Poster exhibited at GPSC Student Showcase, November 7th, 2014, University of Arizona. Winner of the Arid Land Resource Science Award.

Neighborhood design affects lifestyle physical activity, and ultimately human wellbeing. There are, however, a limited number of studies that examine neighborhood design types. In this research, we examine four types of neighborhood designs: traditional development, suburban development, enclosed community, and cluster housing development, and assess their level of walkability and their effects on physical activity and wellbeing. We examine significant associations through a questionnaire (n = 486) distributed in Tucson, Arizona using the Walkability Model. Among the tested neighborhood design types, traditional development showed significant associations and the highest value for walkability, as well as for each of the two types of walking (recreation and transportation) representing physical activity. Suburban development showed significant associations and the highest mean values for mental health and wellbeing. Cluster housing showed significant associations and the highest mean value for social interactions with neighbors and for perceived safety from crime. Enclosed community did not obtain the highest means for any wellbeing benefit. The Walkability Model proved useful in identifying the walkability categories associated with physical activity and perceived crime. For example, the experience category was strongly and inversely associated with perceived crime. This study provides empirical evidence of the importance of including vegetation, particularly trees, throughout neighborhoods in order to increase physical activity and wellbeing. Likewise, the results suggest that regular maintenance is an important strategy to improve mental health and overall wellbeing in cities.

As distance from a house to retail sites decreases the price of a house should increase, ceteris paribus, because of increased shopping convenience. On the other hand, as distance decreases price should also decrease because the house is exposed to increased spillover of disamenities noise, light, traffic, etc. from the retail use. The study uses Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal data and a parcel level Geographic Information system map from King County (Seattle) Washington. An hedonic process is used to estimate the price effects of both the expected positive and negative price effects. Travel distance is a proxy for convenience and Euclidian distance is a proxy for negative spillovers. Standard hedonic housing price variables are used for control along with distance to other classes of non-residential uses and indexes of neighborhood street layout and connectivity. In traditional gridiron neighborhood, both convenience and negative spillovers have the expected effect on housing price. The net effect is a price effect curve with a net decrease in price at very short distances between houses and retail sites. But, beyond a short distance to the extent of convenient walking distance (about mile) the net effect is positive. In a non-traditional edge city type neighborhood, there is no effect, either positive or negative. This is due to the much greater distances between residential uses and retail uses in this type neighborhood that result from zoning that segregates land uses and long travel distance resulting from curvilinear street layout.

Research from multiple domains has provided insights into how neighborhood design can be improved to have a more favorable effect on physical activity, a concept known as walkability. The relevant research findings/hypotheses have been integrated into a Walkability Framework, which organizes the design elements into nine walkability categories. The purpose of this study was to test whether this conceptual framework can be used as a model to measure the interactions between the built environment and physical activity. We explored correlations between the walkability categories and physical activity reported through a survey of residents of Tucson, Arizona (n=486). The results include significant correlations between the walkability categories and physical activity as well as between the walkability categories and the two motivations for walking (recreation and transportation). To our knowledge, this is the first study that reports links between walkability and walking for recreation. Additionally, the use of the Walkability Framework allowed us to identify the walkability categories most strongly correlated with the two motivations for walking. The results of this study support the use of the Walkability Framework as a model to measure the built environment in relation to its ability to promote physical activity. (C) 2017 The Authors.

Decent housing available to the working class in America is in very short supply. Manufactured housing could help to meet this basic need. But community groups and politicians often reject manufactured housing because they fear it will have a negative impact upon property values and the aesthetic character of their community. This thesis examines the reasons behind these fears, how the history of manufactured housing has fed into these fears and what design elements can allay these fears. Three site planning typologies are developed using the factors found in the research, that create a good neighborhood for both the residents and outside observers. The typologies inform three designs that illustrate how manufactured housing developments can be designed to fit compatibly into existing communities. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Energy efficient houses benefit communities not only to provide renewable energy shares and generating surplus electricity supporting local economic development. Also, residents in energy efficient houses have less energy usage that reduces household budget expenses. However, one of the obstacles of energy efficient technology installment of residential buildings is high investment cost, which can be solved with the usage of modular housing. In Europe, housing costs have a large share, especially for Sweden, housing expenses is a burden mostly for people who are at the risk of poverty. Also, high investment costs of energy efficient housing are combined with high construction prices leading a large share of budgets and effort to make houses affordable for low income groups. This study develops a scenario to find solutions for affordable housing problem in Sweden with a design proposal. The aim of this study is to investigate if there are ways of achieving socio-economic mix by the production of energy efficient affordable housing and urban gardening to develop a strategy for resource efficiency in Jakobsgårdarna. To achieve the aim, energy efficient affordable housing designed as modular units to achieve a local economic development. This study uses a design-based research method consisting of learning from background cases to transfer lesson learned in design phase of the sustainable neighborhood consisting of energy efficient technologies. Background cases were analyzed with literature review to define sustainable neighborhood, which was then used to develop a hypothesis. Findings of this thesis generates definition of sustainability tools consisting of a collaborative ownership; designing common kitchens; producing electricity and biogas from renewable energy sources; practicing urban agriculture; managing waste and storm and methods to cross subsidize energy efficient affordable housing production. The outcome of this research provides a sustainable neighborhood design proposal for Jacobsgårdarna, Borlänge.

