Tornadoes pose a significant threat to residents of Indiana due to a large relative frequency of events that is comparable to most states within classic Tornado Alley. Because of this threat weather forecasters must be very aware of atmospheric environments that lead to tornadogenesis. In some cases these environments are obvious; in others mesoscale variability conducive to tornadogenesis may not be easy to identify. As a result the purpose of this study is to determine if mesoscale variability along primary land-cover boundaries plays a significant role in the climatology of tornadogenesis in Indiana. This is accomplished by developing a set of spatial and temporal climatologies for all significant (F2 and greater damage) Indiana tornadoes from 1955 - 2001. These climatologies are used to determine if spatial distributions of tomadogenesis events are influenced over space and time by significant land-cover boundaries. Results of this research seem to suggest that land-cover boundaries play a role in the tornado climatology of Indiana, with large tornadogenesis frequencies in Lake County, Marion County, and along a corridor extending from central into southern Indiana. Urban heat island circulations seem to play a role in the Lake and Marion counties' frequency maxima, while non-classical mesoscale circulations (NCMCs) appear to contribute to the frequency maxima in southern Indiana. / Department of Geography

This paper reviews the policy dimensions of land use planning in Indiana, and examines problems with implementing a state wide land use policy. Areas of particular concern for state land use planning are investigated, including agricultural land management, critical area management, and control of large scale development. Land use planning is looked at as an area involving local concerns as -well as many concerns with political factors to be considered at each level. Political roles of many different interest groups are examined, ranging from environmentalists to pro-development, and it is shown how these roles interact in shaping a policy. Specific land use tools are outlined and the author discusses the reasons why, in his opinion, it will be very difficult for Indiana to implement any true form of statewide land use policy. / Department of Urban Planning

Communities throughout the country are faced daily with growth and development pressures. Although such growth is vital to community economic health, its impact on the built environment is long lasting and much more difficult to address. Maintaining the identity or unique features of the community must be balanced against the effects of urban and suburban sprawl. Columbus, Indiana, a community world-renowned for its collection of modem architecture, is not immune to such pressures. This study is intended to serve as a tool for the citizens of Columbus as part of the never-ending process to create a better community and a more attractive urban setting.With Columbus serving as the setting, this urban design study explores how growth has evolved and reshaped the primary corridor running through the community--U.S. 31. Following a theoretical study of the traditional street corridor, and one's interaction with such a setting from both the motorist's and pedestrian's perspective, a detailed analysis of the 31 Corridor is conducted. The analysis encompasses a broad range of pertinent subjects including natural features, land use patterns, and urban design. Such analyses form the framework for the final section of this study.Following this analysis, recommendations for improving the 31 Corridor, and thus, Columbus as a whole are explored. The recommendations center on two primary goals. One focuses on stimulating and improving the motorist's perspective along the 31 Corridor and at the urban edges in the form of community gateways, while the second examines redevelopment strategies which intensify existing land uses and respect the established gateways. To support these goals, a series of objectives and methods are proposed. Both goals, and the supporting objectives are a means to maintain and strengthen the identity, or sense of place of Columbus. / Department of Urban Planning

The purpose of this creative project was to derive and communicate the design process for the reclamation of an active quarry site to a residential community. An examination of existing land reclamation and housing design knowledge was conducted to form the basis for original design theories. The communication and presentation of study recommendations was applied to a case study site: an active sand, gravel, and limestone quarry located near Muncie, Indiana. A methodology was developed to analyze the site for its mining, housing and visual potential. Environmentally responsive strategies to determine rural community structure, lake form design, and housing character were developed. An integration of analyses and design strategies yielded the final land use concept and the associated site development concept. The final product of the study was a reclamation concept plan directing mineral extraction and reclamation efforts toward optimal mining and housing potential. It was the intention of this study to discuss and present its design theories, recommendations, and process in map form capable of explaining the study in its entirety without additional verbal or written communication. / Department of Landscape Architecture

This study reveals the potential for urban design where multi-modal transportation corridors intersect. An overarching challenge to urban design and planning relates to the impact mobility has on the social, environmental, and economic health of America's cities, including Indianapolis. In response to this challenge, this study explores transit-oriented development, a strategy based on the principle that transportation and land use are closely related and should therefore be planned in coordination, as a viable alternative to current practices that force transportation to follow rather than inspire and enhance development.Two primary phases constitute the study. The first introduces the principles of transit-oriented development. This phase also highlights some of the urban design opportunities that stem from this alternative strategy and examines and evaluates how effectively transit-oriented development principles work in various American cities.The second phase explores how these principles may be applied to the city of Indianapolis and demonstrates how one site within the city can serve as a model for coordinating various modes of transportation with adjacent land use. This phase consists of selecting a demonstration site within the city, researching the existing and historical make-up of the site, and developing a master plan for the site. The master plan is based on two primary goals-to create a safe and efficient transportation node and to create a unique and vibrant urban "place" that functions as both an origin and a destination. / Department of Landscape Architecture

