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This study has presented a Planning Support System (PSS) design which is an integrated collection of computer technologies, and models, organized in the form of a toolbox to enhance and improve the planning practice. Such a system combines and facilitates different technologies in one well-designed environment to solve planning problems. Theses problems could address both routine (managerial) and non-routine (forecasting, location-allocation) activities.My goal in this thesis is to conceptually design a PSS from a regional planning perspective. If a Planning Support System is designed for the most complex planning problems (which typically concern regional planning issues), it would be adaptable to the other, more managerial types of activities.The process of Planning Support System would be similar, but not identical to the flow of strategic planning. The PSS would consist of five phases and each phase would include different combination of databases and workflows supported by recent and appropriate computer technology packages. / Department of Urban Planning

<p> As the concept of sustainability gains prominence in the U.S., municipal governments have begun adopting official sustainability plans to outline their goals for a sustainable future. However, with an absence of national guidelines or a streamlined definition of sustainability, these plans contain infinitely diverse goals, policies and motivations. One aspect of sustainability which has a diverse array of benefits and challenges is urban green space. This research uses content analysis and coding of municipal sustainability plans to gain insight into how U.S. cities conceptualize urban green space in the forms of parks, tree canopy and urban gardens and in the greater context of sustainability. This thesis specifically looks at the creation of municipal sustainability plans, how cities organize green space, how cities value green spaces, the kinds of green space goals and benchmarks that cities set, and the inclusion of equity in the realm of green spaces. The 20 case study cities have shown green spaces are an important component of sustainability planning and are conceptualized and included in varying and unique ways. The way a plan is created, the people involved or excluded from the plan creation process and the agreements or groups that cities join can impact how cities envision sustainability and how they conceptualize green space within the plan. The concepts of sustainability and green space appear to be best articulated and operationalized in the context of many voices, viewpoints and opinions. In the categorization of green space, this research found that only a few cities had headings specific to green space, but instead associated it primarily with other aspects of the natural environment. This research also found that the language used to describe green space is broad and varied. Standardization or concrete definitions of these terms may make plans more accessible. Cities discussed environmental, economic and social benefits of green spaces in their plans. Overall, cities valued environmental benefits the most and the majority of benefits identified in the plans are anthropocentric in nature. Some of the best practice green space goals identified within the plans were the inclusion of green corridors, native vegetation, increasing the tree canopy, changing zoning codes to include urban agriculture and goals related to equity and access. Overall, both the goal setting and measurement processes of urban green space serve as beneficial ways for cities to achieve their broader sustainability goals. However, these goals cannot be fully realized when their distribution and access are unequal across the city and when decisions are made without the input of local residents. This research found that there is a gulf between equity being mentioned in a plan, and the depth to which it is explored in the context of green space, leaving room for cities to improve their incorporation of equity in their planning for green spaces. This research has shown that cities conceptualize green spaces in a variety of ways and while there are several successes, there is also a lot of room for improvement in both green space planning and sustainability planning.</p>

The history of British street tramways is surveyed and contrasted with other urban transport modes from 1860 to date and the generally accepted reasons for the industry's decline summarised. These theories are then tested, illlustrated and amplified by three case studies of tramways in South Yorkshire, namely the small Dearne District, the medium-sized Doncaster and the major Sheffield undertakings. The history of each system is detailed with particular attention being given to later developments. In each case contrasts and parallels are drawn with competing modes--either motor buses or trolleybuses in this area--and with tramways in other parts of the country. The Dearne District tramway was loss-making throughout, and the reasons for inadequate receipts and/or excessive working and capital costs are examined, particularly by contrast with the competing and profitable Yorkshire Traction bus company, which ultimately bought out the tramway in 1933. The Doncaster tramways were more successful, alternating between profit and loss, but after World War I were subject to severe external restraints--such as stagnation in the local economic base and private motor bus competition--and also suffered from rapid deterioration of capital assets. Each of these difficulties is analysed and the eventual successful replacement of trams by 1935 by (mostly) trolleybuses described and discussed. Sheffield's tramways were financially viable up to and including World War II, the reasons for this including the virtual elimination of private motor bus competition, Sheffield's topography and the heavy traffic typical of a city tramway; a particular contrast is drawn with Manchester, where tramway abandonment became policy much earlier. The financial and in particular the planning reasons why Sheffield's policy changed after 1945 are then examined. Tramway replacement was completed by 1960. The analysis is supported throughout by detailed financial and operating data derived from archive sources; a detailed bibliography concludes the thesis.

Egypt, along with other countries in the world, is going through an economic transition from state control to a more market orientated economy. As part of this process, road freight transport is undergoing a process of privatisation and deregulation. There are many possible approaches which can be adopted, depending somewhat on the desired outcome of the process and economic philosophy of the country. Many countries have already gone through the processes of road freight privatisation and deregulation; some much more recently (Hungary) than others (the UK). At this early stage of road freight privatisation in Egypt, it is important and valuable to the policy maker to identify alternatives available for the privatisation process, problems it may be facing, as well as its impact on the road freight industry. Using a qualitative approach, this research attempts to explore the issues relating to privatisation of the road freight industry in Egypt, in terms of; the impact of privatisation, the role of freight management, the best method of privatisation, problems facing privatisation of the road freight industry, and finally treatment of external costs under privatisation. The overall objective of the research is to investigate and analyze the structure of the road freight industry, its cost, and how privatisation of the industry is approached under three different regulatory systems (the UK, Egypt, and Hungary). This should prove of value to countries in a transitional stage towards deregulation and privatisation and, in particular, to Egypt. The literature review is used to develop a conceptual model relating to economies in transition. This is then transformed into an operational model using the Delphi technique. The Delphi survey took place in both Egypt and Hungary, with panels comprising; academics, operators, and governmental officials. The results of the survey show that, unlike Hungary, there is no lack of available capital to achieve privatisation of road freight in Egypt, and that awareness of the road freight external cost is higher in Hungary than in Egypt. But in both countries the resulting increase in unemployment is one of the most important problem to face privatisation of road freight.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: B, page: 0864. Adviser: Robert A. Herendeen. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 136-145) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1987. / Vita. Bibliography: leaves [272]-288.

Licentiatavhandling (sammanfattning) Alnarp : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2005. / Härtill 3 appendix.

Thesis (M.T.P.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Architecture, 1970. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.