Behavioral research is providing meaningful information with respect to the relationship between human activities and physical design of the residential environment. While the appeal among professions and social scientists for its input into the design process seems unanimous, the failure to pool, simplify and constantly update such data, continues in it being accessible to, and usable by, only a small, enlightened and privileged minority. On the other hand, a large share of today's housing in Canada is produced by individuals and organizations, many of whom are generally familiar and concerned with neither human behavior nor basic design principles. Resultant projects invariably betray an almost single-minded approach, that of realizing a maximum number of dwellings at a minimum expenditure on amenities. This study attempts to narrow the gap between the researcher and the practitioner. It proposes a communicable, organized approach to designing and evaluating physical components in the residential open space environment, as to their responsiveness to generic human activities. A Frame of Reference (activities and components) is developed, which generates the context and the problem for Patterns, which, in turn, suggest solutions or platforms for discussion. The principle evolved, is then applied to site plans of three recently completed housing projects. Variables, in this model, include age of users and climate of the location. The benefits of this approach, include prevention of the worst of open space planning, while encouraging good work to proceed. Avenues for implementing such a process are briefly explored and its application, by money-lending agencies, held as feasible. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to examine the patterns of functional association of business types on arterial shopping streets in Vancouver. In this context the study assessed the relevance to Vancouver of spatial classificatory schemes as they have been developed in geographic literature to describe the commercial structure in other cities, particularly Chicago. Vancouver's unplanned community business districts take the form of string-streets or ribbons in that businesses are located along traffic arteries but rarely down intersecting streets; and, the strips extend for distances in excess of three thousand feet. .At the same time, however, the districts contain conformations of business types which are characteristic of convenience and shopping-goods centers as described in previous classifications. A series of working hypotheses proposed that a core-frame concept be used to develop a model of the business arrangements. The model was tested in four arterial business districts and confirmed the existence of three functional sub-areas. (i) The core of the business districts is more completely developed on one side of the dissecting artery in the area of peak land values. The core contains shopping-goods stores which serve comparative shopping trips. (ii) The frame is composed of several functionally unlinked sub-areas which serve predominantly special-purpose shopping trips. Businesses locate in the frame because they depend to some extent on the high density traffic generated by the retail core yet do not require the degree of accessibility attendant at the core. The low rental accommodation in the frame provides opportunities for establishing new businesses. (iii) The ribbon contains businesses which serve single-visit shopping trips and are functionally unlinked. The core-frame conformation evolved from an initially dispersed pattern of businesses catering to walk-in trade. After World War II retail stores began to group in a limited number of locations in response to the decentralization of shopping activities and the wide-spread use of the automobile. A. prominent frame emerged in the 1950's with the entry of financial, medical and other office activities. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

