No description available.

The main aim of this study is to analyse and evaluate the changing identity of the built environment in Tripoli. In search of a definition for identity, the research found that identity is a combination of similarity and difference, creating a sense of uniqueness with which individuals, groups and societies identify with each other but distinguish themselves from others. Identity is, therefore, dynamic, always defined in relation to others rather than in isolation, and is created through continued existence through time and space, through memory and continuity. Three inter-related types of identity (individual, group and social identity) create a balance between individual creativity and the sense of community. A major component of the sense of identity for individuals, groups and societies is their physical environment. In particular, some elements of the physical environment appear to make a strong contribution to the sense of place and identity. These are the natural environment, such as the countryside and the sea that surrounded the city, as well as the city's homes, streets, open spaces, markets and mosques. These physical elements are created according to people's cultural and social values, principles and beliefs. A major change in these elements can be considered a change in the identity of the city. To evaluate this change of identity, the study used a historical and social analysis. The historical analysis showed how these elements were transformed during the course of the twentieth century. It identified three stages of transformation: traditional, colonial and modern (or postcolonial). The social analysis found a number of variables that link people with their physical environment and shape the sense of identity of the place: safety and privacy, attachment and commitment, self-expression, memory and continuity. The research then combined the historical and social analysis by interviewing 300 residents in three areas of the city, each representing one stage of identity transformation. These residents, as well as some academics, architects and planners, were asked to evaluate these environments. The findings of this study illustrated the changing characteristics of the built environment as well as the underlining forces and circumstances forming the identity of each area. The examination illustrated the lack of physical and cultural continuity where each area developed and changed in response to different circumstances (socio-cultural, economic and political). An appraisal of the architecture and urban characters of the three areas demonstrated the lack of design continuity leading to the fragmentation of the urban structure. Associated with this fragmentation, there has been a gap between the development of the built environment and the needs, principles and values of Tripoli society. These gaps and discontinuities have created tensions and shortcomings in the life and identity of the city. The three main historical periods have each left a mark on the city, creating a city of multiple identities. The traditional city still is valued highly by Tripoli residents for its architectural features and its conforming with traditional social values. It is, however, not popular with the younger people, who are the future of the city, for its inability to accommodate modern lifestyles. The colonial city is an alien creation that has particular architectural values, such as its arcades and open spaces. It is not however, suitable for the Libyan family size and lifestyle. The modern neighbourhoods are not often successful in their architecture. They are more suitable in general for Libyan families, but remain unsuccessful from a number of aspects, especially in satisfying the older people. In comparison, the findings indicated a higher level of satisfaction among the respondents in the traditional area regarding their physical environment. This was partly due to the design concepts that were in line with local social, cultural, political, economic and climatic conditions. However, later developments and changes have not been related to the local conditions to the same extent and have negatively affected the process of city formation. The three areas that reflect the history of the city have their own strengths and weakness. The future of the city grows out of this diversity of identities. There is much that can be learnt from the lessons of each area, as well as of the co-existence of old and new that characterises the identity of the built environment in Tripoli. A major lesson is that the success of built environment largely depends on how far it relates to the local physical and social conditions.

No description available.

