Researchers are in broad agreement that energy-conserving actions produce economic as well as energy savings. Household energy rating systems (HERS) have been established in many countries to inform households of their house’s current energy performance and to help reduce their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In Canada, the national EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) program is delivered by many local delivery agents, including non-profit green community organizations. Waterloo Region Green Solutions is the local non-profit that offers the EGH residential energy evaluation service to local households. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the determinants of household’s participation in the residential energy efficiency program (REEP) in Waterloo Region, to explain the relationship between the explanatory variables and REEP participation, and to propose ways to improve this kind of program. A spatial (trend) analysis was conducted within a geographic information system (GIS) to determine the spatial patterns of the REEP participation in Waterloo Region from 1999 to 2006. The impact of sources of information on participation and relationships between participation rates and explanatory variables were identified. GIS proved successful in presenting a visual interpretation of spatial patterns of the REEP participation. In general, the participating households tend to be clustered in urban areas and scattered in rural areas. Different sources of information played significant roles in reaching participants in different years. Moreover, there was a relationship between each explanatory variable and the REEP participation rates. Statistical analysis was applied to obtain a quantitative assessment of relationships between hypothesized explanatory variables and participation in the REEP. The Poisson regression model was used to determine the relationship between hypothesized explanatory variables and REEP participation at the CDA level. The results show that all of the independent variables have a statistically significant positive relationship with REEP participation. These variables include level of education, average household income, employment rate, home ownership, population aged 65 and over, age of home, and number of eligible dwellings. The logistic regression model was used to assess the ability of the hypothesized explanatory variables to predict whether or not households would participate in a second follow-up evaluation after completing upgrades to their home. The results show all the explanatory variables have significant relationships with the dependent variable. The increased rating score, average household income, aged population, and age of home are positively related to the dependent variable. While the dwelling size and education has negative relationships with the dependent variable. In general, the contribution of this work provides a practical understanding of how the energy efficiency program operates, and insight into the type of variables that may be successful in bringing about changes in performance in the energy efficiency project in Waterloo Region. Secondly, with the completion of this research, future residential energy efficiency programs can use the information from this research and emulate or expand upon the efforts and lessons learned from the Residential Energy Efficiency Project in Waterloo Region case study. Thirdly, this research also contributes to practical experience on how to integrate different datasets using GIS.

I conduct a case study of Atlanta's metropolitan core in order to provide a rich, detailed analysis of urban neighborhoods, and to document the persistence of racial inequalities. Using Census 2000 block group data, I examine racial residential segregation in the five core counties of Atlanta between whites and minority groups, as well as among minority groups. I find high levels of residential segregation between whites and blacks, as well as between blacks and Asians, and blacks and Hispanics; segregation is lower between whites and Asians, and whites and Hispanics. I also investigate neighborhood characteristics like percentage poverty and educational attainment in neighborhoods with different racial compositions. These results highlight the advantages found in predominately white neighborhoods compared to racially concentrated minority neighborhoods, particularly African American and Latino neighborhoods. Overall, this thesis shows that residential stratification remains a hallmark indicator of racial inequality through the opening of the twenty-first century in Atlanta.

The rapid modernization and densification of Taipei has resulted in a culturally and socially unsustainable society. The North American paradigm of high-rise condominiums disrupts the social pattern of the vernacular family, cultural activities and communities, isolating the city dwellers within their own homes. The physical city no longer reflects or supports its social and cultural condition, thus has led to the disintegration of traditional customs and lifestyle without a sustainable replacement. The hypothesis of this thesis is that high-density residential architecture can be reinvented through the reinterpretation of vernacular dwelling to accommodate cultural sustainable activities and a sociable, identifiable community. <br /><br /> The first three chapters record and examine three branches of research: vernacular Taiwanese culture and architecture, high-density vernacular architecture, and the current condition of Taipei, Taiwan. The research deals with various disciplines, most importantly family and social structure, to provide a foundation for further discussion of dwelling condition versus culture. Chapter iv compares and analyzes the relationship between residential architecture and lifestyle of the vernacular and current dwelling. It argues for the importance of communities at different scales, bound together by a hierarchy of communal spaces. The condominium building is carefully reexamined under the categories of the unit, the floor, the building as a village, and the neighbourhood. <br /><br /> The design project, Vertical Vernacular [chapter v], presents a new typology of high-density residential architecture. It demonstrates the implantation of the theories and prototypes developed in the previous chapter, by consideration of current culture and family structure, including both traditional customs and modern lifestyle. A full range of unit plans are developed based on demographics, family structure, traditional custom, and adoption of tradition to modern imperatives. The co-operative living environment inspired by the vernacular dwelling creates friendly, strong and safe communities within the condominium. Furthermore, the project aims for the feasibility of the concept within the densest district of Taipei City from a developer's point-of-view.

