Aus ökonomischer und ökologischer Sicht ist es attraktiv, vegetationsbestandene städtische Brachflächen für Erholungszwecke zu nutzen, ohne dabei intensiv in Flora und Fauna einzugreifen. Die Arbeit beschäftigt sich damit, wie mit einfachen Gestaltungsmitteln die Attraktivität solcher Flächen für die Stadtbewohner sicher gestellt bzw. erhöht werden kann. Zunächst wurde untersucht, welche Merkmale städtischer Brach- und Grünflächen für die menschliche Wahrnehmung und Bewertung relevant sind. Neben Merkmalen, die für Natur außerhalb von Städten bekannt sind (Grad des Kronenschlusses, Künstlichkeit, Übersicht, Schönheit), wurde das Merkmal »Zugänglichkeit« identifiziert, das besonders für städtische Brachflächen relevant ist. Weiterhin wurde eine Systematik der Nutzungsmöglichkeiten städtischer Grünflächen erstellt. Zu deren Prüfung sowie zum tatsächlichen Nutzungsverhalten städtischer Grünflächen wurden empirische Untersuchungen durchgeführt. Insbesondere passive Erholung (z. B. Spazieren gehen) hat eine zentrale Rolle bei der Nutzung städtischer Natur, gefolgt von extrinsisch motivierten Aktivitäten, Aktivitäten zusammen mit anderen Menschen und Sportaktivitäten. Zuletzt wurde in zwei Experimenten gezeigt, dass einfache Brachflächen-Gestaltungsmerkmale zur Erfüllung wichtiger psychischer Bedürfnisse beitragen können und so die Präferenz für eine Grün- bzw. Brachfläche erhöhen. Es existierten keine globalen Präferenzunterschiede zwischen den betrachteten Park- und Brachflächen. Während die untersuchten Gestaltungsmerkmale für die betrachteten Parks keine oder nur geringe Wirkung aufwiesen, hatten sie einen Einfluss auf die Präferenz von Brachflächen. Abschließend können psychologische Anforderungen an die Nutzbarmachung vegetationsbestandener Brachflächen für Erholungszwecke formuliert werden: Wichtig sind Zugänglichkeit, explizite Funktionszuschreibung, vielfältige Nutzbarkeit, Mittel zur Erhöhung des Verständnisses der Fläche sowie Vermitteln von Sicherheit. / Re-using vegetation-covered urban wasteland areas for recreation purposes in ways that do not substantially interfere with flora and fauna seems economically and ecologically attractive. The present dissertation researches the role of simple design features for increasing (or maintaining) the attractiveness of these areas. To that end visual features were identified which are relevant to the human perception of (and preferences for) urban green spaces and urban wasteland areas. A number of features were found that were known from previous studies of rural nature (e. g. degree of canopy closure, artificiality, prospect, and beauty). Additionally, the feature ‘accessibility’ was identified, which appears to be relevant for urban wasteland areas in particular. In a next step, a taxonomy of urban green space usages was compiled and empirically validated. The actual usage behaviour was also assessed, revealing passive recreation (e. g. going for a walk, enjoying nature) as the most important way urban green spaces are used. Other important usages comprise extrinsically motivated activities, social activities, and sporting activities (in descending order). A further set of experiments showed that simple measures in redesigning vegetation-covered urban wasteland areas can – by increasing the degree to which they fulfil important psychological needs – increase the preference for a certain area. No global differences in preference existed between the examined green space and wasteland areas. While the tested design measures showed no or little effect on green space preference they did increase preference for the presented wasteland areas. In conclusion, a few psychological requirements for wasteland re-utilization for recreation purposes can be devised: it seems beneficial to provide accessibility, emphasize the site’s recreational purpose, allow for versatile usages, provide means to enhance understanding of a site, and convey a feeling of safety to the users.

