Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture, Regional and Community Planning / Jason Brody / The Mid America Regional Council, (MARC) is the official metropolitan planning organization for the Greater Kansas City region. MARC received a 4.25 million dollar grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2010 to advance the region’s vision of sustainability through vibrant, green, and connected centers and corridors. From which the CSP (Creating Sustainable Places) initiative was established. Responding to this initiative, eight grant funded Kansas State University students worked in a Rock Island Corridor group. This group showed and described ways of achieving MARC’s and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s goals through the development of Master’s Reports. Reports include design ideas and proposals which MARC and city planning departments might not have developed otherwise. Student collaboration between public and city planning departments informed the development of student ideas. Green trail systems and tourism specifically addresses how the quality of life in the Kansas City Metro Area could be enhanced with the implementation of a cultural trail network. This network would provide access to the Rock Island Corridor, create greenspaces, and establish mixed-use housing districts for potential home and business owners. The Greater Kansas City region population is increasing. Trails, parks, and mixed-use buildings for residents in KC could improve the quality of life for future residents. Adding greenspaces, pedestrian mobility, and entertainment districts in which to find region specific activities could help attract people to redeveloping areas. Green trail systems and tourism’s project area is located between the Sprint Center and the Truman Sports Complex. To resolve problems and dilemmas within this region of Kansas City, a routing plan of a cultural trail network is outlined. This cultural trail features new trail heads, cultural centers, and proposed zoning overlays for park developments and mixed-use housing districts. The trail network created connects the Sprint Center and Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City, Missouri as a tourism link. Tourism destinations and historic sites add to the economic success of KC. Sites are connected to in the routing plan for the cultural trail. This proposal shows one approach for creating sustainable centers in KC.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Huston Gibson / Rural communities across America are working to strengthen their economies, provide better quality of life to residents, and build on assets such as traditional main streets, transportation initiatives, and natural amenities and resources. Today, rural communities face an array of challenges. Small communities are vulnerable to the impacts of expensive commutes, lack of mobility, financial resources, and other services. According to the USDA, “Some small communities, have limited local government staff, experience, or funding, which can mean few resources dedicated to providing sustainable amenities, regional collaboration, and other efforts to identify shared community goals and visions that can help shape growth and development” (USDA, 2011). Small communities must work hard to compete with larger cities and other communities to sustain economically and become prominent. This is often noticeable when there is a lack of investment and economic prosperity. Many rural communities have limited transportation options. Most small communities are not fit to support multiple modes of transportation, which limits access to jobs, medical care, and educational opportunities. For those who do drive, commutes to distant employment centers can be time consuming and require a large percentage of the family budget to be spent on transportation (USDA, 2011). In addition, intercity and regional mobility are drivers of economic growth in rural communities and bring tourists and other consumers to community businesses. Rural communities and small towns should be valued for their distinctive and historic features. Communities that conserve and build upon these resources, such as historic downtowns and main streets, will be better positioned to enhance quality of life for their residents. Without revitalizing main streets we would not see the places of shared memory where people are suppose to come together to live, work, and play.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Huston Gibson / This document is a Master’s Project for a proposal of a sustainable community amenity to be implemented in Union, Nebraska. The idea that I have considered best fit for Union is the concept of a multi-functional structure that will have many uses, such as office space for city government, a community center, a visitor center, public restrooms, and indoor and outdoor recreational space. There may also be space that can be utilized for a small commercial function, such as a coffee shop, bakery, or convenience store. Right now, Union only has a handful of businesses, most of which only operate part-time. There is nowhere currently where a person can purchase a drink, a meal, groceries, or even use a restroom. Although Union lacks those amenities, Union is home to two historic finds: an old Union Pacific Railroad caboose car and a single-room jail cell. Without a proper place to showcase Union’s unique character or a place for people to stop in the town, Union may take a turn downhill economically and socially. Many sites in the town are deteriorating and are in definite need of rehabilitation. The implementation of the proposed structure will improve the quality of life for the community as well as benefit passersby