published_or_final_version / Urban Design / Master / Master of Urban Design

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

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-102). / The thesis studies the changing direction of Detroit's central downtown shopping street, Woodward Avenue. During the last two decades, Woodward Avenue has lost most of its retail market to suburban shopping centers. The downtown shopping district needs a physical design improvement, as well as economic help. Currently, there are various ongoing and proposed projects to help the Woodward Avenue shopping district: a Woodward Avenue pedestrian mall with trees and street furniture, a subway with Woodward A venue stations, and an enclosed shopping center. While these projects have the potential to greatly influence Woodward Avenue, they need to be lightly integrated with the existing street to truly help the business district. Perhaps most important, the proposed shopping center should be an active ingredient of the streetscape, rather than an introverted entity. The thesis design proposal attempts to integrate the various projects into a system of related improvements which reinforce the street. / by Philip Strickland Lewis. / M.Arch.

In response to urban society's disenchantment with the automobile and the conflict that has resulted between vehicles and pedestrians, came the development of pedestrian oriented streets. This constitutes a clear shift in priorities to redress the imbalance in the street in favour of pedestrians with respect to motor vehicles, in a process known as pedestrianisation. Much more common, however, was to traffic calm those streets in which motor vehicle access was still needed. This study examines the application of pedestrianisation and traffic calming to the Central Business District (CBD) as a potential solution for mitigating conflict between pedestrians and vehicles. To do this the study evaluates the effectiveness of the Pietermaritzburg (PMB) pedestrianisation and traffic calming plan, by looking at how the area caters/does not cater for the needs of its users (pedestrians and motorists) and tenants. The evaluation also includes obtaining comments from the planners, tenants and prospective users in Newcastle in order to determine whether the objectives achieved in PMB could be made useful in the proposed pedestrianisation and traffic calming plan of the Newcastle CBD. Findings and conclusions from various data collection methods are presented followed by recommendations that are important for the successful implementation of any pedestrianisation and traffic calming scheme. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, 2000.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The design of railway station environments in South Africa and to a certain extent internationally, is based on rules of thumb. These rules, using general macroscopic principles for determining peak passenger loads are inadequate and misleading for detailed design purposes. The principles advocated in local design guideline documents are erroneous and ignore the highly variable flow nature or “micro-peaking” effects that typically occur within railway station environments. Furthermore, there are no procedures proposed in these guideline documents, which leads to ambiguous assessment techniques used by practitioners in the determination of pedestrian spatial areas. It is evident that the knowledge in the area of pedestrian movement contained within the design guidance is far from comprehensive. Without a reliable method for estimating pedestrian levels-of-service and capacities, design of new facilities does not follow a uniform process, resulting in high levels of uncertainty in determining if the time, money and resources invested in upgrading facilities will actually cater to the demand. The situation is further exacerbated by current industry thinking towards pedestrian modelling in South Africa, where it is perceived by both clients and practitioners to be more cost effective to use macroscopic techniques and designing infrastructure according to a “one-level-up” level-of-service method. Working with architects confirmed that the area of circulation design was lacking in data and guidance and that associated quantified assessments of pedestrian movement was rarely, if ever, carried out. Towards addressing these issues, the development of a Spatial Parameter (SP)-model spreadsheet application became the main objective of the study. The model contributes towards addressing the needs of individual station users based on the trade-off between level-of-service and infrastructure costs. The output of the model allows the designer to avoid the under-provision (detrimental to operations) and oversizing of railway station infrastructure (with obvious financial implications). The author recognised the lack of pedestrian movement data in South Africa and addressed this by conducting extensive video-based pedestrian observations aimed at exploring the macroscopic fundamental relationships and the ways in which these relationships might be influenced by the various personal, situational and environmental factors that characterise the context in which pedestrians move. The movement trajectories of 24,410 pedestrians were investigated over three infrastructure environments at Maitland and Bonteheuwel stations in Cape Town, carefully selected to incorporate the cultural diversity common in South Africa. Tracking of pedestrians was achieved via the use of an in-house developed “video annotator” software tool. Boarding and alighting rates of 7,426 passengers were also observed at these stations incorporating contributory attributes such as age, gender, body size, encumbrance, group size, time of day, and location. The research makes a number of significant advances in the understanding of pedestrian flow behaviour within railway station environments and provides recommendations to industry of what issues to consider. The empirical study has provided comprehensive pedestrian movement characteristics incorporating the relationships between density, speed and flow including the effect of culture and other context factors unique to the local South African