This exploratory research utilized a qualitative focus group of seven participants to see what insights older lesbian women provide toward impacting understanding of their perceived isolation, perceived invisibility, health needs and access to social services that are congruent with LGBTQ+ culture. The participants were recruited through snowball sampling. After the completion of the data collection, data were thematically analyzed and color coded. The significance of this study was to gain greater insight into the specific needs and areas of concerns of a vulnerable population. This greater insight may lead to social workers’ being able to provide better services for lesbian women. The major themes derived from the data were separated by access, homophobia, invisibility, social support, and health. Sub-themes included: quality of healthcare, support system, community involvement, political climate, coming out, need for LGBTQ+ specific services, discrimination (sexism/homophobia), finances, relationship status, health issues and social limitations, quality of life, planning, invisibility.

This thesis focuses on the application of scientific information and planning support system (PSS) technologies to community planning and decision-making processes. Years of scientific research and recent technologicaladvances have produced a wealth of information and increased accessibility to this information. Technological advances have also enhanced the types of analysis that can be done to support planning and decision-making processes. However, having the capability to access this wealth of information and perform advanced analyses does not necessarily mean it results in incorporation of the data and analysis into. the planning or decision-making process. The main objective of this research is to devise a methodology to evaluate the role and impact of PSS technologies and scientific information on community level planning and decision-making processes. The methodology consists of six areas of focus: (l) issue of concern; (2) characteristics of the planning and decision-making process; (3) relevance of science to the issue; (4) capabilities ofthe PSS system; (5) roles and capabilities of the planners and decision-makers; and (6) impact of the science. The methodology is applied to Walden, Tennessee as the town goes through the process of creating a conservation-oriented zoning ordinance.

This thesis focuses on the application of scientific information and planning support system (PSS) technologies to community planning and decision-making processes. Years of scientific research and recent technologicaladvances have produced a wealth of information and increased accessibility to this information. Technological advances have also enhanced the types of analysis that can be done to support planning and decision-making processes. However, having the capability to access this wealth of information and perform advanced analyses does not necessarily mean it results in incorporation of the data and analysis into. the planning or decision-making process.The main objective of this research is to devise a methodology to evaluate the role and impact of PSS technologies and scientific information on community level planning and decision-making processes. The methodology consists of six areas of focus: (l) issue of concern; (2) characteristics of the planning and decision-making process; (3) relevance of science to the issue; (4) capabilities ofthe PSS system; (5) roles and capabilities of the planners and decision-makers; and (6) impact of the science.The methodology is applied to Walden, Tennessee as the town goes through the process of creating a conservation-oriented zoning ordinance.

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Urban sprawl is the uncontrolled and uncoordinated outgrowth of towns and cities. Noting the various studies, the pattern of urban sprawl is characterised by using spatial metrics based on the extent of paved surface or built-up areas. The process of urban sprawl can be described by change in pattern over time, like proportional increase in built-up surface to population leading to rapid urban spatial expansion. With an understanding of the patterns, processes and causes of urban sprawl, the consequences of sprawl can be explored which are reflected by the patterns, thus eventually aiding in the design of spatial planning support system. Following the sequence of patterns, process, causes and consequence, sets the research agenda as the framework for this research. The current research addresses the issue of urban sprawl in the context of Bangalore, India. We propose a theoretical framework to analyse the interaction of planning and governance on the extent of outgrowth and level of services. Reviewing the different indicator frameworks, we also propose urban sprawl indicators and operationalise the same for Bangalore. The indicators comprise spatial metrics (derived from temporal satellite remote sensing data) and other metrics obtained from a house-hold survey. The interaction of different indicators with respect to the core city and the outgrowth is determined by multidimensional scaling. The analyses reveal the underlying patterns -similarities (and dissimilarities) that relate with the different governance structures that prevail here. Subsequently, we attempt to understand the process of sprawl. This might help one to understand the dynamics that lead to such outgrowths. An attempt was made to capture the dynamics using systems approach and finally the insights gained were translated into agent-based land-use model. Noting the evolution of spatial planning support system (SPSS), the consequences of sprawl are explored. The SPSS developed on an agent-based modelling environment, is essentially a process-based land-use model. We highlight the need for an integrated SPSS, illustrating its development and evaluation. The policy analysis carried out using the SPSS offers insights into areas of concern. It is concluded by noting the drawbacks and challenges for future research for managing urban sprawl. In the present context, with the escalating problem of urban sprawl, the evolution of a SPSS in the form of the BangaloreSim model is the first step in this direction. The SPSS aids in undertaking policy analysis for certain policy measures and its consequences on urban land-use. The research concludes outlining the challenges in addressing urban sprawl while ensuring adequate level of services that planning and governance have to ensure towards achieving sustainable urbanisation.

