No abstract available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1997.

This thesis provides the first direct comparison between – and integration of – community-based and science-based approaches to the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs). MPAs are one potentially effective conservation tool, but are being established very slowly. My research shows that community involvement in placing MPAs can help meet many ecological goals, although biophysical data improve the conservation value of sitings. To assess the need for MPAs in British Columbia (BC), Canada, I mapped stressors resulting from human activities. This produced a powerful rationale for MPAs: very little of the ocean, and almost none of the continental shelf of BC, lies beyond the reach of human stressors. My work helps reconcile differing perspectives about the efficacy of community-based vs. science-based MPA selection. I explored and analyzed these approaches, separately and together, in two areas in BC. First, I generated a community-based plan for MPA placement through partnerships with two First Nations (indigenous peoples) in BC. They offered strong support for spatial protection measures, and individuals nominated overlapping areas. Second, I applied a decision support tool (Marxan) to determine MPA placement under scientific precepts. Conservation planning usually lacks detailed ecological information but the Marxan approach was robust to some missing data; in such cases, it was best to use available abiotic and biotic data to ensure that both habitats and species were represented. Third, I integrated community-based and science-based approaches, to find that they verified and complemented each other. Indeed, an integration of the two was preferred by participants and also achieved all conservation objectives. Finally, I took a novel and pragmatic approach to ocean zoning. I used spatial data for thirteen commercial fisheries on Canada’s west coast to select areas where fishing should be permitted, rather than prohibiting fishing under a MPA paradigm. The results revealed that small reductions in fisheries yields, if judiciously selected, could allow creation of large unfished areas that embraced diverse biophysical regions and habitat types. Such a pragmatic approach could achieve remarkable conservation gains.

Public involvement in planning processes is increasingly expected and demanded by members of the local community and it is also a key method that the planner can use to gain insight into a community. The challenge which professional planners face is in finding effective methods for involving the public in complicated and technical decisions which planners have traditionally made in isolation. Specifically, technical zoning law can be overwhelmingly complicated for members of the public. Today's planners are challenged with establishing processes which are inclusive and which generate consensus-based solutions. This thesis examines the use of collaborative planning to address the issue of compatible single-family infill housing. Specifically, this thesis addresses three questions: what are the elements of a collaborative public involvement process which can assist in creating a new single-family infill-zoning category; what are the limitations of using collaborative public involvement processes in neighbourhood re-zonings; and how does the Delbrook case study exemplify the use and implications of collaborative public involvement? These questions are examined via two avenues: a literature review focusing on public involvement, collaboration and monster house infill construction; and a case study analysis examining the Delbrook neighbourhood zoning project. The major findings of this thesis define evaluation criteria, emerging from the literature that can be applied to analyzing collaborative public involvement processes and also extract key lessons learned from the Delbrook case study. Significant conclusions of this thesis are that the public expects inclusive processes; the public is capable of rising to technical zoning challenges; it is important that the levels and opportunities for involvement are appropriate to the planning process; it is important to identify and periodically re-visit the roles of those involved in public involvement processes; and a clear and attainable goal must be set for collaborative public involvement processes. The Delbrook case study further illustrates that issues which inspire a great degree of controversy and which are complex in nature will require a more collaborative public involvement framework; the time spent on collaborative processes can cause the public to burn out; consensus building among those involved must always consider the larger community; and that collaborative processes are dynamic. In conclusion, it is noted that more research should be conducted on how the increasing empowerment of groups may or may not affect the power of the individual, the impact which the process chosen may have on the product or results; the extent to which limitations exist for lay persons involvement in technical planning subjects; and an exploration of other practical applications for dealing with large house infill construction.