Although the wilderness preservation movement has emerged as a political force relatively recently, man's desire for retreat and renewal in untamed wilderness environments has a rich history in North America. Using contemporary guidetooks, diaries and journals, this study examines the early nineteenth century "Fashionable Tour" from New York City to Niagara Falls and combines description of the most important "natural wonders" en route with an analysis of their cultural meaning and value. There are two major themes. (1) Although pompous religiousness of language suggests conventional religiosity, pilgrims were overwhelmed with feelings of reverence, awe and wonder when face to face with natural wonders. (2) The extravagance of the New World's natural wonders influenced American and European images of the American experiment. Romanticism and Scottish Common Sense Realism are the intellectual and aesthetic background for this study. After some preliminary observations and definitions, I review the widespread importance of these two movements in early America and their points of contact with American sensibilities. Significant iconological moments in the lives of three leading Americans -- John Bartram, Samuel Mitchill and Timothy Dwight -- who donned their tourist habits to visit the Catskill Mountains, illustrate both the diversity of these influences and the beginnings of the Fashionable Tour. Analysis of the tour itself begins with chapter three. From their steamboat, tourists divided the Hudson River Valley into five "reaches" symbolizing grandeur (the Palisades), repose (Tappan Sea), sublimity (the Highlands), picturesqueness (the Hillsides) and beauty (the Catskills). In the first four reaches (chapter 3), the sublime Highlands dominate the landscape. But the "view from the top'' and Kaaterskill Falls at Pine Orchard in the Catskills were the most significant natural wonders in the Hudson Valley. Chapter five introduces Part II: West to Niagara Falls. The overwhelming effect of ongoing European settlement on the wilderness -- on flora, fauna and native Americans -- differentiates the unpredictable trip west from the predictable trip north. At Albany, tourists left their luxurious steamboats and transferred to stagecoaches and/or canalboats. Cohoes Falls, Little Falls and especially Trenton Falls, N. P. Willis' "Rural Resort," highlight the journey from Albany to Utica and suggest greater wonders to come. Images of the wilderness west of Utica comprise chapter seven. "Soft" pastoral landscapes, as in the Finger Lakes Region, did not arouse the intense response that major wonders such as the "view from the top" and Trenton Falls did. Niagara Falls was the climax and conclusion of the pilgrimage. The "greatest natural wonder" known and accessible to early nineteenth century tourists, Niagara elicited a torrent of enthusiasm and verbiage. After a detailed examination of tourist expectations and anticipations, descriptions and dreams, I focus specifically on the religious sentimentality which laced images of Niagara Falls. Pilgrims, responding with awe and protestations of "indescribableness," found evidence to support their popular religiosity. The trip from New York to Niagara was not just a relaxed holiday, but a highly focussed pilgrimage for persons seeking mystery and majesty in the sublime and the beautiful. Niagara, and to a lesser extent the other natural wonders; along the Hudson and across New York State, became religious shrines in early nineteenth century America.

Esta dissertação tem como objetos centrais a Câmara Municipal de Vila Rica e as elites locais que controlaram suas prerrogativas, desde sua fundação em 1711, ate as revoltas que ocorreram no sertão de Minas Gerais a partir de 1736. Analisa-se, ao longo de cinco capítulos, as estratégias usadas pelos dois grupos que controlaram as prerrogativas da instituição, um durante a década de 1710, outro durante as décadas de 1720 e 1730. A partir da observação das rotinas administrativas e das finanças locais, e do estudo da trajetória dos 520 indivíduos que exerceram funções na instituição durante o período estudado especialmente dos 26 indivíduos mais influentes constatou-se uma oscilação da jurisdição do poder local, vinculada a uma redução das prerrogativas da Câmara Municipal. Este movimento foi causado pelo aumento da pressão dos agentes do monarca sobre as elites locais institucionalizadas, e por uma mudança de estratégia destas elites a partir da repressão à Revolta de Vila Rica em 1720. Antes deste episódio, o grupo dominante local era mais resistente aos interesses do rei na região, depois de 1720, o novo grupo que assumiu o controle da política local adotou uma linha mais conciliadora em relação aos agentes régios. A consolidação das elites locais, a partir deste momento, esteve diretamente vinculada a uma diminuição da jurisdição dos poderes locais em relação ao poder central. / This dissertation has as central objects the Municipal Council of Vila Rica and the local elites who controlled their prerogatives, from its foundation in 1711 until the riots that occurred in the hinterland of Minas Gerais in 1736. Over five chapters, we analyze the strategies used by the two groups that controlled the prerogatives of the institution, one during the decade of 1710, the other during the decades of 1720 e 1730. From the observation of local administrative routines and the study of the trajectory of the 520 individuals working in the institution during the period studied especially the 26 most influential individuals it was found oscillation of the jurisdiction of local authorities, linked to a reduction of the prerogatives of the Municipal Council. This movement was caused by increased pressure of the king\'s agents on institutionalized local elites, and a change of strategy of these elites from the repression of Villa Rica Revolt in 1720. Before this episode, the dominant local group was more resistant to the king\'s interests in the region; after 1720, the new group who took control of the local policy chose a more conciliatory line in relation to the king\'s agents. The consolidation of the local elites, since the decade of 1720, was directly linked to their decreasing autonomy in relation to the central power.

