Urban Entertainment Destinations (UED) are a new form of development comprised of unanchored retail projects that mix entertainment venues and icon restaurants as a solution for enticing visitors back to the city. The difference between these destinations and the traditional shopping mall is the experience gained when leaving the destination. As a solution, several cities have considered Urban Entertainment Destinations as a developmental means for revitalizing the downtown. This thesis design project attempts to explore the significance of UED's by conducting a literature review and case study analysis of nine UED's across the United States. Studies extracted from each module revealed the importance of six key strategies- Placemaking, Multi-Anchoring, Contextual Links, Critical Mix & Mass, Programmability, and Branded Identity. Particular attention was placed on placemaking; designing gathering spaces, pathways, material choices, spatial relationships, and programmed land use. An emphasis has been made on incorporating the history and culture and the site's sense of place, two placemaking components that help create a distinct destination. These strategies were used as a basis for developing a set of design criteria that were in turn applied to the development of a master plan for a new UED in Rockford, Illinois. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Washington, D.C., like many older U.S. cities, suffers the woes of rapid urbanization and aging infrastructure. The city's combined sewer and stormwater system dumps millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers over 70 times annually during significant rain events. While many groups, both public and private, attempt to clean the river, billions of dollars are still necessary over several years to remedy the combined sewer overfl ow (CSO) problem alone. Current plans for a solution include constructing large underground storage tanks that store millions of gallons of wastewater during overflow periods. Washington, however, once had a network of waterways that naturally drained the Federal City. At least three major stream systems—the Tiber Creek, James Creek and Slash Run—and over 30 springs flowed within the boundaries of the emerging capital. The waterways, now buried, were victims of urbanization, and flow now only underground, wreaking havoc on foundations and basements and causing sewer backups and flooding. Can a historically-driven investigation of these buried channels lend credence to the resurrection in some form of a network of surface stormwater channels, separate from the municipal sewage system, to solve the city's sewage overflow crisis? The following study is an initial exploration of the re-establishment of waterways through Washington with the purpose of improving the current storm sewer overflow dilemma and exploring the potential urban amenities that they could provide as part of a stormwater management plan for the year 2110. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Unlike the West, where many studies have explored how people's needs are fulfilled by urban parks, Malaysia has received very little attention from researchers. One reason for this is the fact that Malaysia has only a short public park tradition. Although folk art and stories have chronicled a long history of gardens and other parks, these spaces were only accessible to royal family members and autocrats. In Malaysia, the concept of free public parks is relatively recent, having been introduced by the British colonial government. This thesis aims to analyze the current demands on urban parks in Malaysia. It specifically studies an urban park in the city of Seremban in the state of Negeri Sembilan, which was built by the British in the early 1900's. This park is apparently not meeting the needs of the public at large. Even though it is near active public facilities, such as a state mosque, a downtown area, public offices, and a public library, it suffers from a declining number of visitors. This thesis is based on data obtained from a survey questionnaire that polled public attitudes regarding Seremban Urban Park. The data was analyzed to determine the factors that influence potential park patrons, as well as the preferred activities of those who visit the park. The research suggests that accessibility, sense of territoriality, activities in the park, the natural environment, and park maintenance influence participants' decisions to visit the park. In addition, it points out that participants' preferred park activities include family gatherings and passive socializing activities. The primary implications of this thesis are that urban parks are emerging as important public spaces in Malaysian cities, and that their continuing effectiveness is largely dependent upon a prioritizing of activities and a commitment to maintenance. This research should help landscape architects and planners expand the relationship between urban parks and public life in Malaysian cities. / Master of Landscape Architecture

To place a building within an existing urban fabric without considering the components of that fabric is to deny the interactive nature of the built environment. Components such as scale, materials, regulating lines and geometric framework must be examined in order to decide what is to be transformed, what is to be translated, what is to be ignored. They are the means of creating the thread of continuity between what was, what is and what will be. This thread of continuity continues the harmony of the urban neighbor-hood by unifying the variety of the built environment. Any attempt to deny the interactivity of buildings runs the risk of creating not architecture but rather the cacophonous assemblage of materials. This thesis looks at discovering the unifying elements of an existing neighborhood and using them to create a building that draws from the existing to reflect its own times, yet also continues the thread of the urban fabric. / Master of Architecture

This thesis is an exploration of the design of successful urban places, those that are filled with people enjoying the vitality present in a density of life. The inspiration for this thesis came from a statement made by Jason Bergen. While walking through downtown Blacksburg, unsuccessful in our quest to find a place sit down and eat lunch, Jay said, "You know Jon, there are no good places to sit in Blacksburg." Without realizing it, Jay had made a simple observation that can be used to assess the quality of an urban environment. / Master of Architecture

