Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1984. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: leaves 178-193. / by Kermit Francis Baker. / Ph.D.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1986. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: leaves 111-112. / by Edward C. Martins. / M.S.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-105). / As a management process real estate development can be abstract and cumbersome. Demand for space, availability of capital, regulatory conditions and other variables can be forecasted, but never entirely predicted. The role of a development manager relies heavily on the strategic application of a process that is fluid and dynamic. By investigating the methodology employed to develop large mixed-use projects, this thesis intends to demonstrate the significance of the predevelopment phase in order to clarify how certain best practices, specifically stakeholder management, can enhance performance. A theoretical framework and process map is offered that outlines the predevelopment process. Data was solicited through direct interviews and secondary sources then synthesized into a series of three case studies on predevelopment. Strategic relationships with vested and non-vested parties advocate the application of stakeholder management theory. The intent of this research is to equip the development manager with a theoretical compass, integral in navigating the uncertain and risk-laden waters within real estate development. / by Christopher James Perri. / S.M.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2010. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-132). / This thesis uses case studies of one unsuccessful, and three successful brownfield-to-renewable energy projects to identify common barriers such projects face and how those barriers can be overcome. The most significant barriers identified are those typical of brownfield development: cleanup costs, liability risks, uncertainty, technical and legal complexity, and the need to coordinate multiple stakeholders. These barriers can be overcome through strong partnerships characterized by full cooperation among developers, property owners, regulators, and local officials. Political and public support enables cooperation between public and private stakeholders. This support is driven by an expectation that brownfield-to-renewable energy projects will improve the city's image and stimulate development of the clean energy industry locally. The three successful projects received substantial public support. This suggests that locating renewable energy facilities on contaminated lands is a possible solution to the siting controversies faced by new renewable energy facilities, and by wind farms especially. Renewable energy facilities offer a reuse option for brownfields that can coexist with ongoing remediation. Carving-out less polluted parcels from large properties for phased development is a strategy that has great potential to expand renewable energy development on brownfields and provide property owners revenue that can facilitate complete remediation. The thesis concludes with recommendations for local, state, and federal actions to encourage and facilitate brownfields-to-renewable energy projects. Recommended local level actions include incorporating renewable energy into municipal comprehensive plans and brownfield redevelopment programs. Overall, recommendations emphasize facilitating the "carve-out" strategy (i.e. use the cleanest parts of brownfields for new energy projects) and modifying financial incentives to favor brownfield sites. / by Bjorn B. Jensen. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-85). / The private water vending industry in Karachi is an important source of water service delivery in Karachi, Pakistan. Water vending is largely a supplemental service to households with private water connections, due to limited service from the public utility. This research attempts to: i) Characterize the existing water supply situation in Karachi, with particular focus on the water vending industry; ii) Evaluate the extent to which water vending in Karachi affects households' water supply situation and generates excessive profits for vendors; and iii) Assess possible strategies for water sector reform in Karachi. The case of Karachi, where water vending coexists with a piped supply network, poses a challenge to policy makers in water supply planning. The study shows that the major clients of vended water in the city are those who have water connections, storage capacity, and the ability to buy water. The key findings of the study are: i) Karachi's water vending market may not be economically efficient. Although the vending market provides only 9% of the water consumed by city residents on a daily basis, it earns almost 50% of all revenues received from water. ii) Groundwater supplying households' wells and private hydrants is not recognized as a common property resource by the concerned public agencies. As a result, existing government policy fails to address the consequences of unregulated groundwater use by private individuals. iii) Surprisingly, a market for vended water exists even in a city where more than 3/4 of all households are served by piped water connections. When levels of the public utility's service are low - in this case an average of 3 hours of service each day - households are forced to turn to other sources to meet their water supply needs. In view of these findings, there appears to be a need for regulatory reforms. The study proposes the adoption of a dual strategy to solve the problem of rent seeking by hydrant owners in Karachi: regulation, and promotion of competition. / by Roohi Abdullah. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [94]-[97]). / Narrative landscapes are designed environments that use physical elements, spaces and stories to convey messages and make place. Through the use of narrative landscapes, designers can relate the historical and cultural significance of particular places and peoples. The designer must be concerned not only with the contents of the story, but with the role of the readers, the community and in the ideologies and worldviews these narratives imply. The issues involved with creating narrative in the landscape are in the incorporation of the stories and elements of the past and the use of symbolic and didactic media. In our multicultural and highly mediated society, landscape designs for public places should be pluralistic and multi-dimensional. A pluralistic design conveys the stories of personalities, communities, historic events, and places and is made within a community process or with community input. The multidimensional aspect of narrative designs emanates from the blending of abstracted or symbolic forms of communication and didactic forms that carry a series of messages. Narrative landscapes were examined to determine how designed elements and sequencing tell stories in the landscape. The information gathered was used to develop a potential design approach for the Indian Creek Corridor in Miami Beach, Florida. / by Anyeley Yawa Dzegede. / M.C.P.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2011. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-189). / Distance measures are important for scientists because they illustrate the dynamics of geospatial topologies for physical and social processes. Two major types of distance are generally used for this purpose: Euclidean Distance measures the geodesic dispersion between fixed locations and Cost Distance characterizes the ease of travel between two places. This dissertation suggests that close inter-place ties may be an effect of human decisions and relationships and so embraces a third tier of distance, Social Distance, as the conceptual or physical connectivity between two places as measured by the relative or absolute frequency, volume or intensity of agent-based choices to travel, communicate or relate from one distinct place to another. In the spatial realm, Social Distance measures have not been widely developed, and since the concept is relatively new, Chapter 1 introduces and defines geo-contextual Social Distance, its operationalization, and its novelty. With similar intentions, Chapter 2 outlines the challenges facing the integration of social flow data into the Geographic Information community. The body of this dissertation consists of three separate case studies in Chapters 3, 4 and 5 whose common theme is the integration of Social Distance as models of social processes in geographic space. Each chapter addresses one aspect of this topic. Chapter 3 looks at a new visualization and classification method, called Weighted Radial Variation, for flow datasets. U.S. Migration data at the county level for 2008 is used for this case study. Chapter 4 discusses a new computational method for predicting geospatial interaction, based on social theory of trip chaining and communication. U.S. Flight, Trip and Migration data for the years 1995-2008 are used in this study. Chapter 5 presents the results of the tandem analysis for social networks and geographic clustering. Roll call vote data for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 111th Congress are used to create a social network, which is then analyzed with regards to the geographic districts of each congressperson. / by Clio Andris. / Ph.D.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 75-78). / by Pratap Raj Talwar. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1985. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH / Bibliography: leaves 66-74. / by Camille Ascuaga. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1989. / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Joseph Phillip Nicholson. / M.C.P.