The purpose of this creative project is an inquiry into the design of environmentally responsive and human sensitive surface parking environments for dry temperate climate and results of the inquiry are applied to an existing parking lot for the 8th Street Market Place, Boise, Idaho. Major issues explored are the physical design and the relationship between surface parking lots as a place for both vehicles and pedestrians. The main focus is the provision of an appropriate number of parking stalls, incorporation of plants and harvest of stormwater. A key premise of the inquiry is that adequate parking is more than supplying all of the spaces physically possible, but examining different components of site use to better estimate the demand for parking. Incorporating plants, especially shade trees, can significantly modify the microclimate of a parking lot for the comfort of people within the space. Having trees fulfill their role in the landscape is largely dependent on providing sufficient below ground space. The majority of trees and other plants used in Boise originate from climates that receive more rain, which results in the need for supplemental irrigation to compensate their hydraulic requirements. Rather than viewing stormwater as a waste by product, stormwater can be used as a resource to irrigate these plants. Runoff can be used directly to irrigate plants, and/or be stored for later use. While this creative project examined a particular site, many of the concepts and techniques can be extended to other sites. / Department of Landscape Architecture

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Landscape Architecture

Thesis (M.S.)--Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005. / Dobbins, Michael, Committee Member ; Dagenhart, Richard, Committee Chair ; Hsu, Frances, Committee Member. Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Landscape Architecture

No description available.

Thesis (doctoral)--Friedrich-Wilhelm-Universität Bonn.

Urban areas are known to have different climatic conditions than their rural counterparts including higher temperatures, greater wind speeds, and increased precipitation otherwise known as urban heat islands, urban wind, and urban precipitation. These phenomena are all caused by the design and form of the city. Large amounts of impervious surface area, obtrusive buildings, and a lack of vegetation in the urban landscape all contribute to these problems. Landscape architects have the potential to mitigate urban heat islands, urban wind, and urban precipitation by understanding what causes these phenomena and knowing a few key principles by which to mitigate them. Parking lots can cover up to half of the land area in cities and offer a great opportunity to correct urban climate problems. This thesis looks at current United States parking lot ordinances to determine if and how well principles of designing with climate have been incorporated. Guidelines are then given to help in the construction of a parking lot ordinance that aims to ameliorate the city's mesoclimate. A design is then created that shows how these parking lot guidelines could be incorporated into a functional, aesthetically pleasing parking lot. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas State University Libraries

The surface parking lot was a key element in the destruction of traditional public space. It fragmented the fabric of traditional cities, prompting the sprawl of twentieth century cities and suburbs. The automobile permitted the average individual, for the first time in history, to move through public space insulated in a private shell, shielded from strangers and protected from undesirables. Consequently, the role of the sidewalk dwindled. The automobile and the parking lot dominated the pedestrian and the sidewalk, whose diminished vitality further encouraged widespread automobile use. As a result, the parking lot became one of the defining features of the American city. In the United States parking lots are expected to be utilitarian, prevalent and free. Even as traditional public spaces disappeared, there was little demand for new public spaces, particularly not in the parking lot. Through investigations of parking history and public space, this thesis argues that parking lots, by virtue of their visual and physical accessibility, are contemporary public space. Although they are singular in their use, in contrast to the multifaceted street, parking lots are the settings for modern public life. This thesis further asserts that the simple landscape of the utilitarian parking lot can be transformed into complex public space, thereby enlivening the public realm.

Thesis (M.S.)--Texas State University--San Marcos, 2009. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-54). Also available on microfilm.