Researchers are in broad agreement that energy-conserving actions produce economic as well as energy savings. Household energy rating systems (HERS) have been established in many countries to inform households of their house’s current energy performance and to help reduce their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In Canada, the national EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) program is delivered by many local delivery agents, including non-profit green community organizations. Waterloo Region Green Solutions is the local non-profit that offers the EGH residential energy evaluation service to local households. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the determinants of household’s participation in the residential energy efficiency program (REEP) in Waterloo Region, to explain the relationship between the explanatory variables and REEP participation, and to propose ways to improve this kind of program. A spatial (trend) analysis was conducted within a geographic information system (GIS) to determine the spatial patterns of the REEP participation in Waterloo Region from 1999 to 2006. The impact of sources of information on participation and relationships between participation rates and explanatory variables were identified. GIS proved successful in presenting a visual interpretation of spatial patterns of the REEP participation. In general, the participating households tend to be clustered in urban areas and scattered in rural areas. Different sources of information played significant roles in reaching participants in different years. Moreover, there was a relationship between each explanatory variable and the REEP participation rates. Statistical analysis was applied to obtain a quantitative assessment of relationships between hypothesized explanatory variables and participation in the REEP. The Poisson regression model was used to determine the relationship between hypothesized explanatory variables and REEP participation at the CDA level. The results show that all of the independent variables have a statistically significant positive relationship with REEP participation. These variables include level of education, average household income, employment rate, home ownership, population aged 65 and over, age of home, and number of eligible dwellings. The logistic regression model was used to assess the ability of the hypothesized explanatory variables to predict whether or not households would participate in a second follow-up evaluation after completing upgrades to their home. The results show all the explanatory variables have significant relationships with the dependent variable. The increased rating score, average household income, aged population, and age of home are positively related to the dependent variable. While the dwelling size and education has negative relationships with the dependent variable. In general, the contribution of this work provides a practical understanding of how the energy efficiency program operates, and insight into the type of variables that may be successful in bringing about changes in performance in the energy efficiency project in Waterloo Region. Secondly, with the completion of this research, future residential energy efficiency programs can use the information from this research and emulate or expand upon the efforts and lessons learned from the Residential Energy Efficiency Project in Waterloo Region case study. Thirdly, this research also contributes to practical experience on how to integrate different datasets using GIS.

In examining the Canadian residential fabric, this thesis advocates for the design of urban dwellings which respond directly to a number of contemporary urban challenges. A number of these challenges stem from the largely suburban nature of North American cities; there are major concerns about the relative isolation and automobile dependence of contemporary suburbs, their spread into conurbations, and their environmental impacts. On the other hand, there are challenges with many typical urban infill developments as well; they are often developed for a limited range of households, lack much in the way of connections to the outdoors, and, in contrast to some of the key arguments for intensification, often perform below the level of energy efficiency we might reasonably expect in a compact, contemporary, and sustainable urban form. All of these challenges are further discussed and evaluated in chapter three of the thesis. In attempting to address these challenges in a holistic manner, this thesis makes a case for conscientiously increasing the density of the many existing low-density areas within our urban fabric, in a form which incorporates varied outdoor spaces, varied uses, varied unit types and sizes, within a relatively energy efficient form and skin. Chapter four looks at design principles, strategies, and precedents, as well as schematic designs which attempt to integrate and synthesize these objectives. In order to illustrate the application of these principles and schematic designs to an existing low density urban area, chapter five proposes a more detailed design on a large site in Westboro, Ottawa, an evolving semi-suburban area whose development dates largely from early and mid 20th century.

