Exposure assessment is a critical step in air quality-related epidemiological studies. Accurate estimates of exposure within urban areas are a vital input to models that aim to assess the health effects of air quality among populations of interest. In this study, I have derived and applied a novel approach for capturing the distribution of air quality in Arlington, VA and Washington DC using mobile monitoring. The main objectives of this study are: 1. Deploy a year-long sampling campaign in the Washington DC region to capture the within-city variability of air quality for Particle Number Concentration (PNC), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and Black Carbon (BC) using mobile monitoring. 2. Derive a method for selecting the best representative mobile monitoring routes to capture within-city spatial patterns of air quality. The end-use of the monitoring campaign described here is as an input for Land Use Regression (LUR) models. 3. Collect unconventional data to characterize the built environment, e.g., videos, sound, etc., that could be employed to improve the LUR models beyond conventional approaches. This study describes the data collection effort that was deployed for a year to characterize annual average concentrations at different locations across the Washington DC region. My thesis describes the challenges experienced and lessons learned during the data collection phase. The goal of this thesis is to describe the data collected and the methods used to sample the DC region. This effort is a component of a larger project that will later use these observations in LUR models. The central site used for measurement of background concentration had a lower concentration median when compared with the median concentration measured on bike. The median PM2.5 concentration at the central site was observed to be 5.2 μg/m3 and the median PNC at the central site was observed to be 6,365 #/cm3. The Arlington PM2.5 concentration was 1 μg/m3 and the Washington DC concentration PM2.5 was 0.3 μg/m3 higher than the background median concentration. Also, the Particle Number Concentration (PNC) was 222 #/cm3 more and the Washington DC PNC was 2,139 #/cm3 higher than the median background concentration. / Many studies have shown that living in polluted air has long-term negative impacts on human health. These negative impacts include premature death, lung disease, heart disease, blood disease, and other complications. Due to these impacts, it is critical to know the level of air pollution within cities to identify areas that have elevated concentrations. The measurement of air quality is challenging because of the low number of monitors available due to cost. Reference grade air quality monitors are often very costly. In this study, I have developed an approach for using a bike to collect mobile measurements of particulate air pollutants in the Washington DC area. I collected one year of data at a fixed site in Arlington and four seasons of data from the bike mobile monitoring campaign. After analyzing the data, I observed that the fixed station showed lower concentration when compared with the data collected by bicycle. I have also suggested improvements in the mobile monitoring method and developed an approach for joining these data with outputs from computer vision models to describe the built environment.

Negotiation is gaining recognition as a vital tool in both public and private urban planning. Planners need special knowledge for the formal roles of negotiator or mediator, and for informal roles as advocate or facilitator, in interactions with government agencies, developers, community organizations, and other special interest groups. A review of the negotiation literature was conducted to formulate a "practical theory" for practicing planners, trainers, and researchers seeking to understand how to negotiate more effectively. The theory statement is presented on two levels. First, two general conceptual frameworks for understanding the process and dynamics of negotiation are formulated. Key and sub-variables identified in the literature are divided into: a) those considered in each of seven developmental stages, and b) those consistently monitored throughout the negotiation. Second, a detailed model of negotiation is developed with tests to measure adequacy of the variables and recommendations for action, if needed. The complete model provides the planner/negotiator with a useful guide for addressing the complex, multi-issue, multi-party conflicts that too often thwart public and private efforts needed for community progress. The model also serves as an elaborate statement of theoretical propositions that can stimulate academic discussion and the formulation of future research designs. / Ph. D.