<p> Common tenets in the field of emergency management hold that all disasters are different and all disasters hold a great deal of uncertainty. For these and many other reasons, many challenges are present when providing post-disaster assistance to victims. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has identified post-disaster interim housing as one of its greatest challenges. These challenges have been highlighted in recent years in the media as spectacular failures as evidenced during the recovery efforts for Hurricane Katrina. Partly in response, FEMA developed the <i>National Disaster Housing Strategy </i> that establishes the framework and strategic goals of providing housing to disaster victims. This strategy calls for emergency management professionals to both anticipate needs and balance a host of factors to provide quick, economical, and community-based housing solutions that meet the individual, family, and community needs while enabling recovery. The first problem is that emergency management officials need to make decisions early on without actual event data in order to provide timely interim housing options to victims. The second problem is that there is little guidance and no quantitative measures on prioritizing the many factors that these same officials need for providing interim housing. This research addressed both of these problems. To anticipate needs, a series of models were developed utilizing historical data provided by FEMA and regression analysis to produce a series of forecast models. The models developed were for the cost of a housing mission, the number of individuals applying to FEMA for assistance, the number of people eligible for housing assistance and the number of trailers FEMA will provide as interim housing. The variables analyzed and used to make the prediction were; population, wind-speed, homeownership rate, number of households, income, and poverty level. Of the four models developed, the first three demonstrated statistical significance, while the last one did not. The models were limited only to wind related hazards. These models and associated forecasts can assist federal, state, and local government officials with scoping and planning for a housing mission. In addition, the models also provide insight into how the six variables used to make the prediction can influence it. The second part of this research used a structured feedback process (Delphi) and expert opinion to develop a ranked list of the most important factors that emergency management officials should consider when conducting operational planning for a post-disaster housing mission. This portion of the research took guidance from the "National Disaster Housing Strategy" and attempted to quantify it based on the consensus opinion of a group of experts. The top three factors that were determined by the Delphi were 1) House disaster survivors as soon as possible 2) The availability of existing housing and 3) Status of infrastructure.</p>

<p> A historical narrative of Long Beach in the rights to the city and spatial justice literature has remained untold within the broader California narrative. This analysis looks at the case of Long Beach and focuses on two critical junctures in its development. The concept of the right to the city centers on social justice for anyone dispossessed by the conditions of urban life which can be achieved by creating more space for democratic participation and inclusivity over the production of the city for all social groups. Related to rights to the city, spatial justice theory posits that the current system of urban restructuring and development reproduce injustices through factors such as uneven development, disinvestment, and marginalization and only by transforming these processes can we achieve social justice. Rights to the city and spatial justice both underscore challenging existing power relations that drive the production of urban space.</p><p> While the focus of this research is limited to Long Beach, the implications are much broader; the concepts ofthe rights to the city and spatial justice are about understanding and transforming global processes by starting transformation at the local level. The case study of Long Beach can add to both the literature and the right to the city and spatial justice movements by demonstrating ways Long Beach community members have attempted to achieve the right to the city and transform it to a more spatially just urban area. The findings generated from the analysis of two prominent Long Beach social movement organizations, The Long Beach Area Citizens Involved (LBACI) and The Long Beach Coalition for Good Jobs and a Healthy Community (the Coalition), suggest that community members have successfully challenged the processes underlying the development of Long Beach in the pursuit of social justice.</p>

<p> Traditional spatial analysis and data mining methods fall short of extracting temporal information from data. This inability makes their use difficult to study changes and the associated mechanisms of many geographic phenomena of interest, for example, land-use. On the other hand, the growing availability of land-change data over multiple time intervals and longer time frames, often based on satellite imagery, presents to land-change study a great opportunity, given that this information can be effectively utilized. This methodological gap highlights the need to better understand the analytical challenges brought by temporal complexities, and to investigate alternative analytical frameworks that could handle those challenges. </p><p> This dissertation attempted to achieve three goals: 1) finding metrics to capture temporal trends, 2) dealing with temporally imprecise data due to constraints of frequency, duration, and starting time of data collection, and 3) handling variables with time-changing values. A simulated land-change dataset based on an agent-based model of residential development and an empirical dataset from two case study sites in San Diego and Tijuana were used for this investigation. </p><p> Results from the simulation dataset indicated that the survival function and the hazard function are important metrics to reveal temporal trends. In general the results of land-change analysis are sensitive to time frequency, in particular when time-dependent variables are also present. Longer duration benefits land-change analysis since longer durations contains more information. However, time-dependent variables with measures over a long period are more difficult for detection, which may pose a challenge. Starting time also affects the analytical results because the level of process uncertainty varies at different starting times. Findings from real world data mostly agree with those from computational data. Time dependent variables present a major challenge in land-change analysis, and survival analysis can better handle time-independent variables and thus better forecast urban growth.</p>