by providing an attraction. The social equity of the community is an important concern and providing a space where the community can thrive within Union is an integral factor for sustainability in the town. By also targeting the people driving through Union, the town can benefit economically by getting these visitors to stop and spend money in the town. Environmentally, Union can be improved by addressing the aging properties along their main street. Many parcels along Main Street are potential brownfield sites and could be revitalized through cleanup funding opportunities. Within this document I will be identifying potential sites and funding opportunities and focusing on composing a feasible course of action for implementing the multi-functional structure. Research has been done through many methods including literature reviews, case studies, site visits, and through a community survey process. Funding for my research is provided by the Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) program through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because of the potential brownfield interests in Union. Working with Union, Nebraska constitutes a valid planning situation because it is in need of essential planning practices that can boost the social, economic and environmental equity of the town. With only about 230 residents, Union has only one governmental official, the city clerk. The city clerk must wear many hats in order to keep Union running smoothly. Having help with planning recommendations will greatly benefit the town and take some weight off of the city clerk’s work load. By focusing my efforts on creating a concept for a multi-functional building, I could produce the optimum outcome in the most efficient manner. The final goal of my work is to not only graduate with a Master’s Degree in Regional and Community Planning through the College of Architecture, Planning and Design at Kansas State University, but also to impact the town of Union, Nebraska in a positive and lasting way. I am truly pleased to be able to produce something that could improve the quality of life in a realistic way for a real community. If I can use this project to make any positive influence in a community, then I have succeeded.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Katie Kingery-Page / Experiences in natural environments are perceived as a human necessity. Additionally, prior studies show that nature access has emotional, cognitive, and psychological benefits for children. Nature is defined as a space comprised mostly of vegetation that allows an individual to escape common surroundings. Access is defined as the ability to interact with high-quality nature by walking or biking in close proximity to one’s place of residence. This geospatial analysis employs Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and site analysis to assess whether or not socioeconomic factors, and their relationship to housing choice, affect a child’s access to nature. The study includes measures of socioeconomic status and how these factors influence a child’s access to nature within parks and school facilities. The results show that including qualitative factors enhances the traditional model of measuring “distance as access.” There was no inequality in access found in the study area when qualitative factors are included. The project implication is that communities can focus public resources and planning efforts in areas lacking access to nature for children. This leads to geographically less segregated neighborhoods and improved equity in nature access across a community.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional & Community Planning / Hyung Jin Kim / Planning researchers and professionals have recently noted the social, economic, and cultural benefits food truck activity can provide within a community. As a result, the proliferation of food truck activity has challenged planners to reconsider the role of streets and urban spaces. Food trucks have the potential to enliven the urban landscape and enrich the quality of public life by serving as revitalization catalysts in urban spaces. While food trucks have become an increasingly visible aspect of street life, few jurisdictions have determined an effective manner to regulate and promote food truck activity. The study recommends how cities can improve current food truck policies in order to enable the revitalization of urban spaces through food truck activity. Using Kansas City, Missouri as a study area, the primary question was explored through three secondary inquires and their related methods. First, a GIS-based spatial analysis identified the spatio-temporal characteristics of food truck locations via social media data mining processes. Second, a survey of food truck vendors and interviews with city staff highlighted stakeholder conflicts that pose barriers to food truck activity. Third, a policy review in key cities and the development of a policy framework helped determine appropriate policy guidelines that allow food trucks to operate effectively in a city. The cumulative findings of the study informed food truck policy guidelines for Kansas City, Missouri. The policy framework also provides a structure for cities to utilize in order to analyze their own regulations. Sixteen significant policy areas are included in the framework, with the policy areas falling into one of three categories: permitting and enforcement, streets and spaces, or public health and safety. Appropriate policies that balance the needs of stakeholders allow food trucks to operate effectively, thus allowing cities to capitalize on the urban revitalization effects and other benefits that food truck activity provides within urban spaces.