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional + Community Planning / Mary Catherine (Katie) Kingery‐Page / The generation of diagnosed autistic children is aging, calling on needed research for what will happen to autistic adults. Cities are outfitted to non-autistic people, typically created for an idealized individual without disability or limitation. Urban environments add to sensory overload, have limited mass transit accessible to those with neurological disabilities, provide few affordable housing units, offer very little employment opportunity, and have no green spaces designed for those with autism or other differences. Typical urban design does not take into account the landscape and urban affordances needed by adults with autism. This project synthesizes a toolkit including the following needs for adults with autism: vocational training, life skills, mental and physical health support, employment, public transportation and affordable housing. Using the initial theoretical urban systems toolkit, I conducted an evaluation and synthesized proposal for Nashville, Tennessee, a large city that ranks within the nation among the lowest for cost-of-living (e.g. groceries, housing, and utilities). The outcome of the evaluation and synthesis is a diagrammatic infographic conveying existing and needed services within Nashville, as well as connectivity of needs for adults with autism. From the diagrammatic proposal, the initial theoretical urban systems toolkit is revised, reflecting upon the findings through the evaluation of Nashville, Tennessee. The final theoretical urban systems toolkit and diagrammatic proposal for Nashville, Tennessee provides exploratory research for city planners, architects, and landscape architects to design for cities inclusive of adults with autism, as well as other neurological disabilities or limitations. This additional layer of design not only contributes to the social and environmental well-being of individuals with autism, but also contributes to the entire urban community. Urban design as an approach to planning for adults with autism contributes a new disciplinary perspective to the discourse on planning for a maturing autistic population.

Att känna och höra sin väg är ett examensarbete i Informationsdesign med inriktning mot rumslig gestaltning. Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka hur synskadades möjligheter ser ut när det kommer till orientering i en urban stadsmiljö och hur taktila ledstråk kan användas i kombination med ljud för att samspela med den fysiska miljön på ett större öppet torg. Undersökningen har utgått från Stora torget i Västerås för att ha en fysisk plats att koppla arbetet till. Arbetet har utförts för att stödja personer med synnedsättning på en plats där det kan upplevas svårt att navigera sig.  Material har samlats in med metoder som platsanalys, observation och intervjuer för att försöka skapa förståelse för synskadades möjligheter till orientering och hur förutsättningarna i den fysiska miljön ser ut. Resultaten hjälpte till att ringa in ett område för arbetet, frågeställningarna har speglats i teorier om stadens struktur, auditiv perception, ljudmiljöer och även de förutsättningar som finns i den byggda miljön som synskadade kan använda i orienteringssyfte. Det samlade materialet från studier av undersökningar och teorier har sedan använts som grund till gestaltningsförslaget. Genom tillägg i den befintliga miljön har nya vägar skapats i syfte att främja inkludering, bidra till ökad tillgänglighet och en känsla av trygghet vid orientering. / To hear and feel your way is a thesis in Information design with emphasis on spatial design. The purpose with this work is to investigate the posibilities for people with visual impairment when it comes to orientation in an urban environment, and how tactile guide pathways can be used in combination with sound to interact with the physical environment in an large square. The investigation was based on Stora torget in Västerås to have a physical place to connect the work to. The work has been carried out in order to support people with visual impairments in an urban space where it can be difficult to navigate.  Material has been collected using methods such as site analysis, observation and interviews to try to create an understanding for the possibilities of visually impaired persons for orientation, and how the conditions looks like in the psysical environment. The results helped framing the area for the work, the questions were reflected in theories like city structure, auditory perception, sound environments and also the conditions that exist in the built environment that visually impaired can use for orientation purposes. The collected material from the studies with methods and theories has then been used as the basis for the design proposal. Through additions to the existing environment, new ways has been created with the aim to promoting inclusion, contributing to increased accessibility and a sense of security in orientation.

