The 711-acre Mueller development is located just three miles northeast of downtown on the former site of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. Planned as one of Austin’s major transit-oriented New Urbanist developments, Mueller contains a pattern of pedestrian and bike friendly streets to encourage a range of transportation options for residents and visitors. Mueller is 30% complete and provides housing and jobs to over 3000 residents and 3000 employees. This professional report seeks to understand how current residents, employees, and visitors use the bike lanes, sidewalks, and roads in the Mueller community. To evaluate the transportation infrastructure, the author designed and coded a custom Google Maps survey that asked residents to draw common routes, points of interest, and points of concern related to their transportation choices. Field observations were conducted to verify and triangulate the information reported in the online survey. This study investigates whether the transportation principles for the development are or are not achieved by comparing the expressed principles of the development with the actual behavior reported and exhibited by frequent users. / text

Low vision impacts on Quality of Life (QoL). Thus, low vision services are essential to enhance the QoL of people with functional low vision. However, of the estimated 70 out of the 124 million people with low vision who require services, approximately 5-10% has access to services. The demands for low vision services will continue to grow due to the emerging global trends in ageing populations and changes in the epidemiology of vision impairment. While critical data and information are available for other forms of vision impairment, there is a paucity of information on the distribution, needs, and priorities for improving low vision service delivery at the national, regional, and global levels. / This thesis addressed the problem by first developing and distributing a survey to Vision 2020 contacts, government, and non government organisations in 195 countries during 2006-2008 to assess the current situation of low vision services globally. The survey was first pilot tested leading to improvements in the length, layout, and content of its form. Specifically, the survey topics included: epidemiology, policies, human resources, service provision, barriers, equipment, and monitoring and evaluation. / The Classification Analysis and Regression Tree (CART), logistic regression methodology and grounded theory analysis were used to present the findings and identify the critical success factors of low vision service coverage. The qualitative component consisted of case studies in three countries (India, Ghana, and Cameroon) during November 2007 and 2008. A total of 101 interviews were carried out. The case studies provided an overview and historical perspective of services, effectiveness, cost, efficiency, acceptability, access, equity, sustainability, and ideal situations as recommended by interviewees. Qualitative findings from the case studies were produced with the assistance of the NVivo software. / The primary results are that the majority (80%) of countries have poor (≤10%) coverage. Key issues pertinent to the current situation of service coverage are: human resources (number and combination of disciplines), funding (sustainability and arrangements), type of services provided (comprehensive and multidisciplinary) and its locations (NGOs or government facilities), and the sociodemographic and economic barriers (costs, awareness, and rural areas) to accessing services. / The critical success factors found in this research are represented by the ‘FRAME’: Funding (sustainable source, public and private mix), Rehabilitation workers (e.g., adequate numbers of multidisciplinary personnel), Access to low vision devices, Multidisciplinary services; and External contextual influences in which low vision services operate in. The case studies identified seven major themes that further build on the FRAME: sustainability, governance, advocacy, human resources, access, awareness, and service delivery. / The conclusion of the thesis is that a global picture of the current situation of low vision services was acquired and it is now known which countries have poor (≤10%) and better (>10%) coverage. It also found the critical success factors that will assist the WHO Low Vision Working Group and Vision 2020 to improve the current models of service delivery, future planning, training curriculum development, and priorities setting. Specifically, these need to be achieved through three areas of action: human resources development, sustainability, and advocacy.

