<p> Due to the inappropriate planning and explosive population growth in urban areas, especially in developing countries, sustainable and disaster-safe urbanization has become the most important challenge for governments. Urbanization presents benefits in different ways but has led simultaneously to changes in land use/land cover (LULC), impacting soil quality, runoff, surface temperature, water quality, and promoting climate change. The environmental implications of LULC changes cannot be understood well enough to take precautions without the knowledge of LULC change. This reality is the driving force behind my research, which focuses on impacts of urbanization on flood and soil erosion hazards in Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul is the biggest city in Turkey with its almost 15.000.000 population. In 1999 the Marmara earthquake destroyed the city especially the newly developed zones. Every year Istanbul suffers also from flood damages. Istanbul has been experiencing uncontrolled migration, chiefly from rural areas, since the economic reform policies took place in the second half of the 20th century. These policies forced the city to expand towards the agricultural land and to the coastal areas. Istanbul has been faced with illegal housing and uncontrolled development since then. This developoment has produced significant decreases inproductive agricultural lands and created more impervious areas. Infrastructure development has not matched the rate of the population increase and uncontrolled urbanization, making the city vulnerable increasingly to natural disasters. This dissertation aims to understand the impacts of urbanization on flood and erosion hazards in Istanbul by examining changes in the city using remote sensing (RS) and geographical information systems (GIS) methods. LULC was examined first: Two change detection methods were applied to choose the best peformer for Istanbul. The post-classification comparison (PCC) method produced better results than the principal component analysis (PCA). PCC utilized 1984, 1997, 2001, 2007 and 2010 Landsat images of the study area. These Landsat images were corrected atmospherically and radiometrically using COST Model (Markham and Barker, 1986). After the corrections geometric rectification was performed with the help of 1987 topographic map, 1995 orthophotos, 2005 GPS data. Location and nature of the change were derived for the time periods. Results show that since 1984, agricultural land have been replaced increasingly by urbanization. Flooding and related soil erosion are both natural events. Yet these events can be hazardous; they can harm/destroy lives and property. In recent years these events have become disasters for Istanbul.. We investigated the role of urban growth in such disasters. To understand the urbanization and flood relation better, flood events for each time period were examined using LULC change, runoff information and watershed analysis. Soil erosion events occur slowly and in Istanbul they do not happen frequently (yearly) as with flooding. But some of the locations of erosion that occurred in the past are now urbanized areas. It is thus important to understand how the built environment affects soiol erosion. We applied the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) method for each year in the time series. Prior erosion locations digitized from General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration were compared to predicted locations. The resultant maps indicates that European side of Istanbul is more prone to erosion than Anatolian side.</p>

