Master of Science / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / LaBarbara J. Wigfall / Community Capital Framework often provides a foundation for analyzing community development in cities and neighborhoods (Flora & Flora, 2008). However, the relationship between cultural heritage tourism and individual community capitals has been little studied in southern, Arizona. Therefore the primary objective of this study is to determine the most influential capitals at a renowned cultural heritage site in Arizona, Saguaro National Park. For this case study an assessment system will be established to assess the most influential capitals. Robert Stake’s The Art of Case Study Research was used as the research model to examine the relationships between cultural heritage tourism and the individual community capitals at Saguaro National Park. Results from this case study indicated that natural and cultural capitals appear to be the most influential because much of the monument’s development and community outreach revolve around the protection of the site’s Saguaros and their importance as a cultural heritage resource to the indigenous people of the Sonoran desert.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Mary C. Kingery-Page / Temporary landscapes are an emerging project type with in the field of landscape architecture. Pop-up parks, parklets, and temporary art installations have been gaining media attention and changing notions of open space. Landscape architects need to take a more active role in the planning, design, and execution of these temporary landscapes. Peter Bishop describes temporary land use as “an intentional phase” where the “time-limited nature of the use is generally explicit” (Bishop, 2012, p. 5). This research refines Bishop’s definition by stating temporary landscapes must be intentionally time limited designs of open space. Currently the unorganized variety of projects has impeded landscape architects’ ability to evaluate and learn from these spaces. This research project seeks to understand and synthesize different characteristics of temporary landscapes. A typology was developed by identifying key themes in literature, composing a carefully curated series of precedent studies, participating in the development of a temporary pop-up park in Wichita, Kansas, and developing a matrix that identifies the relationships between temporal types. The products of this research will help planners and designers develop more successful and intentional temporally limited designs.

The post war years have seen a steady flow of inmigration into the rural hinterlands of conurbations, eminating both from the surrounding rural areas and from the urban complexes themselves. By 1981 over one fifth of Britain's population was resident in a rural district, the majority falling within zones close to urban centres. This study, based on one year's participant observation in seven settlements within southern Staffordshire, part of the rural hinterland of the West Midlands Conurbation, and southern Hampshire, adjacent to the Southampton - Portsmouth axis, the South Hampshire Conurbation, assess this process. Using the technique of Cluster Analysis, three broad groupings of settlement are identified: the small agricultural settlement, the urbanised commuter village, and settlements in a process of transition between the two. The development of the case settlements, representatives of these three groupings, is assessed in relation to their historical and geographical context, with emphasis being placed on land tenure and local planning policy. An analysis is undertaken of the "hinterland population", the diverse populations now resident within the rural hinterlands. Nine broad groupings emerge from this population, identifiable with reference to socio-economic characteristics and ways of life, and these are examined in relation to their use, their environments, social networks and patterns of behaviour, and perceptions of their place of residence. These groups are represented in various proportions within each settlement type, in relation to the dominant housing class found there. As a result a variety of community forms are seen to be developing, with a polarisation of settlements along class lines. Running concurrently with this, two theoretical concepts are introduced based on the approach of Symbolic Interactionism. These are the Triadic Relationship, and Place Centredness, which provide a more humanistic framework for the analysis. The inclusion of these concepts enables an assessment to be made of the notions of "rurality" and "truly rural population".

Cities are facing many challenges; challenges linked to world-wide trends like urbanisation, climate changes and globalisation. In parallel to these trends, we have seen a rapid digitalisation in and of different parts of society. Cities and local governments have been appointed an important role in overcoming these world-wide challenges, and subsequently, in policy practices digitalisation is perceived as an important dimension in delivering better and sustainable services to its citizens. As a result, the smart city has emerged as a concept and approach to contemporary urban planning and development. There is still no common understanding of the concept and what components and dimensions it covers. However, in all definitions digitalisation constitutes one dimension, but the role and function of it is still not clear. In this study I have examined how different stakeholders talk about digitalisation in policy and planning practices of urban development. The aim has been to identify and analyse different repertoires of discourses on digitalisation to advance our knowledge on how goals related to the smart city and digitalisation are put into practice. The results are based on a qualitative and interpretative case