Dissertations / Theses: 'Future studies; prediction; planning'

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Emig, Anne (Anne Nicole). "The future of manufacturing in Somerville." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67224.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2011. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-67). As traditional industrial uses in the U.S. have declined, Somerville, Massachusetts has similarly seen a decline in active industrial uses, together with a loss of living wage jobs. Somerville, like many New England cities, is now struggling to establish its identity in this "post-industrial" world. The City's large manufacturers have, for the most part, left the City leaving behind an abundance of old and irregular industrial building stock. Mayor Curtatone is on record as being interested in biotechnology, green, and clean energy businesses and City staff are actively seeking opportunities in these areas. At the same time, the City is increasingly becoming a regional destination for small-scale artisanal and food manufacturing. Products being manufactured locally include bicycles, guitars and chocolate. However, this sector faces many challenges such as limited growth and intense competition. Yet despite these challenges, this sector provides economic development returns by bringing new revenue into Somerville and providing lower skill residents with a higher wage than their alternatives in the retail and restaurant industry. What's more, this sector is appropriate for Somerville's land availability and building stock, and it significantly contributes to Somerville's creative brand and therefore its ability to attract more Creative Class residents and businesses. To bolster this sector, Somerville should embark on sector-specific strategy to strengthen the existing consumer goods sector. The cornerstone of this effort will be the creation of an umbrella organization that will provide technical assistance, marketing, and financial assistance to local manufacturers. To support this work, Somerville will also make infrastructure investments and targeted land use policies. With these policies in place, Somerville will create jobs in Somerville for Somerville residents, extract more value from the existing land, and strengthen its "brand" as a "City of Makers." What can other cities learn about manufacturing as an economic development activity from Somerville? When considering a manufacturing strategy, a city must consider: 1) its role within the region; 2) land availability; 3) existing building stock, and; 4) existing and nascent industry networks. Sound economic development strategies should not only attempt to foster profitable uses (tax revenues), but also uses that leverage a city's relative strengths and are aligned with their larger community and economic development goals including a range of jobs, quality of life, and perhaps most importantly, creating a strong identity and pride of place. by Anne Emig. M.C.P.

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Rojas, Francisca M. 1976. "Cyberpunk visions of the future city." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/69760.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2000. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-116). As a future-oriented practice, urban design compels us to imagine, anticipate, design and plan our cities of tomorrow. In fact, 20* century urban planning has generated a number of influential visions of urban futures - from Howard, Le Corbusier, and Wright, to Fuller, Archigram, and Soleri. Yet for more than twenty years, urban planning has exhibited a conspicuous lack of critical projection about the future of urban life and form. This present lack of futurist vision is particularly remarkable when considering the rapid advancements in information technology (IT) that have begun to affect the nature of a wide range of interactions at the various scales of urban life. Of particular interest to urban planning and design is whether or not, and how, IT contributes to the transformation of social and spatial relationships. The future consequences of how IT and other postmodern forces are changing cities have been explored by a subset of science fiction dubbed, Cyberpunk. Writers of cyberpunk fiction have extrapolated the present urban condition to expose a cautionary dystopian vision of cities and urban life in the near-future. Generally, cyberpunks envision the technologically- enhanced future city as an anarchic physical environment of exclusion, sprawl, surveillance, degradation, dematerialization, submission, and resistance. This study examines the images of a potential urban future, with particular attention placed upon the future of urban form, through detailed readings of cyberpunk fiction and film. While a far cry from the communitarian utopias of the previous century that have served as models for the cities we live in today, the cyberpunk vision of the future city does present urban planning and design with cautionary tales from which the profession may begin to examine its current practices and inform its designs for an electronically mediated future. by Francisca M. Rojas. M.C.P.

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Howell, Dwight D. (Dwight Dee). "Army installations of the future : urban + shrinkage + landscape." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/97343.

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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2015. Vita. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 125-132). The US Army has set a course to transition to a future force that is adaptive, modern, and at the forefront of change. This strategic vision lacks a refined installation strategy to meet the needs of the future force. In a period of troop reductions, declining budgets, and increased facility vacancy rates the Army is required to shrink its installations. This thesis explores how to shrink Army installations through change, policy, and design. A set of changes is proposed that focus on eliminating housing, revising security standards, increasing privatization, and growth in Enhanced Use Leasing. Current Army planning strategies based on New Urbanist principles do not address how to shrink installations. Four theories are analyzed to develop a framework for designing the future of Army installations. Parameters are established to test the results of the design. The framework is applied to develop a design proposal for Fort Belvoir, VA. The framework generated a successful design of Fort Belvoir, VA based on the establish parameters. The framework and design process is transferable to all Army installations in the United States. Army planners can apply the process and framework as a tool to generate solutions to shrink Army installations. by Dwight D. Howell. M.C.P.