<p> The scale of the climate crisis is immense and solutions are urgently needed. This dissertation develops tools to provide highly tailored carbon footprint information and place-based solutions to U.S. households and communities in three complimentary studies. The first study quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) savings potential of different U.S. metropolitan areas and household types within locations, developing average household carbon footprint (HCF) profiles for 28 metropolitan areas, 6 household sizes and 12 income brackets. The model includes emissions embodied in transportation, energy, water, waste, food, goods, and services, and further quantifies GHG and financial savings from potential mitigation actions across all locations and household types. The size and composition of carbon footprints vary dramatically between geographic regions (38 to 52 tCO₂e) and within regions based on basic demographic characteristics (&lt;20 to >80 tCO₂e). Despite these differences, large cash-positive carbon footprint reductions are evident across all household types and locations. </p><p> Using national household surveys, the second study develops econometric models to estimate HCF for essentially all U.S. zip codes, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas. The results demonstrate consistently lower HCF in urban core cities (&sim;40 tCO₂e) and higher carbon footprints in outlying suburbs (&sim;50 tCO₂e), with a range from &sim;25 to >80 tCO₂e in the 50 largest metropolitan areas. In contrast to a vast literature demonstrating GHG savings in more dense cities, analysis of all U.S. locations presents a more complex picture. Population density exhibits a weak but positive correlation with HCF until a density threshold is met, after which range, mean, and standard deviation of HCF decline. While population density contributes to relatively low HCF in the central cities of large metropolitan areas, the more extensive suburbanization in these regions contributes to an overall net increase in HCF compared to smaller metropolitan areas. Suburbs alone account for &sim;50% of total U.S. HCF. </p><p> Results from this quantitative research have informed the development of "smart" online carbon management tools that allow users to quickly calculate, compare and manage household carbon footprints, and to visualize average community carbon footprints using high spatial resolution interactive maps. Yet, the potential benefits of such tools are limited to those who find them, and the information may often do little to increase intrinsic motivation to adopt new low carbon technologies and practices. Following lessons from behavioral sciences, a subsequent study engaged &sim;2,700 residents in eight participating cities to track and reduce household carbon footprints and compete for the title of "Coolest California City." The yearlong pilot project achieved an estimated 14% reduction in electricity consumption, lending evidence that community-scale climate initiatives, enabled by sophisticated information and communication technologies and motivated local program implementers, can help scale up tailored, place-based climate solutions. Together, this research and accompanying tools and programs provide a framework for individuals and communities to prioritize GHG mitigation opportunities and stimulate collective climate action.</p>

<p> Using an interdisciplinary critical theoretical approach and a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodology this research project aims to better understand the racial identities and perceptions of gang members and the causes of inter-minority racialized gang conflict in Los Angeles County and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The research methodology for this project consists of two years of ethnographic fieldwork, one hundred formal interviews, and statistical analysis using the interview data, census data, and data from CDCR. Existing research and theoretical perspectives that could account for inter-minority racialized gang conflict in Los Angeles are analyzed within this historical context, and evaluated against the qualitative and quantitative data produced by this research project and provided by existing demographic data sets. Both existing and novel theoretical perspectives are applied, which tie racialized gang conflict in Los Angeles in with larger macro-historical structures. </p><p> The project begins by analyzing the historical background of racial conflict between blacks and Latinos in Los Angeles. The second factor this research examines is the relationship between racial and gang identities and how these amalgamated identities are culturally defined and differentiated between the black and Latino gang communities specifically, and the black and Latino communities at large generally. Third, this research examines the extent of racial bias among and between black and Latino gang populations in Los Angeles County. </p><p> The dissertation goes on to examine the history of racialized prison gangs and the trajectory of inter-racial conflict between them in California's prisons, as well as the role that CDCR staff and administration play in provoking and perpetuating inter-racial conflict. Following that, the occurrence of inter-minority gang conflict between specific gangs on the streets of Los Angeles is subjected to an intense micro-analysis of specific conflicts between specific gangs in specific contexts. The proximate causes of specific conflicts are uncovered, and their trajectories are examined and analyzed. Respondents reveal the rules that govern interaction between black and Latino gang members in Los Angeles and California's carceral facilities, as well as the rules of engagement as to how targets are chosen during the course of racialized gang conflicts, and how gangs interpret and respond to the intentional or accidental victimization of innocent residents during the course of these conflicts. </p><p> The role local media, politicians and law enforcement officers and administrators play in provoking and perpetuating inter-racial conflicts on the streets of the Los Angeles County is examined. Finally the project concludes with a critical analysis of the role that conflict among and between marginalized criminalized populations both exacerbates and perpetuates their marginalization and criminalization. </p>

