Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-131). / by Lesley D. Cummin and Andrew H. Popik. / M.S.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-114). / In the process of rapid expansion, many cities have turned their backs on the rivers that helped form and nurture them. Due to the perceived low cost of their existing infrastructure, many rivers have become open or enclosed sewerage and drainage channels. In the past few decades, better scientific understanding and improved management practices have spurred a global river restoration and conservation movement. This thesis studies the paradigm shift from controlling urban streams as landscape features and liabilities to managing whole watersheds as ecosystems and assets. It examines examples of successful river restoration and conservation projects, and uses the lessons learned from these examples to suggest improvements to the management of the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe River in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh City River Environmental Sanitation project of the late 1990s in the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Basin was the first of its kind in Ho Chi Minh City. The project has been hailed as a successful urban regeneration project which exemplifies good practice. This thesis analyses the merits and missed opportunities of these projects and suggests ways to incorporate other ecological and cultural functions into the Nhieu Loc Thi Nghe River, drawing on lessons from successful river restorations in the United States and South Korea. / by Tran N. Le. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Jennifer Gilbert. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1991. / Title as it appears in the June, 1991 M.I.T. Graduate List: The illegal commercial subdivision process. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-121). / by Anuradha Joshi. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2002. / "June 2002." / Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-85). / Gloucester, Massachusetts has long been regarded as the quintessential working port in the Northeast and the home of commercial fishing in America for several hundred years. Today, Gloucester's working port is threatened by dwindling fish stocks, strict land-use regulations and development pressures. The expansion of the tourism sector is spurned because 1) it is not fishing 2) it is not to be trusted, that it could turn against Gloucester and degrade the unique, authentic character of the city. I argue that managing Gloucester's waterfront as an attractive, appealing destination and protecting the working port are not antithetical concepts. In fact, combining both of these notions might be the best way to protect Gloucester's identity and preserve its living heritage. Planning should endeaver to mitigate any potential conflict between the two, and wherever possible, bind their fates together to create a sustainable, authentic place. This thesis is divided into analysis and recommendations. The analysis covers Gloucester's present situation through an exploration of the city's history and culture, and is paired with a review of the global waterfront revival movement and discussion of a number of postmodern trends as they relate to Gloucester. The combined findings of this local and cultural analysis form the basis for the urban design recommendations in the second part of the thesis. The recommendations are divided into three categories: policy issues, physical improvements and institutional reforms. / by Laurie Reyna Pessah. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1993, and Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-106). / by Michael Antonio Sherman. / M.S. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-114). / by Charles F. Planck. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-106). / In the late 20th Century, a common strategy has developed among a small but highly visible cross section of artists. They create and enact transient events, 'interventions', in public spaces in a way that both refers to the spatial language of the site and offers a critique of its dominant values. What distinguishes their work even further is their reliance on the instruments of mass media, and their interest in redefining its capabilities: the projector, the electronic sign, and the billboard are three such instruments whose potential for communication in the city have been creatively mined in their service. By exploring the ways in which these technologies may be put to new uses within the urban domain, and doing so from an interrogative standpoint, so that values, both explicit and latent, are questioned, these artists begin a process of engagement with the viewer which works to redefine the functions of the site. The intersection of the artist, the instrument, and the public sphere act, momentarily, to challenge typical notions of public space and public discourse within it. That such strategies have been adopted by commercial interests also shifts the paradigm further, and sets forth new conditions by which typical notions of public space and social action are challenged. I have chosen three cases through which to examine this process: the artists Krzysztof Wodiczko and Jenny Holzer, and the advertising campaign of the Benetton Group. My central questions around their work are as follows: what makes up the strategy of the artists and company when they put forward an impermanent critique in a public space? What "public" is being spoken to in a work like this, taking place as it does in the civic realm? Since the controversy surrounding many of the projects by Wodiczko, Holzer, and Benetton lies in the interplay between social values and spatial territory, this study also examines the wider community and institutional interests at work in the site. It traces the policies of institutions and municipalities and their role in granting or denying permission for the work, as well as the roles of stakeholders around the site in supporting or impeding it. The sites that I will discuss are Union Square Park and Tompkins Square Park, both in New York City, Times Square and 42nd Street, New York, and Bunker Hill and Monument Square in Charlestown, MA. Two defining features of these sites are that drastic changes to the built environment often took place not long after the artists enacted their projects in them, and that there is a existing conflict among stake holding groups which is often centered around it. This research seeks to determine what role the artist played in the changes to the site and the struggles over it. / by C. Adair Smith. / M.C.P.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-105). / There is a development phenomenon spreading across urban areas of the United States. Municipalities are undertaking multi-million dollar investments to support new stadiums for professional sports franchises. Accompanying these high profile investments is a concurrent investment in museums and cultural attractions of all types aimed at attracting tourists and local interests alike. This phenomenon is part of a wave of well planned and executed economic development initiatives that are using the development of cultural icons such as sports stadiums and museums to anchor commercial and retail development in the area. This thesis will look to identify the critical success factors in creating an urban entertainment district that encompasses sports venues, museums or other cultural icons, and an entertainment based retail center. It will identify the stakeholders in such an initiative and analyze the driving factors in the development and planning process. The combination of the three elements - stadium, museum, retail entertainment center- creates a critical mass of development that will serve as a model for other municipalities as they look to create their own downtown entertainment districts. It will also look at any combination of elements as a possible economic development initiative rather than a strict definition and closely defined form. Four case studies will be presented and analyzed, Faneuil Hall in Boston, Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Gateway/North Harbor in Cleveland and The Gateway in Salt Lake City as four projects undertaken in four large U.S. cities. We will also try to superimpose these success factors to secondary markets. / Jacob L. Boyer and Thomas G. DiNanno. / S.M.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-81). / Despite its reputation as one of the most entrepreneurial places on earth and its abundant resources, some firms in the hi-growth biotechnologyI sector have either left Cambridge 2 or, are considering leaving the City. The reasons why new biotechnology firms locate in Cambridge are well understood and conform to prevailing location theories; A highly skilled and educated labor force, as well as the proliferation of new technology from MIT, Harvard and mature biotechnology firms. At present, Cambridge is home to 62 of the 240 firms located in Massachusetts. However, over time the City's share of biotechnology firms has dropped from 32 percent to 26 percent. The scarcity of lab/office space in Cambridge may be among the primary reasons that firms relocate or establish operations in cities other than Cambridge. Of primary interest is how fast growing firms with dynamic demands for lab space negotiate its scarcity. Of particular interest is how firms that have yet to garner a net positive return confront their choices including subletting, incubation and shared labs. The central hypothesis is that despite Cambridge's overwhelming location advantages, and the near necessity of operating in the City, fast growing, unprofitable firms will actively search outside of Cambridge for flexible lab/office sites. Thus, this research evaluates the principles that inform the City's relationship with the biotechnology industry, and the ensuing roles Cambridge plays in its viability and the expansion of public goods including jobs and tax revenue. Finally, this thesis endeavors to draw broader principles and conclusions about how cities hosting volatile and fast growing industries can intervene to prevent displacement of young and dynamic firms. / by Brandon Mitchell. / M.C.P.