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Hunting, Jesse L. "Industrializing housing through factory production : future or fantasy?" Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/49700.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-83). The purpose of this thesis is to review and assess the state of factory-built housing in the U.S., and to propose a business plan for a new approach. The thesis addresses the question: What would be a viable factory-based home building strategy for the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.? The thesis begins with research on the history and early ethos of the factory-built housing industry in conjunction with an analysis of the factory-built housing industry's current image, advantages, and challenges. To assess the image of the industry, a variety of common perceptions regarding the industry were explored. To isolate the specific advantages and challenges facing the industry, the thesis compares the relative and normalized costs of factory-built homes to site-built homes in addition to macro issues, like building regulations. The thesis also provides a synthesis of the research in the form of a business strategy. The business strategy takes the strengths identified in the initial research and couples them with a viable and forward looking development strategy suited to Pennsylvania's housing market. Key among the proposal's recommendations are using factory production to build secondary homes, like granny flats or summer cottages and marketing the homes as a community. The example given in the business plan includes developing infill retirement communities in small Pennsylvania towns. Other examples could include developing small vacation communities. by Jesse L. Hunting. M.C.P.

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Vandermillen, James P. (James Patrick). "Rediscovering downtown--strategies for the future of Providence." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/74402.

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Moinian, Mahtab Maxene. "Future Earth Catalog : urban design in climate change." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/118240.

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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2018. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references. What is the agency of urban planning and design in climate change? This project explores new ways of engaging with the environmental narrative of our time. I present Future Earth Catalog as six representations of the same body of research, spanning a spectrum from academic thesis to media object, and catalog to playbook. The project departs from convention, both in process and product, in order to place learning and practice into an unfamiliar territory and form a new dynamic with climate change. This is a work in progress, to see the full project please visit www.futureearthcatalog.com. by Mahtab Maxene Moinian. M.C.P.

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Kim, Myung-hwan. "A past adapts to the future : an old Japanese city will adapt to the future with preserving its past." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67388.

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Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture; and, (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1990. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-157). Over the last quarter of a century, historic preservation has become a major component of urban revitalization in the US. Along with the cultural and economic benefits, the restoration of historic structures and environments has also produced a distinct improvement in the quality of life in several American cities. Japan, on the other hand, has only recently begun to recognize the potential contribution of historic preservation to urban revitalization; and, in general, its recent revitalization efforts, especially in several small cities, have not been well formulated or well executed. It is proposed here that small, declining Japanese cities can be revitalized, both economically and culturally, by making effective use of their historic resources. The concept of historic preservation as an urban revitalization tool is first discussed with emphasis on several major theories of preservation in an urban setting. Next, actual instances in which historic preservation was successfully integrated into urban revitalization programs are analyzed. Finally, a revitalization strategy for Otaru, a small declining city in northern Japan, is formulated based on the Urban Cultural Park concept implemented in the city of Lowell, Massachusetts. by Myung-hwan Kim. M.C.P. M.S.

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Rolley, Stephanie. "Suburban urban patterns : the future form of suburban growth corridors." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/77324.

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Lieberman, Todd O. 1978. "Mallville : mixing uses in the shopping center of the future." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/28795.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2004. Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-113). (cont.) product allows municipalities an alternative strategy for large scale development than simply consenting to the construction of Wal-Marts and power centers. The alignment of private and public interests in the development of mixed-use projects create the potential for an attractive (and rare) win-win situation for developers and cities, alike, and the potential for lasting economic and social value. Changes in consumer preference, supply and public policy are producing momentum for the introduction of new real estate products into suburbia, calling into question the homogeneous propagation of entrenched forms. Suburbs need to be viewed as what they are in some places: underutilized real estate, underbuilt or emerging neighborhoods-ripe for future morphological alterations and untapped economic opportunities. Capitalizing on the potential to improve underutilized land, public willingness to create a sense of place in the suburbs, and the market demand for lifestyle centers and urban housing, developers have created a new product type that recreates the main street feel of a city--in short "Mallville." These mixed-use products have the potential to achieve returns and product differentiation for developers and property owners in an increasingly competitive retail sector, while simultaneously providing municipalities with social benefit. The point of this thesis is not to prognosticate the demise of the shopping mall like some industry critics contend and the website http://dcadmalls.com has made famous, because in reality well-situated, properly managed malls are still very viable and among the strongest performing asset classes in the real estate universe. Instead, this thesis explores the introduction of mixed-use and the development of town centers in suburbia and the incipient evolution of a new product types within the shopping center universe. Embracing innovative new uses such as hotels, museums, city halls and amphitheaters, urban style housing, open space, streetscape, these projects seek to craft new town centers for homogeneous suburban and low-density urban communities, instilling a "sense of place" where, hitherto, none had existed. The mixed-use by Todd O. Lieberman. M.C.P.