A basic problem exists in the use of the concept of social behavior as a spatial determinant in planning. It is a problem of identifying various social behavioral indicators, and their spatial implications. The aspect of variable social behavior has been selected as take off point in this study. Within this framework one element has been chosen for inquiry, that of orientation toward the future. The question is whether persons are "future" oriented, that is whether "change", and "doing new things" is part of their repertoire; and to what extent nominals such as city area, home, occupation, etc. represent a standard set of constraints or inventories of alternatives. Methods of investigation include a comparative analysis of the area under study with the larger metropolitan area as a whole, and empirical research of an exploratory study into social behavior. A location quotient was computed for a number of social and residential characteristics, and the results compared with social area analysis coefficients. The method of inquiry for the empirical research uses an interview questionnaire survey, formulated over a two year period as part of an ongoing urban research project. The method of statistical analysis used for the interim results was a multivariate contingency tabulation utilizing a computer programmed subroutine. The Mann-Whitney U Test was used to compare two independent sample groups. General conclusions are that the subarea under study differs in its social and residential characteristics from the metropolitan area as a whole. Preliminary results on selected nominals, responses, and activities show certain tendencies of social behavior, which, if born out by the final data, could provide some insight into the reference structure of a population. Where these referents are not readily transferable from non-local to local conditions in new development plans, such referents have to be analysed further to get at their elements. Then spaces could be planned so that they encompass these composite elements. Cross tabulated results indicate that social behavior of certain aggregates of persons is more fixed than that of others, and that the environment is more variable for some than for others. Yet, due to the severe limitation of the sample size, evidence on the future orientation and variability criterion is not con-elusive, and can only be considered as exploratory. But — with all the data in eventually, and a multiple regression analysis — this study would provide more conclusive evidence. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Urban planning faces a tremendous challenge: changing its role from land use planning to one of responding to "the current and urgent problems of the city". Under such circumstances the entire approach to planning has come under question. Waterston summarizes the current problem in his "three-horned planning dilemma". He asserts there are three approaches to planning, all of which must fail: comprehensive planning which assumes long-range societal goals can be identified, systems planning which attempts to provide structured solutions to unstructured problems, and partial planning which merely fights "brush-fires". This discourse engages in a search for a way around the "three-horned planning dilemma". A dual methodology was used in this study. First inductive research was selected which allowed a search for a new model of planning unconstrained and not misdirected by past planning theory—a confusing literature. With this freedom, the inductive method naturally directed the research from a broad empirical base to generalizations, of a new theory. The second part of the methodology was the use of the case study technique. This search for a new model focused on a seemingly innovative urban planning agency. A case examination of planning in the Greater Vancouver Regional District between 1969 and 1973 provided the data base for the research. The four middle chapters contain the detailed descriptions of planning in the GVRD. The case material provided basic conceptualizations for a distinct model of urban planning as practiced in the GVRD. GVRD planning proved to be absolutely different from current planning practice, and four major characteristics of their planning were identified: 1. Auto-Action which stimulates a wide range of planning actions, 2. Qualitative Analysis combining technique and diverse judgments, 3. Political Dialogue or working out program design, analysis, and solutions with politicians, and 4. General Interaction which involves the public, local and senior governments, and consultants. The inductive process moved the interpretation beyond case material and the GVRD model to a new model of urban planning. Processes and theory of GVRD planning led to a new bundle of planning theory literature primarily the works of Ruth Mack, John Friedmann, and Edgar Dunn. A "Learning Model" of urban planning evolved which had four characteristics: 1. goal development as an essential part of the planning process and goal determination through widespread dialogue, 2. the inherent limitations of Social Knowledge which can be overcome by transactive planning and mutual learning, 3. Bottom-up Planning as the extensive use of local task forces, and 4. Social Change, in the form of new social structures, as offering promise for solutions rather than dealing with symptoms. The Learning Model evolved from one particular case which limits its range as a generic theory. It has, however, provided a link between practice and theory and has complemented a new wave of planning theory. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

In a post-modern society, creativity is the key to both cultural and economic prosperity in the U.S. and in the world. The creative sector has become an important element of the economy, and it also contributes to the cultural wellbeing of the community and generates social progress. For many small towns and rural communities across the U.S. that struggle with stagnation and decline, developing the creative sector may offer an array of benefits including improving local economies, empowering the community from within, and bringing about socially useful development outcomes. This research investigates the role of art industries in small town revitalization with a focus on the empowerment impact. Using a multiple-case study design and mixed methods, the research evaluates the empowerment effects of different art programs in two pairs of small towns located in Georgia and Florida. In each pair, one town has a major art program while the other does not. The two pairs of small towns are: Colquitt, GA and Camilla, GA, and Mt. Dora, FL and Minneola, FL. The research has found empirical evidence for the empowerment effect of art programs on the participants and the community. Further, the research has constructed explanations on how and why such impact takes place through a'Creativity-based Empowerment and Development Model'. The findings of the research offer crucial guidelines for community leaders, development planners and policy makers to design effective programs and policies associated with community development and creative industries. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2014. / October 10, 2014. / community economic development, creative economy, empowerment, small town / Includes bibliographical references. / Petra Doan, Professor Directing Dissertation; Timothy Chapin, Committee Member; Xiaojun Yang, Committee Member.

Governments in the developing world continue to struggle to find a solution to the issue of high risk informal settlements. The issue has been addressed with multiple approaches, the most popular of which is relocation. Unfortunately, relocation is more often a failure than a success in the developing context (Jha & Duyne, 2010). The main problem is a lack of understanding of the processes by which human settlements are established. There is evidence of success in relocation projects that include local knowledge in its design and implementation phases; on most cases local knowledge was best collected through various community participatory methods (Berke & Campanella, 2006; Cronin & Guthrie, 2011; Satterthwaite, 2011). There are also new approaches to create solutions for these groups, one of them is reconstruction and upgrade in place. This approach is rather new and few contexts allow for its implementation but it has proven to receive better community approval (Abbott, 2002; Horwood & Phillips, 2007; Werlin, 1999). This study delves into these complexities of urban poor populations, housing projects, and natural disasters. More specifically, this study discusses the implications of relocating or upgrading urban poor families through the ISF Housing Program of the Philippines and the Dichato Reconstruction Program in Chile. In both cases the analysis is drawn specifically to the role of multiple stakeholder participation and context specific characteristics in the design and implementation of the projects. This study explores the benefits and dilemmas encountered during implementation of relocation and upgrade national programs in two contrasting cases. Key findings in this research show that there is a complex array of circumstances that guide the observed communities’ decision to locate and struggle to remain on hazardous settlements. In both cases the relocation was initially well received by communities in the aftermath of great disasters. Just recently, after relocation, communities have started to experience important long term effects to the socioeconomic and emotional development that they had enjoyed in their former location. Participation in both cases was much encouraged but timing struggles impeded full implementation of participatory approaches. The takeaway of this study is that disaster stricken communities in vulnerable economic situations need solutions that not only provide safe housing but that also consider other basic needs like economic stability, social interaction and community life. Long term solutions for the urban poor in high risk areas are best crafted together through inclusive participation with the urban poor themselves. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2016. / September 8, 2016. / Disaster risk, Participatory Planning, Post Disaster Reconstruction, Relocation, Upgrade / Includes bibliographical references. / Rebecca Miles, Professor Directing Dissertation; Ralph Brower, University Representative; William Butler, Committee Member; Petra Doan, Committee Member; Janet Dilling, Committee Member.