This study has presented a comprehensive study on the growth, change, and architectural character of an Ohio River town between 1816 and 1996 using New Albany, Indiana as a case study. The evidence suggest that the majority of New Albany's physical growth occurred between 1838 and 1859, and also between 1953 and 1977. The economy of New Albany transformed several times through the course of its existence. New Albany was first supported by the ship building industry. Many boat manufacturers established ship yards along the banks of the Ohio River in New Albany. The ship building industry in New Albany became non-existent in the early 1970s. The glassmaking industry that replaced the ship building industry was also located along the banks , of the Ohio River.The early twentieth century and the closure of the glass-making industry began a transformation of the location of industries in New Albany. When hardwood companies established plants in New Albany, several were attracted to the undeveloped, flat land in the northeastern fringe of the city. This process of development in the north and northeastern section of the city still continues today.The architectural character that was established in New Albany in the late 1800s remained until the early 1960s and urban renewal. Many historic structures in New Albany were demolished in the 1960s and early 1970s. Much of New Albany's architectural character today was constructed during that period. However, New Albany still retains several historic buildings, and increased preservation efforts has lead to the rehabilitation of many of them. / Department of Architecture

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

The movement to conserve natural resources in the United States began as a response to the perceived inefficiency which governed resource allocation. The subsequent environmental movement served to expand the definition of conservation to include not only the efficient use of resources, but also the preservation of land in its natural state. In Indiana, this supposed deficiency in conservation led some environmentalists to establish the Indiana Nature Preserves System which locates remnants of the Indiana wilderness and protects them from development. The Indiana Nature Preserves System is symbolic of the Land Ethic proposed by the early ecologist Aldo Leopold, who believed that man was but one component of the "land community." To alter all natural areas, Leopold and Indiana preservationists argued, was both an assault on ecological stability and on the right of nature to exist for its own sake. / Department of History

This study has examined opportunities for reclaiming industrial brownfield sites for the communities that surround them, recreating derelict sites as community-oriented spaces that increase understanding of and restore pride in industrial and cultural heritage.The study consisted of two primary components. The first phase consists primarily of an exploration of the linkages between landscape/urban design and industrial heritage. This phase also examines and evaluates various design projects that have attempted to celebrate industrial heritage through the adaptive re-use of former industrial sites. The second phase of the study consists of the development of a master plan for the transformation of a derelict industrial site to a community space that interprets and celebrates industrial heritage. This phase includes researching the industrial heritage of Muncie, selecting an appropriate project site within the city, and developing a master plan for the reclamation of an industrial site by the community.A layered design strategy was developed for the selected site, with the end result being a master plan for a new public park. The three elements of the design strategy included industrial heritage, adaptive reuse, and improvements in the surrounding community. / Department of Landscape Architecture

The aquatic ecology of the White River basin has been studied since 1875 with researchers having reported 158 fish species belonging to 25 families. Recently, an EPA 319 grant allowed for further research in the Upper White River basin. The two-year study (2002-2004) examined three watersheds in Delaware County for biotic integrity, habitat quality, and stream water quality parameters. Twenty-two sites were selected to gain a perspective on agricultural, urban, and wooded landscape influences in order to locate and implement Best Management Practices (BMPs). Samples exceeded established state regulations and guideline criteria as follows: E. col/ (80%), ammonia-N (71%), dissolved oxygen (55%), nitrate+nitrite-N (38%), orthophosphate (33%), and total suspended solids (18%). A general linear model indicated that the effects of watershed and location within each watershed were significant (p <0.001) for both the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) and Index of Biotic hntegrity (IBI) index scores. Digitized land cover developed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was created to determine the effects of agricultural and wooded land cover ratios on the IBI and QHEI indices. A significant positive linear relationship between the amount of woodland land cover in a 5-m streamside riparian buffer and QHEI (p<0.001, r2 = 0.55) and with IBI (p<0.001, r-2 = 0.49) was found. A significant negative linear relationship was found with the amount of agricultural land in the created 5-m riparian buffer and IBI (p<0.001, r' 0.41), QHEI (p<0.001, r2 _- 0.36). The 30-nm streamside riparian buffer and delineated subwatershed land cover ratios were significant for the biotic integrity and habitat quality parameters, but were less predictive than the 5-m buffers. In addition, the amount of high runoff soils in the subwatersheds had significant negative effects on the IBI (p < 0.001, r' = 0.47) and QHEI (p = <0.001,r' = 0.43). Wetness accumulation and soil erosion was modeled in each watershed with the use of GIS, soils, and terrain parameters. The maps produced detailed locations where BMPs (wetlands, grassed waterways, riparian buffer strips etc.) could be targeted to reduce non-point source pollutants. / Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management