Little research has focused on street-involved youths’ social relationships. As some scholars have suggested that leisure is inherently social, my research sought to understand whether participation in structured and/or unstructured leisure activities influence street-involved youths’ social relationships with other street-involved youths as well with members of the mainstream community. Written in the publishable paper format, this thesis is comprised of two papers, both of which utilize Foucauldian theory. In the first paper, I examine the impacts of street-involved youths’ participation in Health Matters, a leisure program for street-involved youths in Ottawa, Canada. In the second paper, I examine street involved youths’ unstructured leisure activities (e.g., leisure in non-programmed settings) and their subsequent social impacts. Based on my findings, I argue that street-involved youths use both structured and unstructured leisure to form crucial social connections to make their lives more bearable.

The structure of turbulence in the subchannels of a large-scale 60 degree section of a CANDU 37-rod bundle was studied at Reynolds numbers equal to 50,000, 100,000 and 130,000. Measurements were conducted at roughly 33.81 rod diameters from the inlet of the rod bundle using single-point, two-component hot-wire anemometry. Analysis of the axial velocity signal indicated a weak effect of Reynolds number on the axial velocity distribution and a bulging of axial velocity contours toward the narrow gaps. The normalised normal Reynolds stresses and the normalised turbulent kinetic energy were found to decrease as the Reynolds number increased. The radial Reynolds shear stress varied linearly with radial distance from the rod, crossing zero at the location of local maximum of the axial velocity. This stress was symmetric about the central rod whereas the azimuthal Reynolds shear stress was anti-symmetric. The Reynolds number effect was weak but measurable on the integral length scales of the axial and radial velocity fluctuations but negligible on the integral length scale of the azimuthal velocity fluctuations, especially in the gap regions. The Taylor and Kolmogorov microscales increased from the wall toward the centre of the subchannel and decreased as the Reynolds number increased. The wall shear stress stress distribution around the central rod indicated no effect of Reynolds number, when normalized by the corresponding average. The wall shear stress reached local minima at rod-wall and rod-rod gaps and local maxima in the open flow regions. Vortex streets were generated within the subchannels very close to the inlet of the rod bundle. The convection speed and frequency of the vortex street were found to increase proportionately to Reynolds number, whereas the vortex spacing was not affected by the Reynolds number.

This thesis investigates and discusses the current design approaches and development trends of urban streets in China. As the methodological focus, multiple case studies and interviews are used to examine actual street design practice to identify the development policy bias of local governments. Since the 1990s, the great economic achievement in most Chinese cities has evoked significant growth in the number of automobiles, as well as the increasingly serious problems of road casualties and congestion. The traffic-engineering-based design approach which used to be widely adopted and implemented in western countries has dominated the development patterns of urban streets in modern China. The conventional paradigm exclusively focuses on the traffic function in urban streets resulting in morphological changes to the urban circulation environment and keeps on neglecting non-vehicular movement and non-traffic needs. The automobile- dominated urban circulation environment has had negative economic, social and public health impacts. Thus, a paradigm shift which calls for a more inclusive design approach for urban streets which balances functions of place and movement is urgently needed in China. To determine the challenges and opportunities for the new paradigm, this research identifies the cultural, political and technical factors for the traffic-centred design trends and the policy bias. Based on this, policy recommendations and an agenda for revolutionary change for achieving better design practice for urban streets in post-modern China are suggested.