Population ageing is a world-wide phenomenon. The number of older people is expected to increase both absolutely and relatively, and a lot of Western and Asian countries already entered into the aged society beyond the aging society. Since this trend is anticipated to continue, population ageing will become a more critical and urgent issue in various institutions. In this sense, creating age-friendly neighborhood environments and the concept of ageing in place have increasingly been part of urban strategies. So far most studies have focused on the inner-city and urban areas, while spatial analyses of elderly poverty clusters have rarely been attempted. However, exploring where poor older people spatially concentrate is important because it may provide a justifiable basis for urban policies and studies. Likewise, neighborhood characteristics have not been mainly discussed in terms of ageing in place, even though older people who live in a deprived neighborhood may face several risks from distressed physical and social environments. In this study, therefore, I tried to explore where poor older people spatially concentrate and why they live there. This study is largely divided into two parts: exploratory analysis and testing hypotheses. First, spatial distributions of elderly and general poverty clusters were compared through hot spot analysis which examines where significant local clusters of high poverty rates exist. In addition, the degree of neighborhood deprivation was also compared using 11 indicators and the integrated index by poverty cluster types. The result of this study is that there is difference in spatial distribution between elderly and general poverty clusters. In particular, elderly poverty clusters are more likely to be located outside of the inner-city and in rural areas, while general poverty clusters are more likely to be located in the inner-city and urban, suburban areas. This finding suggests that elderly poverty related studies should cover rural areas and outside of the inner-city. Through spatial analyses of elderly poverty clusters, researchers can select appropriate study areas for empirical studies regarding to poverty, especially elderly poverty issues, and policy makers can decide where they preferentially support active ageing in place. As results of comparing neighborhood deprivation by poverty cluster types, I found that older people may stay put in a deprived neighborhood depending on which poverty cluster they live in when they decide to age in place, even though a neighborhood that features an elderly poverty cluster only is less deprived as unexpected. Therefore, policy makers should consider the location of neighborhood when they adapt urban policies to encourage older people to age in place, even if ageing in place has been favorable. In the second part of the study, I tried to identify determinants of the expectation to age in place of older people by using both individual and neighborhood characteristics. As neighborhood characteristics, urban diversity factors, that is, mixed-land use, residential density, housing age diversity, racial diversity, income diversity, and tenure diversity, were tested together with poverty cluster types and neighborhood stability through binary logistic regression and two-step hierarchical linear models. The result of this study suggests that urban diversity factors can influence the expectation to age in place of older people, and the effects of urban diversity vary by what poverty cluster older people live in. Therefore, more academic attention should be paid to neighborhood environments. Moreover, the result of regression and HLM models can help what physical or social environmental conditions policy makers need to consider when they support older people to age in place. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Urban & Regional Planning in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2017. / March 31, 2017. / Age in place, Elderly poverty cluster, Hot spot analysis, Urban diversity / Includes bibliographical references. / Rebecca Miles, Professor Directing Dissertation; Keon-Hyung Lee, University Representative; Petra Doan, Committee Member; Frances Berry, Committee Member.

No description available.

The following report, which the writer most respectfully submits to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the Massachusetts Agricultural College as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science, constitutes a statement of a piece of work representing the writer's design for the development of a large tract of land located immediately outside of Richmond, Virginia, and owned by the Lewis Ginter Land and Improvement Company. The paper, which assumes the form of a report, will be submitted to the Lewis Ginter Land and Improvement Company as a practical and feasible plan for the development of this property. It is the intention of the Lewis Ginter Land and Improvement Company to develop this tract of land some time within the near future, and the problem was kindly suggested to the writer by a member of that corporation.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of City Planning, 1947. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-167). / by Irving Hand. / M.C.P.