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Laurence A. Clement, Jr. / Increasing population in Manhattan, Kansas and rising enrollment at Kansas State University have increased the interest in establishing new residences and commercial businesses within the city limits. Locations for development include the revitalization of Manhattan’s south end and sites adjacent to Seth Child Road, US Highway 24, and K-177. Recent development patterns in Manhattan, such as residential development near Wildcat Creek, have resulted in severe environmental impacts. While most development enhances existing land use patterns, undeveloped natural areas along K-177 present several environmental opportunities and restraints that must be assessed and well-planned for to accommodate projected growth in a sustainable way. Topography, existing vegetation, drainage networks, wildlife habitats, and proximity to the Kansas River contribute to limitations in development along and extending from K-177. This proximity and resulting development could reduce existing wildlife habitat, plant species, and the overall health of Manhattan’s and the surrounding area’s air, soil and water quality. Developmental strategies are needed to ensure the conservation of sensitive ecosystems and to direct development to the most suitable areas. After conducting an inventory of the land’s natural resources and land use patterns, two suitability models were created to express areas most suitable for development based on two sets of values; conservation-minded and developer-minded. As sites for development were located and assessed, a trail suitability model was then created to express potential connections between new and old development and to show links to other significant destinations. This trail system also establishes greenway selection criteria, aiming to further protect remaining natural areas while providing a public amenity. Fulfillment of the goals and objectives of the Gateway to Manhattan Plan (GMP), establishes development suitability through a conservationist approach to ensure significant preservation of land. Such an approach and related conservation strategies are then discussed to act as a platform for decision making as lands along K-177 are developed. The trail suitability study and proposed greenway network provide solutions for meeting the GMP’s goals of establishing multi-modal connectivity along and across K-177 while conserving environmental resources. In addition to controlling development patterns, these greenways will act as conduits for wildlife, help maintain or enhance air, soil and water quality, protect endangered flora and fauna, and provide recreational amenities while minimizing overall negative environmental impacts.

For local authorities to manage land policies effectively data bases of land use information that are current and mirror development on the ground are required. At present local authorities have no mechanisms in place to acquire maintain and spatially link land use information. Detailed land use information is not generally available at the local level. Generally little attention is paid to maintaining the expensive data which is assembled when planning schemes, development plans or projects are prepared. Land use planning has traditionally focussed on the control rather than the facilitation of development. Details of the actual land use on the ground are generally ignored as tariffs for tax purposes are set on the zoning of the land or a flat rate rather than the actual land use. This lack of land use information, which is exacerbated by informal settlement, causes delays in approving new land uses. There is generally no data available for informal areas and land use and tenure is subject to the informal rules that have evolved with such settlements. If these areas are to be included in the formal land management systems, ways of including and maintaining land use information about these settlements must be developed. By reviewing land information theory, the South African legal land development framework and using a small town as a case study, I have shown that provided certain conditions are met a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS), designed to record and maintain the land use data necessary to support land use planning in both formal and informal contexts, could be a valuable land management tool. Such a system should be implemented in partnership with local communities and should; • support local level land use decision making and regulation • serve as a land management tool to integrate formal and informal communities • have mechanisms to keep land use information current • be transparent about the type of land use information • develop linkages with regional government to provide detailed land information over time. / Thesis (M.Sc.Sur.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