Since 1992 the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), now the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), acknowledged that pollution and waste management governance was inadequate in dealing with South Africa’s changing social and industrial context. This triggered an extensive legislative revision, with the new National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (No. 39 of 2004) (AQA) being partially implemented on 11 September 2005 and full implementation expected by 1 April 2010. The goal of this research was to develop a methodology for the delineation of the boundaries of air quality management areas in South Africa. The preliminary objective of the research was to identify the specific criteria that should be considered when developing the methodology. A review of the methodologies used internationally was undertaken, looking specifically at regions and countries with similar effects-based air quality legislation. The review concluded that the international practice regarding boundary determination was data intensive, relying heavily on the results of ambient air quality monitoring and the results of dispersion modelling based on comprehensive emissions inventories. Another commonality between the methodologies was the use of administrative boundaries as the borders of air quality management areas. South Africa has limited ambient air quality monitoring and there is no national emissions inventory for criteria pollutants. In the absence of this information an alternative approach was required. The next objective of the research was to identify or develop a proxy methodology for assessing the impact of each of these criteria to be used in the boundary determination. The criteria assessed as part of this research included, population density, emission criteria (industrial, mining and domestic), topography and administrative boundaries. A further objective of the research was to combine all the criteria to produce a single indicator or value as to the air pollution impact potential of the area under consideration. This methodology was then applied in the South African context. The final objective of the research was to assess the results of the application of the methodology on the regulatory framework proposed by the AQA, at the national, provincial and local government levels. The methodology has proved successful in the identification of areas with high air pollution impact potential in South Africa. This has allowed for a review of the boundaries proclaimed for the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area and the Highveld Priority Area. In both cases significant revisions of the boundaries are recommended, however due to the controversial nature of these recommendations, it is proposed that these revisions are deferred until the five- yearly review phase of the priority area management plan. The results also recommended the proclamation of two additional national priority areas. The first was the proposed Magaliesberg Priority Area, which covers the north-western areas of Gauteng and the eastern areas of the North-West. This area combines the high density residential, commercial and industrial areas of Gauteng with the high density mining and industrial areas of the North-West. However, it is recommended that further ambient air quality monitoring and research is required prior to the proclamation of this national priority area. The second new national priority area proposed is the Waterberg Priority Area. This proclamation is a proactive declaration based on the proposed industrial developments earmarked for this area. Due to extensive coal reserves in the area, the development of additional coal-fired power generation, a coal to liquid facility and other coal beneficiation projects are currently under consideration. The research has identified five potential provincial priority areas. The provincial priority areas are associated with the major metropolitan centres in the country and their adjacent district municipalities. All of the proposed provincial priority areas, with the exception of the one proposed in Gauteng, require further ambient air quality monitoring and research prior to their proclamation. It is recommended that the City of Johannesburg / City of Tshwane provincial priority area be considered for immediate declaration. The review of the district and local municipalities identified in Table 24 of the National Framework highlighted the conservative nature of the initial assessment. The review amended the classification of 33 of the local municipalities, with 32 being reclassified downwards and only one being reclassified upwards. This also highlighted the subjective nature of the initial assessment. It is recommended that the local municipalities identified as having “Poor” or “Potentially Poor” air quality rating, be prioritised as potential sites in the national ambient air quality monitoring network and receive assistance in the development of their air quality management plans. This ensures that the limited financial and human resources assigned to air quality management in South Africa are deployed in those areas with the greatest need. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