Low vision impacts on Quality of Life (QoL). Thus, low vision services are essential to enhance the QoL of people with functional low vision. However, of the estimated 70 out of the 124 million people with low vision who require services, approximately 5-10% has access to services. The demands for low vision services will continue to grow due to the emerging global trends in ageing populations and changes in the epidemiology of vision impairment. While critical data and information are available for other forms of vision impairment, there is a paucity of information on the distribution, needs, and priorities for improving low vision service delivery at the national, regional, and global levels. / This thesis addressed the problem by first developing and distributing a survey to Vision 2020 contacts, government, and non government organisations in 195 countries during 2006-2008 to assess the current situation of low vision services globally. The survey was first pilot tested leading to improvements in the length, layout, and content of its form. Specifically, the survey topics included: epidemiology, policies, human resources, service provision, barriers, equipment, and monitoring and evaluation. / The Classification Analysis and Regression Tree (CART), logistic regression methodology and grounded theory analysis were used to present the findings and identify the critical success factors of low vision service coverage. The qualitative component consisted of case studies in three countries (India, Ghana, and Cameroon) during November 2007 and 2008. A total of 101 interviews were carried out. The case studies provided an overview and historical perspective of services, effectiveness, cost, efficiency, acceptability, access, equity, sustainability, and ideal situations as recommended by interviewees. Qualitative findings from the case studies were produced with the assistance of the NVivo software. / The primary results are that the majority (80%) of countries have poor (≤10%) coverage. Key issues pertinent to the current situation of service coverage are: human resources (number and combination of disciplines), funding (sustainability and arrangements), type of services provided (comprehensive and multidisciplinary) and its locations (NGOs or government facilities), and the sociodemographic and economic barriers (costs, awareness, and rural areas) to accessing services. / The critical success factors found in this research are represented by the ‘FRAME’: Funding (sustainable source, public and private mix), Rehabilitation workers (e.g., adequate numbers of multidisciplinary personnel), Access to low vision devices, Multidisciplinary services; and External contextual influences in which low vision services operate in. The case studies identified seven major themes that further build on the FRAME: sustainability, governance, advocacy, human resources, access, awareness, and service delivery. / The conclusion of the thesis is that a global picture of the current situation of low vision services was acquired and it is now known which countries have poor (≤10%) and better (>10%) coverage. It also found the critical success factors that will assist the WHO Low Vision Working Group and Vision 2020 to improve the current models of service delivery, future planning, training curriculum development, and priorities setting. Specifically, these need to be achieved through three areas of action: human resources development, sustainability, and advocacy.

There is a substantial amount of studies made about green areas, but not enough studies on the value of water areas. Water areas has untapped potential in urban and regional planning. This study examines how value, through cooperation between municipalities and the maritime tourism industry, can be achieved from a socio-ecological perspective of the living environment. This is achieved through an investigation of the maritime tourism industry in Vaxholms stad. A mapping survey, questionnaire and interviews is used to research the subject.   For many of the municipalities in Stockholm archipelago tourism is a major source for business. The same is true for Vaxholms stad. Vaxholms stad is unique in its undertaking of a Blåplan, which goes into detail on how water areas should be developed and protected. This study acts as a smaller continuation of the plan, with a focus on maritime practices connected to tourism. The study's purpose is to propose actions that further the living environment through cooperation between the municipality maritime tourism practices.   The results of the study are first and foremost that valuable cultural and natural habitats should be used and protected to achieve desirable attractiveness. This achieves both a sustainable natural habitat and a thriving maritime tourism industry. Another conclusion is that Vaxholms stad should produce an action plan for the municipality’s businesses. This is concluded through the results of the questionnaire. The municipality should also motivate the practices to make sustainable choices. / Det finns många studier som fokuserar på samhällets gröna områden och inte tillräckligt många som inriktar sig på de nyttigheter som kan erhållas från vattenområden. Vattenområden har outnyttjad potential inom arbetet med regional och urban planering. Denna studie undersöker hur värde, genom samarbete mellan kommunen och den marina besöksnäringen, kan uppkomma utifrån ett socio-ekologiskt perspektiv av livsmiljön. Detta utförs genom en fördjupning av den marina besöksnäringen i Vaxholms stad. En enkät och intervjuer används för att undersöka ämnet.   För många av kommunerna i Stockholms skärgård är besöksnäringen en viktig del av näringslivet. Desamma stämmer även för Vaxholms stad. Vaxholms stad är unik i deras arbete med en Blåplan som förklarar hur vattenområden inom kommunen bör bevaras och utvecklas. Denna studie agerar som en mindre fördjupning av Blåplanen, med ett fokus på marina verksamheter som är en del av besöksnäringen. Syftet med studien är att producera förslag som främjar livsmiljön genom samverkan mellan kommunen och den marina besöksnäringen.   Studien resulterar framförallt att värdefulla kultur- och naturmiljöer bör utnyttjas och skyddas för att erhålla önskad attraktivitet. Detta skapar både en mer hållbar naturmiljö och fördelar för tillväxten av den marina besöksnäringen. En annan slutsats är att Vaxholm stad bör ta fram en handlingsplan för kommunens näringsliv. Detta på grund av resultatet från enkätundersökningen. Kommunen bör också motivera verksamheter till att göra val som påverkar livsmiljön positivt.