The recent enlargements of the European Union brought about a strategic shift in the EU’s approach to conflict management and security in the eastern neighbourhood. The Partnership and Co-operation Agreements between the EU and Moldova contained no mention of the Transnistrian dispute, while the agreement between the EU and Geor gia included a vague phrase regarding political dialogue which may include the issue of conflict resolution. The addition of new members to the Union, however, expanded the EU into its neighbourhood and brought closer the unresolved territorial disputes. Concerns that were once further away are now right next door. While the former accession states might have served as buffers to these concerns, they can no longer, as members of the Union, be seen as such. Therefore, there is a greater need to address security issues, such as the ‘frozen conflicts’ bordering the EU. This thesis will examine the evolution of the EU’s responses to security chal lenges in the Eastern neighbourhood, and assess the role the EU plays in addressing these ‘frozen conflicts’ through the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy. Fur ther, this thesis will argue that the EU has thus far exerted limited direct pressure towards direct resolution of these conflicts and has instead approached regional stability through a variety of other indirect and long term means, such as the pursuit of economic growth and political stability. In particular, the research will look at the security sector reform (SSR) and will focus on the EU’s impact, or Europeanization, in the rule of law and border management sectors of Moldova and Georgia. It will be shown that these two sectors are related to promoting political stability and economic growth, which is in line with the EU’s effort to support development in Moldova and Georgia, and thus indirectly address ‘frozen conflict’ resolution by. altering the incentive structures. This thesis will conclude that the EU does have an impact on the rule of law and border management sectors and subsequently some impact on the ‘frozen conflict’ in Moldova but less so on the conflicts in Georgia. / Arts, Faculty of / Central Eastern Northern European Studies, Department of / Graduate

The phenomenon of urban identity escapes narrow definition. Its relevance to the interior design context arises as a tool for regeneration where it can assist to capitalize on the potential of particular places and social relations that distinguish one location from another. The city is a constant interplay of human actions. Small moments and rituals that take place with human activity give rise to the everyday interaction between people with one other and with their environment. It is specifically on this human scale that interior design offers the possibility to explore the physical manipulation of space and form to influence interaction. Circulation and interior elements become a means to promote socialisation across different cultural groups and generations. Social friction represents the traditional societal aspect when considering interaction. Here its importance is not diminished but is put on par with the tactile dimensions of the physical as well as the visual. The interrelatedness of the social, physical and visual elements is set against the emerging topic of neighbourhood regeneration. Identity is here considered to be part of the core essence of a sense of place and belonging, which ensures that the regeneration is driven by the local residents, both as individuals and collectively as a community. In the specific context of Sunnyside and Trevenna, which is an area that has undergone many demographic and physical changes, the possibility of a built space as a platform for different people to engage with one another and their surroundings is investigated. Such as intervention aims to instil a sense of ownership, to define the desired atmosphere and to provide a space where collective values for the shifting neighbourhood can be navigated. The design explores this relation between formal design and informal activities through the proposal of a new morphology in form of a public space and café on the ground floor, and a youth aftercare centre on the upper two floors that incorporates desirable aspects of the original structure’s functions. / Dissertation MInt(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Architecture / MInt(Prof) / Unrestricted

The past several years have witnessed significant interest in the role that residential neighbourhoods play in shaping child development. There is evidence that contextual attributes of neighbourhoods exert an influence on development, over and above compositional characteristics. These findings suggest that neighbourhood-based interventions may be successful at improving population-level child development outcomes, over policy aimed at individual-based change. However, the reliance on respondent perception of neighbourhood attributes in the existing research is vulnerable to bias. Thus this research employing a quantitative approach to the study of the neighbourhood built environment addresses a significant gap. Drawing from independent sets of data, linked geographically (Early Development Instrument, Google Street View-Systematic Social Observation of a random sample of street segments in each census tract, and the Canadian Marginalization Index), I use correlation and regression analysis to examine the link between neighbourhood physical disorder and child-friendliness, structural disadvantage, and child development at the census tract level in Victoria, B.C. Results indicate physical disorder is the neighbourhood attribute having the most salient impact across multiple domains of child development. Furthermore, the link between neighbourhood child-friendliness and most EDI domains was not in the direction or as significant as hypothesized. This may suggest the need for a more detailed measurement tool to assess quality of each feature as well as presence or absence. Findings also indicate that physical disorder and structural disadvantage may be on the same causal pathway towards shaping children’s health and wellbeing.Overall, this research improves our understanding of the complex interaction between children and their neighbourhoods, and its contribution to healthy development. By identifying the need for a more detailed measurement tool, this research provides evidence for the design of future studies. Furthermore, findings from this study provide evidence in support of population-level intervention to promote healthy child development through improvement of neighbourhood aesthetic. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