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Gooding, Gates. "Assessing the future : the impacts of development on Steamboat Springs, Colorado." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/59724.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2010. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 60-62). The residents of Steamboat Springs, Colorado are continually faced with new propositions for accommodating population growth, but do not possess the proper tools for comparing the potential impacts of different options. In this thesis, I construct four alternative futures for Steamboat Springs, based on realistic potential growth trajectories. Using a visual survey technique and geospatial impact modeling, I then test the impacts of each scenario on five concerns that the community in Steamboat Springs identified as being most important. by Gates Gooding. M.C.P.

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Wong, Kim 1959. "Future development challenges to the anchor tenant orthodoxy in retail centers." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70639.

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Rennert, Lindiwe-Claudia. "Where desparation planning meets reparations planning : transit as an agent of equity in the shaping of Detroit's future." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105053.

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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2016. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 95-99). Black America has been made subject to hatred-fueled mistreatment of near incomparable magnitude and duration for over four centuries of this nation's history. From the shackles of slavery to the systematic disenfranchisement that came with ghettoization and redlining practices by all levels of government, to hair politics, and beyond, Black America is characterized by a people systemically stunted by the country's power majority. These centuries of disenfranchisement are very much felt in the present in Detroit-the country's blackest city by population proportion-as disparities in suffering between blacks and non-blacks in the categories of mortality and unemployment, educational attainment, instances of crime, and property foreclosures are shockingly large. But what role does the planner have in mitigating these injustices and advancing the societal standing of a people structurally wronged? Here it is argued that what is required is a redefining of equity, and the adoption of the professional ideology of Reparations Planning-a set of principles defined in Chapter 1. These ideals are then operationalized an applied to the practice of transit network design. The result of this application is two distinct models, both envisioned for the city of Detroit, whose specific objectives are the provision of increased access to economic opportunity for Black America. These models are then analyzed against the existing condition of mobility in the city as well as against one another. Finally, both networks are visualized in consumer-friendly transit maps and discussed alongside several other fantasy rapid transit proposals for Motor City. This work seeks to recruit planners as soldiers for a battle that must not be waged passively; in Detroit or elsewhere. One that must not be diluted or conflated with the plight of the poor or that of other marginalized groups. Whatever the future of the Black Lives Matter movement may be, it has brought back into mainstream media and dinner table conversation the disparate reality lived by members of the black race in a nation that never welcomed them, has struggled to accept them, and has done all in its power to limit their capacity for greatness. What lies in the following pages is a call to planners to not let the wave that this movement has swelled pass by without mechanizing its potential for forward change. by Lindiwe-Claudia Rennert. M.C.P.

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Massagli, Meegan K. (Meegan Kay) 1974. "E-tail vs. retail : the future of the downtown regional shopping center." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/32193.

