Dajun DaiRadon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring gas. It is currently the second leading cause of lung cancer and the number one cause of lung cancer to non-smokers in the United States. DeKalb County offers free screening for radon for residents. However, screening rates vary across the county. This pilot study focused on 14 selected tracts within DeKalb County with relatively low levels of radon screening. Over 200 households were recruited and homes were tested for indoor radon concentrations on the lowest livable floor over an 8-week period from March – May 2016. Tract-level characteristics were examined to understand the varitations of race, income, education, and poverty status between the 14 selected tracts and all of DeKalb County. The 14 selected tracts were comparable to all of DeKalb County in most factors besides race. Radon was detected in 73% of the homes sample and 4% had levels above the EPA guideline of 4 pCi/L. Multi-variate linear regression was used to compare all housing construction characteristics with radon concentrations and suggested that having a basement was the strongest predictive factor for detectable and/or hazardous levels of radon. Radon screening can identify problems and spur home owners to remediate but low screening rates may impact the potential health impact of free screening programs. More research should be done to identify why screening rates vary in order to identify ways to enhance screening and reduce radon exposure in DeKalb County.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Real Estate and Construction Development

While solar photovoltaic (PV) panels can offset fuel, emissions, and water use at the power plant, high levels of installed rooftop PV capacity can have negative impacts on the stability and efficiency of the local grid because of power factor (PF) degradation. Specifically, electric utilities have noted voltage fluctuations from solar PV that occur more dynamically than legacy, electromechanical voltage regulation solutions like capacitor banks are designed to correct. At the same time, distributed power electronics devices like inverters can provide the type of dynamic voltage support that utilities seek to maintain reliability while juggling load growth and a greening grid. Using data from Pecan Street Inc. Smart Grid Demonstration Project in Austin, Texas and Austin Water Utility (AWU), this research examines the potential for a three-phase, four quadrant variable speed drive (VSD) in the water sector to provide PF correction to a load pocket of 63 homes experiencing varying levels of PV penetration. In the analysis, the VSD is not reserved for voltage support; instead it is predominantly used to drive a 30 kilowatt (kW) centrifugal sewage pump. The simulation determines the degree to which the VSD can restore PF to a threshold of 0.95, slightly below the targeted value for Austin's electric utility. Further, the economic viability of using the VSD as a grid device is explored by comparing the per unit cost of the PF correction it provides to a current utility solution for dynamic voltage regulation. / text

Since the 1987 Brundtland Report, the development of urban areas has been considered a key determinant in achieving 'sustainability'. Greater residential density is increasingly advocated for and applied through policy statements around the world as a way of achieving this goal. Various tiers of New Zealand government are following international policy trends, developing programmes, protocols and strategies that promote sustainability and 'good' urban design practices through intensification, or concentration, within urban areas. Research shows that a policy framework of urban concentration, through greater residential density, is only successful where consumers and providers of housing support its practical application. Confrontation between policy and the market, and the acceptability of greater levels of residential density to residents, can jeopardise a policy's success. This research uses a mix of survey and interview techniques to determine the acceptability of "medium density" developments to residents, and to understand the practises and motivations of housing developers in Christchurch's "Living 3" zone. This zone is predominantly sited between the central business district and low-density suburban areas, making it ideally located to facilitate policies of intensification. The principle purpose of the zone is the development of medium-density residential accommodation, however greater residential density is relatively new to Christchurch where the potential for expansion is seemingly unbounded. The intention of this research is to assist the planning, production and performance of future developments. In conclusion, this thesis makes recommendations to improve the form and design of medium density residential developments in Christchurch's inner Living Three zone in terms of the market's producers and consumers.

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The release of land for new housing development represents a primary function of the planning system within the United Kingdom. At the same time, it represents one of the most debated aspects of land use planning. Indeed, on the 5th June 1996, at the annual conference of the Royal Town Planning Institute, the then Secretary of State for the Environment, John Gummer, appealed for a national debate on the provision on new housing. He stressed that the projected growth in housing demand would have severe implications for the environment unless many of the issues associated with the growth were fully and openly discussed. This research explores the allocation of housing land within a high growth area. Using the former Grampian Region (Scotland) as a case study, the research investigates the principal technical and procedural issues associated with the release of land for new housing development. A range of qualitative and quantitative techniques are employed, set within a 'Structure and Agency' framework. The initial quantitative stage includes a detailed analysis of planning applications, appeals and residential development figures for the Aberdeen area. This provides an overview of the location and nature of past housing development and enables the identification of a number of issues pertinent to the release of housing land. These issues are subsequently discussed with the principal agents involved, namely, planners, developers, elected councillors and the general public. The main findings of the study suggest that the scale and location of new housing development, has and will continue to, represent one of the most controversial aspects of land use planning. This controversy has a protracting effect on the preparation of structure and local development plans throughout the United Kingdom. These delays increase the difficulty of maintaining an adequate supply of housing land and consequently expose the system to the appeal process and ultimately, the control of the developer. This undermines the influence of the other agents (planners, councillors and the public) as the system becomes increasingly 'appeal-led' and controlled by central government. At a specific level, the research questions the medium to long-term capacity of the Aberdeen area to accommodate brownfield housing alongside the extent to which the current planning system caters for residential choice. It suggests that further greenfield releases may be necessary at a strategic level in order to provide an adequate supply (and choice) of housing land. The study argues that the current approach towards housing land allocation is overly concerned with releasing a sufficient supply of housing to meet demand and fails to consider the extent to which this land will provide an adequate choice of housing. It is considered that the predominance of flatted accommodation within redeveloped brownfield sites and associated failure to provide an adequate choice of house type, size and location will only exacerbate the public's desire for suburban and rural living. Reservations are also expressed with regard to the current direction of policy thinking on brownfield housing, in particular, the drive towards maximising the density of such housing and corresponding desire for local planning authorities to review industrial land allocations in favour of residential use. The study recommends that further research is required in order to address the issue of housing choice within a brownfield-led strategy. It also recommends that the current level of central government involvement in local decision making requires further investigation. The requirement for planning authorities to provide an adequate and continuous supply of housing land and the extent to which this prevents authorities from fully accounting for windfall sites within their housing land strategies represents another issue upon which future research is required. Above all, the study illustrates the manner in which debate on the issue of housing land has progressed over the last five years. This clearly strengthens its validity as an issue worthy of detailed consideration. In this respect, further research is needed to refine the land use planning system and ensure that the future allocation of housing land can be undertaken more effectively.