study with a social constructionist approach. An analytical framework based on discourse analysis, stakeholder theory and (new) institutional theory has been constructed to analyse the case. Main results show that repertoires on digitalisation are limited in both policy and planning of urban development. In these practices, digitalisation is primarily seen as a means or as a communication infrastructure in relation to two city services/functions; i.e. services related to governance and to environment. Results also show that practices of urban planning and development are institutionalised, where different stakeholders’ salience and stakes in urban development and in digitalisation differ, but it is clear that digitalisation is a secondary issue. Implications of these results are that the taken-for-granted discourses in policy and planning practices of urban development limit both practice and research when developing a smart city. / Städer står inför många utmaningar kopplat till världsomspännande trender såsom urbanisering, klimatförändringar, och globalisering. Parallellt med dessa trender har vi sett en snabb digitalisering i och av olika delar av samhället. I detta sammanhang har städer och kommuner blivit tilldelade en viktig roll i hanteringen av dessa utmaningar. På policynivå ses digitalisering som en viktig dimension för att leverera hållbar och bättre service till medborgarna. Som ett led i detta har smarta städer vuxit fram som både begrepp och metod för stadsplanering och stadsutveckling. Det finns dock ingen gemensam tolkning av begreppet. Däremot finns digitalisering med som en dimension i definitionerna, men vilken roll och funktion den har är fortfarande oklart. I denna studie har jag undersökt hur olika intressenter talar om digitalisering i olika policy- och planeringspraktiker kopplat till stadsutveckling. Syftet har varit att identifiera och analysera repertoarer av digitaliseringsdiskurser för att bidra med kunskap om hur mål kopplade till smarta städer och digitalisering omsätts i praktiken. Resultaten är baserade på en kvalitativ och tolkande fallstudie med en socialkonstruktionistisk ansats. Ett analytiskt ramverk baserat på diskursanalys, intressentanalys, och nyinstitutionell teori har tagits fram för att analysera fallet. Resultaten visar att digitaliseringsrepertoarer är begränsade både i policy och i planering av stadsutveckling. I dessa praktiker ses digitalisering främst som ett verktyg eller en kommunikationsinfrastruktur i relation till två samhällsfunktioner, nämligen funktioner kopplade till styrning och administration, och funktioner kopplade till miljö. Resultaten visar också att praktiker kopplade till stadsplanering och stadsutveckling är institutionaliserade, praktiker där olika intressenter har olika makt, legitimitet och angelägenhet gällande stadsutveckling och digitalisering. Det är dock tydligt att digitalisering är en sekundär fråga. Implikationerna av dessa resultat är att de förgivettagna diskurserna begränsar både praktiken och forskningen i utvecklingen av smart städer.

Master of Science / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional Community Planning / Stephanie A. Rolley / As bicycle tourists seek interesting experiences along low traffic roads, rural communities are poised to embrace bicycle tourism as a community development strategy. Asset based community development provides a methodology for communities to utilize assets that already exist within their communities to meet the needs of these tourists. The community capitals framework then provides a platform for analyzing and discussing the existing assets, as well as helping hone in on ways communities can develop further. The Sunken Lands region of Northeast Arkansas is one such rural region seeking to embrace bicycle tourism. Two case studies of communities that have capitalized on their existing assets to accommodate bicyclists were completed to explore potential for using the community capitals framework to guide pursuit of bicycle tourism. A snowball approach to interviewing community members in Collinwood, Tennessee and Farmington, Missouri was used to discover the details of bicycle accommodations, the processes of pursuing bicycle tourism, the people and groups involved, the types of assets used, and any challenges faced in implementation. Additionally, existing literature was used to substantiate each case and provide a more robust community picture. Emerging from the case studies were commonalities that aligned with the community capitals framework and Emery and Flora’s (2006) theory that community change is driven by social capital. The result is a tool that aligns community assets with the needs of bicycle tourists with the community capitals framework.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Huston Gibson / Often cities are in a perpetual struggle to increase or maintain community development within their districts; how can cities revitalize struggling neighborhoods? How can cities bring energy and life into portions of the downtown? How can cities encourage development for night-time destinations? There is no clear-cut answer to these questions, but this study will examine what amenities within districts may be in the presence of successful music venues. I will determine the district-based criteria for potential venue placement for success based on multiple case studies of different venues located within St. Louis, MO; Omaha, NE; and Indianapolis, IN as described in Yin’s Case Study Research (2009). These case studies will be compared using the community capital framework (Green & Haines, 2012) using a matrix based upon a) social, b) physical, c) financial, and d) cultural capitals. Each study will contain both qualitative and quantitative analysis in order to tell the story of each district for more comprehensive analysis.

