The suburban landscape is a landscape of opportunity. Historically, the suburban landscape has been a desirable place for living. Because it demands the use of automobiles, it is also a landscape undesirable for pedestrians. Optimistically, through principles of New Urbanism, walkability, and mass transportation via light rail, there is an opportunity to transform the auto dominated suburban landscape into one that promotes walkability. Located in the suburbs of Alexandria, Virginia, an atypical intersection is analyzed for its characteristics of walkability. This intersection consists of several major roads converging to create a location overly dominated by busy roads and automobiles. Though there are accommodations that signify this intersection is also a place for pedestrians, a walkability checklist and a walkability study prove otherwise. The author investigates transforming this otherwise unwalkable landscape into one that promotes walkability by providing a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for suburban pedestrians. Design intentions are focused on preserving much of the existing land use and not re-developing suburbia into a new urban center. Yet, through using new urbanist principles for walkability, there is the opportunity to create a new suburban center. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Zugl.: Köln, Fachhochsch., Diplomarbeit, 2007

Diss. Universiẗat Basel. / Im Buchh.: Basel : Helbing Lichtenhahn. Bibliogr.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:42:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Veronica DAgostino Piqueira.pdf: 959865 bytes, checksum: af3af03c97b9613293c5dcfac01b96ee (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-01-23 / Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie / Hoping to contribute to broaden the discussion on the issue of popular American cultural imaginary, the objective of this dissertation is to reflect on the concept of normality and abnormality featured in the movie Freaks (1932), dedicated to the representation of the social and cultural universe of sideshows. We will present the influences that pierced the way director Tod Browning, searching referrals for the formation of his author cinema in his history since his youth as itinerant artist until the dimension of slapstick actor, director and writer of his own films. We'll also discuss some of the reasons that led to the emancipation of the horror genre during the Great Depression, seeking aesthetic, literary and political references in the narrative of his major classics. Based on these studies, this research transits in an interdisciplinary way by languages History of Culture and Film, presenting an encounter between monsters and humans and the way how they are expressed in the body exposed in Freaks. / Esperando contribuir para ampliar as discussões sobre a questão do imaginário cultural popular americano, o objetivo da presente dissertação é refletir sobre o conceito de normalidade e anormalidade apresentado no filme Freaks (1932), dedicado à representação do universo social e cultural dos sideshows. Apresentaremos as influências que transpassaram o caminho do diretor Tod Browning, buscando referências para a formação do seu cinema autoral em sua história vivida desde a juventude como artista itinerante até a dimensão como ator de pastelão, diretor e roteirista de seus próprios filmes. Discutiremos também algumas razões que levaram à emancipação do gênero de horror no período da Grande Depressão, buscando referências estéticas, literárias e políticas na narrativa de seus principais clássicos. Baseando-se nesses estudos, esta pesquisa transita de forma interdisciplinar pelas linguagens História da Cultura e Cinematográfica, apresentando o encontro entre monstros e humanos e o modo como são expressos no corpo exposto em Freaks.

Univ., Diss.--Freiburg (i.Br.), 2007.

Univ., Diss.--Freiburg (i.Br.), 2007.

