Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Hyung-Jin Kim / What makes a city a place people love and want to live is the essence of livability. Livable cities are places where people can delight in a high quality of life. College towns are great places to live because their universities function as a cultural wealth and an economic anchor for the city. Using Manhattan, KS and Kansas State University (KSU) as a case study, this study utilizes a survey as an instrument to investigate the possible correlations and patterns between the perceived quality of life of permanent residents of college towns and their degree of interaction with their university’s campus. Using statistical analyses of this data, this study explores the relationships between a higher quality of life in Manhattan and a higher interaction with KSU. As well, it seeks to find what aspects of university interaction have the most impact on quality of life, if there are any shortfalls in quality of life in Manhattan, and if the university can play a role in the strategy to mitigate for these shortfalls. In this, town-gown relationships give insight to creating more livable cities as a whole.

Livability, sustainability, and accessibility in urban public space are growing concerns in urban research and policy agendas. The professional field, however, lacks perspectives for public space qualities. Academic research about women and girls’ involvement in the re-design of public spaces is scarce. The Swedish suburb of Fittja in Botkyrka municipality is characterized by modernism and functionalism and at the beginning of a large refurbishment process. In 2018, think tank Global Utmaning initiated #UrbanGirlsMovement Botkyrka with the purpose of improving the public spaces of Fittja together with multiple stakeholders, particularly girls and young women from Fittja. In this case study, multiple methods and concepts from feminist urban geography and public space research are applied to examine how livability is illustrated and understood by girls and in which ways these learnings can inform urban public space policies. The results highlight ways to discharge patriarchal structures in public space using a compact and multifunctional urban form, accessible to all citizens through a variety of unprogrammed activity options, vibrant hangspace and green beautification. A feminist approach to urban livability shows the importance of understanding the diversity of perspectives to livability in public space, and that these perspectives matter for how we understand planning principles.

Baigiamojo darbo tema – aplinkos tinkamumo gyventi Lietuvos miestuose vertinimas. Darbo tikslas - identifikavus aplinkos tinkamumą gyventi miestuose lemiančius veiksnius, sudaryti Aplinkos tinkamumo gyventi miestuose indeksą ir patikrinti jo tinkamumą remiantis Lietuvos miestų pavyzdžiu. Pirmojoje darbo dalyje analizuojami teoriniai aplinkos tinkamumo gyventi aspektai. Antrojoje dalyje pateikiama lyginamoji penkių Lietuvos didžiųjų miestų statistinė analizė ir aplinkos tinkamumo gyventi miestuose vertinimo metodologija, sukuriamas ir apskaičiuojamas miestų vertinimo indeksas. Paskutinėje darbo dalyje atliekama gautų rezultatų analizė, pateikiamos rekomendacijos atlikto tyrimo tobulinimui ir pritaikymui praktikoje, vertinamas savivaldybių biudžeto išlaidų aplinkos tinkamumo gyventi gerinimui panaudojimo efektyvumas. Analizuojant didžiuosius miestus pagal atskiras aplinkos tinkamumo gyventi dimensijas paaiškėjo, kad socialinė aplinka geriausia Kaune, ekonominė - Vilniuje, aplinka ir infrastruktūra - Panevėžyje, o kultūrinė aplinka - Šiauliuose. Bendras aplinkos tinkamumas gyventi geriausiai įvertintas Vilniuje. / The topic of the paper - evaluation of livability of environment in Lithuanian cities. The main goal of the paper is to create the Index of livability of environment in the cities after the identification of the main livability of environment factors and to check suitability of this index for Lithuanian case. The first part analyzes theoretical aspects of livability of environment. The second part presents the comparative statistical analysis of five largest Lithuanian cities and methodology of evaluation of livability of environment in cities. The last part of the paper performs the analysis of results, recommends how to improve and adopt the study in practice, evaluates the efficiency of use of municipal budget funds in order to improve livability of environment in municipality. The analysis of Lithuanian largest cities according to the dimensions of environment has showed that the best social environment is in Kaunas, the best economical environment - in Vilnius, the best environment and infrastructure - in Panevėžys, the best cultural environment - in Šiauliai. All in all the best livability of environment is in Vilnius.

Thesis (M.G.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Sociology and Gerontology, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-80).