This thesis arises out of a participant-observational study of narrative histories of people's experiences in Catholic residential schools in Saskatchewan. All the Elders interviewed are First Nations Anisin&#257b&#275^l people, most of whom live on five reserves north-west of Yorkton. All are recognized Elders². The Elders have the common experience of having had at least one youth (or a young relative between the ages of ten to twenty-five years old) in their immediate families commit one of these acts of violence: murder, manslaughter, infanticide, or suicide. The Elders also had the shared personal experiences of being in residential schools.<p> One research objective was to evaluate the influence of historical residential school experience upon subsequent attitudes to violence by youth in their family units. I formulated the study as an empirical test for a number of reasons: i) to examine a principal conclusion of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996) that documented the high rate of suicide among Aboriginal youth is a consequence of psycho-social dysfunction arising out of the residential school experience; ii) to review government policies of colonalization that led to personal abuse of Aboriginal youth in parochial residential schools, abuses that have contributed to lasting social problems for Aboriginal peoples; and iii) to study the healing movement. A Government policy lead to personal abuse that lead to a social problem.<p> The common theme that emerges out of the collective experiences of Elders is the common history of abuse suffered by Aboriginal students at parochial residential schools, the wholesale destruction of the Aboriginal family unit, and "social dysfunction" within the Aboriginal community caused by church and state for ideological and political objectives. My argument focuses on genocide and not justice issues, and it is framed by my own experiences as an Aboriginal woman who survived residential school.<p> <b>¹ Anisin&#257b&#275 means a beautiful people who are Saulteaux speaking people living in Saskatchewan whose ancestors signed Treaty Four.<p> ² All are recognized Elders in my mind. In my culture if you as a person, in this case myself, consider some person as an expert or as an Elder, who is to argue with me and say my opinion does not count. For example I chose a woman from my tribe and my clan to give me the correct spellings to the Saulteaux words I use in my thesis. In my culture you do not name yourself as an Elder, other people do that. Some Elders get widely known by many people, others are known as Elders in their immediate clans and tribes. Therefore in my thesis, they are Elders in my eyes because they have experiential wisdom.</b><p>

This research is a study of residential preferences and moving tendency of teachers in public schools in Kaohsiung who applied for retirement in 2003. It is intended to find out if there is any influence of personal backgrounds or needs of the subjects on their residential preferences and moving tendency, if their preferences are personal or environmental and if they find the current residences ideal¡Xif they do, what are the characteristics of their ideal residences and if not, what are the reasons for them to move? Moreover, if they decided to stay where they are now living even when not satisfied with the residences, what are the reasons that stop them from moving? In the study, questionnaires were mailed to public high school teachers in Kaohsiung who were registered to retire in 2003. 378 of the questionnaires were answered and returned, accounting for 30% of the total amount. Among the residences of the subjects, the Daliao, Renwu, Linyuan and Qiaotou townships in Kaohsiung County were categorized as the suburban areas, the Gushan, Zhuoying, Nanzi, Qianzhen, Qijin and Xiaogang districts in Kaohsiung City were the urban areas while the Yanchen, Sanmin, Qianjin, Xinxing and Lingya districts were the downtown areas. The statistic analysis of the returned questionnaires indicated significant connections among the subjects¡¦ ideal residences, their birth places, the places they have lived the longest and the places where they grew up. For subjects now living in downtown and urban areas, their preferable residences were the suburban area and then the downtown area, the countryside, small town and middle-size city in the order of preference. For subjects living in the suburban areas, their ideal residences were, from the most preferred to the least, the suburban area, the countryside, middle-size city, small town and the downtown area. As for the ideal county or city for residence, many of the subjects found the county or city where they are currently living satisfactory and most of these subjects are now living in the suburban areas. In terms of moving tendency, among the subjects who found their current residences ideal, the number of those who would not move was significantly larger than the others, while among the subjects who did not find their residences ideal, those who would not move was only slightly larger than those who would. Generally speaking, among all the subjects in this study, the number of those who would not move was significantly larger than those who would. Apparently, there is a significant connection between the subjects¡¦ opinions about the current residences and their moving tendency. For those subject who wanted to move even if they found their current residences ideal, the reasons could be divided into four aspects: the buildings, the natural environments, human factors and financial factors. The major reasons which stop the subjects from moving in this study were the financial factors, jobs of the families members, schooling of the family members and lack of spouse support. Among all the subjects, 70% thought they had found their ideal residences or believed they would in the future. The subjects¡¦ personal requirements of an ideal residence included employment opportunities, cultural activities, quality of nearby schools and religious beliefs while their environmental requirements were scenic view, interactions with friends, relatives and family members, living space and related facilities. For those subjects who found their current residences in the urban and downtown areas satisfactory, the environmental and personal requirements were almost equally importance while for the rest of the subjects, the environmental requirements were more important than the personal ones. According to the findings of this research, it is suggested that the social care and welfare policies should be accordingly adjusted as the elder population increases while many retired elders will move to apartments or care houses which offer special care instead of living with their children. Secondly, this study also finds that more and more people are moving to the suburban areas, forming a consuming force that might be as equally worthy of attention as that in the urban areas. Thirdly, among the subjects who found ideal residences in the urban areas and middle-size cities, their personal requirements and environmental requirements of an ideal residence are almost equally important. However, among those subjects who preferred suburban areas, the countryside and small towns, the environmental requirements are more important than the personal requirements. Therefore, it is suggested that there should be more natural landscapes for residents in the urban areas while more efforts should be invested in preserving the natural environments in the suburban areas. Fourthly, as the elder population expands, the government should establish more institutions or facilities of medical care, social service, finance and transportation in the suburban areas where more and more retired elder will reside in the future. Fifthly, the government should provide policies which encourage citizens to have financial plans for their life after retirement while the enterprises should provide the employees with well-designed pension policies so that people can be economically carefree and move to their ideal residences if possible after retirement. Finally,the care of elders in each community is a very important issue in Taiwan.

