions that involve green space. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

No description available.

No description available.

District energy systems are a key component to addressing reductions in green house gases, encouraging compact settlement form and ensuring reliable community energy delivery. System development can also generate local economic benefits like aggregated energy pricing and employment creation. This research focuses on an exploration of Ontario’s planning framework with respect to energy generation and thermal energy distribution, providing broad recommendations to municipalities intended to help facilitate the development of district energy systems. In summary, this research was designed to accomplish the following objectives: 1. To craft a set of transferrable recommendations that will help Ontario municipalities facilitate the development of district energy systems where appropriate. 2. To add to the literature available on district energy system development from a municipal planning perspective. 3. To examine the tools available to planning practitioners to help engage communities and municipalities in planning for local energy generation and delivery. The methodological approach employed for this research is qualitative in nature, relying on an inductive style building from particulars to general themes. The characteristics of a qualitative study are best suited to address the research questions and objectives because community energy planning and land use planning are largely unexplored in conjunction, and this methodology provides a framework to explore where the fields have integrated in practice as well as reveal some of the challenges and potential solutions. Case studies were used to examine the development of two different Ontario district energy systems. Additionally, key informant interviews provide insights from planners, system operators, customers and industry experts to provide a practice based foundation of information to development transferable recommendations. The findings suggest that the development of a district energy system is a very complex process, requiring the expertise of many specialists, and the support from local stakeholders. There are planning implications for the implementation of district energy systems, which require forethought at the beginning of the planning process and opportunities to support community based energy solutions through policy. The adoption of a planning regulatory framework will ensure adequate consideration is given to community energy management in conjunction with land use and urban form. Going forward, accounting for the conservation of energy in land use will be imperative for achieving local, regional and provincial goals associated with infrastructure, the environment, and energy resource management.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [102-108]).

Thesis (M.U.D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-84).

The focus of transportation planning, until the past three decades or so, was to provide adequate transportation infrastructure supply to meet the mobility needs of the population. Over the past three decades, however, in view of increasing suburban sprawl and auto dependence, the focus of transportation planning has expanded to include the objective of sustainable development. Contemporary efforts toward sustainability include, for example, integrated land-use and transportation planning, travel demand management, congestion pricing, and transit and non-motorized travel oriented development. Consequently, in an effort to understand individuals’ behavioral responses to (and to assess the effectiveness of) these policies, the travel demand modeling field evolved along three distinct directions: (a) Activity-based travel demand modeling, (b) Built environment and travel behavior modeling, and (c) Integrated land-use -- transportation modeling. The three fields of research, however, have progressed in a rather disjoint fashion. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to contribute toward the research needs that are at the intersection of the three fields of research identified above, and to bring the three research areas together into a unified research stream. This is achieved by the simultaneous consideration of the following three aspects, each of which is of high importance in each direction of research identified above: (1) The activity-based and tour-based approaches to travel behavior analysis, (2) Residential self-selection effects, and (3) Integrated modeling of long-term land-use related choices and medium- and short-term travel-related choices. To this end, a series of integrated models of multidimensional choice processes are formulated to jointly analyze long-term residential location decisions and medium- and short-term activity-travel decisions (such as auto ownership, bicycle ownership, commute mode choice, and daily time-use). The models are estimated and applied using data from the 2000 San Francisco Bay Area Travel Survey to understand and disentangle the multitude of relationships between long-, medium-, and short-term choices. This dissertation also formulates a multiple discrete-continuous nested extreme value model that can accommodate inter-alternative correlations and flexible substitution patterns across mutually exclusive subsets (or nests) of alternatives in multiple discrete-continuous choice models. / text