Replacement of traditional land administration institutions with modern institutions has been one of the strategies used by the Lesotho Government to solve land management problems. This thesis uses a case study approach to analyze the effectiveness of one modern institution, the Village Land Allocation Committees (VLAC), at the community level in Lesotho. Customarily, land in Lesotho was allocated by traditional chiefs who could for various purposes revoke it. The system was allegedly open to abuse and under the Land Act 1979, the authority to allocate land was shifted from traditional chiefs to the VLAC, which is partly elected and partly nominated by the government. The thinking behind this change was that VLAC would be more democratic and efficient, representing local as well as national interests. The study consists of three stages: a) review of background literature on Lesotho; b) a comparison of land tenure reforms in Tanzania, Kenya and Botswana; and c) field research carried out through questionnaires administered to VLAC members, community members and government officials responsible for land administration at the community level in Lesotho. Conclusions drawn from this study are that lack of clear policy guidelines, lack of connection between land allocation and the overall planning and lack of meaningful community participation in the land allocation process, are among the major problems in the operation of VLAC. The study's major recommendations are: a) integrating land allocation with the overall land use planning; b) recognizing the continuing influence of traditional institutions and incorporating them into VLAC activities; c) providing VLAC with clearer goals and necessary resources; and d) building a planning and evaluation component into VLAC procedures. The need for further research on the composition and election process of VLAC is identified. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

This thesis explores the theory and practice of incorporating a financial perspective into land use planning. Although it is well known that land use changes have definite consequences on municipal finances, there is little empirical information to guide municipal planners in analyzing and understanding the fiscal consequences of their decisions. In this thesis the role of municipal expenditure-revenue analysis in land use planning is analyzed. Municipal expenditure-revenue analysis represents a methodology used to quantify the net cost to a municipal government of providing services to specified land use categories. The nature and historical development of municipal expenditure-revenue analysis is described, and criteria for the evaluation of such analyses are developed. On the basis of these criteria, three municipal expenditure-revenue studies, undertaken in metropolitan Vancouver, are analyzed and evaluated in order to highlight current field practice and key issues in this area of analysis. The evaluation of the three case studies illustrates that despite considerable efforts on behalf of the analysts involved, the results of the studies have little direct application in planning and policy formulation. All three studies were found to have shortcomings which place in question the reliability and validity of the results. Despite these shortcomings, it is concluded that the process of undertaking expenditure-revenue analysis is valuable in that it provides an explicit framework in which planners and other municipal officials can consider the financial implications of land use decisions. On the basis of the analysis and evaluation undertaken in this thesis five recommendations are developed which will help analysts to improve the reliability of both the process and results of future expenditure-revenue analysis. This, in turn, will increase the potential of the direct application of these studies' results in planning and policy formulation. The recommendations made in the concluding chapter of this thesis are listed below: (1 ) Municipal expenditure-revenue analysis should be undertaken under objective circumstances; (2) The resources available to municipal expenditure-revenue studies should allow a thorough and in-depth analysis of the expenditure and revenue associated with the specified land use categories;' (3) The study methodology should combine the range of approaches discussed in Chapter 2 of this thesis; (4) Municipal expenditure-revenue analysis should be computerized; and (5) All aspects of an expenditure-revenue analysis should be clearly documented. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The Legal Nature of the Land-use Planning Tools Abstract This thesis deals with legal phenomena in spatial planning activities, especially the legal nature of land-use planning tools. The focus of the work lies in the study of general tools, especially land-use planning documentation, but also deals with specific tools, namely territorial decisions, or its alternatives. Logical methods and interpretation of legal norms and case law are used to study outlined phenomena. The theory of administrative law stands as a pillar of this thesis. The fundamental part of the legal regulation is contained in the Construction Act, but at the time of completion of this thesis, a new Construction Act has been adopted, although is not in force yet. The work mainly concerns the existing regulation, but the new regulation is also discussed. In addition to both Construction Acts, the Administrative Procedure Code is essential for the examination of the matter, because it enshrines general forms of administrative activity. For broad topics, general (i.e. non-legal) contexts and the history of legislation cannot be avoided. The thesis also deals with substantive and procedural aspects of land-use planning law and organization of public administration in the area. Spatial planning uses many different forms of administrative...

