Broadening our Classroom is organized into two parts. Part One deals with a theoretical discussion about the meaning and motivations of planning education in contemporary societies and times. From here, planning education can be both contextualized and understood within the wider discourse of what planning education should be in the 21st century. This study then works to illuminates areas of planning education that must be critiqued and challenged based on the way they are currently taught and engaged. Here, the ideas of ‘skills’ and ‘competencies’ are teased in an attempt to fruitfully grapple with planning education from the standpoint of its students. This points towards the need for 21st century planners to observe values, utilize skills and employ took-kits which include the ability to work in cross-cultural settings effectively (at home and abroad), an area of planning education which is to an extent lacking in practice. The merger of planning education and cross-cultural learning experience is proposed as a mechanism to address some of the challenges associated with this endeavor. Part Two transports the theoretical discussion into practice through an evaluation of the Naga City Studio Course offered by the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia (SCARP UBC). In May and June 2007, 20 UBC students participated in a ‘Planning Studio’ course in Naga City, Philippines. The Naga City Studio course serves as a case study in operationalizing a direction for planning education. The course is evaluated and analyzed primarily through participant’s experiences and reflections on the course. It becomes clear that the Naga City Studio Course serves as a creative and ultimately profound example of new directions in planning education, providing students the opportunity to gain cross-cultural exposure and to better understand and enhance their planning related skills within a cross-cultural context. The opportunity for students to both develop and better understand the (cultural) competencies necessary as practicing professionals is a key outcome of the course and serves as the key finding of Broadening our Classroom.

<p> In the decade since 2007, public bikeshare systems (PBS) have disrupted the landscape of urban transportation systems all over the world. The rapid pace at which urban systems are enduring this disruption due to PBS has left cities and researchers play catch up on understanding various factors impacting the usage and impacts of PBS. Comprehending the profiles and preferences of bikeshare users have a substantial role to play in policy-making, planning and operational management at PBS. However, the research is scant related to these factors. </p><p> As its first major objective, this research evaluated the impact of pricing on bikeshare ridership and revenue. As a case study, the introduction of single-trip fare (STF) for $2 by Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) was studied. Aggregate analysis results showed that the first-time casual (short-term) users increased by as much as 79% immediately after the introduction of STF. Jurisdiction-level analysis indicated a statistically significant increase in casual user ridership for identical 12-month periods before and after the introduction of STF. The introduction of STF did not impact ridership and revenues of registered (annual or monthly) members. Casual user revenues before and after the introduction of STF were also compared at the station-level, while controlling seasonal and weather factors. The results showed a statistically significant increase in ridership and decrease in revenue per ride for casual users after the introduction of STF. </p><p> Even though casual bikeshare users account for a large share of revenue, literature provides very little insights about the casual users. As the second major objective of this research, profiles and preferences of bikeshare users (registered members and casual users) were obtained by conducting an intercept survey of CaBi users. Survey findings indicated that, when compared to casual users, registered members are more likely to earn more and are more sensitive to service as reflected by station density. A typical White user has 2.4 times greater odds of being registered members than other race. Analysis also revealed that each additional increase in the number of monthly trips leads to about 18% increase in the odds of the bikeshare user being a registered member. </p><p> As the third major objective, this research evaluated price sensitivities and elasticities of bikeshare fare products using monadic design implemented in the survey instrument. Higher household income groups and White users were found to be less sensitive to price compared to other income groups and other races/ethnicities. Pivot-price elasticities revealed that females are about 30% and 10% more price sensitive than males for single-trip fare (STF) and annual membership, respectively. Also, sightseeing trips are 30% less price sensitive than work trips for STF purchasers. Results from this study would be useful in policy-making, planning and operations for bikeshare systems.</p><p>

<p> This thesis presents an indicator based assessment that seeks to determine how residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems contributed to sustainability goals and how feasible emission reduction was through residential solar photovoltaic systems in the Las Vegas-Paradise Metropolitan Statistical Area. Southern Nevada is a rapidly growing southwestern US region that has high potential for renewable, non-combustible, energy technology, in specific, rooftop solar. The four LVPMSA cities released sustainability and/or sustainable development plans with goals directly, or indirectly, relating to solar energy. A triple bottom line framework, using ten energy-based indicators, helped to analyze how equitable, viable, and livable residential solar was in the LVPMSA to meet sustainability goals. Indicators and emission reduction calculators were also used to determine how much and how feasible emission reduction in the LVPMSA through residential solar. Data were provided through The Open PV Project (a voluntary cooperative solar website), the US Census Bureau, and the Clark County Department of Air Quality. </p><p> In respect to the literature, the results reflect that rooftop solar in LVPMSA cities to meet sustainability goals is not equitable, and weakly viable and livable, based on measures from economic, environmental, and social indicators, but how equitable, viable, and livable each LVPMSA city varies. In order from greatest to least, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Las Vegas and then Boulder City best contribute to sustainability goals with rooftop solar. Rooftop solar also serves as a feasible means to reduce emissions on a smaller (residential) scale, but not on a larger city or county scale. Larger scale projects, versus smaller scale rooftop solar, should be considered as a stronger means to both significantly reduce emissions and contribute to sustainability goals.</p><p>

