Greyfield Development in Vallejo, California: Opportunities, Constraints, and Alternatives is a Project that determined that the regulatory framework and presence of underutilized commercial land make Vallejo, California the ideal community to facilitate Greyfield Development. The Project reviewed existing literature, determining that there are a number of causes for the proliferation of Greyfields, revitalization practices, and communities that have facilitated redevelopment. The Background Report analyzed existing conditions and illustrated that Vallejo contains several policies and programs that call for the redevelopment of underutilized commercial land. The Greyfield Study identified Springstowne Center, CVS Center, and Meadows Plaza as shopping centers that exemplify signs of maturation and/or decline. The Greyfield Study determined that Meadows Plaza experienced the most decline out of the three shopping centers based on the amount of vacant square footage through fieldwork and document analysis. The Project presented three conceptual alternatives that could spur revitalization of Meadows Plaza: (1) Adaptive Reuse; (2) Residential Development; and (3) Mixed-Use and Residential Development. The Project concludes by recommending that Vallejo implement the Underutilized Commercial Land Conversion Program as outlined in the Housing Element of the Vallejo General Plan as a way to redevelop underperforming sites like Meadows Plaza and facilitate greater community revitalization.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional & Community Planning / Jessica Canfield / Kansas City is in the midst of an urban renaissance, with a construction boom within the downtown core in excess of $4.5 billion over the past several years (CVA 2012). In 2010, Kansas City’s Greater Downtown Area Plan (GDAP) was implemented to guide the future transformation and development of the city. Despite its long-term vision and specific goals, including activating the public realm and fostering a strong urban community (City Planning et al. 2010), the GDAP fails to address opportunities for short-term strategies for interim ‘place-making.’ Yet, temporary gatherings are critical to fostering and sustaining a sense of ‘place.’ Kansas City currently has an emerging, vibrant urban culture, but it lacks amenities and spaces to support and celebrate spontaneous social activity. To address this issue, this project proposes a series of prototypical fluxspaces – small, temporary interventions activated by the presence of food trucks - throughout Kansas City’s downtown area. These new temporary acts exploit the potential of underutilized urban surfaces in the short term while re-invigorating social activity and celebrating an emerging urban culture in the long term. Sites are linked to existing mobile food vending hot spots and interventions are timed in conjunction with major Kansas City events and festivals; this grounds the proposed system in Kansas City’s population of temporary users. A detailed schedule ensures that Kansas City’s fluxspaces feature a dynamic, rotating population of food trucks, while fluctuating amenities promote diverse, exciting, and attractive temporary places. Kansas City’s new fluxspaces accommodate spontaneous social gatherings and celebrate their vital importance in fostering a vibrant urban environment. //fluxspace activates Kansas City’s latent urban surfaces, filling the gap between Kansas City’s immediate need for places of temporary gathering and the long-term goals inherent in the vision for Kansas City’s future.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional & Community Planning / Jessica Canfield / The Kansas City downtown area is experiencing a population influx, which is projected to increase over the next few decades, requiring new residential areas and increased parkland in the downtown. The Kansas City West Bottoms, located between the downtowns of Kansas City Missouri and Kansas City Kansas, is an urban district plagued by vast tracts of underutilized land, poor connectivity, and vulnerability to flooding. To address the issues of the West Bottoms and the area’s need for new urban development, this project proposes the implementation of a new urban park that both supports and is supported by a new urban district. In order to transform the West Bottoms into a vibrant mixed-use community, the park and redevelopment will be phased in over a period of 33 years. Intermediate natures, landscapes that temporarily occupy and improve parts of the city undergoing transformation, will be used to preserve current open space, which will later transition into parkland as the district grows. Ultimately, West Bottoms 2048 will draw users and activity to the district while generating a lasting environmental and economic impact on the downtown area.