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Blake Belanger / As the world continues to grow and cities continue to change, landscapes architects are constantly challenged with identifying design solutions that address the endless change of urban environments. In 1973, C.S. Holling developed the term “resilience theory,” which identified how social and ecological systems communicate across different landscape scales (Holling, C.S. 1973). In 2013, Kansas State Graduate Kevin Cunningham tested the validity of Holling’s resilience theory as a theoretical basis for urban design. This report attempts to further test the validity of resilience theory as a theoretical basis for social systems within urban design. Methodology utilized includes literature review with specific attention to current social resilience frameworks and guidelines, case study analyses, and an application of the author’s social resilience goals and strategies through a projective design of Washington Square Park, Kansas City, Missouri. Social resilience goals and strategies were developed to respond to social objectives identified within Washington Square Park RFQ/P, GDAP, Main Street Streetcar, Making Grand “Grand” and KCDC’s plan for the park. Objectives were derived based upon their relationship to resilience theory. The created social resilient goals, objectives and strategies will be specific for the revitalization of Washington Square Park. However, the process of identified social resilience goals, objectives and strategies can be utilized as a tool for designs of other urban, civic spaces. The process of identifying social resilience goals, objectives and strategies utilized within this report has the potential to continually promote landscape architects as the primary leaders in urban design practice.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Hyung Jin Kim / Walkability is a challenge for most suburban metropolitan areas. Specifically, the Kansas City suburban cities of Overland Park, Olathe, Leawood, and South KCMO have sprawled and disconnected urban patterns and a low average walkability score of 37 out of 100 (Walk Score, 2013, https://www.redfin.com/how-walk-score-works/). The Indian Creek Trail, an existing recreational trail that extends throughout the southern Kansas City neighborhoods, has the potential to improve walkability. It connects major destinations, including residential communities, businesses, and commercial districts throughout the suburban neighborhoods. Many studies have analyzed suburban sprawl and walkability, but few studies have identified the possibility of enhancing existing trail systems to provide for greater mobility, connectivity, and activity. The study examines the feasibility of reusing an existing trail system to act as a catalyst to promote walkability in the Kansas City suburbs. The goal of the project to create a paradigm shift in the way people think about transport and development. The purpose is to identify how centering walkable strategies around an active transportation network can promote walkability in sprawled suburban areas. The question: How can focusing improvement around existing trail infrastructure enhance walkability in suburban areas? has guided the project and helped define strategies for improvement. This project identifies the Indian Creek Trail’s current and potential uses from an in depth community and spatial analysis. Surveys, interviews, and observations were conducted within 13 major destination areas along the Indian Creek Trail. The results were then analyzed to create an evidence‐based design framework that will address walkable concerns. The project results showed there were three primary causes for walkable limitations along the trail network: current transportation trends, suburban development patterns, and social perceptions. Understanding these important aspects of walkability helped identify a framework for improvement. The findings from the analysis determined the site restrictions and prospects of creating a walkable environment along the Indian Creek Trail. The results identified primary locations of needed intervention and revealed major opportunities for connection. The design then applied walkable components based on analysis findings to create nodes of complete communities. Design decisions were tailored to amend community needs and alter traditional transport perceptions. The objective of the designs was to address specific walkable limitations to create reasonable solutions in suburban areas. The project identifies 5 primary components of walkability that can be used to create a walkable plan. Future studies would revolve around implementing the designs and analyzing the effectiveness to create a model that can be applied to enhance walkability for other suburban areas. Ultimately, the results could establish how improved walkability can promote multi‐modal transportation opportunities where population, density, diversity, and funding do not allow for typical transportation or development enhancements.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Hyung Jin Kim / Children’s play is partially satisfied through provision of public playgrounds with manufactured playground equipment in urban settings in the U.S., however, manufactured playground equipment is often criticized for its monotonous play equipment and is considered to be the primary cause of low playground utilization and dissatisfaction by many researchers (Hart, 2002; Beckwith, 2000; Cunningham & Jones, 1999; Davies, 1996; Masters, 2011). This study selected an urban park playground, a community playground, and a neighborhood park playground with manufactured equipment in the city of Manhattan as study sites. The purpose of this study is to examine utilization of the current playground areas and equipment—specifically by examining playground satisfaction levels and utilization frequency, and playground equipment satisfaction and utilization frequency to reveal playground utilization issues. A playground field audit and an on-site visitor survey were used to collect data. This study found (a) study playgrounds are underutilized among 6-to-10 and 11-to-15 age groups, (b) correlations exist between play equipment utilization frequencies and satisfaction ratings for most play equipment, and (c) no correlation exists between playground utilization frequency and playground satisfaction ratings. Results also revealed that (d) rare and occasional playground visitors are more likely to be attracted to play equipment with moving parts, higher physical challenges, and creative designs. Playground utilization rates are at current levels partially due to the rigid demand for playground use and play equipment. Although this study showed that 57% of survey participants were satisfied with the manufactured play equipment overall, play equipment should still be carefully selected and installed in consideration of different age groups, and visitors’ needs and characteristics; and more creative and cutting-edge play equipment should be considered for future playground improvements.