General practice emerged as a distinct medical discipline in the nineteenth century. As independent contractors, General Practitioners (GPs) have however largely been 'untouched' by centrally derived policy. As a result, the profession has possessed wide discretion in relation to the way they dealt with their patients. However, due to increasing concerns over the cost and quality of care within the NHS, general practice increasingly became a focal point for the attentions of central policy makers who sought to control aspects of frontline practitioner behaviour. In order to do attempt to align the frontline behaviour of GPs with such policy aims, policy makers turned to their main tool, the contract. In this thesis I am concerned with the most recent contractual changes (and its later variants) introduced in 2004. In particular, the study is concerned with the impact of the large element of Pay-for-performance (P4P) known as the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) contained within the new contract. QOF rewards practices on the basis of meeting a number of targets in relation to clinical, organizational, and patient experience indicators. As a result of the scale and prescriptive nature of the targets, QOF had the potential to change the nature of GP work at the micro-level should GPs choose to follow this voluntary policy. Previous evidence in relation to GP responses to other prescriptive policies such as National Service Frameworks (NSFs) and clinical guidelines suggests that GPs responded as workers, specifically as street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) by selectively by choosing aspects of policies based upon the on the criteria of whether or not they made the practicalities of processing their daily workload easier. However, the evidence suggests that there were also instances of GP principal (those that (part-) own their practices) behaviour that did not conform to expected SLB behaviour but instead resembled behaviour that would be expected of those managers who are 'results oriented.' Based upon this evidence and the analytical possibilities the SLB framework provided, the theoretical view of GPs as frontline public sector workers or street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) was employed to understand the continuing perceived impact and responses of GPs to the new contract and in particular QOF. Unlike previous analyses of GPs as SLBs however, this study distinguished between GP principals and salaried GPs employed by the GP principal counterparts. Ultimately, the aim of the thesis was to address the question of whether or not the conceptualization and responses of GPs as SLBs was still relevant and useful post-contractual change. Data was collected (between Feb 2008 and Sept 2009) via semi-structured interviews. In total 62 first round interviews and 24 second round interviews were conducted and analysed thematically. The findings indicate that the financial incentives within the QOF appear to strongly influence the responses of GP principals and reflect their priorities as owners of, rather than workers in their organisations. In addition, it appears that the Evidence Based Practice (EBP) movement means that salaried GPs priorities are also aligned to those of their organisations as they believe most of the QOF to be evidence-based. As a result, the application of Lipsky's SLB framework to explaining GP behaviour in relation to QOF is less useful than previous applications.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the housing environment faced by street youth in the City of Vancouver. It seeks to understand the housing needs of street youth, to identify the barriers encountered in accessing housing, to identify and evaluate their housing options, and to examine the provincial and municipal government roles in providing housing for street youth. This thesis defines a street youth as an individual between the ages of 12 and 18 who has either chosen to leave or been thrown out of their family home for a minimum of two days, is involved in street related activities, and sleeps in inappropriate accommodations or has no shelter at all. The terms street youth and homeless youth are used interchangeably because the qualities which are absent from an individual’s living environment - privacy, security, stability and access to support services - are also absent from the various living situations in which street youth find themselves. The methodology undertaken to complete this thesis is a literature review and a case study of Vancouver’s street youth. The literature review provides background information on the general subject of homelessness, and specifically, the reasons why youth choose to live a life on the street and the lifestyle they lead once on the street. The empirical component of the research consists of interviews with service providers and street youth. The interview results clearly reveal that two interrelated problem areas exist in the broad issue of street youth and housing. These areas are first, the state care system, both its form and manner of service provision, and second, accessibility to market housing - social, economic and political factors which affect a youth’s ability to secure housing. An issue common to both problem areas, and perpetuating the problems in each, is the lack of value and respect society gives to youth. A ‘continuum of housing’ model is proposed which takes into account the family backgrounds conmion to many street youth, the types of lifestyle they lead while on the street, and the problems associated with state-provided and market housing. In addition, recommendations are provided which centre on advocacy and service-coordinating bodies, attitude changes, additional housing facilities, landlord-tenant relationships, government assistance eligibility criteria, and funding. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

This study investigates the prospects for survival of a small-business, high character area in downtown Vancouver, namely, the 1000 and 1100 blocks of Robson Street. The text includes, first, an extensive literature search into general characteristics of downtown commercial areas and various aspects of commercial rehabilitation. A brief history of the forces which shaped Robson Street follows, then information obtained from merchants through a questionnaire regarding customer attraction, store location and size, sales volume, attitudes toward the area, etc. After this background information, the paper continues with the results of an abstract simulation by computer of the area's future under three different circumstances. The findings of the study seem, essentially, to support the two hypotheses made that 1.) change in the area is causing imbalance and 2.) the area will not, without outside intervention, be able to survive, prosper, and maintain its unique character. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