Due to an extremely rich and varied flora, the coastal region of Alagoas has ecosystems that present several fruit species with a high potential for commercial exploitation. Among various species of the family Myrtaceae that occur as native in the southern coast of Alagoas is Cambui (Myrciaria floribunda o. Berg) which produces edible fruit that has been used by local populations in the manufacture of pulp, juices, sorbet, wines and liqueurs. The main objectives of this work were: (1) study the phenology of Cambui evaluating in situ and ex situ seasonal dormancy and growth of vegetative and reproductive shoots to establish parameters for its domestication and cultivation; 2) to characterize physico-chemically fruits of accesses of native populations of Cambui collected in the region of Piaçabuçu-AL. To evaluate the plants of Cambui ex situ 20 accesses from seeds were planted in Maceió-AL. The plants were evaluated every other week and the phases of sprouting, flowering (floral buttons and antese) and fructification were computed. Other data like plant height, height and diameter of the main stem of the accesses were also collected. The total of floral and fruit buttons were estimated. Accesses in situ have only been evaluated during the reproductive periods by computing only the absence or presence of phenophase. The 20 ex situ accesses showed a clearly synchronism and seasonal patterns for the phenophases during the study. The vegetative shoots of the accesses grew continuously during the whole year, but was more pronounced in periods of humid conditions. On the other hand, the reproductive flowering and fruiting phases were more pronounced on dry periods. The accesses grown ex situ showed 23.7% 32.5% of flower buds per branch with fruit set between 8.7% 12.7% per branch, demonstrating an abortion rate of nearly 40% of flowers produced. In situ accesses showed reproductive behavior similar to ex situ environment. In general, evaluated fruits showed low variation for fresh pulp or seeds, but the color of the skin ranged from orange to dark red wine. Chemical evaluations showed that the Cambui has a juicy pulp, featuring 11.8 g/100 g °Brix, pH 3.15, acidity 1 g/100 g, reducing sugars 8.7 g/100 g, sucrose 0.6 g/100 g and vitamin C 11.5 mg/100. The results showed that the studied accesses have potential for commercial fruit selection since their pulp contributes, on average, with 77.86% of its fresh weight, an essential attribute in the process of industrialization. / Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas / Devido a uma flora extremamente rica e variada, a região litorânea de Alagoas possui ecossistemas que apresentam espécies de plantas frutíferas com elevado potencial para exploração comercial. Entre várias espécies da família Myrtaceae que ocorrem como nativas nas restingas do litoral sul de Alagoas destaca-se o Cambuí (Myrciaria floribunda O. Berg.) que produz frutos comestíveis bastante utilizados pelas populações locais no fabrico de polpas, sucos, sorvetes, vinhos e licores. Os objetivos desse trabalho foram: 1) estudar a fenologia do Cambuí avaliando a época de produção, dormência e crescimento vegetativo in situ e ex situ para estabelecer parâmetros para a sua domesticação e manejo quando cultivado; 2) Caracterizar físico-químicamente frutos de acessos em populações nativas localizadas na região de Piaçabuçu-Al. Para avaliar o Cambuí cultivado ex situ foram plantados 20 mudas oriundas de sementes no município de Maceió-Al. As plantas foram avaliadas quinzenalmente sendo computados os períodos de brotações vegetativas, floração (botões florais e antese) e frutificação. Foram também coletados dados de altura de planta, altura e diâmetro do colo dos acessos. Os acessos in situ foram avaliados na região de Piaçabuçu-Al apenas nos períodos reprodutivos verificando a ausência e a presença da fenofase. Os 20 acessos ex situ apresentaram claramente um sincronismo e padrões sazonais para as fenofases durante o estudo. As brotações vegetativas dos acessos apresentaram crescimento continuo, sendo mais acentuado nos períodos úmidos. Por outro lado, as fenofases floração e frutificação concentraram-se nos períodos secos acompanhada das brotações vegetativas. Os acessos estudados ex situ apresentaram 23,7% a 32,5% botões por ramo, com vingamento de frutos entre 8,7% a 12,7% por ramo, e taxa de aborto de quase 40% das flores produzidas. Os acessos in situ apresentaram comportamento reprodutivo semelhantes aos do ambiente ex situ. Os frutos avaliados apresentaram de uma forma geral baixa variação na massa fresca da polpa ou sementes, mas a coloração variou do alaranjado ao vermelho vináceo. As avaliações químicas indicam que o Cambuí é um fruto suculento, apresentando ºBrix de 11,8 g/100g, pH 3,15, acidez de 1 g/100g, açucares redutores de 8,7 g/100g, sacarose de 0,6 g/100g e vitamina C de 11,5 mg/100g. Os acessos apresentaram potencial para seleção dos frutos visto que a polpa contribui, em média, com 77,86% da sua matéria fresca, atributo essencial no processo de industrialização.