This study investigated changes in self-esteem and perceived problem solving ability of academically at-risk students participating in a program called Science of Survival. The program combined adventure education and problem based learning approaches. One hundred and fifty-five male and female students, between the ages of 16 and 24 years completed the Self-Esteem Inventory and the Problem Solving Inventory at the beginning of the semester, after an adventure experience weekend, and at the end of the semester. A group of seventy-seven first year social science students, serving as a control group, also completed the inventories on the same time schedule. Self-esteem and perceived problem solving ability scores were analyzed by two one-way (treatment versus control) repeated measures (three assessments times) ANOVAs. Correlations between the two measures were also computed. Results indicated significant (p $<$.05) interactions of group by time for both self-esteem and perceived problem solving ability and significant correlations. Further analysis showed the Explorations II program was effective at increasing self-esteem and perceived problem solving ability and that these two constructs are related. The control group did not change in self-esteem over the period, but showed a deterioration in perceived problem solving ability.

La " crise environnementale " médiatisée sous la forme d'une série de dommages et de menaces qui pèsent sur la survie de notre espèce (Larrère, 1997) oblige nos sociétés à prendre en compte des entités et des phénomènes qui ne sont pas humains et que nous avions exclus de notre sphère morale. Plus largement, ces enjeux questionnent la façon dont nous nous organisons pour agir dans les espaces que nous partageons de facto avec une pluralité d'entités. Cette recherche doctorale s'intéresse plus particulièrement aux pratiques de gestion des " espaces de nature ". Les gestionnaires de ces espaces sont amenés à répondre à une multiplicité de demandes et d'injonctions, autrement dit à " écologiser " leurs façons de faire. Nous observons et décrivons la mise en place de quatre initiatives se disant " éthiques " ou " responsables " sur des terrains variés, du plus urbain (espaces verts de Grenoble) au plus " sauvage " (Mt Jefferson Wilderness, en Oregon). Il apparaît que la responsabilité du devenir de ces espaces n'est pas uniquement celle des gestionnaires : elle est distribuée le long d'une chaîne d'humains et de non-humains. Les acteurs comptent sur une pluralité de personnes, d'êtres et de choses pour maintenir ces espaces. Leurs pratiques relèvent d'expérimentations tout à la fois scientifiques, politiques et morales (Latour, 1995, Hache, 2011). Ils construisent des compromis situés et précaires, selon une éthique du faire-avec. Dans ce mouvement, les parcs et jardins - comme figures de la séparation et de la domestication - cessent d'être l'échelle pertinente de réflexion et d'action : d'autres formes socio-spatiales émergent. Une géographie des associations hétérogènes (Murdoch, 1997) nous apparaît alors la plus à même de rendre compte des liens, des emboîtements d'échelles et des évènements éthiques fragmentaires qui se jouent dans le travail continu que ces collectifs s'adonnant à construire un monde commun constamment renégocié.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Adelaide, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-130).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Montana, 2004. / Typescript. Additional information available on author's web site. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-142).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 266-280).

Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2006. / Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 127 p. : ill., maps. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis involves research on wildlife telemetry tracking for the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT). The CLT needed a network to transfer GPS data and single frame photos from remote locations in the Cederberg to a researcher's base station. The proposed solution is an ad hoc wireless network, where nodes perform polling of leopard collars and send information via the multi-hop network to the researcher's base once it is downloaded from a collar. The literature study involved medium access control - and routing protocols for e ectively transferring information. The solution was implemented in hardware and range tests were done in the Cederberg to determine feasible locations for nodes in this network for covering most of the CLT study area. Link budgets for this area was determined with Radio Mobile to compare with actual ranges as measured. The simulation of protocols was done in OMNET++ which could be compared with actual results from the physical network. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis handel oor navorsing wat gedoen is vir die Kaapse Luipaard Trust (CLT) vir die opsporing van luipaarde. Die CLT het 'n netwerk nodig gehad wat GPS data en enkel raam fotos van afgeleë gebiede in die Cederberge na 'n navorser se basis stuur. Die voorgestelde oplossing is 'n ad hoc draadlose netwerk, waar nodisse luipaard nekbande oproep om data af te laai en dan te stuur deur die multi-hop netwerk na die navorser se basis. Die literatuurstudie handel oor medium toegangs beheer - en roete verkryging protokolle vir die effektiewe oordrag van informasie. Die oplossing is in hardeware geïmplimenteer en radio-afstand-toetse is gedoen in die Cederberge om goedgeleë posisies vir nodisse te bepaal om die grootste gedeelte van die CLT studie area te dek. Radio Mobile is gebruik om voorspellings te maak rakende die afstande verkrygbaar tussen radios om te vergelyk met die fisiese metings in die veld. Die simulasie van protokolle is gedoen in OMNET++ en vergelyk met prestasie metings op die fisiese netwerk.