Recent decades have seen many localities revisiting traditional town center-style development as a response to problems caused by sprawl. In some cases, these more compact developments occur in areas that are otherwise primarily suburban in character. Of the many facets of these developments, parking has one of the largest impacts on the compactness, walkability, and accessibility of those developments, but little information, academic or otherwise, exists to inform the planning of parking for mixed-use projects in an otherwise suburban environment. Many localities rely on zoning-based parking minimums, but a lack of situational parking strategies may limit the benefits of these suburban mixed-use projects. In an effort to ascertain trends or best practices in a suburban context, information on eleven mixed-use developments was collected from planners and developers. In addition, quantitative data related to the mix of uses and amount of parking in similar developments was obtained from Urban Land Institute case studies. The analysis revealed that in general, suburban municipalities do not capitalize on potential parking reductions created by mixing uses, do not truly share parking between uses, and do not implement parking regulation in the form of time limits or pricing. In a few cases, there were exceptions to these general trends, with some developments implementing detailed shared parking plans that have thus far been successful in balancing demand and supply. The related quantitative analysis suggests that the most important strategy as it relates to parking is to have a varied mix of uses in the development, with attention to those that have opposite peak times. Based on the case studies and shared parking analyses, recommendations for effective parking strategies for suburban, mixed-use development include: development of a shared parking plan, the use of ULI\'s Shared Parking as a starting point but not a final determinant in those shared parking plans, the use of proffers to require periodic checks on the shared parking supply, and ongoing local parking studies to better understand local need. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

This study is an examination of issues affecting the use of a shared graphic space (SGS). A working definition for an SGS is a virtual, computer-mediated blackboard that allows the simultaneous presentation and editing of visual information by two or more participants. The issues affecting the use of an SGS involve how people communicate with it. The addition of any technology into an already complicated situation like distance learning should be examined from multiple angles. In order to examine an SGS as a channel for communications, this study framed the SGS in terms of the nature of the feedback and noise that are present when we examine interactions in this space. This study examined 16 dyads interacting with whiteboard software to communicate solutions to 6 tangram puzzles. In all problem sets, participants used the text inherent in the whiteboard software as well as graphics to communicate potential solutions with each other in dyads. The participants also had access to audio for communications during either the first 4 or final 2 problem sets. Analysis of the results of this study show that the use of graphics for communication is dependent on accompanying communication channels. The addition of an audio channel for communications inhibited the use of text for communications. Graphics were used concurrently with audio as a dynamic enhancement to verbal communications. Graphics were not used concurrently with text. Graphics either occurred before or after text and were used as static illustrations or were used independent of text. The feedback mechanisms for the SGS were largely through the text or audio modes of communication. The graphic capabilities inherent to the SGS were an affordance to present and manipulate visual information. The SGS encourages new ways to interact and unique patterns of interactions between users. The manner in which graphics were used by each dyad was determined by the dyad and did not conform across the dyads. The unstructured nature of the SGS was a contributing factor in causing differentiation of the inter-dyad communication from intra-dyad communication. This lack of structure in the SGS was a source of noise in, as well as a source of freedom for, interactions in the SGS. The development of an etiquette for interacting in this unstructured space was developed dynamically and pragmatically and should be a source of future study. Shared space, that can be used for simultaneous, real time communications with graphics, changes the manner in which teachers and students can collaborate and construct new learning environments. / Ph. D.

Introduction: Childbirth is an important time in a client and patient’s life. The pregnant client seeks to obtain as much control over their circumstance as possible. The more perceived control in childbirth by the client, the better the outcomes are for the client-newborn dyad. One way that clients obtain control during childbirth is by participating in clinical decision making with their healthcare providers. This research intended to study the ways in which OB residents and midwifery students engaged in the understanding, learning and application of shared decision making with clients and patients. Methodology: This study utilised a constructivist grounded theory approach to obtain data and formulate a theory using semi-structured interviews with five senior obstetrical residents and five senior midwifery students from Ontario. Results: Qualitative data revealed four themes and eight sub-themes. Our theory describes the way residents and students absorb, mirror, and perform shared decision making through an informal process of observation and experience throughout their training. Our theory further describes how support for students and residents creates the foundation for learning shared decision making. Support includes how the mentor minimizes the impacts of the hierarchy of power in medical and midwifery education, as well as increasing psychological safety for the learner. Conclusion: The study results support the exploration of future methods for the teaching of shared decision making to obstetrical residents and midwifery students. Participants of this study agreed that more training is needed for shared decision making, as well as training for the mentor to ensure learners are optimizing their experience. More training needs to be available for mentors to help reduce the negative impacts of the hierarchy of power, and to increase psychological safety for the learner. / Thesis / Master of Health Sciences (MSc) / This thesis examines the ways in which obstetrical residents and senior midwifery students learn, understand and apply shared decision making in their training. Shared decision making is a way in which health care providers can work collaboratively with their patients or clients to make decisions that are best for their health. Both obstetrical residents and midwifery students were asked about how they understood shared decision making, and the process by which they learn and perform shared decision making. Childbirth is full of uncertainty and fear. Shared decision making may be one way that the pregnant patient or client navigates through the fear by having some control over their decision making. Our study intends to help understand how obstetrical residents and midwifery students gather the skills they need to do shared decision making and how best to support learners with this skill set in the future.

