No description available.

In support of a modal shift towards rail for goods movement, a reconceptualization of urban and interurban mobility frameworks leads to the proposed infrastructural fitting for the urban periphery. Keller Easterling’s notion of Situating serves as a tool for engaging the serial aspects of the project territory in order to leverage widespread change. The intervention is born of the premise that while the ‘last mile’ of the supply chain must remain predominantly road based, the ‘second-last mile’ between concentrated distribution clusters is an opportune target for modal shifting initiatives. Towards this end the thesis envisions alternative, elaborated templates for distribution cluster design which optimize instrumental capacity as well as generate new performative possibilities through the conflation of productive, consumptive, and logistical activities. The hybridized type is demonstrated on a greenfield, industrial zoned site in the outer fringes of the Greater Toronto Area. Standard warehouse morphologies are retooled to serve the unfolding trends of agglomeration and just-in-time delivery while functioning as revolutionized, streamlined terminals of inland intermodal exchange. A unique urban condition is created where the freight-intensive logistics cluster interfaces a transit-supportive arterial corridor in the surrounding suburban fabric. Here, a thickened seam is developed to engage pedestrian-scaled experience, offer richness through surprising functional juxtaposition, and capitalize on the potentials for efficient local connections to regional distribution agents.

In support of a modal shift towards rail for goods movement, a reconceptualization of urban and interurban mobility frameworks leads to the proposed infrastructural fitting for the urban periphery. Keller Easterling’s notion of Situating serves as a tool for engaging the serial aspects of the project territory in order to leverage widespread change. The intervention is born of the premise that while the ‘last mile’ of the supply chain must remain predominantly road based, the ‘second-last mile’ between concentrated distribution clusters is an opportune target for modal shifting initiatives. Towards this end the thesis envisions alternative, elaborated templates for distribution cluster design which optimize instrumental capacity as well as generate new performative possibilities through the conflation of productive, consumptive, and logistical activities. The hybridized type is demonstrated on a greenfield, industrial zoned site in the outer fringes of the Greater Toronto Area. Standard warehouse morphologies are retooled to serve the unfolding trends of agglomeration and just-in-time delivery while functioning as revolutionized, streamlined terminals of inland intermodal exchange. A unique urban condition is created where the freight-intensive logistics cluster interfaces a transit-supportive arterial corridor in the surrounding suburban fabric. Here, a thickened seam is developed to engage pedestrian-scaled experience, offer richness through surprising functional juxtaposition, and capitalize on the potentials for efficient local connections to regional distribution agents.

No description available.

The urban landscape reflects the social, economic, and policy changes that have taken place in a community. The inner city has been previosly called a microcosm that indicates the changes that are occurring in society. The inner city can thus be studied to examine how it responds and adapts to economic change. This thesis asks in what ways are the historic and current economic transitions visible in Hamilton’s inner city landscape; and how do planning policies influence the emerging urban built form. The thesis examines select characteristics of the contemporary inner city derived from the literature (i.e. art and entertainment amenitites, recreational uses, residential revitalization, institutional uses, post-Fordist economy, decline in manufacturing activity, promotion of multi-modal transportation, sustainability policy, and statement place making) and their expected physical manifestations. The methods consist of a historical analysis and visual diagnosis that uses photographs and field notes in order to provide a bottom-up interpretation of downtown Hamilton’s changing urban landscape. There is evidence of arts-culture led rejuvenation of downtown Hamilton and the public realm. However, there is the challenge of promoting revitalization in a context of visual urban blight and the possibilities of policy-induced loss of employment lands.

The urban landscape reflects the social, economic, and policy changes that have taken place in a community. The inner city has been previosly called a microcosm that indicates the changes that are occurring in society. The inner city can thus be studied to examine how it responds and adapts to economic change. This thesis asks in what ways are the historic and current economic transitions visible in Hamilton’s inner city landscape; and how do planning policies influence the emerging urban built form. The thesis examines select characteristics of the contemporary inner city derived from the literature (i.e. art and entertainment amenitites, recreational uses, residential revitalization, institutional uses, post-Fordist economy, decline in manufacturing activity, promotion of multi-modal transportation, sustainability policy, and statement place making) and their expected physical manifestations. The methods consist of a historical analysis and visual diagnosis that uses photographs and field notes in order to provide a bottom-up interpretation of downtown Hamilton’s changing urban landscape. There is evidence of arts-culture led rejuvenation of downtown Hamilton and the public realm. However, there is the challenge of promoting revitalization in a context of visual urban blight and the possibilities of policy-induced loss of employment lands.

This study reports on the use of action research methodology to generate a critical reflective collaborative setting. The aim was to infuse the institution with the results of this study in order to stimulate debate on the issues regarding change in practice and systems. The suitability of Internet communication technologies, more specifically the online learning community, is evaluated as a delivery mode that would address today’s learning needs. This required the collaborative construction of knowledge in a community setting with the teacher enabling communication and interaction, and facilitating and stimulating the sharing and testing of ideas and constructs. But such a learning scenario was found to be significantly challenging to the current print-based learning experience. It implied a challenge to teaching and support staff as well as the questioning of the efficiency and legitimacy of current instructional design staff and procedures used. The teaching responsibilities and commitment in the online community was outlined as against current print-based teaching practice. The current development and production culture, which restricts innovation and change in practice and systems significantly, came under pressure. The success of the online learning community in the Unisa context was nevertheless significant and it has the potential to serve as an opportunity to re-examine print-based production and delivery and to devise strategies and solutions to increase the quality significantly. / Faculty of Education / D. Ed.