The northeast-trending transpressive Hope fault is a major tectonic element of the active Pacific-Australian plate boundary zone through New Zealand. This study presents geomorphic and paleoseismic field data from the Mt Fyffe section of the Hope fault, which in turn is used to develop a seismic hazard map for the adjacent area. The Mt Fyffe section is a 12 km long, 1 km wide zone of deformation that changes in strike and slip rate from 275° and 16 ± 5 mm/yr in the southwest, to 235° and 2 to 4.8 mm/yr in the northeast. Slip is transferred from the Mt Fyffe section to the Jordan thrust and related structures. Deformation along the Mt Fyffe section has been divided into four structural domains, from southeast to northwest: an extensional step-over, a series of four en-echelon wedges, a contractional step-over, and a contractional domain. Near surface fault zone kinematics recorded by tectonic geomorphic landforms are interpreted to reflect the change in strike of the fault zone, topographic loading and the related fault zone break-out along the range front. The south-western Mt Fyffe section has ruptured at least once between 660 AD and 1800 AD, and the north-eastern end ruptured at least once between 1410 and 1640 AD, and possible since 1640 AD. A rupture of the Mt Fyffe section with the Conway section is the foundation fault for Kaikoura. It is estimated to have a Mmax of greater than 7. Probabilistic seismic hazard models (Stirling et al., 2002; in press) estimate a rupture of the Hope fault will result in peak ground accelerations (PGA) for the 150 and 475 year events at Kaikoura of 0.45 to 0.6 g and 0.85 to 2.0 g (midpoints) respectively. Results of a deterministic seismic hazard assessment using the foundation fault, indicate PGA at the Kaikoura township will be between 0.64 g (after Stirling et al, 2000) and 0.31 g (after McVerry et al 2006), lower than that calculated by probabilistic methods. Detailed geomorphic mapping has defined two levels of seismic hazard avoidance zones along the Mt Fyffe rangefront. Zone A contains major structures that accommodate most offset and Zone B contains secondary, smaller scale deformation.

In the last few years, the City of Dallas has witnessed a substantial increase in the level of citizen participation in land-use decisions. A little known provision of the Texas Civil Statutes allows cities to divide their town into 'Neighborhood Zoning Areas' to provide another method for citizen review of zoning applications. The purpose of this thesis is to examine present methods for soliciting citizen comments, examine the quality of land-use decisions and to determine successes and failures 'Neighborhood Councils' have had in three other cities.The literature concerning present neighborhood involvement in the zoning appeals process is sketchy and somewhat contradictory. Therefore, the experience of Portland, Oregon; Dayton, Ohio; and Washington, D.C. was analyzed to determine how well subordinate governmental units function in other cities. The information received in the case studies was limited due to several factors, but all three city staffs gave hearty endorsement to their particular systems. No negative consequences of using this particular system was noted.A review of Plan Commission voting records revealed that the quality of land-use decisions made through the zoning appeals process needs to be improved.Citizen attitudes were examined to determine whether a neighborhood advisory council would increase citizen input or merely interject an anti-development bias into the zoning appeals process. Three neighborhood representatives were interviewed and all demonstrated that they were capable of negotiating and possessed a good perspective of neighborhood planning issues. Creation of neighborhood advisory councils would possibly correct the existing imbalance between developer interests and neighborhood interests.Whether neighborhood advisory councils will ever be initiated in Dallas is difficult to predict. One recent City Council recommendation directed the staff to explore ways to encourage negotiations between neighborhoods and developers. A proposal to form neighborhood advisory councils could grow out of this recommendation. / Department of Urban Planning

Mixed-use development is one of the canonical elements of modern urban planning theory and practice. The principles of this approach to development are applied throughout the world and have seen a resurgence in the last several decades as part of the rise of populist movements such as smart growth and new urbanism. At the same time, cities across the industrialized world have been reshaped within the broader context of fundamental restructuring in the labour market over the past several decades. The urban core of the post-industrial city has increasingly become the site of residential development amongst various complementary land uses, marketed to an upwardly mobile professional class. Who benefits from this kind of mixed-use development in the housing market? Despite its popularity, mixed-use development is not often examined with regard to the affordability of housing. This study explores the affordability of housing in areas zoned as mixed-use in the old City of Toronto in relation to shifts in the occupational structure of the city’s workforce between 1991 and 2006. Using census data and spatial analysis methods, the cartographic and analytical outputs of this study demonstrate two major findings: first, that housing in mixed-use areas was more expensive than the rest of the city over the study period; and second, that socioeconomic polarization between classes of occupations is not only evident in mixed-use areas, but in some ways more pronounced than in the rest of the city. Based on these findings, the study concludes with a realistic assessment of why and how academics, practitioners and policymakers active in urban planning should step up efforts to couple the revitalization of Toronto’s urban core with gains to the affordability of housing.

