published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

Historians have debated to what extent the free people of color in New Orleans were members of a wealthy privileged elite or part of a middle or working class in the South's largest antebellum city. This study steps outside the debate to suggest that analysis of the censuses of 1850 and 1860 shows correlations between neighborhoods, household structures, and occupations that reveal a heterogeneous population that eludes simple definitions. In particular this study focuses on mixed-race households to shed light on this segment of the free colored population that is mostly unstudied and generally misrepresented. This study also finds that immediately prior to the Civil War, mixed-race families, for no easily understood reason, tended to cluster in certain neighborhoods. Mostly this study points out that by the Civil War, the free people of color in New Orleans had evolved into a diverse mostly working class population.

This thesis work addresses two research questions regarding sustainability that may be of interest to the planning profession, namely, is it useful and meaningful to measure the sustainability of residential neighborhoods in terms of their long-term viability? And if it is, is it then feasible to design an instrument for measuring neighborhood sustainability that can be used to inform neighborhood-scale planning and decision making? Interpreting from a review of planning literature regarding sustainability at the neighborhood scale that efforts to measure neighborhood sustainability provide insight and knowledge to planners about neighborhood conditions, I followed a step wise process to construct an instrument. This process involved defining sustainability as is relevant at neighborhood scale, identifying forces that influence it, defining the unit of analysis for the measurement instrument, and operationalizing the instrument. It is my conclusion that while it is feasible to construct an instrument for measuring sustainability, it is through additional research work outside of the graduate thesis that such an instrument can successfully be constructed. Due to time and resource constraints, I have only been able to develop an instrument of measurement that may be useful to planners chiefly as a heuristic tool rather than a policy making analytic tool. / Thesis / Master

A expansão desordenada das cidades contemporâneas, além de causar problemas de mobilidade, déficit habitacional devido ao seu rápido crescimento, levou também à ocupação de áreas protegidas ambientalmente bem como de territórios dos quais não se tinha conhecimento sobre seus riscos e restrições, como é o caso das áreas contaminadas. Estas áreas, na sua maioria derivadas de antigos terrenos industriais ou locais de depósito de resíduos, são abundantes na cidade de São Paulo, dado o seu histórico fortemente ligado à expansão industrial.Diante disto, o pressente trabalho reúne algumas das principais políticas públicas utilizadas em diversos países para tratar as áreas contaminadas, a partir de então, procura-se neste trabalho entender quais medidas podem ser aplicadas na cidade de São Paulo de forma a viabilizar a remediação do território com uma ocupação compatível com a demanda local. / The disordered growth of contemporary cities, besides problems with mobility, housing deficit and occupation of protected areas, also led to the occupation of territories with few information about their restrictions and risks, such as contaminated areas. These areas, mostly derived from old industrial lands or waste disposal sites, are abundant in the city of São Paulo, due their history strongly linked to the industrial expansion. Therefore, the present work brings together some of the main public policies used in several countries to treat the contaminated areas. From then on, it seeks to understand what measures can be applied in the city of São Paulo in order to make feasible the remediation of the territory with an occupation compatible with the demands of the city and the local population.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: leaves 118-124. / by Wanda Chin. / M.C.P.