environment. New methods for determining spatial requirements are proposed, together with new and unique empirical data for use by the local industry. A calibrated spreadsheet SP-model for assessing the design of concourse type railway stations is developed and presented in the study. The advance in local pedestrian flow knowledge, together with the SP-model, is shown to be practical through application to two real railway station case study projects. The results of this study constitute an important contribution to local pedestrian flow knowledge and is considered a valuable resource for those developing pedestrian models in practice. It is expected that the results will be useful in the planning and design of pedestrian environments in South African railway stations and can be applied to other African metro railway stations with similar pedestrian characteristics. Overall, this research has succeeded in advancing the approach to railway station design, empirical data, knowledge and methods held within the local engineering industry. However, the contribution of this study and associated conference papers is an early step in changing the perceptions in this country towards ensuring fully informed and appropriate performance-based spatial designs. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontwerp van areas binne Suid-Afrikaanse spoorweg stasies en ook tot ‘n sekere mate internasionaal, is gebaseer op historiese ondervindings asook riglyne wat tans in die praktyk gebruik word. Die riglyne gebruik algemene makroskopiese beginsels om die spits passasiersvrag te bepaal vir gedetaileerde ontwerp doeleindes. Hierdie riglyne is egter ongeskik en misleidend aangesien dit nie die hoogs wispelturige natuur van vloei en mikrospits effekte wat binne die stasies plaasvind, in ag nie. Die riglyne ontbreek ook van prosedures wat gevolg moet word vir die bepaling van ruimtelike areas vir voetgangers wat die gevolg het dat dubbelsinnige beramingstegnieke deur praktisyne gebruik word. Die kennis oor voetganger bewegings in die ontwerp riglyne is nie omvattend genoeg nie. Sonder ‘n betroubare beramings metode vir die bepaling van voetganger diensvlak en kapasiteit kan daar nie bepaal word of die tyd, geld en hulpbronne wat in die fasilitieit geinvesteer word, aan die behoeftes gaan voldoen nie. Die situasie word verder vererger deur die huidige persepsie oor voetganger modellering in Suid-Afrika, waar dit deur beide kliënte en praktisyne, as ‘n meer koste effektiewe oplossing gesien word om makroskopiese tegnieke te gebruik en om infrastruktuur te ontwerp volgens ‘n metode waar ‘n hoër diensvlak as die teiken diensvlak gebruik word. In samewerking met argitekte is dit bevestig dat die area van sirkulasie ontwerp ‘n tekort het aan data en riglyne en dat die kwantitatiewe skattings verbonde aan voetganger beweging selde, indien ooit, uitgevoer word. Die ontwikkeling van ‘n Spatial Parameters (SP)-model om die bogenoemde problem te oorkom, is die hoofdoel van hierdie tesis. Die model poog om die behoeftes van individuele stasie gebruikers aan te spreek gebaseer op die wisselwerking tussen diensvlak en infrastruktuur kostes. Die uitsette van die model stel die ontwerper in staat om ondervoorsiening en oorvoorsiening van spoorweg stasie infrastruktuur te voorkom wat nadelige vir die bedryf is en ook ooglopende finansiële implikasies tot gevolg het. Die skrywer het die tekort aan data aangaande voetganger bewegings in Suid-Afrika geidentifiseer en dit aangespreek deur omvattende video gebaseerde voetganger waarnemings te maak met die doel om die basiese makroskopiese verhoudings te ondersoek asook in hoe ‘n mate hierdie verhoudings beinvloed word deur verskeie persoonlike, liggings- en omgewingsfaktore wat die konteks waarin voetgangers beweeg, karakteriseer. Die bewegingsprofiel van 24,410 voetgangers is ondersoek by drie infrastruktuur omgewings by Maitland en Bonteheuwel stasies in Kaapstad. Die stasies is noukeurig uitgesoek om Suid-Afrika se kulturele diversiteit te verteenwoordig. Die voetgangers is nagevolg deur gebruik te maak van ‘n selfontwikkelde video-annoteerder sagteware. Waarneming van die opklim- en afklimspoed van 7,426 passasiers is gemaak by hierdie stasies en faktore soos ouderdom, geslag, liggaamsgrootte, mobiliteit, grootte van groepe, tyd van die dag en ligging was ingesluit by die waarnemings. Hierdie navorsing maak belangrike bydraes tot die begrip van die vloei van voetgangers binne spoorweg stasies en aanbevellings word aan die industrie gemaak oor die faktore wat in ag geneem moet word by ontwerp van fasilitieite. Die empiriese studie het omvattende voetganger beweging karakteristieke uitgewys wat die verhoudings tussen digtheid, spoed en vloei inkorporeer asook die effek van kultuur en ander faktore wat verband hou met die unieke konteks van die plaaslike Suid-Afrikaanse omgewing. Nuwe metodes om ruimtelike-vereistes te bepaal word voorgestel, saam met nuwe en unieke empiriese data vir gebruik deur die plaaslike industrie. ‘n Gekalibreerde en gevalideerde SP-model is ontwikkel om die ontwerp van spoorweg stasies te assesseer en word in hierdie tesis beskyf en aangebied. Die studie toon dat akkurate data en kennis oor plaaslike voetganger vloei met die SP-model verkry kan word, soos bewys uit twee spoorweg stasie studiegevalle. Die resultate van hierdie tesis dien as ‘n belangrike bydrae tot die kennis van plaaslike voetganger vloei en word geag as ‘n waardevolle hulpbron vir die ontwikkeling van voetganger modelle in die praktyk. Hierdie resultate mag nuttig wees gedurende die beplanning en ontwerp van voetganger-areas in Suid-Afrikaanse spoorweg stasies. Dit kan ook toegepas word vir spoorweg stasies in die res van Afrika wat soortgelyke voetganger karaktereienskappe het. Die navorsing het daarin geslaag om die benadering tot spoorweg stasie ontwerp te verbeter, asook om empiriese data, kennis en die metodes wat binne die plaaslike ingenieurs industrie voorgehou word, te verbeter. Let egter daarop dat die bydrae wat hierdie tesis maak, asook bydraes deur relevante konferensie verhandelinge, ‘n vroeë stap is in die verandering van persepsies in Suid-Afrika om geskikte prestasie-gebaseerde ruimte ontwerpe te verseker.

