The implications of geology, climate, and season are studied for the purpose of generating ideas for appropriate design of a master plan for a city block and the details of an inn that is part of the master plan. The design is studied in the context of the Clarendon sector of Arlington County, Virginia. Clarendon was the old commercial center of Arlington, which generated numerous layers of urban form. / Master of Architecture

DC United is one of Major League Soccer's most decorated franchises, yet it still plays its home games within the crumbling confines of RFK Stadium. This structure and the surrounding parking lots sit vacant for most of the year, though they occupy a prime site along the Anacostia River. In this project, I am proposing to incorporate a new metro station, transit hub and commercial development into the design of a stadium for DC United along the northern portion of the site. By providing services and amenities that do not currently exist in this part of the city, this endeavor could be a viable year-round resource for the community. / Master of Architecture

Washington, D.C., like many older U.S. cities, suffers the woes of rapid urbanization and aging infrastructure. The city's combined sewer and stormwater system dumps millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers over 70 times annually during significant rain events. While many groups, both public and private, attempt to clean the river, billions of dollars are still necessary over several years to remedy the combined sewer overfl ow (CSO) problem alone. Current plans for a solution include constructing large underground storage tanks that store millions of gallons of wastewater during overflow periods. Washington, however, once had a network of waterways that naturally drained the Federal City. At least three major stream systems—the Tiber Creek, James Creek and Slash Run—and over 30 springs flowed within the boundaries of the emerging capital. The waterways, now buried, were victims of urbanization, and flow now only underground, wreaking havoc on foundations and basements and causing sewer backups and flooding. Can a historically-driven investigation of these buried channels lend credence to the resurrection in some form of a network of surface stormwater channels, separate from the municipal sewage system, to solve the city's sewage overflow crisis? The following study is an initial exploration of the re-establishment of waterways through Washington with the purpose of improving the current storm sewer overflow dilemma and exploring the potential urban amenities that they could provide as part of a stormwater management plan for the year 2110. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Unlike the West, where many studies have explored how people's needs are fulfilled by urban parks, Malaysia has received very little attention from researchers. One reason for this is the fact that Malaysia has only a short public park tradition. Although folk art and stories have chronicled a long history of gardens and other parks, these spaces were only accessible to royal family members and autocrats. In Malaysia, the concept of free public parks is relatively recent, having been introduced by the British colonial government. This thesis aims to analyze the current demands on urban parks in Malaysia. It specifically studies an urban park in the city of Seremban in the state of Negeri Sembilan, which was built by the British in the early 1900's. This park is apparently not meeting the needs of the public at large. Even though it is near active public facilities, such as a state mosque, a downtown area, public offices, and a public library, it suffers from a declining number of visitors. This thesis is based on data obtained from a survey questionnaire that polled public attitudes regarding Seremban Urban Park. The data was analyzed to determine the factors that influence potential park patrons, as well as the preferred activities of those who visit the park. The research suggests that accessibility, sense of territoriality, activities in the park, the natural environment, and park maintenance influence participants' decisions to visit the park. In addition, it points out that participants' preferred park activities include family gatherings and passive socializing activities. The primary implications of this thesis are that urban parks are emerging as important public spaces in Malaysian cities, and that their continuing effectiveness is largely dependent upon a prioritizing of activities and a commitment to maintenance. This research should help landscape architects and planners expand the relationship between urban parks and public life in Malaysian cities. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Over the centuries, cities have gained limelight and have significantly grown powerful with an increased level of importance. The rapid growth and urbanization posing a fatally critical threat to the future as the population is growing with each day. The development from the rural to urban life and the journey to an urban civilization has left the city in tatters. It has had adverse impacts on both social and environmental frontiers. Such rapid growth has led to the uncontrolled growth of population in countries that are in the process of development, and this growth is interpreted by means of concrete structuring with no apparent thought given to fundamentals such as feasibility, aesthetics, health, safety, road network or transportation. This leaves a very small window for even accommodating places for recreation in unplanned cities. Such spaces use shared spaces for recreation. Spaces like markets or public squares or streets. The cultural heritage of India lies solely in its old cities, towns and ancient settlements. Due to globalization and groundbreaking pace of urbanization in the recent times, the historic fabric has been radically altered. As cities have evolved through aspirations and ideas only, with no functional thought whatsoever, it is vital for a developing country like India to recognize that without regard for its heritage it cannot build a future, or that a development without its heritage would be only unsustainable. / Master of Science / Over the centuries, cities have gained spotlight and have grown powerful with an increased level of significance towards infrastructure. There exist countries that are still in the process of development, which get influenced with the idea of rapid development due to the growing populations they face each day. The quick growth and the process of building up have led to danger to the future of the cities as the growth is unplanned and uncontrolled. Such uncontrolled growth has affected the city fabric, having no considerate thought given to the future of the city, social wellbeing, aesthetics, transport, safety or road network it has left the fabric in tatters. These factors even let go of the smallest window for spaces for recreation leaving the developing countries with thoughtless great towns. Spaces like markets, public squares or streets act as spaces for recreation in such overcrowded cities. India is one such developing country with its cultural heritage lying solely in its old cities, towns and ancient settlements. Globalization struck India and radically affected its old cities as the fabric was disrupted with an addition of new structures alongside historic structures. Overcrowding led to disability in the functioning, leaving no spaces for recreation. However, in this hodgepodge, India needs to realize and recognize the importance of its old city fabric as without considerate regards to the heritage one cannot build a sustainable future.