abstract: The city of Groningen in the Netherlands is often referred to as the "world cycling city" because over fifty percent of trips are made on bicycles (Van Hoven & Elzinga, 2009). On the contrary, just four percent of trips in Tempe, Arizona are on bicycles (McKenzie, 2014). Through a series of interviews and surveys, this study investigates what causes such high bicycling rates in Groningen and applies these findings to Tempe. The results suggest that Groningen experiences high bicycling rates because the city uses "carrot" and "stick" policies to encourage bicycling and discourage driving. It is therefore recommended that Tempe adopt both types of policies to raise bicycling levels. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Geography 2015

abstract: This thesis focuses on the impacts of building regulations, in the form of building codes, on the development of an urban fabric. In particular, it investigates the role of building codes on a place that has an inherent sociocultural structure that manifests itself spatially. Using Kuwait City, a once traditional Islamic city, impacts of ‘international’ standards employed through master planning are explored at the neighborhood scale. Kuwait City serves as an ideal case study because of its historic Islamic and Arabic urban pattern that was derived from sociocultural customs, religious beliefs and terrestrial conditions. These influences resulted in a once cohesive city of a courtyard house typology, with narrow and shaded alleyways structured on longitudinal corridors of diverse land-uses promoting access and connectivity; however, the Minoprio, Spencely, and Macfarlane master plan of 1951 eradicated this close-knit urban fabric in favor of “modern” planning ideals which were loosely based on a fusion of Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City and Clarence Perry’s Neighborhood Unit. The 1951 plan called for a tabula rasa and relocation of homes from the historic city center to newly formed ‘super-blocks’ and ‘neighborhood units’. Houses were built following strict building codes governing building heights, floor- area-ratio, and plot-line setbacks, along with other regulations. The Kuwait Building Code (KBC), introduced in 1955, is based on Western planning ideals that are far removed from the existing contextual complexities of Kuwait City. This thesis will unpack the KBC by virtually translating this canonical text into its parametric spatial envelope, proposing a framework to evaluate its impact on the performance of the urban environment. Using urban modeling and micro-climate simulation tools, the virtual build-up of the rules will allow for a quantifiable examination to evaluate the putative “efficiency” of a modernist building code that determines urban form, by considering multiple performance metrics. By objectively evaluating the role that the KBC plays in determining future urban quality, this research aims to make the case for building in enough space within the code to allow for a more diverse influence of performance indicators to promote a ‘resilient and sustainable’ built environment at the neighborhood level. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Urban and Environmental Planning 2016

<p> In the year 2000, Loukaitou-Sideris and Banerjee conducted a study on the Blue Line light rail system in Los Angeles. The study examined eight station areas between Long Beach and Los Angeles that were in some of the more neglected, inner-city areas. The study concluded the presence of light rail alone would not be sufficient enough to stimulate the economic development necessary to attract successful transit oriented development in those areas because of 11 antecedents identified by the authors. However, it can be argued that since only 10 years of rail service had passed when the original study was done, it was not enough time for the Blue Line to attract transit oriented development to the area. </p><p> The existing literature on TOD and inner cities argues that it can take up to 25 years for the benefits of light rail to fully establish. Using this argument to revisit the area studied by Loukaitou-Sideris and Banerjee, this study seeks to find out if and how conditions of the Blue Line have changed and if the 11 antecedents remain. By mirroring the methods used in the original study, this study investigates the same eight stations analyzed in the original study to determine if light rail can spark development and if areas are still hindered by the same antecedents.</p><p>

<p> Ongoing economic insecurity, political conflicts, and increased terrorism attacks in eastern Turkey has generated massive internal migration into the country&rsquo;s western cities, leading to vast changes in demographic, social, economic, and political structures. For decades, migrants and displaced persons lived in informal, makeshift dwellings in less developed spaces in the older city centers. Since 2000, municipal governments have relocated thousands of migrants to newly constructed, massive public housing developments in suburban &ldquo;satellite cities.&rdquo; </p><p> This dissertation examines the impact of relocation from the viewpoint of low-income women relocated to two neighborhoods, Zubeyde Hanim and Uzundere, in Izmir, Turkey, For this project, residents were asked about their perceptions and experiences with education and employment opportunities in the newly developed urban satellites communities and where relocation has or has not benefited them. Data for this dissertation include extensive fieldwork observations and seventy interviews with female residents and key community informants, such as high school and middle school principals and the director of educational and cultural programs. </p><p> The main findings of this dissertation show that access to newly provided educational and employment opportunities upon relocation mattered for particular everyday practices of the women. But their overall participation in these programs was low and relocation did not result in a significant increase in education and employment participation. Furthermore, the involvement of residents in new opportunities was largely influenced by their prior employment and educational experience. Another significant finding of this dissertation was that residents responded to the process of relocation differently based on cultural, religious, and gendered conditions. As a result, issues of resident trust and participation in community life differed for Zubeyde Hanim and Uzundere residents. The larger implications of this dissertation include the need for more inclusive forms of official communication between authorities and resettled residents that appreciates the challenges they experience.</p><p>