Decision analysis is a quantitative approach to decision-making that could bridge the gap between decisions based solely on evidence and the unique values and preferences of individual patients, a feature especially important when existing clinical evidence cannot support clear recommendations and there is a close balance between harms and benefits for the treatment options under consideration. Low molecular weight heparin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) during pregnancy represents one such situation. The objective of this thesis is to explore the use of a decision analysis intervention for shared decision-making for thromboprophylaxis during pregnancy. This thesis begins with a scoping review that explores the ways in which decision analysis has been used to inform shared decision-making encounters, highlighting key challenges for implementing and evaluating this type of intervention. This is followed by a protocol that presents the methodology of an explanatory sequential mixed methods pilot study for the Decision Analysis in SHared decision making for Thromboprophylaxis during Pregnancy (DASH-TOP) tool. This tool was pilot tested through interviews of eligible women in Canada and Spain who were facing the treatment decision for the prevention of VTE in the antenatal period. While the tool was well received by patients, more effective ways of obtaining patient preferences and presenting the decision analysis results are required to enhance shared decision-making interactions. Finally, this thesis concludes with a reflection on the lessons learned from developing and evaluating a decision analysis intervention for shared decision-making. The insights from this research have informed the development of an integrated online shared decision-making tool for VTE in the antenatal period, which the DASH-TOP team plans to evaluate in a randomized controlled trial. It is hoped that this information will also provide guidance to researchers interested in developing or evaluating decision analysis interventions for other clinical decisions. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

For my thesis project, I have chosen to explore the exaptation of a vacant office building doomed to be demolished in Stockholm into a residential tower. This project’s focus is the investigation of the reusability of our existing built environment in a sustainable way together with diverse collective living concepts and a comparison of the value added from a deconstruction, reuse and an environmentally sound concept versus a full demolition and subsequent new construction.The paramount challenges we are facing are the changing climate and limitation of natural resources. We have to address this issue by rethinking our societal and habitational models; the way we live, how we inhabit space, how do we use resources and consume goods and especially how do we design and build our cities.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the status of institutional stakeholders’ perceptions and application of shared governance on an American higher education campus and a counterpart in China and determine if there were differences among the groups of stakeholders both within and between the institutions. A 2-inventory researcher-developed survey of shared governance was used to measure each factor. The data analysis found significant differences among the 4 categories of participants at the Chinese institution. For the General Acceptance dimension of the Perceptions of Shared Governance Inventory (PSGI) the Chinese staff members reported significantly higher scores than all the other 3 categories. For the Implementation dimension of the PSGI the staff members and the students scored significantly higher than the administrators and the faculty members. For the 2 dimensions of the Application of Shared Governance Inventory (ASGI) the administrators reported significantly higher scores than the other categories. At the participating American university a significant difference was found between the students and the administrators in the General Acceptance dimension of the PSGI. However, no other significant differences were found. Comparisons between the American institution and the Chinese institution found that the Chinese faculty members scored significantly higher than their American counterparts in the General Acceptance dimension of the PSGI, but the American faculty members scored significantly higher in both the General Acceptance and the Implementation dimensions of the ASGI than the Chinese faculty members. The Chinese staff members and the Chinese students scored significantly higher than their American counterparts in both the General Acceptance and the Implementation dimensions of the PSGI, but the American staff members and the American students scored significantly higher in both the General Acceptance and the Implementation dimensions of the ASGI than their Chinese counterparts. Results of this study also indicate gender differences play no significant role in the reported scores of either the General Acceptance dimension or the Implementation dimension of the 2 inventories, and that years of service differences play a significant role only in two Chinese groups: the Chinese 31-or-more group in the PSGI and the 11-to-20 group in the ASGI.