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Nobelvägen, en stadshuvudgata i området Norra Sorgenfri, Malmö, samt ett biltrafikanternas Mecka. En fyrfilig asfaltshinna breder ut sig i ett område som kan liknas vid den, en gång, utopiska tanken om människan i en stadsmiljö porträtterad som ännu en mekanisk varelse. Utan känslor och fattig på upplevelser transporteras människor fram och tillbaka längs denna ödsliga väg på ett sätt som påminner om Henry Fords principer beträffande det löpande bandet. Alltför ofta i stadslandskapet kan man urskönja en planering där aspekter gällande transport och trafik separeras från den övergripande samhällsplaneringen. Ett perspektiv och en policy skräddarsydd för att överbrygga klyftan mellan de nu åtskilda planeringsgrenarna är livability. Begreppet utgör grunden och utgångspunkten för denna studie, där vi författare syftar till att undersöka hur en hårt trafikerad gata som Nobelvägen kan omvandlas från en genomfartssträcka till ett stadsrum som främjar det mänskliga livet. En avgränsad del av Nobelvägen har identifierats som central och agerar underlag för fallstudie och vidare även de gestaltningsförslag som presenteras i arbetet. Fallstudien såväl som gestaltningsarbetet vilar på teorier i form av urban kvalitet & design samt livability. Resultaten från våra observationer har analyserats och fem övergripande strategier för förändring har arbetats fram. Alla vilka stödjer en idé och ett perspektiv där det mänskliga, i form av gång & cykel, tar större plats och utmanar bilister och övrig motoriserad trafik på Nobelvägen. / Nobelvägen, a main city street in the area Norra Sorgenfri, Malmö, as well as a Mecca for motorists. A four-lane asphalt coating widens out in an area that can be likened to the, once utopian thought, of the human in an urban environment portrayed as yet another mechanical being. Without emotion and poor in experiences the street carries people back and forth along this desolate path in a way that is reminiscent of Henry Ford's principles regarding the famous assembly line. Too often in the urban landscape, one can discern a planning which aspects regarding transportation and traffic, is separated from the overall community planning. A perspective and a policy tailored to bridge the gap between the now separate planning segments are livability. This concept is the basis and starting point for this study, where the writers aims to investigate how a heavily occupied street, Nobelvägen, can be transformed from a transit route to an urban space that promotes human life. A delimited part of Nobelvägen has been identified as central and acting basis for the case study and further including the design proposal presented in this work. The case study as well as the design work is based on theories in the form of urban quality & design, and livability. The results of the observations were analysed and five overall strategies for change have been singled out. All of which support an idea and a perspective in which the human, in the form of walking & bicycling, assemble more space and challenge cars and other motorized traffic on Nobelvägen.

Washington, DC, is one of the most stunning and vital cities globally. It is not just because of historical sites, monuments, and political power, but it is a home for a diverse population and an increasingly diverse economy. Almost twenty years ago, the city planning department envisioned the plan of "Living Downtown," which is now significantly applied as a "mixed-use development" in the central Washington district. Looking back to downtown DC's history, central Washington is changing enormously from commercial to residential and Mixed-used sectors. Now it is essential to consider the reflection of those changes on the city's urban fabric and street life. / Master of Science / Downtown, in 2017, was the most important job center and home to a total of 91 million square feet. Almost 78% is occupied with office spaces, and the rest of the area is open for people to visit as a "public space." However, the recent COVID pandemic wave and remote-friendly residential apartments spark the need for living-working architecture in urban cities. I believe this is when urbanized locations like "downtown of Washington DC" need to be updated with vibrant urban life that enhances the accessibility, performance, beauty of sidewalks, and innovative infrastructure in the public spaces to elevate the human experience of the built environment. Thesis Design- "living the downtown, the era of new neighborhood streets" is going to be a new change in the street life of the living city. The research question is focused on- "What is the future of downtown streets for new neighborhoods?" describing and analyzing the concept, pedestrian behavior, and challenges of one of the vital streets in the downtown. Considering the upcoming changes in the downtown's zoning and observing one of the versatile streets in the town, my design interventions will change the point of view of the existing pedestrian life as a reflection of an adjacent building and enhance the urban fabric of the city to make it walkable, Not just to walk but to live there.