Purpose: The aim with this paper is to see how a city can be developed using a theory for nearby station location, which is a theory for urban planning, originally from Copenhagen, to create a more attractive city and public transport system in the village Skillingaryd, 40 kilometers south of Jönköping in Småland. To obtain the aim of the paper has the asked questions contained which factors from this theory that is relevant for smaller villages, which problems and possibilities are found in Skillingaryd if you want to increase the attractiveness of the village through urban planning, and also how this theory can be applied to contribute a positive urban development in Skillingaryd in conjunction with electrification of the railway. Method: This paper is based on a case study of the village Skillingaryd, where the basis for the case study consists of literature studies and document analysis of the nearby station location theory, plan indicators for efficient land use in stationary areas, TOD, and two studies from Dalarna and Skåne. Factors found in the literature studies and document analysis have then provided the basis for a GIS analysis of Skillingaryd. Findings: All factors from the nearby station location theory have been considered relevant for smaller villages, such as distance limits, density of housing, road accessibility, station integration, etc., except for the density of workplaces nearby the station. This is when most of the jobs in Skillingaryd are found outside the nearby station area. An analysis based on these factors can clearly identify areas with potential for development. Implications: The stationary principle in itself did not feel sufficient to carry out the analysis, and therefore plan indicators and previous studies have been the basis for this. This hasn’t affect the work's reliability since the question is asked “How can the nearby station location theory be applied…” which means that it can be applied along with other theories and factors. Limitations: Due to the time frame for the paper thus the case study only include one village, Skillingaryd in Vaggeryds municipality. The work is done only from the perspective of urban planning and has not focused on the economic aspects. In a deeper analysis, it would of course be interesting to look at the economic aspects as well as the ability to count on possible effects of implementation. / Syfte: Målet med arbetet är att se hur man kan utveckla en ort utifrån stationsnärhetsprincipen, som är en samhällsplaneringsteori ursprungligen från Köpenhamn, för att skapa en attraktivare ort och kollektivtrafik i orten Skillingaryd, belägen fyra mil söder om Jönköping i Småland. Frågeställningarna som ställts för att nå målet involverar vilka faktorer från stationsnärhetsprincipen som är relevanta för mindre orter, vilka problem och möjligheter som återfinns i Skillingaryd om man genom samhällsutveckling vill öka ortens attraktivitet, samt hur stationsnärhetsprincipen kan tillämpas för att bidra till en positiv samhällsutveckling i Skillingaryd i samband med att järnvägen elektrifieras. Metod: Rapporten bygger på en fallstudie av orten Skillingaryd där grunden till fallstudien utgörs av litteraturstudier och dokumentanalys av stationsnärhetsprincipen, planindikatorer för effektiv markanvändning i stationsnära områden, TOD, samt två studier gjorda i Dalarna respektive Skåne. Faktorer som återfunnits i litteraturstudien och dokumentanalysen har sedan utgjort underlag för en GIS-analys av Skillingaryd. Resultat: Samtliga faktorer från stationsnärhetsprincipen har ansetts relevanta för mindre orter, såsom avståndsbegränsningar, densitet av bostäder, tillgänglighet i vägnätet, stationens integrering m.fl., förutom densiteten av arbetsplatser i det stationsnära läget. Detta då majoriteten av arbetstillfällena i Skillingaryd återfinns utanför det stationsnära läget. Analys utifrån dessa faktorer kan tydligt påvisa områden med utvecklingspotential. Konsekvenser: Stationsnärhetsprincipen i sig kändes inte tillräcklig för att genomföra analysen och därmed har även planindikatorer och tidigare studier tagits med som underlag för denna. Detta påverkar dock inte arbetets reliabilitet eftersom från formulerats ”Hur kan stationsnärhetsprincipen tillämpas…” vilket gör att den kan tillämpas tillsammans med andra teorier eller faktorer. Begränsningar: På grund av tidsramen för arbetet har fallstudie endast gjorts på en tätort, Skillingaryd i Vaggeryds kommun. Arbetet görs endast ur ett samhällsplaneringsperspektiv och har inte fokuserat på de ekonomiska aspekterna. Vid en mer djupgående analys hade det givetvis varit intressant att även se på de ekonomiska aspekterna och även möjligheten att räkna på eventuella effekter av implementering.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Transit Oriented Development (TOD) program has been expanding the number of stations being considered for development of surface parking lots and into the air rights over certain rail stations. As of 2015, MARTA has six rail stations in various stages of TOD development, which will increase multi-modal options for metro Atlanta residents. The overarching goal of TOD development is to increase transit ridership and reduce auto-dependency; hence quantifying the potential benefits of TOD development in terms of ridership is paramount. Despite several drawbacks, travel demand models have historically been utilized to forecast ridership for land use changes and transit improvements. Direct ridership models (DRMs) are transit demand forecasting methods that can be applied to land development in cases where traditional travel demand models (TDMs) are not well suited. DRMs leverage geographic tools commonly used by planners to take advantage of small scale pedestrian environment factors immediately surrounding transit stations. Although DRM data and methods can achieve greater precision in predicting local walk-access transit trips, the lack of regional and large-scale datasets reduces the ability to model ridership generated from riders outside the immediate vicinity of the rail stations. Stations that have high multi-modal access trips, particularly via personal vehicle and connecting buses, are not typically accounted for by DRMs. Hence, this study focuses on pedestrian-based rail boardings only, a metric that also allows the use of a large scale onboard survey distributed by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) in late 2009 and early 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. Analysis of the large scale on-board ridership survey also reveals variables that may be useful in forecasting ridership at the station level when coupled with available census data. Comparison of variables such as income, age, gender, ethnicity, and race from census data with the large scale survey guided the selection of candidate variables to be included in a DRM for MARTA rail stations. Results from the comparison showed that using census data in DRMs does not always accurately reflect the ridership demographics. Notable differences in pedestrian-based ridership and transit catchments appear to occur in populations making less than $40,000, African American populations, and the young and elderly populations. Large differences in the survey and census data reported around the stations raise questions about the usability of census data in predicting ridership at rail stations. Despite the shortcomings of using census data to directly predict walk access transit ridership, an ordinary least squared (OLS) regression model predicts a high proportion of variance of pedestrian-based ridership in Atlanta, Georgia. A small number of variables were incorporated into a DRM to show the strong relationship of employment density with pedestrian based ridership. The number of low income residents was also influential in increasing ridership via walk access.