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Thesis (M.C.P. and S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2000. Includes bibliographical references (p. 110-112). The proliferation of Internet shopping as a viable retail format has attracted a great deal of media attention about its potential impacts on place-based shopping. Specifically, the growing estimates of online retail sales have caused the real estate industry to become increasingly concerned about the ability of Internet shopping to replace shopping at bricks-and-mortar stores. However, the current research and literature lacks a systematic assessment of the potential impacts of this emerging retail format on the traditional models of shopping. Without such an assessment, planners and real estate professionals will find it difficult to navigate the various claims in the media and are faced with great uncertainty about their traditional practices. This thesis develops a structured approach to explore the potential impacts of e-tailing on place based shopping. The analysis focuses on the downtown regional shopping center as the prototype of study. The value chain concept is applied to disaggregate retailing into its fundamental components and their related real estate connections in order to identify traditional critical success factors of the downtown shopping center. Three additional factors are introduced to the analysis to reflect the changing nature of shopping. To inform the assessment of the potential impact of e-tailing on each factor, literature research and six qualitative interviews with experts from the field of planning, retailing, and real estate were conducted. The analysis showed that Internet shopping will not replace place-based shopping at the downtown regional shopping center but will significantly modify the critical success factors and their relative importance. These changes reveal three themes for the future role of the downtown regional shopping center in the city. The themes are: i) there will be a strong interaction between e-tailing and the downtown shopping center; ii) technology will drive an increased demand for experiential activities in the city; and iii) convenience, task-oriented shopping for goods that require less touch and interaction will be done elsewhere. The thesis concludes with recommendations for planners and real estate professionals on how to address the future role of the downtown shopping center and prepare for the evolution of "e-commerce" into "experiential commerce." by Meegan K. Massagli. M.C.P.and S.M.

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Bradford, Jennifer S. (Jennifer Sutherland). "The future of the industrial community : a case study of Williamsburg's Northside." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/64892.

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Carpenter, J. Matthew (John Matthew). "Reconsidering the working waterfront : strategies for the future of New Bedford, Massachusetts." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/64897.

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Ortiz, Larisalena 1975. "Preserving a pueblo : a plan for the future of Guayama, Puerto Rico." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/69446.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2003. Includes bibliographical references (p. 157-162). Since the 1980's, Puerto Rican development has been marked by low-density automobile-oriented growth, and commercial decentralization. This type of growth has increasingly put Puerto Rico's traditional downtowns, or 'pueblos,' at risk of continued abandonment as people and businesses move to the suburbs. The result has been increased residential and commercial vacancies, a redundancy in physical infrastructure that Puerto Rico can ill afford to support, and the continued loss of natural, architectural and cultural heritage resources. The goal of this thesis is to prevent the further demise of Puerto Rico's pueblos by providing a model for the revitalization of Guayama, Puerto Rico, a community of 45,000 people located about 40 miles south of San Juan, the capital city. Guayama remains one of Puerto Rico's most vibrant pueblos, yet the decline of downtown is unmistakable. Abandoned homes and empty commercial spaces are common. However, Guayama's relative strength compared to other pueblos means it has the potential to lead Puerto Rico in a series of innovative downtown development strategies aimed at reversing this slow decline. Working from analysis of Puerto Rican economic conditions, Guayama's own strengths and weaknesses, and case studies, this thesis culminates in a work plan based on three guiding principles: the preservation and celebration of Guayama's heritage and culture; the support of local businesses, and a better downtown for the pueblo's resident population. This vision is supported through recommendations that develop local institutional capacity and increase local and visitor demand. Institutional capacity, or the ability of local organizations to develop and implement revitalization strategies, forms the backbone of this thesis. Case studies suggest that a downtown coordinator and a relatively independent downtown organization are important components of successful revitalization initiatives. They provide formal opportunities for private sector involvement in local development while simultaneously creating a strong local mechanism for implementation. Guayama's strong cultural heritage and proximity to nature reserves form the foundation for strategies aimed at increasing visitor demand through "Heritage Tourism." Attracting people to the region's numerous cultural and historic sites, many of which are related to the region's sugar cane history, requires close partnerships with local municipalities and commonwealth institutions. A downtown coordinator can also help Guayama lead such a regional partnership initiative. Combining strong institutional capacity with recommendations aimed at increasing local and visitor demand for Guayama's goods and services will result in a pueblo full of energy and vitality, where people continue to live, work, shop and visit. Guayama's success, in turn, will serve as a model for other Puerto Rican pueblos interested in revitalizing their own communities. by Larisalena Ortiz. M.C.P.

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Laws, David W. 1956. "Planning in the shadow of the future : intergenerational ethics and environmental decision-making." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/28196.

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Johnson, Michael George. "Harbor Point and future public housing redevelopment : insight into the minds of residents." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67511.

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Wilson, Michael Thomas Ph D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Mapping under uncertainity : spatial politics, urban development, and the future of coastal flood risk." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/120237.