Partnering between municipalities within a city-region is not an easy task. Often there are challenges in the partnering process especially in relation to balancing planning and governance. This research examines how city-region partnerships can move beyond conflict to position themselves to be more successful, both locally and globally. The Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP) serves as the main case study. Located in one of Canada’s fastest growing regions, both in terms of population and resource development, the Calgary region is struggling to move forward as a city-region partnership. The struggle appears to be rooted in past regional planning conflicts that have never been adequately resolved. Based on CRP experience, the project examines how city-regions in Canada can move beyond such conflict and associated challenges with particular interest in: the role of planners, the case for collaboration, and the pursuit of a ‘new regionalism’ approach.

In the last few decades Dutch port planning has increasingly become dominated by the spectacular growth of the main port in the Dutch national seaport range, Rotterdam. The success of this port has resulted in it becoming a model for seaport development not only in the Netherlands, but also world-wide. There have even been recent suggestions by port planners in the Netherlands that development of other seaports in the national range should cease, as all future trade could be adequately accommodated by the main port. Anglo-Dutch trade flows passing through the Dutch seaports over the twenty years during which the main growth in total trade took place are examined in depth, with particular emphasis on their effects on Dutch seaport development. To retain proper perspective, and at the same time provide a comprehensive outline, this is continually set against total trade flows passing through Dutch seaports over the same period. The position at the start of this period is outlined in the first chapter. Movements in total trade are examined in detail over the twenty year period in the next Chapter. Chapter three deals with the changes in Anglo-Dutch trade during this time, while the following two chapters deal mainly with the relationship between the movements in trade and Dutch port development over the-period. Finally current Dutch port planning is examined in the light of the movements in trade flows. The main conclusions reached are that the smaller Dutch ports are of crucial and increasing importance to Anglo-Dutch trade, yet planners appear to be unaware of this. Should the development of the smaller ports cease, it would have disastrous effects on Anglo-Dutch trade. Comprehensive studies of trade flows with individual forelands can provide important indicators for seaport planning.

<p> In recent decades skateboarding has expanded from recreation into a form of transportation. Skateboarders appear to use roadways much as other non&ndash;motorized modes do. However, there is little academic research on the needs and characteristics of the skateboard as a mode. This research reports demographics, multi&ndash;modal and travel behavior findings, and other data from an exploratory mixed&ndash;methods study of skateboarding as a mode of transportation.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1981. / Bibliography: leaves 189-200. / Microfiche. / xi, 200 leaves, bound ill., maps 28 cm

For Maori the cultural landscape is the foundation of traditional, historical and spiritual values and is fundamental to their cultural ideology. It is the relationship between people and the land that bestows Maori with a sense of cultural identity and belonging. At present the cultural landscape is under increasing pressure from inappropriate development, resulting not only in the destruction of the physical landscape but also defilement of associated intrinsic values. Planning for Maori cultural landscape values at the district level is challenging, with limited sucess in curbing landscape degradation under a dominant western planning regime. This study examines the planning process incorporating the cultural landscape values of Maori within the context of the Dunedin district. An overview of cultural landscape significance is provided. The study also assesses the current measures employed onto the landscape. The study also assesses the current measures employed for protecting the cultural landscape and offers recommendations for improving the integration of cultural landscape values into the planning process, both at a general level and with particular reference to three case studies of culturally significant landscapes in Dunedin. A combination of in-depth interviews with local Maori and Dunedin City Council planners, literature review, district plan content analysis and case studies established that current protection measures engaged by the Dunedin City Council are insufficient and lack the specificity required for adequate cultural landscape protection. A general lack of comprehension regarding cultural landscape meaning amongst planners was also found. It is recommended that cultural landscape planning extends beyond statutory requirements to adopt a collaborative approach, with Maori having a more significant role in the planning process. Three main recommendations for future management of the cultural landscape are provided: identification, co-management and public education. Together these recommendations promote a move towards a planning system with a greater bi-cultural focus. Improved protection provisions in planning will ensure the continuation and enhancement of the Maori cultural landscape into the future, as part of New Zealand�s heritage.

Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2000

Thesis (MReg & UrbPlan)--University of South Australia, 1998