<p> Common tenets in the field of emergency management hold that all disasters are different and all disasters hold a great deal of uncertainty. For these and many other reasons, many challenges are present when providing post-disaster assistance to victims. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has identified post-disaster interim housing as one of its greatest challenges. These challenges have been highlighted in recent years in the media as spectacular failures as evidenced during the recovery efforts for Hurricane Katrina. Partly in response, FEMA developed the <i>National Disaster Housing Strategy </i> that establishes the framework and strategic goals of providing housing to disaster victims. This strategy calls for emergency management professionals to both anticipate needs and balance a host of factors to provide quick, economical, and community-based housing solutions that meet the individual, family, and community needs while enabling recovery. The first problem is that emergency management officials need to make decisions early on without actual event data in order to provide timely interim housing options to victims. The second problem is that there is little guidance and no quantitative measures on prioritizing the many factors that these same officials need for providing interim housing. This research addressed both of these problems. To anticipate needs, a series of models were developed utilizing historical data provided by FEMA and regression analysis to produce a series of forecast models. The models developed were for the cost of a housing mission, the number of individuals applying to FEMA for assistance, the number of people eligible for housing assistance and the number of trailers FEMA will provide as interim housing. The variables analyzed and used to make the prediction were; population, wind-speed, homeownership rate, number of households, income, and poverty level. Of the four models developed, the first three demonstrated statistical significance, while the last one did not. The models were limited only to wind related hazards. These models and associated forecasts can assist federal, state, and local government officials with scoping and planning for a housing mission. In addition, the models also provide insight into how the six variables used to make the prediction can influence it. The second part of this research used a structured feedback process (Delphi) and expert opinion to develop a ranked list of the most important factors that emergency management officials should consider when conducting operational planning for a post-disaster housing mission. This portion of the research took guidance from the "National Disaster Housing Strategy" and attempted to quantify it based on the consensus opinion of a group of experts. The top three factors that were determined by the Delphi were 1) House disaster survivors as soon as possible 2) The availability of existing housing and 3) Status of infrastructure.</p>

<p> A historical narrative of Long Beach in the rights to the city and spatial justice literature has remained untold within the broader California narrative. This analysis looks at the case of Long Beach and focuses on two critical junctures in its development. The concept of the right to the city centers on social justice for anyone dispossessed by the conditions of urban life which can be achieved by creating more space for democratic participation and inclusivity over the production of the city for all social groups. Related to rights to the city, spatial justice theory posits that the current system of urban restructuring and development reproduce injustices through factors such as uneven development, disinvestment, and marginalization and only by transforming these processes can we achieve social justice. Rights to the city and spatial justice both underscore challenging existing power relations that drive the production of urban space.</p><p> While the focus of this research is limited to Long Beach, the implications are much broader; the concepts ofthe rights to the city and spatial justice are about understanding and transforming global processes by starting transformation at the local level. The case study of Long Beach can add to both the literature and the right to the city and spatial justice movements by demonstrating ways Long Beach community members have attempted to achieve the right to the city and transform it to a more spatially just urban area. The findings generated from the analysis of two prominent Long Beach social movement organizations, The Long Beach Area Citizens Involved (LBACI) and The Long Beach Coalition for Good Jobs and a Healthy Community (the Coalition), suggest that community members have successfully challenged the processes underlying the development of Long Beach in the pursuit of social justice.</p>

<p> Traditional spatial analysis and data mining methods fall short of extracting temporal information from data. This inability makes their use difficult to study changes and the associated mechanisms of many geographic phenomena of interest, for example, land-use. On the other hand, the growing availability of land-change data over multiple time intervals and longer time frames, often based on satellite imagery, presents to land-change study a great opportunity, given that this information can be effectively utilized. This methodological gap highlights the need to better understand the analytical challenges brought by temporal complexities, and to investigate alternative analytical frameworks that could handle those challenges. </p><p> This dissertation attempted to achieve three goals: 1) finding metrics to capture temporal trends, 2) dealing with temporally imprecise data due to constraints of frequency, duration, and starting time of data collection, and 3) handling variables with time-changing values. A simulated land-change dataset based on an agent-based model of residential development and an empirical dataset from two case study sites in San Diego and Tijuana were used for this investigation. </p><p> Results from the simulation dataset indicated that the survival function and the hazard function are important metrics to reveal temporal trends. In general the results of land-change analysis are sensitive to time frequency, in particular when time-dependent variables are also present. Longer duration benefits land-change analysis since longer durations contains more information. However, time-dependent variables with measures over a long period are more difficult for detection, which may pose a challenge. Starting time also affects the analytical results because the level of process uncertainty varies at different starting times. Findings from real world data mostly agree with those from computational data. Time dependent variables present a major challenge in land-change analysis, and survival analysis can better handle time-independent variables and thus better forecast urban growth.</p>