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:09:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 4341432 bytes, checksum: af580d9ab0474238331e9cd9183956d1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-06-04 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This dissertation aims to identify, quantify and characterize the urban voids and underutilized properties present in the area of the Historic Center of João Pessoa - listened by IPHAN. The object of research was delimited from the questioning of the existence of a housing stock capable of reuse in polygonal of rigorous preservation of IPHAN to the Center of João Pessoa. It is understood that urban void is a space (lot or building) that was not designed as free public space, located in an urbanized area, with no occupation and/or unused, and that, cause of their unproductive, has a "negative connotation" in the urban area, but it brings the expectant character, representing the possibility of future transformation. The term underutilized figure in the text to define those properties that still have use and/or occupation, even if partial or temporary, and where is verified a process of destabilization, deterioration or idleness. From the conceptual distinction were drawn categories of analysis (unused buildings, lots unused, underutilized buildings underutilized lots and) for classification and characterization of the properties of Polygonal. After, it was elaborated a database with the information collected about the property and made the diagnosis of the area. Each property raised, were observed aspects such as dimensions, domain, vacancy, preservation, use and property values. It was also necessary to study the processes of change in land use of central areas, the relationship of these processes with the intervention in historical areas and how that contributed to the formation and retention of urban voids and underutilized properties in the area. Finally, it was made a quantitative and qualitative diagnostic of the Polygon, which was subdivided into three areas of analysis: Section I (Varadouro / Porto do Capim), Section II (of liaison / Rua da Areia) and Section III (High City). / Essa dissertação tem por objetivo identificar, quantificar e caracterizar os vazios urbanos e imóveis subutilizados presentes na área do Centro Histórico de João Pessoa, tombada pelo IPHAN. O objeto de pesquisa foi delimitado a partir do questionamento sobre a existência de um estoque imobiliário passível de reutilização na Poligonal de Tombamento rigorosa do IPHAN para o Centro de João Pessoa. Entende-se, aqui, o vazio urbano como o espaço (lote ou edifício) que não foi concebido como espaço livre público, localizado em área urbanizada, sem ocupação e/ou sem uso, e que, por sua improdutividade, tem uma conotação negativa no meio intraurbano, mas que traz consigo o caráter expectante, representando a possibilidade de transformação futura. O termo subutilizado figura no texto para definir aqueles imóveis que ainda têm uso e/ou ocupação, mesmo que parciais ou temporários, e onde se verifica um processo de desestabilização, deterioração ou ociosidade. A partir da distinção conceitual, foram traçadas categorias de análise (edificações não utilizadas, lotes não utilizados, edificações subutilizadas e lotes subutilizados) para a classificação e caracterização dos imóveis da Poligonal de Tombamento. Posteriormente, foi elaborado um banco de dados com as informações coletadas sobre os imóveis e procedeu-se o diagnóstico da área. De cada imóvel levantado, foram observados aspectos como dimensões, domínio, vacância, estado de conservação, uso e valores imobiliários. Foi necessário, também, estudar, brevemente, os processos de mudança de uso do solo nas áreas centrais, a relação desses processos com as intervenções nas áreas históricas e como isso contribuiu para a formação e a permanência dos vazios urbanos e imóveis subutilizados na área tombada. Por fim, foi feito um diagnóstico quantitativo e qualitativo da Poligonal de Tombamento, que foi subdividida em três setores de análise: setor I (Varadouro/Porto do Capim), Setor II (Setor de ligação/Rua da Areia) e setor III (Cidade Alta).

abstract: Drawn from a trio of manuscripts, this dissertation evaluates the sustainability contributions and implications of deploying underutilized spaces for alternative uses at multiple scales: urban, regional and continental. The first paper considers the use of underutilized spaces at the urban scale for urban agriculture (UA) to meet local sustainability goals in Phoenix, Arizona. Through a data-driven analysis, it demonstrates UA can meet 90% of annual demand for fresh produce, supply local produce in all food deserts, reduce areas underserved by public parks by 60%, and displace >50,000 tons of carbon-dioxide emissions from buildings. The second paper considers marginal agricultural land use for bioenergy crop cultivation to meet future liquid fuels demand from cellulosic biofuels sustainably and profitably. At a wholesale fuel price of $4 gallons-of-gasoline-equivalent, 30 to 90.7 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels can be supplied by converting 22 to 79.3 million hectares of marginal lands in the Eastern United States (U.S.). Displacing marginal croplands (9.4-13.7 million hectares) reduces stress on water resources by preserving soil moisture. This displacement is comparable to existing land use for first-generation biofuels, limiting food supply impacts. Coupled modeling reveals positive hydroclimate feedback on bioenergy crop yields that moderates the land footprint. The third paper examines the sustainability implications of expanding use of marginal lands for corn cultivation in the Western Corn Belt, a commercially important and environmentally sensitive U.S. region. Corn cultivation on lower quality lands, which tend to overlap with marginal agricultural lands, is shown to be nearly three times more sensitive to changes in crop prices. Therefore, corn cultivation disproportionately expanded into these lands following price spikes. Underutilized spaces can contribute towards sustainability at small and large scales in a complementary fashion. While supplying fresh produce locally and delivering other benefits in terms of energy use and public health, UA can also reduce pressures on croplands and complement non-urban food production. This complementarity can help diversify agricultural land use for meeting other goals, like supplying biofuels. However, understanding the role of market forces and economic linkages is critical to anticipate any unintended consequences due to such re-organization of land use. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geography 2020