Accidents are a complex process involving many contributory factors. The understanding of the accident process has often been sought by the use of accident data. Although accident data provide a direct relationship to estimating accident risk, there are many drawbacks associated with the use of these data. The major drawback with the use of accident data is the very fact that traffic engineers have to wait for accidents to occur before any interventions can be made. This alone is significant as the time span required to collect a sample size is often a three-year period. The many deficiencies with accident data have led to alternative measures such as traffic conflict techniques (TCT's) to estimate accident risk.In this investigation. traffic conflict techniques were used to estimate accident risk. There are four basic traffic conflict concepts and the development of these techniques was based on the accident process. The aim of this investigation was to highlight the differences between these concepts and to assess the applicability of these concepts to vehicle-pedestrian conflicts. The investigation was based on applying the various conflict techniques to data obtained at three intersections in the Durban CBD. In order to record the data an innovative method of using digital imaging was employed. This led to the development of a computer program to analyse conflict events. Analysis of the intersections based on the conflict techniques indicates that the intersections of Pine-Field and Commercial-Grey have a high probability of road users being involved in a "serious event" once there is an interaction between them. However, the probability for Commercial-Albert intersection is low thus indicating a safe intersection for vehicle-pedestrian interactions. The number of "serious events" at these locations was found to be related to the interacting traffic volumes - the conflict rate increases with increasing traffic volume. The use of conflict-volume models and accident models together with the conflict concepts agree that the accident risk is related to the conflicting traffic volumes and speed of the road users. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

published_or_final_version / Gerontology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