Denna uppsats undersöker den upplevda tryggheten på Uppsala Centralstation med utgångspunkt i besökarnas personliga upplevelser. Syftet med studien är att förstå hur besökare upplever tryggheten på Uppsala Centralstation och att identifiera de faktorer som påverkar dessa upplevelser. Studien syftar till att besvara huvudfrågan: Hur upplever besökare tryggheten på Uppsala Centralstation? Forskningsmetodiken innefattade en enkät som delades ut till besökare under en specificerad tidsperiod. Enkäten samlade in demografisk information, besöksmönster och subjektiva bedömningar av tryggheten i olika delar av stationen vid olika tider på dygnet. Resultaten visar att den generella upplevelsen av trygghet på Uppsala Centralstation är neutral, men det finns betydande variationer beroende på tid på dygnet och specifika områden. Centralpassagen, Frodeparken och parkeringsgaraget identifierades som områden där besökare känner sig minst trygga, främst med anledning av bristande belysning och närvaron av störande individer. Studien lyfter fram att de mest betydande faktorerna som påverkar den upplevda tryggheten inkluderar närvaron av störande personer, tillgängligheten av säkerhetspersonal och belysningsförhållandena. För att förbättra tryggheten föreslås åtgärder som att öka antalet patrullerande poliser eller väktare, förbättra belysningen och installera fler övervakningskameror. Uppsatsen konkluderar att även om objektiva säkerhetsåtgärder som förbättrad belysning och ökad säkerhetsnärvaro är viktiga, är det avgörande att adressera både fysiska och sociala faktorer för att förbättra den övergripande upplevelsen av trygghet på Uppsala Centralstation. Framtida forskning bör överväga att inkludera brottsstatistik och jämföra Uppsala Centralstation med andra liknande stationer för att identifiera gemensamma problem och effektiva lösningar. / This report examines the perceived safety at Uppsala Central Station, focusing on visitors’ personal experiences of the station area. The purpose of the study is to understand how visitors perceive safety at the station and to identify the factors influencing these perceptions. The study aims to answer the primary research question: how do visitors perceive safety at Uppsala Central Station? The research methodology involved a survey distributed to visitors during a specified period. The survey gathered demographic information, visiting patterns, and subjective assessments of safety across different areas of the station at various times of the day. The findings indicate that while the general perception of safety at Uppsala Central Station is neutral, there are significant temporal and spatial variations. The Central Passage, Frodeparken, and the parking garage were identified as areas where visitors feel most unsafe, primarily due to inadequate lighting and the presence of disruptive individuals. The study highlights that key factors influencing perceived safety include the presence of disruptive individuals, the availability of security personnel, and lighting conditions. Recommendations for enhancing safety include increasing the number of patrolling police officers or security guards, improving lighting, and installing additional surveillance cameras.  The report concludes that while objective safety measures such as improved lighting and increased security presence are essential, addressing both physical and social factors is crucial for enhancing the overall perception of safety at Uppsala Central Station. Future research should consider incorporating crime statistics and comparing Uppsala Central Station with other similar stations to identify common issues and effective solutions.

Á travers une approche historico-épistémologique et une analyse de la réalité des pratiques, ce travail s'intéresse à la dimension temporelle de la spécialisation professionnelle. Il s'agit de deux démarches de recherche sur la spécialisation en conception archi-urbaine à long-terme et à court-terme. Dans un premier temps et en faisant un aller-retour entre l'urban design étatsunien et le projet urbain à la française, nous nous interrogeons sur les origines de l'émergence et de l'évolution des groupes de concepteurs spécialisés dans la conception du projet de morceau de ville. Dans un second temps, nous étudions quatre opérations urbaines réalisées en France depuis l'introduction du concept de projet urbain. L'objectif est de comprendre l'impact la multidisciplinarité sur la place et le rôle des architectes-urbanistes dans le projet. Les deux démarches se complètent. Elles montrent que les marges de manœuvre d'un concepteur au sein des processus de conception ne dépendent pas seulement de son identité professionnelle mais aussi du moment et de la durée de son intervention dans ces processus. Or ce moment et cette durée peuvent être contrôlables, en partie, à travers la gestion du projet et de sa temporalité. Ainsi, la naissance de nouvelles spécialités – en tant que concrétisations de la spécialisation temporaire – ne s'explique pas seulement par la nature et le contexte de la commande architecturale et urbaine mais aussi par les stratégies mises en place pour répondre à cette commande / Through a historical-epistemological approach and an analysis of actual practices, this work focuses on the temporal dimension of professional specialization. There are two approaches to research long-term and short-term archi-urban design specialization. As a first step and making a round trip between American urban design and French urban project, we wonder about the origins of the emergence and evolution of groups of designers specialized in city-parts design. In a second step, we study four urban operations engaged in France since the introduction of the concept of urban project. The objective is to understand the impact of the multidisciplinary on the place and role of architects-urbanites in the project. The two approaches are complementary. They show that the leeway of a designer in the design process does not depend only on his professional identity but also on the time and duration of his involvement in these processes. This time and this duration can be controlled, in part, through the management of the project and its temporality. Thus, the birth of new specialties - as embodiments of the temporary specialization - not only due to the nature and context of the architectural and urban command, but also by the strategies put in place to respond to this command

Ngan Yuk Kei. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2009-2010, design report." / "May 2010." / Includes bibliographical references. / Chapter 01 --- background & objective / Chapter 02 --- Street Life Research / Chapter 03 --- Streetscape Parameters Identification / Chapter 04 --- Billboard to Billbox / Chapter 05 --- Activity Field Implication / Chapter 06 --- Parametric Exploration on hybrid potential / Chapter 07 --- Adapting Method in Micro Scale / Chapter 08 --- Exploration & Adapting Process / Chapter 09 --- From Micro to Urban Scale / Chapter 10 --- Evaluation / Chapter 11 --- Appendix