As a result of the disregard of governments&rsquo / direct urbanization policies for more than 50 years, most of the settlements in Turkey today demonstrate sub-standard environments and unauthorized developments subject to severe natural hazards. Turkey will have to focus in the near future on the renewal and regeneration of cities built over the past six decades, rather then sticking to urban policies solely devoted to extend new urban areas. The production of legal instruments and urban policies to facilitate the new policy of regeneration in physical and social terms, seems to be the most challenging issue facing urban planning. Urban regeneration planning aims to produce strategies and policies concurrently devoted to maintain physical rehabilitation and social transformation in built areas. For this reason, urban regeneration planning requires legal tools, regulations and methods different then those of conventional development planning. A new approach to urban regeneration planning is the development of urban database systems. These sytems are discussed here by means of a model developed for the case of Zeytinburnu. This model is prepared by organizing and developing the urban databases produced by local governments and international institutions for istanbul integrating natural conditions, physical assets, and the social characteristics. This requires a new set of &lsquo / Analytical Studies&rsquo / approach. The main obstacle in urban database system in Turkey is the lack of legal arrangements. New regulations are needed to describe the organisation and principles of database management in technical and administrative terms. Other implications are that an entirely new generation of urban planners need to be trained, improvement of expertise on database management, database use and updating protocols. Such systems could also constitute an essential instrument of public participation in local planning and urban management process.

The need for the public areas within urban environments is increasing day by day. This thesis focuses on urban balconies as one of the important element of public open areas. Their historical backgrounds, contribution to the cities, categorization and exemplification form important topics for explaining the concept. The study also searches the important natural features that effect the urban development of Bursa and questions the place of urban balconies between them. While explaining the past and the present situations, types and the usages of urban balconies&amp / #8217 / of Bursa / this thesis emphasizes their existing but neglected qualitative and quantitative values, that have the potential to play an important role for the physical shaping of the city so as the formation of urban image. Related to this, also the importance of the revitalization of the urban balconies as public open areas takes part in this study. Key Words: Urban Balconies, Vista Points, Topographical Features, Public Open Areas, Bursa.

This thesis provides the first direct comparison between – and integration of – community-based and science-based approaches to the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs). MPAs are one potentially effective conservation tool, but are being established very slowly. My research shows that community involvement in placing MPAs can help meet many ecological goals, although biophysical data improve the conservation value of sitings. To assess the need for MPAs in British Columbia (BC), Canada, I mapped stressors resulting from human activities. This produced a powerful rationale for MPAs: very little of the ocean, and almost none of the continental shelf of BC, lies beyond the reach of human stressors. My work helps reconcile differing perspectives about the efficacy of community-based vs. science-based MPA selection. I explored and analyzed these approaches, separately and together, in two areas in BC. First, I generated a community-based plan for MPA placement through partnerships with two First Nations (indigenous peoples) in BC. They offered strong support for spatial protection measures, and individuals nominated overlapping areas. Second, I applied a decision support tool (Marxan) to determine MPA placement under scientific precepts. Conservation planning usually lacks detailed ecological information but the Marxan approach was robust to some missing data; in such cases, it was best to use available abiotic and biotic data to ensure that both habitats and species were represented. Third, I integrated community-based and science-based approaches, to find that they verified and complemented each other. Indeed, an integration of the two was preferred by participants and also achieved all conservation objectives. Finally, I took a novel and pragmatic approach to ocean zoning. I used spatial data for thirteen commercial fisheries on Canada’s west coast to select areas where fishing should be permitted, rather than prohibiting fishing under a MPA paradigm. The results revealed that small reductions in fisheries yields, if judiciously selected, could allow creation of large unfished areas that embraced diverse biophysical regions and habitat types. Such a pragmatic approach could achieve remarkable conservation gains.