Previous research suggests that the optimal time of day (TOD) for cognitive function for young adults occurs in the afternoon and evening times (Allen, et al. 2008; May, et al. 1993). The implication is college students may be more successful if they schedule classes and tests in the afternoon and evening times, but in asynchronous learning environments, “class” and tests take place at any TOD (or night) a student might choose. The problem is that there may be a disadvantage for students choosing to take tests at certain TOD. As educators, we need to be aware of potential barriers to student success and be prepared to offer guidance to students. This research study found a significant negative correlation between TOD and assessment scores on tests taken between 16:01 and 22:00 hours as measured in military time. While this study shows that academic performance on asynchronous assessments was high at 16:00 hours, student performance diminished significantly by 22:00 hours. When efforts were taken to mitigate the extraneous variables related to test complexity and individual academic achievement, the effect TOD had on assessment achievement during this time period was comparable to the effect of test complexity on that achievement. However, when analyzed using a small sub-set of the data neither GPA nor TOD could be used to predict student scores on tests taken between 16:01 and 22:00 hours. Finally, individual circadian arousal types (evening, morning and neutral) (Horne & Ostberg, 1976) and actual TOD students took tests were analyzed to determine if synchrony, the match between circadian arousal type and peak cognitive performance, existed. The synchrony effect could not be confirmed among morning type students taking this asynchronous online course, but evidence suggests that synchrony could have contributed to student success for evening types taking this asynchronous online courses. The implication of this study is that online instructors, instructional designers and students should consider TOD as a factor affecting achievement in asynchronous online courses. Results of this research are intended to propose further research into TOD effects in asynchronous online settings, and to offer guidance to online students as well as online instructors and instructional designers faced with setting deadlines and advising students on how to be successful when learning online.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of MetS among different African populations using the new Joint Statement Criteria. Hereafter we aimed to determine whether waist or neck circumference is the best predictor of MetS risk after ethnic, gender and age-specific cut-points were developed. Lastly, we aimed to determine whether afore-mentioned cut-point can predict albumin:creatinine ratio as a marker of target organ damage. Methods: The study sample (N=409) comprised of urban African (men, N=101; women, N=99) and Caucasian (men, N=101; women, N=108) teachers from the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda Education district in the North-West Province, South Africa. Participants were aged between 25 and 65 years. Anthropometric measurements, albumin:creatinine ratio and other markers of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) (systolic and diastolic blood pressure [SBP and DBP], glucose, triglycerides [TG] and high density lipoprotein [HDL]) were determined. Results: Africans (65 and 63 % for men and women) and Caucasian men (73%) showed high prevalence of MetS; ROC analysis determined neck circumference (NC) cut-points of 39 and 35 cm for young and older African men, 32 and 35 cm for young and older African women, 40 and 41 cm for Caucasian men and 34 and 33 cm for Caucasian women. This NC cut-point can be used to determine metabolic syndrome risk in all groups, except in African women; ROC developed waist circumference (WC) cut-points were 91 cm for all African male groups, 84, 81 and 84 cm for young, older and total group of African women. Suggested WC cut-points for Caucasian men were 93 cm for the young group and 97 cm for older as well as total Caucasian male groups, while cut-points for Caucasian women were 87 cm, 79 cm and 84 cm for young, older and total Caucasian women. These WC cut-points were good measures of metabolic syndrome risk in all groups; neither cut-point of WC nor NC could increase the risk of albumin:creatinine ratio. Conclusion: African women as a group present with few MetS risk factors and glucose is associated with renal function risk in Africans; NC cut-points may be used as an additional anthropometric marker to predict the metabolic syndrome in a South African cohort, but not in African women; WC cutpoints demonstrated to be good predictors of the metabolic syndrome in the same South African cohort, especially among men; WC would seem to be the best measure of MetS risk in all African populations, although NC can also be used for this purpose in all African populations, except in African women. / Thesis (PhD (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012