As distance from a house to retail sites decreases the price of a house should increase, ceteris paribus, because of increased shopping convenience. On the other hand, as distance decreases price should also decrease because the house is exposed to increased spillover of disamenities – noise, light, traffic, etc. – from the retail use. The study uses Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal data and a parcel level Geographic Information system map from King County (Seattle) Washington. An hedonic process is used to estimate the price effects of both the expected positive and negative price effects. Travel distance is a proxy for convenience and Euclidian distance is a proxy for negative spillovers. Standard hedonic housing price variables are used for control along with distance to other classes of non-residential uses and indexes of neighborhood street layout and connectivity. In traditional gridiron neighborhood, both convenience and negative spillovers have the expected effect on housing price. The net effect is a price effect curve with a net decrease in price at very short distances between houses and retail sites. But, beyond a short distance to the extent of convenient walking distance (about ¼ mile) the net effect is positive. In a non-traditional edge city type neighborhood, there is no effect, either positive or negative. This is due to the much greater distances between residential uses and retail uses in this type neighborhood that result from zoning that segregates land uses and long travel distance resulting from curvilinear street layout.

In drylands, it is essential to maximize the coupling of social and ecological systems in order to achieve sustainability, particularly in human dominated landscapes such as cities. The enhanced use of greenspace in cities in drylands provides unique opportunities to maximize the coupling of social and ecological systems. It maintains the functioning of ecological systems while involving civil society in the conservation of biodiversity and improving human wellbeing in urban settings. The provision and access to greenspace in cities is determined by neighborhood design. The access for the human use of greenspace can be enhanced through walkability, or the characteristics of the built environment that influence physical activity. Walkable neighborhoods that provide access to greenspace can be catalysts for activity and health and have the potential to increase the level of conservation support in urban residents. The purpose of this research is to look for wellbeing and conservation synergies between walkable neighborhoods and the enhanced use of greenspace. To accomplish this research, first we assess walkability in the built environment through an interdisciplinary literature review that integrates the findings on walkability from several research domains. We create a conceptual framework that organizes the neighborhood design elements that influence physical activity into nine walkability categories: connectivity, land-use, density, traffic safety, surveillance, parking, experience, greenspace, and community. We call this the Walkability Framework. This analysis allows us to identify gaps and strengths of walkability in the Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) certification system. After a quantitative and qualitative analysis, we propose an enhanced version for walkability that we call LEED-NDW+ (walkability plus). The next step is to test if the Walkability Framework can be used as a model to measure the interactions between the built environment and physical activity. We accomplish this through the use of a questionnaire (N=486) that captures the perceptions, attitudes and behaviors of residents in Tucson, Arizona. Significant correlations between all the walkability categories and physical activity support the use of the framework as a model. We call this the Walkability Model. The final stage of this research uses the Walkability Model to evaluate walkability in four neighborhood design types in Tucson that include traditional development, suburban development, enclosed community, and cluster housing. We then look for wellbeing and conservation synergies between walkable neighborhoods and the enhanced use of greenspace. Results from this study suggest that neighborhoods with a high level of walkability have the potential to enhance the use of greenspace, which in turn provide important wellbeing and conservation synergies that can contribute to healthier communities and increase the support for conservation of biodiversity within and beyond cities. The enhanced use of greenspace maximizes the coupling of social and ecological systems in cities in drylands, which increases resilience in the face of climate change.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Stephanie A. Rolley / Equestrian Communities are platted housing developments that include amenities suited for horse boarding and riding. Since the mid 1970s, this particular sector of amenity community development has become an increasing trend. This study was designed to take a look at the way these communities are designed; where they are located; how they are managed; and, to whom they are marketed. Designing equestrian communities requires knowledge of how these communities are designed, where the land comes from, why people are buying into them and who those people are. Case study methodology was used to gather data on 22 communities across the US. Data sources included review of the marketing websites belonging to the communities; a literature review; and, interviews conducted with individuals responsible for the design and sales of the communities' lots or the management of the equestrian facilities. Statistics and images of the communities, including plats where available, were compiled into community "cut sheets" which are single-page synopses of each community.

This thesis studies New Urbanism, a movement intending to address the problems of the American suburbs and create pleasing and livable communities. The focus is on the Traditional Neighborhood Design concept (TND), one of the five types of New Urbanism developed in the late 1980's by architects Andre Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. The goal of this thesis is to develop the best community design concept, with a basis in the TND concept, which responds to local cultural and physical environments. The study is comprised of two approaches: a literature review and a design approach. In the first three chapters, the findings of the literature review are shown. There include (1) the history, structure, and problems of the American suburbs, (2) the theory and types of New Urbanism community structures, and (3) the characteristics of TNDs. At the end of Chapter 3 the TND concept is analyzed using four criteria comprised, uses and activities, public space, circulation and typological characteristics of architecture, as well as a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the TND concept are summarized. In Chapter 4 the development of a TND plan for the New Town of Williamsburg is shown, which includes the context of the site, history of Colonial Williamsburg, site inventory, site analysis, design concept, and design development. The design concept was developed from the findings of the site analysis and the improved TND concept. The conclusions in Chapter 5 provide an overview of this thesis, findings of both the research and design part, lessons from this thesis, and areas for future research / Master of Landscape Architecture