Softwood is more in demand than hardwood because it is used primarily in the US's largest wood-consuming industry, construction, resulting in increased importation of softwood annually to meet this demand. Hardwood, used for non-structural purposes like furniture and interior designs, is more abundant in US forests. However, some hardwood species are underutilized and undervalued. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) has increased the demand for softwood. A study evaluated the mechanical and physical properties of three underutilized hardwood species (321 yellow poplar, 393 sweetgum, and 262 red oak specimens) for CLT industrial mat manufacturing. The results showed that red oak had a higher density than southern yellow pine, and all species had an average modulus of elasticity greater than the CLT lumber requirement. The study confirmed the viability of these underutilized hardwoods for CLT fabrication, suggesting they could be a suitable substitute for softwood in CLT manufacturing.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Jason Brody / There are six square miles of vacant land spread throughout Downtown Kansas City unkempt and untouched for the fear of what may exist in the soil, air, and water and the consequences that come with it (COR Team 2010, EPA 1997). Not developing the vacant/underutilized land causes more harm than good for the city, the locals, and the environment. It costs the city loss of tax revenue (Holt 2002). It hurts locals’ property values and possibly health. It inhibits the environment’s functions with potential toxins. By activating vacant/underutilized land through phytoremediation and redevelopment, it can meet the needs of the projected population growth in the next 30 years, accommodate the Rock Island Corridor, and dissolve any threats of contamination. With the threat of possible contamination on the vacant/underutilized land, surrounding properties, and industrial properties within the culturally rich Jazz and Crossroads districts downtown, phytoremediation is used as a continuation of the Rock Island Corridor’s linear park system and transit in the city context while allowing for redevelopment. The strategy examines regional to site specific strategies where phytoremediation is used to connect people to the environment, contain contaminant-producing places, and counteract contamination from new development. The development serves as a model for Kansas City to use the Rock Island Corridor to control site-specific problems as a catalyst for redevelopment of districts to solve large-scale issues through the use of phytoremediation. Phytoremediation allows for light contaminant production industries to remain functional and rely on phytoremediation to clean some of the waste to prevent excessive clean up in the future. With the help of the phytoremediation and development, it allows for us to understand how phytoremediation works while preventing sites from becoming vacant/underutilized urban areas for the betterment of the community as a proactive strategy to prevent brownfields. Phytoremediation supports sustainable preventative/remediation strategies while catering to community needs such as redevelopment along Rock Island Corridor and Common Line, multi-modal transit, Metrogreen, character of place, and city life. It blends site suitability with community needs, while creating a cleaner more efficient environment that is aesthetically appealing.

New England’s seafood industry has been searching for opportunities to diversify their landings and build resilience as it faces socio-economic challenges from a changing climate. Developing markets for underutilized species is one way the New England community could help their seafood industry build resilience. This thesis identified New England’s underutilized fish species and explored their marketplace potential by examining their availability in a changing climate, current availability to consumers, and consumers’ responses. In Chapter I, I account how New England’s seafood preferences have changed over time. In Chapter II, I identify New England’s seven underutilized seafood species: 1) Acadian redfish (Sebastes fasciatus), 2) Atlantic pollock (Pollachius virens), 3) butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus), 4) the Georges Bank and Georges Bank East stocks of haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), 5) scup (Stenotomus chrysops 6) the northern stock of silver hake (Mercluccius bilinearis), and 7) white hake (Urophycis tenuis). In the same chapter, I show that climate change will likely affect the availability of these species differently and that the broader ecological and socio-economic responses from shifting distributions and phenology are largely unknown. In Chapter III, I demonstrate that besides haddock, underutilized species were rarely accessible to consumers in restaurants. In the same chapter, I show how resources would likely help consumers and restaurants connect with their underutilized species since popular seafood suggestion guides either overlook or provide inconsistent recommendations for all underutilized species. In Chapter IV, I suggest that younger generations (Millennials and Generation Z) are interested in engaging with underutilized species. These younger consumers responded positively to hake, haddock, and Atlantic pollock in sensory assessments. Finally, in Chapter V, I suggest how New England’s seafood supply chain can use results from this research to make more informed policy, marketing, and purchasing decisions that align with their sustainability goals. These insights into availability, access, and consumer response may help New England’s seafood industry strategize approaches that will connect younger consumers to their local seafood options and build new adaptive markets in a changing climate.