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Thesis: Ph. D. in Urban and Regional Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2018. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 283-311). Flooding is the most common and single largest source of disaster-caused property damage in the United States. The past year, 2017, was the costliest for weather and climate disasters in US history. To mitigate these losses, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Flood Insurance Program produce Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) that often provide the most comprehensive and authoritative flood hazard information for a community. Despite reform efforts for greater map accuracy, spatial politics may render the computationally efficient 100- year floodplain delineation of questionable effectiveness, equity, and legitimacy for long-term land use planning. Given changing coastal flooding and sea level rise, how can risk mapping inform and improve future urban development? The dissertation: (1) positions flood mapping in the larger context of urban risk computation; (2) chronicles and statistically analyzes the nationwide map adoption process; (3) uses spatial analysis, document review, semi-structured interviews, and grounded theory to identify how these updates are proxies for nonstationary flood risk in Plymouth County, MA and New York City, NY; (4) compiles a novel survey of recent large-scale development decisionmaking in Boston, and (5) pilots a probabilistic indicator that models project-level flood risk information. I observe that the differences in location, wealth, and race between counties are associated with varying FIRM adoption process durations as well as whether a county may appeal and receive revised maps. I argue that coastal communities with sociopolitical clout can bend the process of computational risk assessment, through either contestation or collaboration over risk classification. I find the planning information shock of updated maps, however, is a largely insufficient signal to change developer behavior. Therefore, I pioneer the Future Flood Resilience Indicator (FFRI) as a decision support tool for developers to understand the long-term flood risk of their proposed development projects and planners to ascertain the impact of their policies. In conclusion, the dissertation provides policy makers with: (1) new data on how map adoption is not a purely scientific and technical process, (2) further evidence that the current 100- year flood standard is inadequate, and (3) resilience-building tools for land use planning. by Michael Thomas Wilson. Ph. D. in Urban and Regional Planning

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Ivanov, Josselyn. "Drinking fountains : the past and future of free public water in the United States." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/99098.

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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2015. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 143-150). Drinking fountains have a rich history as pieces of urban infrastructure in the United States. Installed in prominent public squares to reduce disease, help the poor, and promote a temperance agenda, early American drinking fountains often fulfilled dual roles as public art and functional public good. But today's drinking fountains, when installed at all, are purely utilitarian: undesigned in terms of both form and urban placement. Shoved between bathrooms and trashcans and usually broken, drinking fountains have fallen on hard times in the public realm. Many Americans express skepticism of public water sources, reflecting underlying attitudes about distrust of government and public infrastructure. There are compelling reasons to rethink our relationship with drinking fountains. Today, the United States confronts a new set of challenges: neglected urban spaces, lifestyle-related disease, privatization of public goods, socio-economic inequality, and plastic pollution. Drinking fountains may be uniquely suited to help confront these problems by cutting down on bottle waste, providing accessible water for homeless populations, reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, facilitating exercise, and adding interest and beauty to public spaces - but they will only be able to achieve these goals through thoughtful design and maintenance. In surveys, people were more likely to drinking from outdoor drinking fountains if they believed that they were clean, safe, and beautiful; the importance of appeal in decision-making has been understood by corporations like Coca-Cola for decades, but has been little-considered in promoting public water. Further, drinking fountains, seemingly insignificant urban elements, are key indicators of cultural attitudes about the public good: do we care only for ourselves and our families, or do we pool our resources and work together to bring benefits to the entire community? Addressing the problems in current American drinking fountains and drinking fountain perceptions could elevate them to address some of today's most pressing problems. by Josselyn Ivanov. M.C.P.

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Khorshed, Mirette. "Cairo's new administrative capital Wedian City : lessons from the past and for the future." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/108955.