Broadening our Classroom is organized into two parts. Part One deals with a theoretical discussion about the meaning and motivations of planning education in contemporary societies and times. From here, planning education can be both contextualized and understood within the wider discourse of what planning education should be in the 21st century. This study then works to illuminates areas of planning education that must be critiqued and challenged based on the way they are currently taught and engaged. Here, the ideas of ‘skills’ and ‘competencies’ are teased in an attempt to fruitfully grapple with planning education from the standpoint of its students. This points towards the need for 21st century planners to observe values, utilize skills and employ took-kits which include the ability to work in cross-cultural settings effectively (at home and abroad), an area of planning education which is to an extent lacking in practice. The merger of planning education and cross-cultural learning experience is proposed as a mechanism to address some of the challenges associated with this endeavor. Part Two transports the theoretical discussion into practice through an evaluation of the Naga City Studio Course offered by the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia (SCARP UBC). In May and June 2007, 20 UBC students participated in a ‘Planning Studio’ course in Naga City, Philippines. The Naga City Studio course serves as a case study in operationalizing a direction for planning education. The course is evaluated and analyzed primarily through participant’s experiences and reflections on the course. It becomes clear that the Naga City Studio Course serves as a creative and ultimately profound example of new directions in planning education, providing students the opportunity to gain cross-cultural exposure and to better understand and enhance their planning related skills within a cross-cultural context. The opportunity for students to both develop and better understand the (cultural) competencies necessary as practicing professionals is a key outcome of the course and serves as the key finding of Broadening our Classroom. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The paper explores the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) practices of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC), a grassroots community based organisation working with informal settlement communities in Khayelitsha, a largely informal neighbourhood on the south-eastern fringes of Cape Town, South Africa. The study focuses on SJC’s advocacy work in the delivery of ‘decent sanitation’ to informal settlement residents. This has been an explosive political issue for a number of years now. Many communities within Khayelitsha rely on communal toilets for sanitation, and the maintenance thereof has left much to be desired. Within the larger theme of digital activism, three main research areas were identified and explored: the appropriation of ICTs by the SJC’s field staff, the use of their Web 2.0 based social networking sites (SNS) in their advocacy work and digital mapping of portable communal toilets in the RR Section of Khayelitsha. The research interrogates the use of ICT as a strategic tool for knowledge-based community empowerment, with the aim of understanding how these emerging uses of technology could assist urban transformation work within this sprawling area. The research emphasizes the roles of various actors, the roles played by different technologies and the relations between technology and people. The emphasis on agency reveals that technology is not enough to augment empowerment processes. Technology-organisational relations are enmeshed within an institutional frame, where the enrollment of technology as actor, requires a repositioning of network relations, in order for it to fulfill its potential as an empowerment tool.

Environmental conservation and natural resources management are critical global issues of the 21st century. The management of protected public lands emerges as a challenge particularly in developing countries because of the biophysical and socio-cultural importance of these lands. These lands are often referred to as ‘working landscapes’ where the natural systems and the collective actions of local residents have shaped one another in well-balanced interactions for generations. The working landscapes of the Köprülü Kanyon National Park (KKNP) in Turkey have provided the case study for this dissertation. Eleven villages exist within the park with a total of approximately 7,100 residents. The rich natural resources of the park have been contested by local communities, management and concessionaires. The objectives of the research were: first, to understand the fundamentals of the natural and socio-cultural dynamics within protected areas in general, and within the KKNP in particular; second, to examine the social conflicts which complicate the management of the KKNP; and third, to explore potential solutions whereby the stakeholders can cooperate in stabilizing the traditional dynamics of the park’s working landscapes. Qualitative data was collected via 38 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with local residents, managers and concessionaires. The research found that an array of social disturbances and conflicts impact the social fabric and harm the land-human integrity of the site. These include shifting demographics, changing lifestyles of the villagers, pressures from tourism, multiple governmental authorities and instable management. Yaylacýlýk tradition, a semi-sedentary form of pastoralism, has played a significant role in both the traditional ecology and the social relations within the communities of the KKNP; and its abandonment has severely impacted both social and biophysical conditions. Through yaylacýlýk local residents had managed the lands as common property. The establishment of the national park, changing life styles and the pressures on the local agricultural economy brought an end to yaylacýlýk. Now the resources are treated in effect as open pool resources, thus leading to their demise. Throughout the eventful past of the KKNP the local residents have come from being integral elements of the ‘working landscapes,’ to being as antagonistic enemies of the park management. The three ideal characteristic elements of the ‘working landscapes’ of the KKNP (controlled access, coordination and communication) which once were maintained by the yaylacýlýk tradition, can be re-institutionalized within the region through contemporary applications by neutral third party initiatives. Restoration, conservation and efficient management of biophysical resources and the natural environment should be the outcomes of the resolutions of social conflicts which can be accomplished by the restoration of these three elements of the social structure.