Bakgrunden till arbetet är en problematik som bland annat Boverket belyser och som idag är aktuell i flera kommuner, nämligen att kommunerna vill bygga tätare, mer yteffektivt och funktionsblandat. Samtidigt är bostadsbristen fortfarande ett problem i flera kommuner. Studenter och unga vuxna är särskilt drabbade av bostadsbristen och har svårigheter med att skaffa en bostad utifrån deras ekonomiska förutsättningar. Med detta i åtanke är bostäderna i förslaget avsedda för denna målgrupp. Detta arbete har som mål att presentera ett förslag på hur tillfälliga bostäder i form av modulhus kan byggas på underutnyttjade platser i storstäder som Stockholm. En inspiration till arbetet var konceptet SNABBA HUS som handlar om att bygga flyttbara modulhus på tomter med tillfälliga bygglov. Syftet med denna studie är att visa ett exempel på hur estetiskt tilltalande och välutformade modulhus kan bidra till att omvandla en underutnyttjad plats till ett multifunktionellt område. Fokus för arbetet ligger på gestaltning och byggnadsutformning. Med hänsyn till de miljöaspekter som varit av stor vikt under utbildningens gång är frågor kring vatten- och avloppshantering samt hållbara materialval av intresse i arbetet. I arbetet gjordes en lokaliseringsutredning för att identifiera en lämplig plats och kartlägga dess förutsättningar för uppförandet av de framtagna modulhusen. Genom en designundersökning som innefattat granskning av liknande projekt kring modulhus har metoder för en mer estetiskt tilltalande utformning identifierats. Via litteraturstudier och konsultationer undersöktes möjligheten för tillämpning av ett småskaligt vatten- och avloppsystem för att göra bostäderna oberoende av allmänna ledningssystem och främja mobilitet. Litteraturstudier om KL-trä (korslimmat trä) har genomförts för att sammanlänka de miljömässiga och estetiska aspekter som varit viktiga under arbetet. Arbetet har lett till ett förslag på utformningen av studentbostäder uppförda med tillfälligt bygglov ovanför en parkeringsplats. Modulhusen är utformade efter standardmåtten för en parkeringsplats och de gällande kraven för transport. De flyttbara modulhusens konstruktion möjliggör att de kan staplas i höjd- och sidled enligt önskemål. Uppförandet av bostäderna skulle innebära ett bättre utnyttjande av platsen för att möta kommunernas behov och kan antas skapa underlag till framväxt av ett multifunktionellt stadsområde. / The background of this work is an issue that the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning (Boverket) illuminates and which is currently relevant in several municipalities in Sweden, namely efforts towards a mixing of functions, densification and a more efficient exploitation of urban areas. The housing shortage is still a problem in several municipalities. Students and young adults are particularly affected by the housing shortage and have difficulties obtaining a home due to their financial conditions. The dwellings in the proposal of the study are intended for this target group. The goal of this thesis is to present a proposal on how temporary dwellings in the form of modular houses can be built on underutilized sites in big cities such as Stockholm. An inspiration for the thesis was the concept SNABBA HUS which is about building mobile modular houses with temporary building permits. The purpose of this thesis is to show an example of how well-designed modular houses can contribute to the conversion of an underutilized space into a multifunctional area. This work has focused mainly on design and planning for housing. Questions about water, sewage and sustainable materials have been of interest due to the environmental aspects that have been of significant importance during the education of the authors. A survey was carried out in order to identify a suitable location for the assembling of the proposed module houses. Methods for a more aesthetically pleasing design have been identified through a design study that included examination of similar projects about modular houses. Literature studies and consultations were carried out to examine the possibility of applying a small-scale water and sewage system to make the houses independent of general pipeline systems and promote mobility. Literature studies about CLT (cross-laminated timber) were made in efforts to link the important aspects of environment and design. This thesis presents a proposal of the design of student housing raised above a parking lot with a temporary building permit. The modular houses are designed to fit the standard measures of two parking spaces and to meet the conditions regarding transportation. The way the modules are constructed makes it possible to stack them in close position and on top of each other. The assembling of the houses would mean a higher grade of exploitation to meet the need of the municipalities and can presumably create a basis for the emergence of a multifunctional urban area.