Master of Science / Department of Architecture / David R. Seamon / Kamaiya is a system of Nepalese agriculture bonded labor. In typical wage labor, one can enter or withdraw from the labor market as an independent agent; in the case of bonded labor, however, a worker cannot control his or her labor power. The Kamaiyas were liberated by the Nepalese government in 2000, and promised land to build houses. Without enough money for construction, however, many of these “ex-Kamaiyas,” as they are now called, are without housing or live in sub-standard units. This thesis examines the housing possibilities for the ex-Kamaiyas and aims at creating basic guidelines for planning and designing low-cost, self-help housing. The thesis is an attempt to design affordable and environmentally responsive housing that draws on Nepalese vernacular traditions but incorporates some modern materials and construction methods. The research and designs are based on interviews with ex-Kamaiyas living in the Nepalese villages of Tesanpur, Janatanagar, and Bhuri Gaun. The thesis serves as a guide for non-profit organizations working to provide housing for the ex-Kamaiyas and consists of guidelines, termed “design patterns,” for laying out ex-Kamaiya neighborhoods and for designing and constructing individual houses. The thesis also provides step-by-step construction guidelines for building the houses. The thesis’s last chapter evaluates the proposed housing system and identifies strengths and weaknesses.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture / Dennis L. Law / In the late 1800s George Kessler and the Board of Parks and Boulevard Commissioners (BPBC) developed a Parks and Boulevard system for Kansas City, MO laying the foundation for the city to grow. Development of the system is the result of the combination of Kessler’s ideology, as well as his planning and design practices. The parks and boulevard system established a framework giving due weight to existing conditions, adapting itself to topography, avoiding forced routes and forced construction. This framework based itself around the value of beauty, the city’s duty, the effect of parkways and boulevards on real-estate values, and the experience of other cities. Today, auto-centric sprawl has revealed its limitations, bringing focus back to the neglected urban fabric. The current urban fabric is dominated with automotive infrastructure responding only to the pedestrian where convenient or required. Results of this trend in development are concrete jungles. Unfortunately, the city character developed by the expanded parks and open space systems has been or is in danger of being lost. Opportunities for redevelopment are rising as these expansive urban infrastructures are reaching the end of their designed life cycle. As people begin to repopulate urban areas, revitalization of the parks and green space is of high priority. Adapting George Kessler’s practices, principles, and ideals behind the Kansas City Parks and Boulevard System to contemporary practices, principles, and ideals in landscape architecture will allow a designer to enhance urban centers. Using my findings, I will develop a master plan for the Kansas City Downtown Loop. By enhancing sites with parks and plazas connected with pedestrian friendly greenways, the Downtown Loop will be a safer, more pleasant place for pedestrians and motorists alike.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Vincent R. Amanor-Boadu / Population out-migration from rural communities has caused significant distress in the Midwest of the United States. This distress comes from loss of the communities’ human capital which supports its economic well being. For example, the declining human capital implies lack of employees and consumers to support local business and lower populations that lead to consolidation of schools and services as well as increased per capita costs for these services. Population loss is caused by a variety of reasons, the most discussed being lack of economic opportunities for young people in these small and rural communities. This thesis sought to increase appreciation of the problem by focusing on a single county in Kansas, Wabaunsee County, and assessing the factors that influenced out-migration decisions of its youth. The hypothesis was that understanding these factors and their strength would provide local policy makers with the tools to intervene in the dimensions of the problem of out-migration long before it happens. The data was drawn from a survey of the population of high school students and covered their perspectives about their community and their future location plans. The total number of respondents to the survey was 172, and of these, only 12 percent totally agreed that at least one adult (not parent) has talked to them about opportunities that would encourage them to return home after their post high school or college education. Only about 10 percent totally agreed that there are opportunities in their community for young people to work with adults. These results provide an opportunity for policy makers to engage adults in the community to provide mentorship opportunities for the community’s young people. While the majority of the respondents indicated going to college, only 11 percent indicated that they would return to live and work in Wabaunsee County after graduation. An even lower percentage of respondents indicated retiring in Wabaunsee County when asked to “think way into the future” and indicate whether they would like to retire in the country. The results indicate that the most critical variables influencing respondents’ intent to return after their education included community connection, their age and the existence of a business connection in the county. For example, the relative risk ratio (RRR) for those with community connections was 35 times as high as those without any community connection in their intent to return after college. Similarly, those with business interest in Wabaunsee County with interest in coming back after college exhibited a RRR of 345.15. Similar indicators were found for intentions to retire in Wabaunsee County. It is obvious that the community cannot keep all of its young people. Indeed, it does not want to keep all of them if these young people are going to achieve their personal excellence. However, the community’s leadership can work with local businesses to provide the youth with clear and compelling connections to local and family businesses to increase their community connections. The results of this research indicate that these stronger ties would increase the likelihood that these young people would return. Their return, given the historical trends, would signify a break from the past and contribute to an arrest of the declining population and, hopefully, contribute to an alleviation of the challenges associated with declining population in these small communities.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Regional and Community Planning / John Keller / This report examines the evolution of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Processes and procedures have evolved overtime and the agency is making strides in improving their reputation. Joplin, Missouri, is used as a case study to determine (1) if there are changes being made in the Federal Emergency Management Agency and (2) outlines the process to receive aid after a natural disaster. Interviews were conducted with officials and members of the public who worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the disaster and their impression of the agency was documented.