<p> In recent decades skateboarding has expanded from recreation into a form of transportation. Skateboarders appear to use roadways much as other non&ndash;motorized modes do. However, there is little academic research on the needs and characteristics of the skateboard as a mode. This research reports demographics, multi&ndash;modal and travel behavior findings, and other data from an exploratory mixed&ndash;methods study of skateboarding as a mode of transportation.</p>

No description available.

This thesis examines the possibility of applying the concept of interest to public urban land use system planning, although it is not intended that the idea should be limited to urban planning. The concept is considered in detail, as is the question of who can have interests. The conclusion on that is that individuals and the public are the only true categories of interest holders, although interest groups need to be recognised for practical reasons. Corporations and governments cannot be true interest holders. The application of the concept was assessed in relation to the subject-matter of urban land use planning, and a typical land use planning process. The possibility of applying it to a hypothetical system of planning using the pragmatic method was also considered. The final part looked at the ‘institutions’ of planning, that is, law, politics, professional planning, administration, and administrative tribunals, to see how they would likely relate to a planning system based on the use of the concept of interest. The conclusion was that there would be no insurmountable difficulties even If not all of these institutions would readily embrace the concept. The idea was found to be plausible in so far as a comprehensive theory of interest-based urban land use planning was able to be worked out. By considering practical issues throughout, a strong presumption was raised that it would be feasible, although testing and further development of the idea would be necessary. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed method were reviewed. The expected benefits were ensuring that public urban land use system planning was humanistic, and providing a concept, or theme, around which a comprehensive theory of such planning could be constructed. Likely areas of difficulty were misunderstanding due to the lack of agreement on the meaning of the concept, although the meaning that should be adopted for the proposed purpose was spelt out. Secondly, a conservative attitude towards the use of concepts other than interest in planning and related disciplines could cause resistance to the adoption of the proposed method. It was shown how the idea is largely novel, but that recently there has been increasing use of the concept of interest in the land use planning literature. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

This thesis examines the possibility of applying the concept of interest to public urban land use system planning, although it is not intended that the idea should be limited to urban planning. The concept is considered in detail, as is the question of who can have interests. The conclusion on that is that individuals and the public are the only true categories of interest holders, although interest groups need to be recognised for practical reasons. Corporations and governments cannot be true interest holders. The application of the concept was assessed in relation to the subject-matter of urban land use planning, and a typical land use planning process. The possibility of applying it to a hypothetical system of planning using the pragmatic method was also considered. The final part looked at the ‘institutions’ of planning, that is, law, politics, professional planning, administration, and administrative tribunals, to see how they would likely relate to a planning system based on the use of the concept of interest. The conclusion was that there would be no insurmountable difficulties even If not all of these institutions would readily embrace the concept. The idea was found to be plausible in so far as a comprehensive theory of interest-based urban land use planning was able to be worked out. By considering practical issues throughout, a strong presumption was raised that it would be feasible, although testing and further development of the idea would be necessary. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed method were reviewed. The expected benefits were ensuring that public urban land use system planning was humanistic, and providing a concept, or theme, around which a comprehensive theory of such planning could be constructed. Likely areas of difficulty were misunderstanding due to the lack of agreement on the meaning of the concept, although the meaning that should be adopted for the proposed purpose was spelt out. Secondly, a conservative attitude towards the use of concepts other than interest in planning and related disciplines could cause resistance to the adoption of the proposed method. It was shown how the idea is largely novel, but that recently there has been increasing use of the concept of interest in the land use planning literature. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.