Cette thèse étudie les évolutions de pratiques et de savoirs au sein des services de la Ville de Paris, en entrant par un grand projet d’espaces publics parisien : « Réinventons nos places ». En s’appuyant plus particulièrement sur trois réaménagements de places publiques (Place des Fêtes, Place de la Nation et Place de la Bastille), elle a souhaité observer des situations de travail au sein de ce projet. Elle vise ainsi à analyser l’adaptation des professionnels à divers défis posés par la Mairie de Paris dans ce cadre (intégration du genre dans un projet d’espace public, objets numériques, nouvelles temporalités dans les processus de projet et de gestion des espaces...). L’étude de cette adaptation des services « en situation de travail » conduit à décrire, pour partie, des processus de productions de connaissances théoriques et/ou pratiques dans un contexte situé. In fine, la Mairie de Paris à travers des modifications apportées progressivement au travail, aux schémas d’acteurs et aux objectifs du projet, semble vouloir construire un «nouveau modèle» d’aménagement des espaces publics. Nous étudions une première étape de cette construction, au cours de laquelle les ingénieurs et les architectes de la Ville s’adaptent et participent à travers, notamment, la construction et la traduction de ces objets encore inconnus à un territoire spécifique et à un contexte qu’ils connaissent : les espaces publics à Paris. / The aim of this thesis is to observe the evolution of the specific knowledge and practices of the City of Paris’ technical services and this, through the example of an ambitious Parisian urban development project called “Réinventons nos places”. The study focuses on the professional activities performed in the development of three public squares (Place des Fêtes, Place de la Nation, and Place de la Bastille), with the purpose to see how the specialists adapted themselves to the various challenges offered by the City council (for instance, to take into account : the Gender in the development of a public space, digital objects, innovation in project management and in the way of managing space)... To examine this process “in a work situation” will lead us, for example, to describe the way these specialists will assimilate new knowledge and know-how in this particular context. Ultimately, the City Council, when progressively adapting the work and the work organization of the various actors, as well as the project goawls themselves, seems to be aiming at the creation of a “new model”, a new way of developing public spaces. We are going to examine the first step within this new way, in which engineers and architects have to reconsider their habits in order to meet new demands – they do this, notably, by making still unknown objects and by fitting them into both a specific area and a background they know well : Paris’ public spaces

The thesis "City Development Strategy of Vysoké Mýto" is focused on strategic municipal planning. Its objective is to identify development priorities of the selcted city and specific measures within the set priorities. At the beginning of the thesis are explained the principles, terms and history of strategic regional planning with a focus on urban policy and local development. The strategic section covers the socio-economic and SWOT analysis, strategic vision, and specific development areas.

The issue of indiscriminate urban expansion is not uncommon in Africa. It has created haphazard, unplanned, and unapproved development that negatively affected urban planning for cities in the Niger Delta Region in Nigeria. Using Stone's urban regime theory, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore from the perspective of developers, associations, and government agencies (referred to as stakeholders), the roots causes of indiscriminate urban development and their activities in the process in the Niger Delta Region. Data were collected through semi structured telephone interviews with 10 participants who had at least 5 years experience working in public and private organizations in the urban setting. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's procedure for thematic analysis. Findings included six themes of limited knowledge, passive role, recognition of experiencing the problem, contributing to the problem, weakness of regulatory framework, and lack of synergy in the process. The principal theme was limited knowledge of the roles and obligations of participants which impede participation in the planning process. The recommendations, if implemented, may result in positive changes and bring many benefits to city residents such as better housing and traffic systems, adequate sanitation and improved access to public services. To do so, government agencies in the urban sector should engage the stakeholders to create synergy. Following these recommendations may help resolve the issue of indiscriminate urban expansion, promote effective planning and management, and ensure good governance and sustainable development in the urban setting.

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ABSTRACT OUT OF THE GREYZONE: EXPLORING GREYFIELD DESIGN AND REDEVELOPMENT Konstantinos Pavlou Advisor: University of Guelph, 2013 Professor Cecelia Paine Community shopping centres in many North American suburban areas have been in decline for two decades. Failed community shopping centres, termed ‘greyfields’, have resulted in large parcels of unused lands in core urban areas, forcing residents to travel longer distances to regional malls. The decline of community shopping centres may have a number of causes, but for this study it was hypothesized that successful community shopping centres share a number of design qualities that unsuccessful shopping centres do not have. A design framework was developed based on retail design and planning literature. The framework was applied to assess an existing redevelopment, the Shops at Don Mills in Toronto. The assessment findings derived from site observations and key informant interviews resulted in a revised design framework. The final framework provides a guide to those interested in transforming commercial greyfields into vibrant components of our urban communities.