The population of Greater Roanoke Area during the last decade grew by ten percent. The recent growth has changed the countryside. The agricultural lands in this area has been replaced by sprawling housing subdivisions and strip commercial development. Greater Roanoke Area and its surrounding areas now face problems of traffic congestion, visual and environmental degradation due to commercial and residential growth. Greater Roanoke Area will need an innovative open space plan which preserves the natural character and unique qualities of the place. Many other regions and counties in the United States share similar concerns and needs. There has been parallel progress in the field of landscape ecology and landscape planning for better understanding of our environment. The primary goal of this thesis is to use concepts from both of these fields with an intent of developing an approach which will help both planners and landscape architects to plan and design for open space in a way that meets long term ecological needs and concerns. This thesis develops a process whereby an optimum spatial pattern for Greater Roanoke Area (one that maintains biodiversity, protects natural and cultural resources, improves water quality, protects soils, and increases productivity) is derived. This open space planning approach can in turn be used to guide other regions and counties in developing ecologically grounded open space plans. Spatial attributes, functions and the change dynamics of the landscape are targeted and analyzed to provide a foundation for an open space plan. Management priorities are then established for protecting, enhancing, and restoring agricultural lands, forest lands, wetlands, streams, and special sites. The tools for preserving open space areas are education, community involvement and government regulations. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Infrastructure and open space planning can be brought together to create a system of multiuse corridors that accommodate multiple types of infrastructure, recreation trails and open space, while protecting natural resources. Some of the potential benefits of this system is more efficient use of fewer utility easements, a more comprehensive open space system that can be paid for by utility users, and less environmental damage from utility placement. A multiuse corridor planning process is described that is meant to be used by a multiple disciplinary team to plan for infrastructure and open space in the context of town, city or region. This process inventories all human infrastructure such as roads, waterlines, and electric and natural infrastructure, such as streams, rivers, forests, wetlands, and geologic features. An assessment is made on what areas are most likely to need infrastructure in the future and a conceptual plan is put together to best serve those needs. A conceptual open space plan is created to serve the needs of future development areas. The infrastructure and the open space plans are woven together using routing guidelines and typical multiuse corridor sections to best design these multiuse corridors. This thesis brings together infrastructure and open space planning at the city and regional level. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Studien utforskar hur ideal från den deliberativa demokratiteorin speglas i ett svenskt planeringsfall som går att definiera som ett informellt samarbetsnätverk, eller ’soft space in planning’. Syftet med arbetet är att delge en ökad kunskap kring den problematik som kan uppstå när aktörer å ena sidan vill effektivisera planeringsformerna men å andra sidan också måste säkerställa att de demokratiska grunderna vidhålls. Arbetet utgår ifrån deltagandet i och observerandet utav ett exploateringsprojekt i en svensk kommun där kommunen tillsammans med en byggaktör och arkitekt inlett en process utanför den lagstadgade planprocessen för att komma fram till en gemensam vision. Observationerna kompletteras med en intervjustudie där en informant från respektive aktör intervjuats. Sammanfattningsvis visade resultatet att en av grundprinciperna för processen var att skapa en arena för öppen diskussion angående de värden som önskades inkorporeras i platsens utformning. Under processens gång fanns det moment som upprätthöll de deliberativa idealen genom att tillåta alla aktörers representanter en plats i samtalet. Däremot innehöll processen också moment som kunde uppfattas som utmanande för några deltagare vilket riskerade att hämma deras åsiktsutryckande. Sammantaget gav deltagarna en positiv bild av processens genomförande och utfall även om den i vissa aspekter lämnade lite att önska gällande de deliberativa idealens säkerställande. Detta till trots argumenterar arbetet att utfallet kan anses stå på demokratiska grunder även om inte alla deliberativa ideal uppfyllts fullständigt. / The study explores how ideals from deliberative democracy theory are reflected in a Swedish planning case that can be defined as an informal cooperation network, or ‘soft space in planning’. The purpose of the work is to share increased knowledge about the problems that may arise when actors on the one hand want to streamline planning methods, but on the other hand also must maintain the democratic foundations. The work is based on participation in and observation of a development project in a Swedish municipality where the municipality, together with a developer and architect, initiated a process outside the statutory planning process to arrive at a common vision. The observations are supplemented by an interview study in which an informant from each actor was interviewed. In summary, the results showed that one of the basic principles of the process was to create an arena for open discussion regarding the values that were desired to be incorporated into the design of the site. During the process, there were moments that maintained the deliberative ideals by allowing everyone a place in the conversation. However, the process also contained elements that could be perceived as challenging for some participants, which risked inhibiting their expression of opinion. Overall, the participants gave a positive picture of the process's implementation and outcome, even though it left a little to be desired in confirming some aspects of the deliberative ideals. Despite this, the study argues that the outcome can be considered to be on democratic grounds even if not all deliberative ideals were fulfilled completely.

This thesis focuses on the development of an innovative location-based scheduling methodology and a computer-based model for improving earthwork operations in road construction projects. Analysis of existing planning and scheduling practices in road construction projects conducted in the course of this research concluded that planning, scheduling and resource allocation are largely dependent on subjective decisions. Also, shortcomings exist due to the distinct characteristics of earthworks, e.g. one-off projects with uncertain site conditions and soil characteristics, causing delays and cost overruns of projects. The literature review found that existing linear scheduling methods provide inaccurate location-based information about earthworks and fail to integrate different productivity rates. A survey was used to capture and analyse industrial practices and issues related to delays and cost overruns. This analysis revealed that the accurate location-based information is vital for efficient resource planning and progress monitoring. Following these findings, a theoretical framework and specification were developed to automate location-based scheduling and visualisation of information. A prototype model was developed by integrating road design data, sectional quantities, productivity rates, unit cost, site access points, and arithmetic algorithms. The algorithms underpinning the model enable the generation of time-location plans automatically as a key output of the model. Weekly progress profiles, space congestion plans, and cost S-curves are the other outputs. A cut-fill algorithm was developed to identify optimum quantities of earthwork and its associated costs. Experiments were conducted with design data provided by a road construction company to demonstrate the model‟s functionality. Sensitivity analysis was used to identify the critical factors relating to earthwork scheduling. It was found that the model is capable of generating time-location plans, considering the critical factors and location aspects. Finally, the model was evaluated using a case study and validated by road construction professionals using an indirect comparison method. It was concluded that the model is a valuable tool for producing location-based scheduling, optimising resource planning and assisting in the communication of scheduling information from the location viewpoints in the earthwork projects.