The purpose of this research was to study customer-supplier relationships, and particularly their partnerships, to help managers and practitioners successfully design, develop, implement and deploy tools and joint practices for their upstream systems. To achieve this purpose, a total of 1,811 (potential mailed survey questionnaire respondents) and 7 (structured interviewees) managers who are responsible for purchasing, sales/ marketing, quality-related, and production- or operations-related functions of U.S. private manufacturing companies in SIC 35, 36, and 37 were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Using 172 usable mailed survey questionnaire responses (response rate: 9.78%) and qualitative data from the structured interviews, the following major findings were derived: • Four tools/joint practices most frequently used in customer-supplier relationships were supplier certification/verification, joint problem-solving teams, quality audits, and Just-In-Time production and delivery, • Five tools/joint practices that have been used most effectively were ISO 9000 and/or QS 9000 and/or Baldrige criteria, quality audit, JIT production/delivery, joint planning, and joint problem-solving teams, • Five tools/joint practices that have been most internalized were ISO 9000 and/or QS 9000 and/or Baldrige criteria, quality audit, JIT production/delivery, joint problem-solving teams, and supplier or customer performance measurement systems, • Overall perceived organizational performance improvement was 25% (30% quality improvement, 21% cost reduction, and 26% cycle time reduction). In addition to these findings, eight hypothesized relationships were tested using two independent variables (joint use of specific tools and joint use of practices) and four dependent variables (informed partners, role integrity, conflict resolution, and mutuality). The results showed that customer and supplier companies do not share the same experience with respect to the relationships between the two independent variables and conflict resolution. Using these findings, a set of practices was proposed as a means for further improving specific organizational performance dimensions and providing a mechanism to better share the consequences of joint action. / Ph. D.

Father involvement was examined multidimensionally using fathers' and children's reports. A total of 61 fathers and 143 children (intact families and stepfather families) from the Avon Brothers and Sisters Study (ABSS) participated in the current study. Measures of father involvement including engagement in shared activity, monitoring, positivity, and negativity were completed by fathers and children. Agreement between father and child reports of involvement was assessed, involvement was compared between biological fathers and stepfathers, and involvement was predicted statistically using father and child factors (e.g., age, gender). There were modest significant associations between fathers' and children's reports of monitoring of positive events, and father-child positivity. Compared to biological fathers, stepfathers did less monitoring of positive events, and were less positive towards their children. Biological relatedness was a significant predictor of monitoring positive events, monitoring negative events, and positivity. Consistent with previous theoretical and empirical accounts, this study demonstrated that being biologically related to your child influences the level of involvement in fathers. / Master of Science

Thesis advisor: Micah Lott / It has been commonly agreed by people that happiness is the ultimate end of human life and it is the only thing we pursue for the sake of itself. Yet, the path towards which we could attain real happiness has been under constant dispute. Some philosophers like Aristotle think the answer lies in contemplative activities while others like the stoics believe in the activities in accordance with virtue. This thesis aims to demonstrate that love is the path that could lead us to attain real happiness. By first exploring what love, specifically interpersonal love, is, the thesis will examine a loving stoic and how the stoic ideals of love are incompatible with real love, which involves taking on a shared identity with the beloved ones. Lastly, it will show that through loving selflessly and wholeheartedly, one could eventually attain true happiness. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Morrissey School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy. / Discipline: Departmental Honors.

The development of children’s language skills during the preschool years plays a crucial role in subsequent reading and school success. Some children may enter kindergarten with oral language skills that lag behind their peers’. Two such groups are children from low-socioeconomic status (SES) families and those who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Study 1 considered parents’ linguistic input during interactions with their Head Start pre-kindergarten children in two conversational contexts. The first, shared storybook reading, has featured prominently in early language interventions but proven less efficacious among low-SES samples. The second, shared reminiscing, offers a theoretically promising setting in which to promote child vocabulary skills but lacks empirical support. This study examined features of parental language known to relate to children’s vocabulary, including parents’ quantity of speech, lexical diversity, syntactic complexity, and intent to elicit child language. Parents’ and children’s expressive vocabulary knowledge was also considered. Forty parent-child dyads’ conversations during storybook reading and shared reminiscing were audiorecorded, transcribed, analyzed, and coded. Paired t-tests revealed that, while parents talked more during book reading, they used greater levels of syntactic complexity and language-eliciting talk during shared reminiscing. Parents’ own vocabulary knowledge was related to their children’s but not to linguistic input in either context. Study 2 considered the oral narrative skills of DHH preschoolers relative to language-matched hearing children. School-age DHH children often experience delays in the development of narrative skills compared to their hearing peers. Little is known about the narrative abilities of DHH children during the preschool years. This study examined 46 DHH and 58 vocabulary-matched hearing preschoolers’ overall language production, lexical diversity, syntactic complexity, and narrative comprehension skills. DHH children produced a similar number of words and demonstrated similar levels of narrative understanding compared to their hearing peers. However, DHH children’s narratives contained significantly less complex syntax. Gains in lexical diversity differed by group, with DHH children demonstrating less growth over the course of the school year despite making more gains on a standardized measure of vocabulary. Implications for instruction, assessment, and future research are discussed for both low-SES and DHH children.