<p> The purpose of this research paper is to examine the effects of neighbourhood factors on attitudes towards Mental health facilities. The research hypothesis is that personal attitudes towards mental health are a major determinant of reactions to community mental health facilities. The study conducted by the Canadian Training Institute (CTI) in 1983 provides relevant data on attitudes toward mental health group homes. Attitudes towards mental health group homes were studied using measures of desirability and perceived neighbourhood impacts. In order to test the hypothesis, two sets of relationships were examined; the relationship between facility impact and neighbourhoods;and the relationship between facility desirability and neighbourhoods. The results provide support for the results obtained by Trute and Segal in Canada and Linsky in the United States. The results showed similar socio-demographic profiles and attitudes of potential accepting and rejecting neighbourhoods. Therefore, the conclusions are that attitudes towards mental health group homes vary spatially between different types of neighbourhoods. The results have practical reference because they can help planners locate mental health facilities in locations where public opposition and patient dissatisfactionare minimized. </p> / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

In this thesis there is a set of waste disposal facilities, a set of customers at which waste is collected and an unlimited number of homogeneous vehicles based at a single depot. Empty vehicles leave the depot and collect waste from customers, emptying themselves at the waste disposal facilities as and when necessary. Vehicles return to the depot empty. We take into consideration time windows associated with customers, disposal facilities and the depot. We also have a driver rest period. The problem is solved heuristically. A neighbour set is defined for each customer as the set of customers that are close, but with compatible time windows. This thesis uses six different procedures to obtain initial solutions for the problem. Then, the initial solutions from these procedures are improved in terms of the distance travelled using our phase 1 and phase 2 procedures, whereas we reduce the number of vehicles used using our vehicle reduction (VR) procedure. In a further attempt to improve the solutions three metaheuristic algorithms are presented, namely tabu search (TS), variable neighbourhood search (VNS) and variable neighbourhood tabu search (VNTS). Moreover, we present a modified disposal facility positioning (DFP), reverse order and change tracking procedures. Using all these procedures presented in the thesis, four solution procedures are reported for the two benchmark problem sets, namely waste collection vehicle routing problems with time windows (VRPTW) and multi-depot vehicle routing problem with inter-depot routes (MDVRPI). Our solutions for the waste collection VRPTW problems are compared with the solutions from Kim et al (2006), and our solutions for the MDVRPI problems are compared with Crevier et al (2007). Computational results for the waste collection VRPTW problems indicate that our algorithms produce better quality solutions than Kim et al (2006) in terms of both distance travelled and number of vehicles used. However for the MDVRPI problems, solutions from Crevier et al (2007) outperform our solutions.

This paper considers the quantitative and qualitative observation-based assessment of neighbourhoodhealth in three Toronto neighbourhoods. In so doing, the paper addresses prevailing challenges andopportunities in a range of forms of neighbourhood health. The Bay Street Corridor, Kensington-Chinatown,and Regent Park were studied as exemplar cases of neighbourhoods in varying degrees of degradation. Theresearch involved a robust evaluation of raw statistical analysis, census data, anecdotal evidence, and annualreports to demonstrate the spatiality of crime, real estate, and socio-economic opportunity. Results from thisanalysis have demonstrated that certain neighbourhood characteristics are prone to higher or lower crime rates,structural neglect, real estate speculation, and proprietary action. ‘Fear proves itself’ in as far as neighbourhoodaction provides impetus to create defensible spaces to increase neighbourhood engagement and ownership and toprotect against neglect and crime. What is clear from these descriptions is that neighbourhood health issignificantly associated with endogenous behaviour; positing the important role that community advocacy playsin stewarding neighbourhood health. Understanding neighbourhood health requires an appreciation of localsocial assets, and how these indigenous resources articulate opportunities for sustainable urban development.The longevity of cities involves building neighbourhoods for people and providing a stable structure thatpromotes and perpetuates sustainable city living. By exploring themes in urban sociology, psychology of place,and place belonging, the investigation highlights

This thesis sets out to examine the notion that social context throughout the life course plays an important role in the development of social capital. It explores this using the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), a longitudinal data set, using data from England and Wales. It argues that social capital can be thought of as being composed of different dimensions which develop differentially over time. It frames the research within the context of the local community and examines three distinct dimensions of social capital: participation in local groups, neighbourhood attachment, and interpersonal trust. Frameworks are developed within which each is hypothesised to develop at different times and within different contexts. Different expectations are outlined which suggest how they should develop within a view of social capital based on Putnam (2000) and his predictions concerning social participation and trust. These are contrasted with theories and findings form the literature on political socialisation and Uslaner’s (2002) conception of trust as a deep rooted moral trait. It is shown that participation in local groups, neighbourhood attachment and interpersonal trust, do develop at different stages and in different contexts. Moreover, it is shown that growing up in a highly trusting environment may predict participation and engagement later in life.