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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2017. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 118-122). The Egyptian government's announcement in 2015 of its plans to construct a New Administrative capital, to be known as Wedian City, is the latest example in a recurrent pattern of announced administrative relocations and satellite cities being constructed on the outskirts of Cairo. Previous relocations and new cities, planned to be self-sufficient and independent have only been partially successful, and in most cases remain reliant on the city or have now merged into the original city. As plans move forward towards the development of the new Administrative Capital - this thesis examines the socio-economic, political and historical context in which this project has been announced and the urban context in which it is being implemented. Furthermore, it hopes to critically assess some of the advantages and disadvantages of the development based on the initial released documents. Also, it attempts to draw conclusions and lessons from this proposal and the experience of other cities that may guide future phases of the project and aid in the assessment of possible future initiatives both locally and internationally. The announcement and current move forward with the proposal for Wedian City is an opportunity to analyze a wide cross-section of topics pertaining to national, city planning challenges of both old and new cities in Egypt. Due to the scale and nature through which the project was placed into implementation, the proposal touches on various urban design topics and elements at various scales and levels. Upon a closer look at the proposal the project poses concerns if not addressed. Furthermore, since urban design is in many ways a tangible representation of current planning processes, and a physical transformation of the current state of affairs, conditions and priorities, the urban design of the new proposal will be given special attention within the context of the greater urban planning context. In order to promote improved urban design outcome, based on previous experience, this thesis concludes and recommends additional considerations with regard to long-terms sustainability measures, more accurate outcome-oriented socio-economic accounting, and the integrated development of land-uses and urban components. The thesis uses the five principles of Good City Form proposed by Kevin Lynch throughout the process to improve key elements of vitality, sense, fit, access and control. by Mirette Khorshed. M.C.P.

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Jiang, Shan Ph D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Deciphering human activities in complex urban systems : mining big data for sustainable urban future." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/101369.

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Thesis: Ph. D. in Urban and Regional Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2015. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 187-200). "Big Data" is in vogue, and the explosion of urban sensors, mobile phone traces, and other windows onto urban activities has generated much hype about the advent of a new 'urban science.' However, translating such Big Data into a planning-relevant understanding of activity patterns and travel behavior presents a number of obstacles. This dissertation examines some of these obstacles and develops data processing pipelines and urban activity modeling techniques that can complement traditional travel surveys and facilitate the development of richer models of activity patterns and land use-transportation interactions. This study develops methods and tests their usefulness by using Singapore metropolitan area as an example, and employing data mining and statistical learning methods to distill useful spatiotemporal information on human activities by people and by place from traditional travel survey data, semantically enriched GIS data, massive and passive call detail records (CDR) data, and Wi-Fi augmented mobile positioning data. I illustrate that regularity and heterogeneity exist in individuals' daily activity patterns in the metropolitan area. I test the hypothesis that by characterizing and clustering individuals' activity profiles, and incorporating them into household decision choice models, we can characterize household lifestyles in ways that enhance our understanding and enable us to predict important decision-making processes within the urban system. I also demonstrate ways of integrating Big Data with traditional data sources in order to identify human mobility patterns, urban structures, and semantic themes of places reflected by human activities. Finally, I discuss how the enriched understanding about cities, human mobility, activity, and behavior choices derived from Big Data can make a difference in land use planning, urban growth management, and transportation policies. by Shan Jiang. Ph. D. in Urban and Regional Planning

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Ware, Bridget Letticè. "Banking on the future : the role of bank community development corporations in community development." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/78092.

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Harol, Kristen M. (Kristen Margaret) 1968. "Enduring history : the struggle to control the future of Houston's oldest African American neighborhood." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/9784.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1999. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-118). The recent history of Freedmen's Town, Houston's oldest African American community and one of the city's most contested spaces, is explored. For the past twenty years, developers, mayors and downtown business interests have pushed for the redevelopment of Freedmen's Town, one of the poorest and most run-down sections of the city and located in the shadow of downtown. The various strategies used by the city to stimulate and control development and by residents to prevent the city's interventions and attain community control are investigated. Research was conducted in the manuscript collections of the Metropolitan Research Center at Houston's Public Library, and interviews were conducted with developers, residents, activists and public officials. by Kristen M. Harol. M.C.P.

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Mani, Minakshi S. (Minakshi Subrahmanyam) 1963. "The future of the past : on conserving the Mellah of Rabat, Morocco." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68338.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning; and, (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1998. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-90). This thesis examines the approach to urban conservation in the Jewish Quarter or Mellah in Rabat, Morocco. It addresses the complexities of conservation in a diverse society in a developing country. It explores how a view of the past affects the conservation rationale and argues for re-evaluating the approach to the past in evolving a plan. Through a comparison of the Rabat Mellah and other cases of urban conservation, the thesis will emphasize the need for both context sensitivity and integration with development strategies. The municipality of Rabat has initiated a proposal for. the rehabilitation of the Medina. Since its problems are more acute, the Mellah is treated separately. Rehabilitation and restoration of the existing urban fabric raises the issue of dealing with the past and future of this quarter. The proposal acknowledges the Mellah's historic importance but relates it neither to the restoration of the urban fabric nor to its future maintenance. Would preserving the Mellah as an irreplaceable monument best serve to represent, communicate and maintain its historical importance and urban character? Its conservation is further complicated by the fact that, except for three families on the outskirts, its original Jewish residents no longer inhabit the Mellah. The conservation of the Mellah has to have meaning for its current residents while respecting the memory of the Jews that it was originally built for. The patterns of change over the previous ten years are used to predict a scenario of the Mellah ten years hence, both with and without the intervention of the proposal. The case studies in this analysis highlight the necessity of including preservation within the larger urban development framework. The broader issue of imposing a universal set of values and single approach over different historic and cultural frameworks is critically discussed. Finally, an alternative set of principles is proposed and applied to a path of action for the Mellah of Rabat. by Minakshi S. Mani. M.S. M.C.P.