A ocorrência da poluição luminosa foi detectada a partir de 1970 pela redução da visibilidade dos corpos celestes no período noturno, sendo posteriormente associada a implicações negativas relacionadas à fauna, à flora e aos indivíduos. É definida como os efeitos nocivos causados pela iluminação elétrica inadequada, sendo a iluminação pública responsável por grande parte do problema. Em Porto Alegre o fenômeno é confirmado por imagens de satélites que medem o brilho artificial do céu noturno e apontam níveis máximos na região central da cidade. Situação essa que pode ter sido agravada por grandes projetos de modificação da iluminação pública, desenvolvidos desde 2013, para aumentar o número de luminárias e iluminâncias na cidade. Inciativas que não estão previstas no Plano Diretor de Iluminação Pública da cidade, embora esse seja um instrumento que deveria orientar a implantação do sistema e, que tem entre seus objetivos combater a poluição luminosa. Neste contexto, investigou-se como a iluminação pública do Centro Histórico de Porto Alegre pode estar contribuindo para a poluição luminosa, considerando as legislações vigentes e práticas de projeto. Essa investigação foi feita por meio de uma pesquisa qualitativa, desenvolvida a partir de revisão da literatura, pesquisa documental em Planos Diretores de Iluminação, no contexto nacional e internacional, e estudo de campo no Centro Histórico de Porto Alegre. Os resultados apontaram que na área de estudo o problema está relacionado principalmente à temperatura de cor do sistema empregado e à fotometria das luminárias que provocam iluminação intrusiva, ofuscamento e brilho do céu, que são componentes da poluição luminosa. / Light pollution has been detected since 1970 due to the reduction of visibility of celestial bodies, it was associated to the consequences to the fauna, flora and human beings. It is conceptualized as the harmful effects given by electric lighting. Public lighting is responsible for the biggest part of the problem. In Porto Alegre the phenomenon is confirmed by satellite images that measure sky glow and shows the highest levels in downtown area. The situation could be intensified due to large projects of public lighting remodeling have been developed since 2013, in order to increase the number of light fixtures and the illuminances in the city. These initiatives haven´t been on Porto Alegre´s Public Lighting Master Plan, although it is a document that could guide the implantation of the system and help to fight against light pollution. With this, to propose research of how the public lighting of Porto Alegre´s historic downtown can contribute to lighting pollution, considering the currents laws and project actions. This study was organized through a qualitative research, developed from a literature review, documental research at Urban Lighting Master Plans, from international cities as well as in Brazil, and field study in Porto Alegre´s downtown area. The results show that the main cause of lighting polluion is related to lighting fixtures´ high color temperature and the equipment that allows the up light emission, causing light trespass, glare and sky glow.

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / Socio-economic changes in the City of Polokwane have compelled many unemployed people to start street trading. Street trading is fraught with many challenges, such as lack of transportation, physical infrastructure, and access for funding, change of local municipality by-laws, lack of support and other related economic development issues. This study is concerned with the factors that hamper the development of street trading, economic growth and development in the City of Polokwane. The study tried to develop effective strategies that will enhance the capacity of street traders and change the perception of stakeholders to support street trading. In this study, a mixed research design was used to investigate the impact of street trading towards economic development in the area of the study. This study also used context-focus of the City of Polokwane as its springboard in engaging in this sometime daunting subject. Surely, with all the changes in the current socio- economic development, there is a need to review the impact of street trading towards economic development in the City of Polokwane. As stipulated in the study, the City of Polokwane should invest in training to enhance street traders` effectiveness so as to have an impact on the economic development in the city. To accelerate this process, the stakeholders should be encouraged to support street traders so as to improve the status of economic growth in the area.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / The Quarterly Labour Force survey by Statistics South Africa (2019) portrays a very bleak future for the South African economy and labour force. The unemployment rate is 27.6% and youth unemployment stands at 55.2%. The National Development Plan (NDP) recognises the relevance of the informal sector and the value that it will contribute to the economy and to solving the challenges of unemployment in South Africa. The NDP projects that the informal sector, which includes domestic work, will create between 1,2 and 2 million new jobs by 2030. Few studies have been conducted on informal trading projects. This study explores the case of a ‗transitional‘ informal enterprise support project aimed at micro-enterprise development wherein 10 informal traders in Cape Town took occupancy of provincial government-sponsored kiosks on 9 May 2016. The Long Street kiosks (LSK) offer 10 traders per year a unique trading opportunity in the CBD free of rent and service charges for a period of one year, with access to a unique and potentially large market. The purpose of this study is to critically examine the role played in the informal enterprise development project by the Western Cape provincial government through its project manager, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT). This research attempts to investigate aspects of project design such as the selection criteria of the informal traders for the project, and selected results such as whether the project provided the traders with enough market exposure to the formal economy and whether their businesses were improved by participation in the project. The qualitative research approach was used for this study of the LSK project, which was a single case study, as both a unit of analysis and as a research method. The study involved a combination of two approaches, namely desktop research followed by interviews and focus group sessions. The study found that a number of limitations and shortcomings in the conduct of the project impacted on the mixed results and success achieved, pertaining to selection criteria, lack of financial and other resources, training, market-related problems, skill set limitations as well as environmental factors such as transport. The study nevertheless cast useful light on potential changes and recommendations that could enhance the project going forward and provides new insights on the complex relationship between the informal and formal ii economies and their relative potential for addressing the challenges of employment and economic growth.

The main topics of the thesis are luminaries based on LED technology and methods for driving them. The aim of theoretical part is to offer basic knowledge about LEDs, their categories, advantages and disadvantages. The basic methods for driving LED modules are also presented. Based on these facts the design of LED switching power supply for street lighting is presented. The aim is to reach high power factor. The function of the devices is presented by examining parts of the power supply.