This dissertation consists of three articles about colorism and its relevance to public administration (PA), with specific focus on local policing. The overarching arguments are: 1) our lack of focus on the nuanced factors related to race have hindered our ability to adequately respond to biased criminal justice (CJ) outcomes; and 2) there are hidden patterns of biased behaviors that originate at the street-level, and these patterns have the propensity to impact every aspect of CJ. Colorism could serve as a more comprehensive approach to addressing racial bias. Colorism is a system of disadvantage and privilege based on skin color, with a bias for lighter skin. Article I introduces colorism to the field of PA, and it uses data on workplace colorism complaints to illustrate how colorism currently intersects with PA. In addition, the article uses scenarios to demonstrate the potential impact colorism might have at the street-level. Article II builds upon the descriptions of colorism provided in Article I by simulating a conceptual model of colorism and local policing. The major finding of this study is that, counter to the expectations of the experiment, those in the middle of the skin color spectrum experienced higher rates of incarceration when aggressive steps were taken to counter colorism. The major contributions from this project include a conceptual model that describes the relationship between the distinct levels of colorism�"individual, interactive and institutional. In Article III, I explore two conceptual models of interactive colorism in a local policing context. In the first model, bias behaviors are less likely to receive a challenge. In the second model, biased behaviors are likely to be challenged by counter-behaviors (e.g., fair policing). Subject-matter experts and non-subject-matter experts were used to select the model that most accurately depicts the phenomenon. I used online focus groups and phone interviews with police officers, theorists (e.g., sociologists, psychologists), and non-subject-matter experts to gather feedback. Majority of the informants recommended that future research on interactive colorism be framed as a bidirectional phenomenon. The informants provided additional considerations for future research, such as the variation in police culture across police departments. / PHD

<p> This study investigates the effects of transit strikes on the central business districts (C.B.D. 's) of large cities. It focuses directly on the Hamilton Street Railway (H.S.R.) strike which occurred during the summer of 1982, and attempts to outline exactly what age-groups were affected the most and whether or not the merchants of the downtown were significantly affected monetarily. Information was acquired from merchants through the circulation of a questionnaire which was distributed in September and October of 1983. A regression equation was formulated which took into account some possible causes for diminishing revenues other than the transit strike. The findings of this analysis were that the transit strike had a significant effect on the revenues of downtown businesses, as well as on the age-groups that were present in the downtown at the time of the strike. The regression analysis found that the other factors which were considered did not account for a very significant proportion of decreased revenues when compared to transit strikes.</p> / Thesis / Candidate in Philosophy

As climate change continues to intensify, growing interest in equitable clean energy transition has emerged to address the environmental and public health impacts of aging energy infrastructure. Of special concern is aging natural gas infrastructure, which serves as a significant source of the potent greenhouse gas (GHG) methane (CH4) and poses risk to the health and safety of the public. The concentration of aging natural gas distribution pipelines in urban centers has motivated this research, examining dynamic interactions among natural gas distribution pipelines, street tree canopies, and local climate action plans. This dissertation approaches the study of urban natural gas systems using an infrastructure ecology framework – a framework to investigate the dynamic relationships among elements of built, natural, and social infrastructure. The results of three studies reported below aim to improve our knowledge of the environmental impacts of aging natural gas infrastructure in urban centers and examine policy opportunities for a clean energy transition. Using a temporal and spatial dataset of street tree condition and soil CH4 and oxygen concentrations across Brookline, MA we were able to model the impact of CH4 on the success of a street tree using the spatial Durbin model. We find that persistent exposure to CH4 and diminished oxygen in the soil pit is correlated with poor tree condition. Next, utilizing a novel virtual data collection application, we tracked the location of leak-prone natural gas distribution infrastructure along the streets of Chelsea, MA. By producing and combining this unique dataset with the comprehensive street tree inventory completed by the municipality, we examined for the first time the relationship between street tree condition and proximity to leak-prone distribution pipe. Results from this analysis were suggestive and demonstrated a need for more comprehensive spatial data collection using virtual tools that can detect dynamic changes in the infrastructure to explain phenomena we are not yet able to interpret. Findings suggest the importance of considering the location of leak-prone pipelines when planting new street trees and protecting existing mature trees. Finally, we introduce the term and conceptual framework ‘infrastructure biome’ to define and describe the interconnected and dependent built, social, and natural infrastructure systems that extend beyond jurisdictional borders. We propose that energy transition policy, specifically a transition off natural gas, would benefit from a regional collaborative policy to achieve the ambitious climate action goals of cities and states throughout the region. Using publicly available natural gas pipeline data, we examine aging and leak-prone natural gas infrastructure for the first time at a regional scale and recommend a collaborative policy to address the shared obstacle of aging natural gas infrastructure to achieve climate action goals.

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