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Lee, Vivienne H. 1976. "Youth credit unions : investing in the future of our communities with the youth of today." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68396.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2003. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-105). Youth credit unions have emerged in the United States as a relatively new and innovative community youth development program. It is a twist of youth development and financial literacy. The basic idea of a youth credit union is to develop financial and leadership skills of young people through youth savings accounts, financial literacy education, asset development opportunities, and professional/personal development skills. These services are often administered by community development credit unions that partner with schools, faith-based institutions, or local community development organizations. The concept behind youth credit unions is to provide young people with the skills and wealth necessary to mature into healthy and financially self-sufficient adults. This thesis discusses three case studies of youth credit union programs in Ithaca, New York, Seattle, Washington, and Marks, Mississippi and applies the lessons learned from these programs to evaluate the effectiveness of their program designs. The cases were assessed based on four key considerations: 1) How many youth are impacted or benefiting from the program? 2) Are the programs servicing underserved or underrepresented groups? 3) Is there a certain scale that needs to be achieved to make this type of program worthwhile for the youth and the community development credit union? 4) Do youth credit unions effectively address financial literacy within the activities of the program? The findings resulted in recommendations of basic criteria necessary for an effective youth credit union program and support the need for additional research to evaluate the impacts of this program on improving the personal, professional, and financial health of young adults. by Vivienne H. Lee. M.C.P.

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Barba, Damm Fausto M. (Fausto Miguel). "Design and development of future beach destinations : lessons learned from Acapulco, Aruba, Cancun and Costa Smeralda." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/71449.

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Brady, Alexander F. (Alexander Foster). "Buyouts and beyonds : politics, planning, and the future of Staten Island's East Shore after superstorm Sandy." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/98926.

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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2015. This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 113-125). In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, two separate, federally funded programs began purchasing storm-damaged homes from voluntary sellers in the low-lying, working-class communities of Staten Island's East Shore. New York State's, offered in three specific, geographically bounded neighborhoods, requires that the land procured be preserved as open space. The City's acquires any substantially damaged properties, with the goal of redeveloping them as more resilient housing. I began my research by asking why these parallel and sometimes competing programs had been established for the East Shore. What I uncovered was a deeply political, ad-hoc process resulting from a complex series of interactions between and among residents and their elected officials, each lobbying for their own priorities. While I explore this process in depth, I also pursue additional questions suggested by my findings. I was consistently told that each program's primary goal was to meet residents' immediate needs; thus, each was designed to respond to individuals or groups of homeowners, rather address the community as a whole. Yet when they were announced, each was also framed in terms of future land use: with the State's to create "buffer" areas protecting inland neighborhoods, and the City's providing an opportunity to rethink the East Shore's small lots, narrow streets, and insufficient infrastructure, a legacy of its history as a community of summer bungalows. Now that the government has begun to acquire land, however, these future-oriented goals have encountered numerous challenges-from disagreements over the appropriate agency to own and maintain the open space, to a potential loss of one of the few areas of the city providing an affordable homeownership option. In this context, I examine the post-Sandy planning processes that did take place in New York and their relationship to the acquisition programs, in comparison to similar planning and acquisition processes in New Orleans, LA and Cedar Rapids, IA. Ultimately, and particularly in light of the slow process of disbursing federal aid, I ask whether an engaged, participatory planning process is really a barrier to meeting immediate needs, or whether a properly designed process can yield better outcomes for both the victims of disaster and the neighborhoods they leave behind. by Alexander F. Brady. M.C.P.