Detta examensarbete syftar till att svara på ett av Trafikverket fastställt problem: en gemensam regional cykelplanerings process skulle göra dem billigare och mer jämförbara. De erbjuder för närvarande planerarna en modell som utvecklades av Kågeson 2007. Denna modell har formen av en rapport som ger råd om när man ska bygga en cykelväg mellan städer eller platser i en region. Ändå används den bara i endast 6 av de 21 svenska länen. Trafikverket kräver ett nytt planeringsstödverktyg, mer interaktivt och komplett än Kågeson-modellen. Några nya önskade funktioner är separationen av efterfrågan per syfte, införandet av e-cyklar, olika resesyfte och en prioritering av investeringarna.  Examensarbetet är att designa och implementera det här verktyget, även kallat Planning Support System (PSS), som syftar till att jämföra utbud och efterfrågan på cykelväg till prioritering av infrastrukturförbättringar. En huvudbegränsning för modellen är att den måste vara billig datavis, men så komplett och exakt som möjligt. Det baseras på flera öppna dataleverantörer, till exempel OpenStreetMap, den svenska nationella vägdatabasen (NVDB) eller reseundersökningar från Sverige och Nederländerna. Resultatet är en modell, uppdelad efter turändamål och typ av cykel.  Del för efterfrågeuppskattning anpassar en klassisk fyrsteg transportmodell till cykelplanering och begränsad data. För olika resändamål genereras och distribueras resor tack vare en ursprungs begränsad gravitationsmodell. Valet av cykelläge är anpassat till det faktiska resebeteendet genom logistisk regression med en binär logit-modell. Resorna tilldelas sedan nätverket med tilldelnings metoden "allt-eller-ingenting" genom Dijkstras algoritm. För att utvärdera cykelförsörjningen använde vi ett mått som heter Level of Traffic Stress (LTS), som uppskattar den potentiella användningen av en nätverkslänk för olika delar av befolkningen som en funktion av vägnätvariablerna. Prioriteringsrankningen är då förhållandet mellan mått på efterfrågan och utbud.  Detta nya verktyg implementeras med opensource Geographic Information System (GIS) som heter QGIS och med Python 3 och testas i Södermanlands län / This Master Thesis main objective is to answer a problem set by the Swedish Transport Administration: a common regional bicycle planning process would them cheaper and more comparable. They currently offer the planners a model developed by Kågeson in 2007. This model takes the form of a report which advises on when to build a bicycle path between cities or places of a region. Still, it is only used in only 6 of the 21 Swedish counties. Trafikverket requires a new planning support tool, more interactive and complete than the Kågeson model. Some new desired features are the separation of demand per purpose, the inclusion of e-bikes, different trip purposes, and a prioritization of the investments.  The Degree Project work is to design and implement this tool, also called Planning Support System (PSS), which compares supply and demand for bicycle path to prioritizing infrastructure improvements. A main constraint for the model is that it needs to be cheap data-wise, but as complete and precise as possible. It bases on several open data providers, such as OpenStreetMap, the Swedish National Road Database (NVDB), or Travel Surveys from Sweden and the Netherlands. The result is a model, disaggregated by trip purpose and type of bicycle.  The demand estimation part adapts a classic four-step transportation model to bicycle planning and limited data. For different trip purposes, trips are generated and distributed thanks to an origin-constrained gravity model. Bicycle mode choice is fit to actual travel behaviour through logistic regression with a binary logit model. The trips are then assigned to the network using the "all-or-nothing" assignment method through the Dijkstra algorithm. To evaluate bicycle supply, we used a metric called Level of Traffic Stress (LTS), which estimates the potential use of a network link by different parts of the population as a function of the road network variables. The prioritization ranking is then the ratio between demand and supply metrics.  This new tool is implemented with the opensource Geographic Information System (GIS) called QGIS and with Python 3, and it is tested on Södermanland County.

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