Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.L.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes special report study entitled.

Thesis (M. S.)--Oklahoma State University, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2003. / Appendix consists of reprints and manuscripts of four papers. Includes bibliographical references. Also partially available online in PDF format; online version lacks appendix.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2009. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis explores the potential for historic preservation of a site celebrated in ancient Hindu scriptures and legends. The site is located in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India and is called Arunachala in Sanskrit, or Annamalai in Tamil. The Hill of Fire, the Red Hill, the Hill of Wisdom; the name has many meanings and throughout history has reflected important spiritual and cultural ideas. The symbolic connection of the Hill to the temple at its base celebrates the marriage of heaven and earth and is unusual in the history of Indian temple construction. In considering the site for preservation, this connection may have been overlooked. The site makes an important contribution to the cultural resources of the region and should be preserved in a sensitive way. The objective of this thesis is to test the site against best available preservation standards and guidelines, and to demonstrate that the site is an important cultural resource that merits preservation. The thesis explores the connection of the temple architecture to the landscape architectural elements around the site and proposes preservation treatment recommendations.

The purpose of this study was to find how to activate a public open space as a transportation hub in an urban environment with limited open spaces, and to propose alternative designs for an urban plaza. The public transportation system was used to analyze the city’s condition and to find potential areas for a transportation hub to be developed in an urban space. Using the analyses and findings of the existing public transportation, City Hall Plaza was chosen as the proposed site for its potential and the opportunities it offered. Space uses and their relationship to their surroundings were carefully analyzed in order to design an urban plaza that would provide recreational opportunities and a good quality of life for the city’s residents. Underground spaces were examined for use in the proposed plaza. The findings demonstrate the potential for a transportation station area to be activated as an urban public space. The proposal for designing an urban plaza improves its space and function and provides new experiences by introducing the use of underground spaces. The proposed plaza may become a prototype for urban plazas within the city area.

<p> During the 21st century, more people will reside in cities than in rural areas for the first time in human history. As cities expand to accommodate their growing population, pressure is mounting on local biodiversity and the ecosystems they support. This promoted the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity in collaboration with the City of Singapore to develop a biodiversity index specifically for cities. In 2014, the final draft of the City Biodiversity Index was released. Twenty-three indicators comprise three categories that assess: native biodiversity, ecosystem services, and municipal support for local biodiversity. A case-study was designed for Starkville, MS to better understand the merits of the index and its application to small rural town planning. The research illuminated the breadth and flexibility of the index across multiple scales and the availability of local resources to deliver a meaningful biodiversity analysis.</p><p>

The primary purpose of this thesis was to investigate the narrative potential in the contours of a site, specifically, in contours shaped by dredge and fill. Contours provide a record of weather, growth and erosion as well as the processes of dredge and fill. In South Florida, our modification of both the coastline and inland swamps document the history of our occupation of the land. The record or memory of this change is often apparent only as an absence. This thesis design exposes the landscape narrative of dredge and fill in Miami's Biscayne Bay through the design of two areas of Baywalk Park along the eastern edge of downtown Miami from Margaret Pace Park to the mouth of the Miami River. The design reveals the historic sequence of dredge and fill on the site.

Pinewood Estate is a significant resource in the history of the theory and practice of landscape architecture. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a landscape plan to restore the Pinewood Estate to its historic integrity in order to retain and reflect its past. In order to determine the criteria used to establish how and to what period the estate should be restored to, the Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes was followed. This process involved documenting the existing conditions of the estate. Site inventory and analysis and onsite interviews were conducted. Natural and cultural resources were evaluated. As a case study, McKee Botanical Garden was analyzed and evaluated. The comparison of this case study served as a guideline to determine the best practice for the historical preservation of the estate. Despite the changes in the landscape at Pinewood Estate over the past seventy years, the garden today still retains William Lyman Phillips design criteria. For the garden to continue to keep its historic fabric, rehabilitation was selected to allow for improvements that make possible efficient contemporary use of the estate.