No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The issues surrounding the distribution and management of ecosystem resources in local communities in the face of climate change have never been more relevant. This qualitative study seeks to explore the understanding and implications surrounding environmental justice in local communities in the framework of environmental courses provided by organization “A” in northern Tanzania. The environmental justice indicator framework served as a conceptual framework to analyze the stakeholders' understanding and the local communities' experience surrounding different dimensions of environmental justice. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were carried out with a total of 25 participants for data collection and analysis. A thematic analysis methodology provided several findings related to the contrast in substantive, distributive and procedural justices in relation to the environmental courses provided by the organization “A” and the local authorities. The study highlights the dynamics of access, power and control and the implications of intersectionality in relation to the distribution of ecosystem resources in the targeted rural communities. Concludingly, the research study highlights the need for more advocacy, coordination and efforts from the stakeholders, local authorities and local communities in achieving environmental justice for everyone.

För att underlätta skapandet av spelbanor i spel så används ofta Procedural Content Generation (PCG). Det finns dock en stor mängd PCG-algoritmer med olika tillämpningar. Detta arbete undersöker och jämför tre algoritmer vid skapandet av 2D grottsystem utifrån kriterierna; tidseffektivitet, tillgänglighet och variation. Algoritmerna som jämförs är cellular automata, Perlin noise och Voronoi. Syftet med jämförelsen är att ge en bättre förståelse förde tre algoritmernas för- och nackdelar, med förhoppning om att underlätta valet av PCGal-goritmer i framtiden. Arbetet implementerades i spelmotorn Unity (2022a) och skrevs i C#. Kriteriet tidseffektivitet testades med hjälp av en tidtagarursklass, tillgänglighet med hjälp av en flood fill algoritm och variation med hjälp av en algoritm från Alwidian, Abu-Mansour och Ali (2012). Resultaten visade att Voronoi presterade bäst vid kriteriet tillgänglighet och variation (4x4), (8x8). Cellular automata presterade bäst vid kriteriet tidseffektivitet och variation (16x16). Perlin noise presterade varken bra eller dåligt på något test. Sammanfattningsvis presterade Voronoi bäst, därefter Perlin noise och slutligen cellular automata. / <p>Det finns övrigt digitalt material (t.ex. film-, bild- eller ljudfiler) eller modeller/artefakter tillhörande examensarbetet som ska skickas till arkivet.</p>

The potential of L-systems is explored byprocedurally generating patterns for use as video game content.By procedurally generating content for video games, thedevelopment costs of game development can be significantlyreduced. An artifact in the form of a tower defense game isdeveloped and tested to evaluate the generation algorithm. Thealgorithm was successful in generating a wide range of pattern anduser feedback indicates a high level of perceived variation. Thealgorithm is highly customizable and could have applications invarious game content such as particle systems or weapons

Att skapa digitala spel och anställa utvecklare är en kostsam process. Genom att använda procedurell generering av spelinnehåll kan spelföretag skära ner på produktionstid och kostnad. Denna uppsats utvärderar och jämför de olika styrkor och svagheter som finns när man genererar spelbanor för ett 2D pussel- och plattformsspel med en evolutionär generator och en regelbaserad generator. Den evolutionära generatorn använder sig av grammatisk evolution, medan den regelbaserade generatorn är ett strikt kontrollerat system som använder sig av generativ grammatik. Banorna som skapas av de båda metoderna utvärderas genom användarstudier, kombinerat med en analys av tiden och komplexiteten för att utveckla generatorerna. Datan från utvärderingarna visar att den regelbaserade metoden var något mer uppskattad av användare, samtidigt som den var mindre komplex att implementera. Den evolutionära generatorn är dock bättre lämpad för att expandera tillsammans med spelet, och har potentialen att prestera bättre på lång sikt. / Creating digital games and hiring developers is a costlyprocess. By utilizing procedural content generation, game companiescan reduce the time and cost of production. This thesis evaluates andcompares the different strengths and weaknesses of generating levelsfor a 2D puzzle platformer game using an evolutionary and a rule-basedgenerator. The evolutionary approach adopts the use of grammaticalevolution, whereas the rule-based generator is a strictly controlledsystem using generative grammars. The levels produced by eachmethod are evaluated by user studies and combined with an analysis ofthe time and complexity of developing each generator. The datapresented by the evaluations shows that the rule-based approach wasslightly more appreciated by users, and was also less complex toimplement. However, the evolutionary generator would scale better ifthe game would expand, and has the potential of performing better inthe long term

Procedural content generation (PCG) can be a useful tool for aiding creativityand efficiency in the process of designing game levels. Mixed-initiative level genera-tion tools where a designer and an algorithm collaborate to iteratively generate gamelevels have been used for this purpose – taking advantage of the combination of com-putational efficiency and human intuition and creativity. However, it can be difficultfor designers to work with tools that do not respond to the common language of games:game design patterns.It has been demonstrated that game design patterns can be integrated into PCGalgorithms, but formally-defined and hierarchically-arranged game design patternshave not yet been used as a means of increasing gameplay-based control in mixed-initiative dungeon generators. We present a method for evolving dungeon rooms usingmulti-level game design patterns in the objective function of a genetic algorithm, aswell as an instantiation of this method in a mixed-initiative dungeon design tool. Ourresults show that we are able to control the frequency and type of design patterns ingenerated rooms using pattern-related input parameters, enabling us to create dungeonrooms containing a wide variety of patterns on different levels of abstraction.Results from a small-scale user study of professional game developers suggest thatthe use of game design patterns in mixed-initiative level design tools can be a promisingway of providing a good starting point when designing a level, as well as offeringmeaningful gameplay related feedback throughout the design process. We also identifychallenges that will need to be faced if game design pattern-based mixed-initiative leveldesign tools are to become a part of the game designer’s toolkit.

This research seeks to investigate the impact of equitable development strategies on urban environmental justice. I focused on the extent to which the processes that accompany the highly visible large-scale park planning projects promote equity and inclusion in the Rail Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington D.C. This research focuses on natural urban environment settings, with attention given to the development of highly visible parks projects that take at least partial inspiration from New York City’s High Line Park. Park development in underserved neighborhoods can lead to green gentrification. Thus, equity concerns are raised, as the very residents that would benefit the most from environmental improvements such as green space remediation and expansion are more likely to be excluded due to their development. I employed a qualitative methodology utilizing content analysis and 33 in depth interviews were conducted at two park project sites in Philadelphia and Washington D.C. Based on grounded theory, I explored stakeholder attitudes, feelings, and perceptions tied to varied notions of equity and the engagement levels of planning processes connected to park project development. Trust capital emerged as a major theme in the perceived efficacy of development processes that pursue equitable goals. This factor fluctuates with stakeholder perceptions of equity and the legitimization of socioeconomic concerns expressed by the community in urban green infrastructure development. This research concludes that the inclusion of an equitable development (ED) process impacts greening project implementation and the individuals involved. / Geography