Measuring quality of life is currently at the forefront of the various fields of science. In spite of a growing interest in the concept and measurement of quality of life, the issue remains difficult and unresolved. Scientific problem of this dissertation is formulated by the question: how to perform integrated measurement of quality of life in the country by identifying and classifying economic and other factors determining it. The aim of the research – to identify economic and other factors determining quality of life, to specify the concept of quality of life and to formulate a universal integrated model for measurement of quality of life. The main aim of the dissertation and objectives set in order to reach it are reflected in three parts of the dissertation. / Gyvenimo kokybė ir jos vertinimas tampa vis aktualesnė ir labiau diskutuotina tema įvairiose mokslo kryptyse. Nepaisant šiuo metu didėjančio susidomėjimo gyvenimo kokybės koncepcija ir jos vertinimu, gyvenimo kokybės konceptualizavimas ir jos vertinimas lieka sudėtingas ir neišspręstas. Gyvenimo kokybė, kaip tarpdisciplininis, kompleksinis reiškinys, integruojantis platų mokslinių sričių ir empirinių tyrimų spektrą, akcentuojant ekonominį aspektą, analizuota nepakankamai. Disertacijoje keliama mokslinė problema: kaip kompleksiškai įvertinti gyvenimo kokybę šalyje, nustatant ir sugrupuojant ją lemiančius ekonominius ir kitus veiksnius. Darbe tikslinama gyvenimo kokybės samprata, identifikuojami gyvenimo kokybę lemiantys ekonominiai ir kiti veiksniai, atliekama egzistuojančių gyvenimo kokybės vertinimo matų analizė ir sudaromas universalus, kompleksinis gyvenimo kokybės vertinimo modelis.

The purpose of this research is to help increase the capacity of public-sector transportation agencies (such as state Departments of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and transit providers) to preserve and enhance transportation-related quality of life (QOL) outcomes in their jurisdictions. QOL is a multi-dimensional concept that is closely related to the concepts of livability and social sustainability. Public-sector agencies are charged with promoting the well-being (i.e. QOL) of the public, and they often must work within a complex inter-organizational context, with overlapping and intersecting jurisdictions and responsibilities, in order to influence QOL. Because of their responsibility to promote QOL, many public-sector transportation agencies mention QOL, livability, and/or sustainability in their vision statements, mission statements, and strategic planning documents. Furthermore, U.S. Federal guidance and regulations that govern the practice of transportation planning, engineering, and performance management have begun to refer to issues related to livability and sustainability. However, these complex concepts are still ambiguous in meaning and application for many transportation practitioners. In order to effectively preserve and enhance transportation-related QOL outcomes, practitioners need a clear conceptual framework that links concepts of livability and sustainability to practical performance management tools for an inter-jurisdictional context. The primary objective and contributions of this research are the development of such a conceptual framework - the stacked systems framework (SSF) - and a methodology for applying it to enhance transportation performance management in an inter-jurisdictional context. In order to develop the SSF, this research begins with an extensive literature review that clarifies the relationships among sustainability, livability, and transportation-related QOL outcomes; and integrates the concepts of social sustainability, soft systems methodologies, and the field of transportation performance management. To apply the SSF, this research includes a case study of public-sector transportation performance management processes in metropolitan Atlanta. The case study analyzes the influence of the regional inter-organizational system of public-sector transportation agencies on transportation-related QOL outcomes; identifies gaps in the current set of transportation performance measures used for decision making at the regional scale; and demonstrates the value to decision making of incorporating recommended performance measures that can more appropriately link organizational actions to broader QOL and livability outcomes via changes in transportation service quality. The case study methodology can be extended for future development of transportation performance management practices in metro Atlanta, and reproduced for other regions and geographic scales.

This thesis explores how people struggle to make livable lives in the conditions of existence of seeking asylum in the UK. The study is based on ethnographic research, conversations and participant observation, with people seeking asylum in Manchester. Grounding the research in their narratives is a contribution to decolonizing knowledge and doing justice to the sentience of people who are marginalized and pathologized. The narratives are brought into dialogue with feminist and decolonial philosophy and political theory, and with empirical studies of 'refugeedom' from a number of disciplines, to produce a new field of connection from which to map the terrain involved in theorizing livability. While the whole thesis seeks to respond to the narratives, there is a detailed focus on three dimensions which participants emphasize as crucial to livability: settlement in Manchester; the prohibition of employment; the asylum application procedures. These are moments in which livability is claimed as both ethics and practice. From the perspective of the narratives and the ethics which permeate them, livability opens up into questions of recognition, social justice and care. People claim commonality: recognition as human, equality and inclusion in social goods, and care in public settings. These are the practical and ethical supports of livability. The narratives point also towards critiques of 'refugeedom', the policies and practices that form the discursive and material conditions within which people seeking asylum attempt to make livable lives.