Kam Wai-ming. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-162). / Abstracts in English and Chinese ; questionnaire in Chinese. / List of Tables --- p.x / List of Figures --- p.xiii / List of Abbreviation --- p.xvi / Chapter Chapter One --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- The Research Problems --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Objectives of the Study --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4 --- Study Area --- p.4 / Chapter 1.5 --- Significance of the Study --- p.8 / Chapter 1.6 --- Organization of Thesis --- p.9 / Chapter Chapter Two --- Literature Review --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1 --- Pedestrianization: Basic Ideas and History --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Definition of Pedestrianization --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Motivation of pedestrianization --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Learning from the Development of Pedestrianization in Other Cities --- p.15 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Impacts of Pedestrianization on Environment --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2 --- Pedestrianization in Hong Kong --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Development --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Ways for Successful Pedestrianization in Hong Kong --- p.22 / Chapter 2.3 --- Human Perception and Response on Air Pollution and Pedestrianization --- p.24 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Introduction of Human Perception --- p.24 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Human Perception of Air Pollution --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Changes of Human Perception in Response to the Changes of Environmental Quality After Pedestrianization --- p.31 / Chapter Chapter Three --- Methodology --- p.34 / Chapter 3.1 --- Research Design --- p.34 / Chapter 3.2 --- BACIPR Approach --- p.35 / Chapter 3.3 --- Objective Assessment of the influence of pedestrianization on air quality --- p.38 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Model Prediction --- p.39 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Physical Measurement of Particulates --- p.46 / Chapter 3.4 --- Subjective Assessment: Human Perception of Roadside Air Pollution --- p.56 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Guidelines Used for Subjective Assessment --- p.57 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Development of the Questionnaire --- p.58 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Statistical Analysis --- p.59 / Chapter Chapter Four --- Model Simulation of the Effect of Pedestrianization on Air Quality --- p.61 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.61 / Chapter 4.2 --- Air Quality in Causeway Bay Before Pedestrianization --- p.64 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Overall Spatial Variation of Air Quality --- p.64 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Respiratory Suspended Particulate (RSP) --- p.67 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Nitrogen Dioxide (N02) --- p.68 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Carbon Monoxide (CO) --- p.69 / Chapter 4.3 --- Air Quality in Causeway Bay After Pedestrianization --- p.70 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Overall Spatial Variation of Air Quality --- p.70 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Respiratory Suspended Particulate (RSP) --- p.70 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Nitrogen Dioxide (N02) --- p.73 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Carbon Monoxide (CO) --- p.75 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Effect of Government's Pedestrianization Scheme in Improving Air Quality --- p.77 / Chapter 4.4 --- Air Quality Impact of Pedestrianization in Single Street --- p.77 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- RSP Concentration in Russell Street Section Before Pedestrianization --- p.78 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- RSP Concentration in Russell Street Section After Pedestrianization --- p.81 / Chapter 4.5 --- Summary and Conclusion --- p.83 / Chapter Chapter Five --- Measurement of Particulate Pollution in Causeway Bay --- p.84 / Chapter 5.1 --- Change in Particulate Pollution After Pedestrianization in Russell Street --- p.86 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Overall Changes in Particulate Pollution after Pedestrianization --- p.86 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Changes in Particulate Pollution after Pedestrianization under Different Weather Conditions --- p.87 / Chapter 5.1.2.1 --- Effects of Pedestrianization on Fine Day --- p.88 / Chapter 5.1.2.2 --- Effects of Pedestrianization on Rainy Days --- p.89 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Changes of Particulate Pollution after Pedestrianization under Different Traffic Flow Conditions --- p.90 / Chapter 5.1.3.1 --- Effects of Pedestrianization during Peak Hours --- p.91 / Chapter 5.1.3.2 --- Effects of Pedestrianization during Non-Peak Hours --- p.92 / Chapter 5.1.4 --- Changes in Particulate Pollution As a result of Pedestrianization on Different Days of the Week --- p.93 / Chapter 5.1.4.1 --- Effects of Pedestrianization on Weekdays --- p.94 / Chapter 5.1.4.2 --- Effects of Pedestrianization on Non-Weekdays --- p.94 / Chapter 5.1.5 --- Change in PM 10 I/C ratio After Pedestrianization --- p.95 / Chapter 5.2 --- Variations in Particulate Pollution Characteristics Due to Different Pedestrianization Street Designs --- p.96 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- General Contrasts between an Open and Semi-enclosed Street --- p.97 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Seasonal Effect on Particulate Pollution in Jardine's Crescent and in Its Control Street --- p.97 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Climatic Effects on Particulate Pollution --- p.101 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Effects of Traffic Conditions on Particulate Pollution Pattern in Jardine's Crescent and in Its Control Street --- p.102 / Chapter 5.2.5 --- Effects of Day of the Week on Particulate Pollution --- p.104 / Chapter 5.3 --- The Variation of Particulate Pollution in Causeway Bay --- p.105 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Spatial Variation --- p.105 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Seasonal Variation --- p.108 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Rain as a Cleaning Agent --- p.111 / Chapter 5.4 --- Summary and Conclusion --- p.112 / Chapter Chapter Six --- Pedestrianization and Perception of Air Quality --- p.113 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.113 / Chapter 6.2 --- Effect of Pedestrianization in Improving the Perceived Air Quality --- p.115 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Overall Changes of PAQ after Pedestrianization --- p.115 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Changes in Perceived Air Quality As a Result of Pedestrianization --- p.118 / Chapter 6.2.2.1 --- Correlation between PAQ and AQ --- p.118 / Chapter 6.2.2.2 --- Difference in Dose-Response Relationships before and after Pedestrianization --- p.120 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Summary of Findings on Human Perception --- p.136 / Chapter 6.3 --- Aspects of Pedestrianization Which Improve Perceived Air Quality --- p.136 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Behavior Constraint Model --- p.137 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Environmental Stress Model --- p.139 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- Perception of Air Pollution Through Smell and Vision --- p.141 / Chapter 6.4 --- Summary and Conclusion --- p.144 / Chapter Chapter Seven --- Conclusion --- p.146 / Chapter 7.1 --- Summary of Findings --- p.146 / Chapter 7.1.1 --- Model Simulated Air Pollution Levels in Causeway Bay and Possible Effects of the Government Pedestrianization Scheme --- p.147 / Chapter 7.1.2 --- Changes in the Pattern and Characteristics of Particulate Pollution after Pedestrianization --- p.148 / Chapter 7.1.3 --- Effects of Pedestrianization on Human Perception of Air Quality --- p.149 / Chapter 7.2 --- Discussion of Findings --- p.151 / References --- p.153 / Appendix A --- p.163

published_or_final_version / Urban Design / Master / Master of Urban Design