The aim of the analysis is to question the meaning of the idea of "mixed neighborhood" today in France. The research focuses on Arnaud-Bernard, city center district of Toulouse, during the beginning of the 1990's. Three aspects are significant: different waves of immigration, different names, and a singular event, the "district's dish" (repas-de-quartier") as social link's creator. The mechanism of the Carrefour-Culturel, main association in the neighborhood in order to build a "mixed neighborhood", has been studied in this thesis. Interviews and sources from the association have been analyzed. Moreover the literature has been examined in order to underline the complexity of the idea of "mixed neighborhood". Résumé L'objet de l'analyse est de questionner ce que signifie la « mixité » et ce qu'elle désigne à l'échelle d'un quartier aujourd'hui en France. La recherche se focalise sur le quartier Arnaud-Bernard du centre ville de Toulouse à partir des années 1990. La particularité de ce quartier repose sur trois choses essentielles : les vagues migratoires successives qu'il a vu arriver en son sein, les différents noms qui lui ont été attribués et la création d'un évènement, le repas-de-quartier comme créateur de lien social à l'échelle du quartier. Dès lors, nous avons observé les dynamiques mises en...

An outline of supply chains and differences in the problem types is given. The motivation for a generic framework is discussed and explored. A conceptual model is presented along with it application to real world situations; and from this a database model is developed. A MIP and CP implementations are presented; along with alternative formulation which can be use to solve the problems. A local search solution algorithm is presented and shown to have significant benefits. Problem instances are presented which are used to validate the generic models, including a large manufacture and distribution problem. This larger problem instance is not only used to explore the implementation of the models presented, but also to explore the practically of the use of alternative formulation and solving techniques within the generic framework and the effectiveness of such methods including the neighbourhood search solving method. A stochastic dimension to the generic framework is explored, and solution techniques for this extension are explored, demonstrating the use of solution analysis to allow problem simplification and better solutions to be found. Finally the local search algorithm is applied to the larger models that arise from inclusion of scenarios, and the methods is demonstrated to be powerful for finding solutions for these large model that were insoluble using the MIP on the same hardware.

This study explored children’s experiences and perceptions of adults and child-adult relations and relationships. Child-adult relations involve the conceptualisation of adults and children as distinct social groups and child-adult relationships are inter-personal relationships between individuals that cross the boundary between these groups. The focus of this study was children’s contacts and relationships with adults and how these relationships informed children’s constructions of child-adult relations. The study took place in the context of concern about distance between child and adult worlds generating negative stereotypes and distrust between the two social groups and an interest in children’s perspectives. A multi-stage, multi-method study was undertaken with children aged 10/11 years living in the relatively deprived, ‘Social Inclusion Partnership’ (SIP), areas of a Scottish city. A period of familiarisation, through participant observation, was undertaken with Year 6 children in one school, followed by paired and individual interviews with 17 children. A survey was then conducted with 375 children in primary schools across the SIP areas. In general it seemed that ‘relationships’ with individual adults, other than with parents, were not particularly important to the children, who, with a few exceptions, did not seek out such adults and generally indicated a preference for spending time with other children. However, knowing and being able to identify adults within and beyond their families was very important to children’s sense of self and to their feelings of belonging to a family and within a neighbourhood. The children did experience their worlds and those of adults as separate. Mobility beyond their neighbourhood without adult accompaniment, to visit swimming pools, cinemas, and retail facilities, provided children with opportunities to observe and experience a range of ‘unknown’ adults, and particularly ‘public workers’. This experientially confirmed their conceptualisations of adults as a separate social group occupying a higher status than children. The research process in itself indicated that in some circumstances children did have an interest in interacting with adults, and that time, negotiation, testing and trusting were part of the relationship forming process. The child-adult relationships formed in this study through engagement in ‘joint enterprises’, of play and research project, provide evidence for the possibilities of positive ‘generational proximity’ between children and adults.