This study reports on the use of action research methodology to generate a critical reflective collaborative setting. The aim was to infuse the institution with the results of this study in order to stimulate debate on the issues regarding change in practice and systems. The suitability of Internet communication technologies, more specifically the online learning community, is evaluated as a delivery mode that would address today’s learning needs. This required the collaborative construction of knowledge in a community setting with the teacher enabling communication and interaction, and facilitating and stimulating the sharing and testing of ideas and constructs. But such a learning scenario was found to be significantly challenging to the current print-based learning experience. It implied a challenge to teaching and support staff as well as the questioning of the efficiency and legitimacy of current instructional design staff and procedures used. The teaching responsibilities and commitment in the online community was outlined as against current print-based teaching practice. The current development and production culture, which restricts innovation and change in practice and systems significantly, came under pressure. The success of the online learning community in the Unisa context was nevertheless significant and it has the potential to serve as an opportunity to re-examine print-based production and delivery and to devise strategies and solutions to increase the quality significantly. / Faculty of Education / D. Ed.

Le tourisme constitue un poids significatif pour la Tunisie. Ses impacts économiques sur le pays sont considérables (6% du PIB et plus de 386 000 emplois directs et indirects en 2009). Cependant aujourd’hui, ce secteur touristique fait face à de nombreuses difficultés. Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une politique de relance du tourisme en Tunisie. Elle est structurée en deux parties. Dans la première, le diagnostic du tourisme tunisien montre que le secteur souffre à deux niveaux : stratégique (la gestion du secteur est laissée au privé sans intervention de l’Etat, ce qui donne lieu à une faible rentabilité de certains hôtels, un fort endettement à cause de la pratique de prix « moins cher » et l’esprit de l’ « affaire familiale ») et qualitatif (l’épuisement du modèle fordiste). La thèse expose les limites d’un fordisme quantitativiste, puis démontre qu’une nouvelle lecture de marché touristique est nécessaire pour réaliser une performance économique durable. Dans cette perspective, la mise en œuvre d’une évaluation économique et environnementale s’impose. Dans la deuxième partie, à partir d’un territoire précis (île de Djerba), il s’agit de réfléchir à des nouvelles trajectoires. Le travail suppose la construction d’indicateurs pertinents de performance économique et environnementale en vue d’améliorer la qualité des méthodologies d’évaluation de la rentabilité du secteur touristique. Au niveau économique, l’étude propose une nouvelle méthode permettant d’apprécier l’impact économique du tourisme sur l’île de Djerba. Cette méthode appelée « méthode de masses », s’inspire de la théorie de la croissance ou du développement. Elle nécessite la détermination des activités directes, indirectes et induites. Les indicateurs mesurés sont : la Valeur Ajoutée (VA), l’Excédent Brut d’Exploitation (EBE) et l’Emploi (E). Les résultats obtenus montrent que les activités directes les plus génératrices de richesse et d’emplois sont l’hôtellerie dans un contexte de tourisme de masse. Pour les activités indirectes, il s’agit de la consommation des produits agroalimentaires, des produits agricoles et de la pêche. La méthode proposée permet de reconstruire une image de la place du tourisme conforme à la structure observée de l’économie locale. Le résultat remet en cause les coefficients multiplicateurs proposés dans les travaux antérieurs. Ces résultats peuvent constituer une base de réflexion pour le décideur politique relativement aux projets de développement touristique futurs. Au niveau de l’évaluation de l’état de lieux de l’environnement, elle permet au tourisme djerbien de défendre son avenir. Cette évaluation porte aussi sur la dimension environnementale et propose une analyse des instruments réglementaires mis en place à Djerba ainsi que la possibilité d’intégrer les nouveaux instruments proposés par l’Organisation Mondiale du Tourisme dont l’objectif est la recherche d’un développement durable de l’activité touristique qui ne mettre pas en péril la richesse naturelle de l’île. / Tourism is a significant resource for Tunisia. Its economic impacts on the country are considerable (6% of GDP and over 386 000 direct and indirect jobs in 2009). But today, the tourism sector is facing many difficulties. This thesis is part of a plan to boost tourism in Tunisia. It is structured in two parts. The first diagnosis of the Tunisian tourism sector shows that it suffers on two levels: strategic (management is left to the private sector without government intervention, which leads to low profitability of some hotels, a high debt because of the pricing practice and the family business model) and qualitative (over-reliance on the Fordist model). The thesis discusses the limitations of Fordism quantitative, and demonstrates that a new reading of the tourism market is needed to achieve sustainable economic performance. From this perspective, the implementation of economic and environmental assessments is required. In the second part on the thesis, envisions a new trajectory for a specific territory (Djerba Island), it is to think of new trajectories. The work demands the search of relevant indicators of economic and environmental quality in order to assess the best methodologies to improve the assessment of the profitability of the tourism sector. Economically, the study proposes a new method for assessing the economic impact of tourism on the island of Djerba. This method called "method of the masses", builds on the theory of growth or development. It requires the determination of direct, indirect and induced activities. The indicators measured are: Value Added (VA), Earnings Before Interests, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) and Employment (E). The results show that the most direct activities that generate wealth and jobs are hotels. For indirect activities, it is the consumption of food products, agricultural products and fisheries. These results may provide a basis upon which for policy-makers may evaluate future tourism development projects. In terms of assessing the importance of the environment, it allows the Djerbian tourism to defend its future. This evaluation will also examine the environmental dimension and provides an analysis of regulatory instruments in place in Djerba and seeks to integrate new instruments proposed by the World Tourism Organization which objective is to search for sustainable development of tourism activity to conserve the natural wealth of the island.