Physically based space planning is a means for automating the conceptual design process by applying the physics of motion to space plan elements. This methodology provides for a responsive design process, allowing a designer to easily make decisions whose consequences propagate throughout the design. It combines the speed of automated design methods with the flexibility of manual design methods, while adding a highly interactive quality and a sense of collaboration with the design. The primary assumption is that a digital design tool based on a physics paradigm can facilitate the architectural space planning process. The hypotheses are that Newtonian dynamics can be used 1) to define mechanical metaphors to represent the elements in an architectural space plan, 2) to compute architectural space planning solutions, and 3) to interact with architectural space plans. I show that space plan elements can be represented as physical masses, that design objectives can be represented using mechanical metaphors such as springs, repulsion fields, and screw clamps, that a layout solution can be computed by using these elements in a dynamical simulation, and that the user can interact with that solution by applying forces that are also models of the same mechanical objects. I present a prototype software application that successfully implements this approach. A subjective evaluation of this prototype reveals that it demonstrates a feasible process for producing space plans, and that it can potentially improve the design process because of the quality of the manipulation and the enhanced opportunities for design exploration it provides to the designer. I found that an important characteristic of this approach is that representation, computation, and interaction are all defined using the same paradigm. This contrasts with most approaches to automated space planning, where these three characteristics are usually defined in completely different ways. Also emerging from this work is a new cognitive theory of design titled 'dynamical design imagery,' which proposes that the elements in a designer's mental imagery during the act of design are dynamic in nature and act as a dynamical system, rather than as static images that are modified in a piecewise algorithmic manner.

Urban green spaces are one of the layers of urban pattern. The urban environment is created through the complex relationships between natural, social, economic, and politic dynamics. Similar to the urban environment, as a produced landscape, characteristics of urban green spaces vary according to the social, economic, cultural and ecological context of urban society. In the last few decades, the &ldquo / quality of urban life target&rdquo / included in the sustainability approach, has became an important touchstone to increase the quality of urban environment in today&rsquo / s world / with its tendencies of covering of perpetual subjective values and in addition to objective conditions to identify &ldquo / individual&rsquo / s satisfaction&rdquo / as a target the by, of keeping its evaluation scope broad and holistic, and of deriving supporting the daily life practices which derive from participatory processes. Among the quality of life perspective, urban green spaces are interpretated in a holistic and broad framework in boundaries of their contributions to the inhabitants&rsquo / well-being through their physical, social, economic and ecological links with life in a broad scale spectrum ranging from individual level to city scale. In today&rsquo / s urban environment, Ankara&rsquo / s urban green spaces are planned by the responsible agents within a narrow framework / separated from urban and urban life, lacked of this multi-scale and multi-dimensional perspective, stucked in the sectoral targets of institutions. At this point, the study identifies the priorities and conditions to re-establish a well-functioned planning process for the green spaces of Ankara with a particular attention to quality of life.

Physically based space planning is a means for automating the conceptual design process by applying the physics of motion to space plan elements. This methodology provides for a responsive design process, allowing a designer to easily make decisions whose consequences propagate throughout the design. It combines the speed of automated design methods with the flexibility of manual design methods, while adding a highly interactive quality and a sense of collaboration with the design. The primary assumption is that a digital design tool based on a physics paradigm can facilitate the architectural space planning process. The hypotheses are that Newtonian dynamics can be used 1) to define mechanical metaphors to represent the elements in an architectural space plan, 2) to compute architectural space planning solutions, and 3) to interact with architectural space plans. I show that space plan elements can be represented as physical masses, that design objectives can be represented using mechanical metaphors such as springs, repulsion fields, and screw clamps, that a layout solution can be computed by using these elements in a dynamical simulation, and that the user can interact with that solution by applying forces that are also models of the same mechanical objects. I present a prototype software application that successfully implements this approach. A subjective evaluation of this prototype reveals that it demonstrates a feasible process for producing space plans, and that it can potentially improve the design process because of the quality of the manipulation and the enhanced opportunities for design exploration it provides to the designer. I found that an important characteristic of this approach is that representation, computation, and interaction are all defined using the same paradigm. This contrasts with most approaches to automated space planning, where these three characteristics are usually defined in completely different ways. Also emerging from this work is a new cognitive theory of design titled 'dynamical design imagery,' which proposes that the elements in a designer's mental imagery during the act of design are dynamic in nature and act as a dynamical system, rather than as static images that are modified in a piecewise algorithmic manner.