This thesis was inspired by the ingenuity of the inhabitants of the Florida Avenue Market, in Washington DC. Through small scale iterative design solutions and creative use of public space the residents, street vendors, and small business owners in the area have reinvented their urban condition. Using extremely limited resources, they have created a unique vibrant urban market that provides economic, social and cultural value for their neighborhood and the city. Recent political and economic pressures are causing the market to go through a major transformation. This project will propose an urban design vision for the next evolution of the market which aims accommodate the expansion of Gallaudet University, while celebrating the unique character of the place and dignifying its current users. / Master of Architecture

A work develops through methodical inquiry based on the reciprocity inherent in the construction of an object and its evaluation. A physical object informs an initial concept and acts as the fundamental catalyst for subsequent findings. Ordered elements result in the description of a vertical structure. Exploring this structure through a rational and modern approach, the author designs an urban center in the form of a tower. The tower, as a cellular mega-structure, maintains the density and complexity of a city's existing urban fabric. An urbane mega-structure offers a new contribution to humanity through architecture. This proposal establishes a relationship between public spaces, which elevate civic and social life, and private spaces that support individuality. The evaluation of precedent works and the investigation of modern technology support an appropriate solution toward the technical realization of these spaces. The thesis seeks an architecture that augments the tangible, replaces the hopeless and invents the absent. / Master of Architecture

The changes in technology and cultures of mobility within dense North American cities have resulted in a space that intervenes between one thing and another which often generates seemingly uninhabitable zones and problematic discontinuities in the physical and social fabric. Over time, the pattern of cities has changed; movement spaces have fractured the social spaces. The social dimension in the design of movement spaces has been neglected and thus these spaces have primarily become products of the functional dimension, i.e. traffic flow, circulation, and access for vehicles. These approaches to developments and prioritizing the movement space over the social space have contributed to the creation of fractured people spaces in between the fabric of cities. This thesis proposes to reconnect the broken fabric of cities that are shaped as result of the juxtaposition of movement infrastructure. Furthermore, the research studies the methods by which such spaces can become transformed into successful people place through literature review of what constitutes a successful urban space. Case studies of successful places adjacent to roads, waterfronts, and in between the fabric of cities were studied to understand the methods by which underused, and fractured spaces were transformed to successful urban places. This thesis further implements the methods of place making into creating the new physical, visual, cognitive, and ecological connection between the fractured spaces. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Urban Entertainment Destinations (UED) are a new form of development comprised of unanchored retail projects that mix entertainment venues and icon restaurants as a solution for enticing visitors back to the city. The difference between these destinations and the traditional shopping mall is the experience gained when leaving the destination. As a solution, several cities have considered Urban Entertainment Destinations as a developmental means for revitalizing the downtown. This thesis design project attempts to explore the significance of UED's by conducting a literature review and case study analysis of nine UED's across the United States. Studies extracted from each module revealed the importance of six key strategies- Placemaking, Multi-Anchoring, Contextual Links, Critical Mix & Mass, Programmability, and Branded Identity. Particular attention was placed on placemaking; designing gathering spaces, pathways, material choices, spatial relationships, and programmed land use. An emphasis has been made on incorporating the history and culture and the site's sense of place, two placemaking components that help create a distinct destination. These strategies were used as a basis for developing a set of design criteria that were in turn applied to the development of a master plan for a new UED in Rockford, Illinois. / Master of Landscape Architecture

While academics and policy-makers seek to address historic segregation and its harmful impacts on communities, many such efforts have been unsuccessful. Therefore, this original research examines the role of public parks as potential sites of social and economic integration. These spaces serve as third places, or social spaces where community members regularly visit, similar to their regular visitation of their home and workplaces. In the City of Roanoke, three visited public parks serve as local third places where individuals of different social and economic backgrounds visit for various activities. However, visitors typically only interact with others similar to themselves. The exception appears to be when the third place provides a source of triangulation based in common interests. This form of triangulation is useful in establishing commonality among visitors, thus bridging existing gaps between communities. Said triangulation is successful when the third place provides a physically and socially comfortable environment affected by the space's design, location, and management. These three factors must combine to maintain a careful balance between welcoming visitors of diverse backgrounds, but also establishing a sense of comfort among visitors. Public spaces which achieve this balance realize their potential by becoming equitable third places. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning / This original research examines the role of public parks as potential sites of social and economic integration. Such sites serve as third places, or social spaces where community members regularly visit. These visits are like the regular visitation of the home and workplaces, which are likewise called the first and second places. In the City of Roanoke, three visited public parks serve as local third places where individuals of different social and economic backgrounds visit for various activities. However, visitors typically only interact with others like themselves. The exception appears to be when the third place provides a feature which stimulates conversation among visitors. The feature can establish commonality among visitors, thus bridging existing gaps between communities. However, these social interactions rely on a third place which provides a physically and socially comfortable environment affected by the space’s design, location, and governance. These three factors must combine to maintain a careful balance between welcoming visitors of diverse backgrounds, but also establishing a sense of comfort among visitors. Public spaces which achieve this balance realize their potential by becoming equitable third places.