Traditional lawn care for suburban American households merits examination from both ecological and social perspectives. Such practices have potentially detrimental consequences on human and natural systems that will continue to grow with urbanization. Consequently, further characterization of the complex, multiscale processes in which lawn management decisions are rooted could enhance methods for encouraging the adoption of alternatives to industrialized lawn care. This study conceptualizes mesoscale, or neighborhood-level, influences on watering, fertilizing, and mowing practices in Baltimore city, through a modified grounded theory analysis of key informant interviews in Mount Washington, Westfield, and Park Circle. This study finds that mesoscale processes play a significant role in the residential lawn care of these neighborhoods. The applicable processes vary by the community’s social cohesion and tenets. As socioeconomic status and social cohesion increases within the study area, the influence of informal authority in residential lawn care increases. Results demonstrate potential policy implications. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Stroke continues to plague the United States, affecting 795,000 people annually. Although stroke mortality has decreased, the overall incidence of stroke appears essentially unchanged. With a population that is projected to increase in age and stroke risk over the next 10-15 years, this is concerning. Current stroke prevention education may not be adequately tailored to community learning needs. Analyzing existing demographic data within electronic medical records may allow healthcare systems to identify high-risk neighborhoods by geocoding stroke diagnoses and then completing a qualitative analysis within the target community of specific stroke knowledge deficits. That information may then inform stroke prevention education for that neighborhood. A descriptive, exploratory approach was used to identify a community with a high incidence of stroke using geocoded demographic data from patients coding out with a stroke diagnosis. Qualitative interviews conducted within the community yielded the following themes: fragmented knowledge of stroke causes and risk factors, unawareness of hypertension and diabetes as significant risk factors for stroke, knowing but experiencing challenges to engaging in healthy practices—specifically, diet and exercise, and financial barriers to healthcare resources. While most of the participants had adequate healthcare coverage and reported regular interactions with a primary healthcare provider, this community continued to experience a higher incidence of stroke than surrounding neighborhoods. The findings of this study highlighted specific challenges to stroke prevention that may inform future stroke prevention initiatives. Future research in other communities using this approach may provide additional insights into the specific knowledge deficits unique to communities, as well as revealing patterns and trends in stroke prevention knowledge. Approaching stroke prevention education using only data obtained from large registries may provide a broad overview of knowledge deficits, but lack the specificity necessary to effectively address stroke knowledge needs at the community level. Recognizing the challenges inherent with behavior modification for implementing lifestyle changes should also be considered when designing future stroke education. Harnessing technology in the form of web applications, text messaging, and email for maintaining communication with patients may improve effectiveness of stroke prevention interventions. Implementing a comprehensive health promotion program that addresses specific community needs with tailored health education and behavioral support may lead to decreased incidence of cerebrovascular disease in this community and provide a model for managing other preventable diseases. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

In this thesis, I discuss the Tampa Heights Greenprinting Initiative, an initiative to build community in a gentrifying neighborhood. I was primarily hired to find out what changes residents of Tampa Heights desired in their chosen park, observe the Greenprinting process, and write a report that could be used in future initiatives. Due to my Anthropological training, I paid attention to the wider context associated with this project. I paid as much attention to who was not there as I did to who was there. The applied nature of my program enabled me to not only document the socio-economic factors that affected the project, but to say something at the time of the project, so that change could be implemented. Research questions involved trying to figure out how residents envision their neighborhood park, as well as the broader question of how the socioeconomic situation in Tampa Heights affects the Tampa Heights Greenprinting Initiative. I asked whether a park revitalization could lead to residents uniting across various boundaries, and if so, how. I discovered that the Tampa Heights Greenprinting process highlighted some of the socioeconomic tensions in Tampa Heights. These tensions are related to the current status of the neighborhood as a gentrifying area. Perhaps, as a result of the Greenprinting process, residents will recognize that to truly build a cohesive community, they must address the implications of gentrification, outside investment (instead of community-rooted investment), the possible demolition of Robles Park Housing Village, and the lack of youth programs in their community.

This thesis compares the experiences of citizens who regularly participate in the planning and zoning processes of their respective local governments. Atlanta has had a highly structured system of neighborhood government in place for over 35 years, called Neighborhood Planning Units. Enacted by Atlanta’s first African-American Mayor, NPUs were meant to facilitate the civic engagement of all neighborhoods, regardless of socioeconomic status. The role and boundaries of NPUs are codified in the City Charter. Unincorporated Cobb County, Georgia is a large, urbanizing-but-still-suburban county north of the city. Cobb does not officially recognize community boundaries nor is there a codified neighborhood government structure in place. By comparing the two systems of governance, this thesis will examine which best facilitates participation and whether respondents feel efficacious as they engage with their local government. The findings matter because citizen participation is generally deemed a desirable and even necessary element of modern, representative democracy.