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

While academics and policy-makers seek to address historic segregation and its harmful impacts on communities, many such efforts have been unsuccessful. Therefore, this original research examines the role of public parks as potential sites of social and economic integration. These spaces serve as third places, or social spaces where community members regularly visit, similar to their regular visitation of their home and workplaces. In the City of Roanoke, three visited public parks serve as local third places where individuals of different social and economic backgrounds visit for various activities. However, visitors typically only interact with others similar to themselves. The exception appears to be when the third place provides a source of triangulation based in common interests. This form of triangulation is useful in establishing commonality among visitors, thus bridging existing gaps between communities. Said triangulation is successful when the third place provides a physically and socially comfortable environment affected by the space's design, location, and management. These three factors must combine to maintain a careful balance between welcoming visitors of diverse backgrounds, but also establishing a sense of comfort among visitors. Public spaces which achieve this balance realize their potential by becoming equitable third places. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning / This original research examines the role of public parks as potential sites of social and economic integration. Such sites serve as third places, or social spaces where community members regularly visit. These visits are like the regular visitation of the home and workplaces, which are likewise called the first and second places. In the City of Roanoke, three visited public parks serve as local third places where individuals of different social and economic backgrounds visit for various activities. However, visitors typically only interact with others like themselves. The exception appears to be when the third place provides a feature which stimulates conversation among visitors. The feature can establish commonality among visitors, thus bridging existing gaps between communities. However, these social interactions rely on a third place which provides a physically and socially comfortable environment affected by the space’s design, location, and governance. These three factors must combine to maintain a careful balance between welcoming visitors of diverse backgrounds, but also establishing a sense of comfort among visitors. Public spaces which achieve this balance realize their potential by becoming equitable third places.

The footprint of urban streets have become conflict zones of interests; ranging from efficient automobile infrastructure, building restriction lines, economical interests, shy efforts to introduce nature, services, etc. How can we, as urban designers, retrieve a portion of this footprint to nature by taking advantage of the existing public parking areas and create a network of streets that speaks to the larger park network? Can a neighborhood like Adams Morgan serve as an example for a collaborative design between private and public interests to enhance the potential of blue-green infrastructure? / Master of Science / This thesis presents a way of utilizing “public parking areas” to connect the network of streets to a larger network of parks. In Washington, DC, parking areas are public spaces situated between the property line and the sidewalk. Though public, these parking areas are under the immediate care and maintenance of the owners or occupants of the premises. For the purpose of this thesis, streets in the Adams Morgan neighborhood are used to illustrate the potential of a collaborative design between private and public interests in such parking areas. The Adams Morgan neighborhood provides several key elements, including many residential streets, three DC parks (Walter Pierce, Marie H. Reed Community and Learning Center, and Kalorama Park) and four National Park Service Parks (Meridian Hill, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Rock Creek Trail and Parkway) as well as an active commercial district. Moreover, this thesis illustrates the potential benefits of using blue-green infrastructure, which integrates natural with semi-natural landscape elements, including water. Using this type of infrastructure to link streets to the park network would promote sustainability and resilience and provides an opportunity to enhance connectivity and reduce park fragmentation.

Once thriving neighborhoods in mid-sized American cities have been decimated, scarred and disrupted by the serpentine free form highways that have touched them. This product of technological innovation from the 1950s and 60s has had a profound and disturbing affect upon American cities. The collective history, cultural rituals and organic urban fabric of life has been almost completely extinguished in these cities by the false opportunity and instant gratification that comes with so-called 'technological progress.' This, yes this, epitomizes the urban core of a majority of cities across the United States early in the early 21st century. What is to be the future legacy of these American cities upon the life of their residents? It quickly became apparent that to develop a deep understanding of this urban challenge, it was going to be necessary to carefully examine cites that have been acutely affected by urban highways. The neighborhoods at the core of these damaged American cities trudge on'.. Why? Because they have no other option'. The question currently at hand is how can these damaged neighborhoods adjacent to urban highways, and their associated cities, be regenerated? The research phase of this thesis exposed four critical elements of a thriving and organic urban neighborhood; connectivity, realness, livability and performativity. I was encouraged to focus upon and explore this notion of connectivity by my thesis committee, as it represents the element offering the most agency for the design professions. Through interrogating the [dis]connectivity of four specific neighborhoods in Baltimore, Buffalo, Richmond and St Petersburg certain operational systems began to evolve. These systems center around three critical lenses of focus; the economic, social and physical operations that occur within and adjacent to an urban neighborhood. Due to its acute condition, the Gilpin neighborhood of Richmond, Virgina was chosen as a case study to employ the lenses of connectivity through close examination and intervention. / Master of Science / Once thriving neighborhoods in mid-sized American cities have been decimated, scarred and disrupted by the serpentine free form highways that have touched them. This product of technological innovation from the 1950s and 60s has had a profound and disturbing affect upon American cities. The collective history, cultural rituals and organic urban fabric of life has been almost completely extinguished in many of these cities by the false opportunity and instant gratification that comes with so-called ‘technological progress.’ This, yes this, epitomizes the urban core of a majority of cities across the United States early in the early 21st century. <b>What is to be the future legacy of these American cities upon the life of their residents?</b> The neighborhoods at the core of these damaged American cities trudge on… Why? Because they have no other option... <b>The question currently at hand is how can these neighborhoods adjacent to urban highways, and their associated cities, be regenerated?</b> Through interrogating the [dis]connectivity of four specific neighborhoods in Baltimore, Buffalo, Richmond, and St Petersburg certain operational systems began to become apparent. These systems center around three critical lenses of focus; the economic, social, and physical operations that occur within and adjacent to an urban neighborhood. Due to its acute condition, the Gilpin neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia was chosen as a case study to employ the lenses of connectivity through closer examination and intervention.

The investigation applies the intelligence cycle and researches the degree of Utopian development, as observed at Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW), Virginia, utilizing a common business and competitive intelligence tool, known as the SWOT.  The research uncovered numerous aspects apparent at the target, BGW, many of which served to re-classify the theme park development from that of a premier theme park to a themed amusement park.  The research question was concluded on by indicating that there was no apparent sincere or consistent attempt being made to perfect the numerous venues at the park, and that no specific cause or reason was identifiable as to the intentionality or unintentionality of the neglect of the research question, in terms of design intent toward constant improvement, as in Utopian-driven expectations of development. / Master of Landscape 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