The research focuses on the evaluation and perception of the residential quality satisfaction and the discussion of the requirement of residential quality and refurbishment of the servicemen¡¦s residential compound in Kaohsiung Tzuoying area. We want to understand the relations of residential quality satisfaction and the requirement of the refurbishment during the different residential backgrounds through the discussion of the literature and the questionnaire. We investigated the adult residents in Tzuoying Community in Mingjian and do the research by the census of 518 households units. Then analyze the data by statistic in SPSS soft ware. After the research, the result of four hypothesis are below: 1.There is obvious relation between residential background and the satisfaction of residential quality. 2.The composed elements are different due to the difference of residential background. 3.The demands of the refurbishment are different due to the difference of residential backgrounds. 4. The demands of the refurbishment for the residents are different due to the difference of residential satisfaction. From the result, there is obvious difference in the demand of refurbishment among the residents. In additional to raise the satisfaction of residential quality,it needs to think about the residential demands for the refurbishment. The search comes up with the related policies and suggestions to look forward helping the implement of refurbishment policy.

In Taiwan, residential businesses is one of the most important supports for the city economy, and that¡¦s why it has gained the reputation of the leader of the industry. Its rises and falls will influence the living quality of the people as well as the general economy of the city. Hence, residential businesses is the key factor for economic rebuilding. The government has adopted various measures to promote ¡§City Vitalization¡¨. However, these policies were invalid due to the change of the industrial types, the migration of the traditional industry, and the increase of the unemployment, which have led to the price drop in real estate. According to the 2002 residential survey, there are 499,429 houses in Kaohsiung with a 16% vacancy rate. In other words, there are 82,275 vacant dwellings. This research was conducted because China and Taiwan have become the members of the World Trade Organization¡]WTO¡^ in 2001 and 2002 respectively, which would substantially liberalize the so-called ¡§three-links¡¨ policy. In practice, it will increase the international trade opportunities for both sides of Taiwan Straits. Direct flights are a virtual certainty. The negotiations on air ties will set a brand-new situation. When it comes to direct flights, Taiwan government holds ¡§Kaohsiung is before Taipei¡¨ policy. Therefore, The Kaohsiung International Airport will be the top priority. Consequently magnificent commercial opportunities will be brought and undoubtedly benefit the residential property. Nominal Group Technique¡]NGT¡^ is a way of organizing a meeting to enhance its productivity. Its purpose is to balance and increase participation, to use different processes for different phrase of creative problems solving and to reduce errors in aggregating individual judgments into group decisions. It is especially useful for problem identification, problem-solving and program planning. For gathering various opinions, researchers have attended NGT meetings twice, conducted a questionnaire, and interviewed experts and the conclusions are described as follows:Kaohsiung, located in the southern part of Taiwan, is not only the biggest commercial harbor and the second largest city in Taiwan, but also the chief center of the heavy industry. If the government could improve its image and investment environment to attract foreign businessmen and capital, its real estate would boom again. As the reason mentioned above, Kaohsiung government should actively participate in talks on the issue of ¡§three links¡¨ and request Beijing to put forth concrete strategies to promote collaboration between both sides of the Taiwan Straits for a win-win relationship.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Dec. 21, 2009). Advisor: Shawn Banasick. Keywords: Includes bibliographical references (p. 227-253).