Personal and shared events have led me to regard nature as providing a space in which certain beneficial experiences are unique. Reinforced by popular culture and scientific inquiry this primordial disposition to the environmentally natural is hardly investigated through architecture. The term ecological in design is mostly attributed to bio-mimicry form making and resource sustainable design, but is under-explored as a purely human psychological benefit. Evidence of the unique American connection to nature is clear in our tradition of exploration and camping. While the current disconnect with nature is tied directly to politics, economy, and urban extents of the American landscape. Traditional urban parks find subtractions in the city to preserve or sometimes create a natural environmental state. The last century of urban disinvestment combined with the aforementioned hinterland expansion has led to even less creating of parks, and more hyper-capitalistic intrusion into the public realm. Most recently a wave f downtown resurgence, both by the citizen and developer makes it the ideal spot for a ABSTRACT new civic park. This vertical park located in the Financial District of New York City will respond to the ultimate of American urban verticality and synthetic form. And its purposeful inefficiency as a profit generator can partially sustain itself through luxury profit nodes catered to the surrounding community. Inspired by computational design, Japanese patterns and layers, and synthetic replication of the organic; the towers only resemblance to typical skyscrapers is in its ambition. / 0 / SPK / specialcollections@tulane.edu

Day laborers are a visible indication of an increasingly problematic immigration policy in the U.S. Their presence in area parking lots has agitated local residents, who demand action by municipalities. This thesis explores the issue of day labor waiting sites in the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. region and proposes a physical design solution to help integrate these sites into existing neighborhoods. A literature review provides background in plaza form and history, as well as some theories on immigration and assimilation. The case study examines a publicly-funded day labor waiting center. Lessons learned from this case study, as well as site analysis and a review of user needs, are then applied to the final design. The design takes the resilient public space type of the plaza and adapts it to the day laborers' unique set of requirements, resulting in a multi-functional space that serves a diverse set of demands. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Lam Li. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2001-2002, design report." / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [93]-[95]). / Acknowledgment --- p.2 / Chapter 1 --- Thesis Statement --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1 --- Hypothesis / Chapter 1.2 --- Statement / Chapter 1.3 --- Objectives / Chapter 1.4 --- Scope of Work / Chapter 2 --- Research --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- "Reading on Spirit of Place : < Genius Loci>, Christian" / Chapter 2.2 --- "Reading on the <Image of City>, Kevin Lynch" / Chapter 2.3 --- Reflections on the Two Readings / Chapter 2.4 --- Studies on the Recent History of City Planning / Chapter 2.5 --- Precedent Study: An Art City - Paris / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Haussmann: Paris Transformed / "The Rebuilding of Paris, 1852-1870" / Chapter 2.5.2 --- "The Place Louis-XV, 1757-90" / Chapter 2.5.3 --- New development scheme for Paris by Henry Bernard (1965-67) / Chapter 2.5.4 --- The new city centre - les Forum des halles by C. Vasconi - G. Pencreac'h 1982 / Chapter 2.6 --- Research on Public Art / Chapter 2.7 --- Writing: <An Urban Pubic Space - The Hong Kong Culture Centre> / Chapter 3 --- Special Studies on Piazza Delia Signoria and Uffizi Gallery in Florence --- p.43 / Chapter 3.1 --- The City: Florence / Chapter 3.2 --- Piazza Delia Signoria / Chapter 3.3 --- Uffizi Gallery / Chapter 4 --- Site Analysis --- p.48 / Chapter 4.1 --- The City: Hong Kong / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Landscape / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Major Site Influences / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Victoria Harbour / Chapter 4.1.4 --- West Kowloon New Cultural District Competition / Chapter 4.2 --- "The District: Neighborhoods: Kowloon City District, Wong Tai Sin District and Kowoon Bay District" / Chapter 4.3 --- The Region: Old Kai Tak Airport / Chapter 4.3.1 --- History / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Character / Chapter 4.3.3 --- East Kowloon Development Proposal / Chapter 4.4 --- Ma Tau Kok / Chapter 4.5 --- Cattle Depot Artist Village / Chapter 5 --- Design Development --- p.72 / Chapter 5.1 --- Planning Strategy 1: Preliminary Proposal of Master Layout Plan / Chapter 5.2 --- Planning Strategy 2: The Organisation of art institutions in Hong Kong / Chapter 5.3 --- Planning Strategy 3: The Artists' Path and the Nodes - the Cattle Artist new Cultural area in Kai Tak / Chapter 5.4 --- Preliminary Design / Chapter 5.5 --- Final Design / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Street Design / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Theatre Design / Chapter 5.6 --- Final Presentation / Chapter 6 --- Bibliography --- p.91 / Chapter 7 --- Reference --- p.92

No abstract

As our contemporary cities continue to revitalize, redefine, and reassert themselves on an international scale, public spaces provide an opportunity to lend the sense of place which makes cities unique and compelling. Several cities such as Toronto, Chicago, and most notably Bilbao have commissioned world renowned architects to design a project in their signature style. These projects are generally anticipated with great excitement, yet once they are completed and a few years have passed, the initial enthusiasm fades along with the international recognition which originated the object. In the end, these projects, regardless of how well they are liked by the citizens of a city, seem to lack a sense of authenticity. Citizen participation offers an opportunity to develop public spaces in a way that will reintroduce the citizen into its built environment. Rather than merely offering a beautiful space, the participatory design model recognizes the collaborative potential with the citizen, and embraces it. This research-based thesis seeks to understand the growing movement of citizen participation and the role it can play in the design of urban public spaces. Furthermore, it examines the role of the architect and how one can begin to successfully integrate the citizen into the design process. The research is divided into three sections. First, a survey of the literature surrounding the field of participation provides an understanding of different attitudes and methods regarding citizen involvement and why its integration into the design of public spaces is important. Second, a series of case studies with varying levels of citizen participation were examined for the role the architect and his/her relationship with the citizen, as well as the overall effectiveness public participation had on the end result. Finally, the third section illustrates two applications of a participation workshop, originally designed by Proboscis, both located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This thesis maintains that citizen participation is not only beneficial to the development of urban public spaces but is essential if one wishes to design a space that can empower a neighbourhood and its city. Moreover, public spaces designed through the participatory design model allows for citizens to take ownership for the space and appropriate it as their own, which will lead to its continual development, transforming the space into a locus for the city.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--Dalhousie University (Canada), 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.C.R.P.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 257-269).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 225-234).

Thesis (M.U.D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 86).