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Byun, Joon Ho 1965, and Tommy Shih-I. 1973 Chao. "The securitization of the real estate market in Korea : future impacts to the Korean real estate market." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/64906.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1999. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-68). The real estate policy of the Korean government had until recently only focused on restraining speculative investment in the real estate market, which was the prevalent consensus in the country in the 1970's and the 1980's. These strict measures in the real estate market have been a serious obstacle to the government, in their active efforts to gain foreign capital in order to overcome the economic crisis since the International Monetary Fund $55 billion bailout to the Korean government. During the Asian crisis, both large institutional companies and small businesses went bankrupt due to financial distress caused by over-leverage. Consequently, the government has changed the paradigm of real estate policies on the basis of a free market principle, and has completely opened the real estate market to foreign investors in order to solve some of the current financial problems and to provide a momentum to redevelop the Korean economy. As part of the ongoing effort to stabilize the Korea economy, securitization in the real estate market is inevitable. In this thesis, the securitization efforts undertaken by the government will be examined to infer their future impacts on the real estate market of Korea. With the first issuance of asset backed-securities (ABS) by the Korea Asset Management Corporation (KAMCO), a resolution trust formed by the Korean government to liquidate non-performing loans, the outlook of the Korean economy is positive yet with a degree of uncertainty. In addition, the introduction of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and real estate investment trusts (REITs) could have a profound effect on the Korean financial markets. by Joon Ho Byun and Tommy Shih-I Chao. S.M.

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Cohen, Alexander Nobler 1979. "Public transportation is not going to work : non-work travel markets for the future of mass transit." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/16620.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2004. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 195-201). This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. For public transportation agencies to attract new riders in an automobile-dominated environment, niche markets must be targeted. The downtown journey to work is already recognized as a successful niche for transit. This thesis seeks to identify non-work travel markets with strong ridership potential. Nationwide data sources indicate that about half of all transit trips in the largest US cities are non-work trips, and that non-work travel has contributed to transit ridership growth in 13 of 20 large US cities. Based on these findings, St. Louis and Chicago are selected as cases for further analysis. St. Louis is the successful case, in which non-work travel contributed to overall ridership growth in the 1990's. Chicago is the baseline case, in which overall ridership declined in the 1990's, with no evidence of growth in non-work ridership. Detailed case studies of St. Louis and Chicago are conducted. First, an overview is presented, providing a description of transit routes; a profile of transit riders; and an understanding of recent ridership changes. Next, non-work ridership markets are identified, based on original analysis of travel survey data and off-peak ridership data. Finally, the characteristics of those markets are reviewed, based on secondary sources, press articles, and existing market research. This is done in order to evaluate the benefits of providing transit service to each market, and the effectiveness of current transit service to each market. Five non-work travel markets are identified in the case studies as strong sources of ridership. (cont.) These markets are: tourists; large events; shopping; younger adults without children, living in urban areas; and people who prefer not to own cars. To pursue non-work ridership growth, transit agencies must be proactive about improving service to meet the unique needs of these markets. Doing so can yield a variety of social, political, and economic benefits for the transit agency, transit riders, and the general public. In conclusion, recommendations are offered for effective transit service to each non-work travel market. General recommendations are offered, as well as specific applications to the Chicago Transit Authority and to Tren Urbano in San Juan, Puerto Rico. by Alexander Nobler Cohen. M.C.P.

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Milles, Margretta 1969. "Large-scale urban mixed-use development projects : recent trends in sources of financing, prospects for the future." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/36675.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1999. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-51). Large-scale urban mixed-use projects continue to be among the most interesting and complicated forms of real estate development. Understanding the barriers in obtaining financing to them, as well as how trends and changes in the real estate capital markets over the past decade have affected their financing is the main purpose of this thesis. Major barriers to obtaining financing in the 1990s included substantially larger equity requirements than in the 1980s, entity design and single property type focus of REITs, and diversification, loan size, and standardization of process of CMBS. Consolidation and segmentation trends in commercial banking were evident, however their effects on financing opportunities were unclear at the time of this study. Trends and changes in the capital markets during the 1990s have created a context for financing real estate projects that is quite different than that of the 1980s. Overall, lenders are much less aggressive than in the 1980s and volatility and a focus on liquidity and standardization are now important. The real estate capital markets of the 1990s offer many more options, contain many more players, and have become much more sophisticated and complex. The approaches to financing large-scale urban mixed-use development projects being taken by the three companies considered illustrate how financing in the 1990s seems to be less project specific and involve a longer-term strategy because capital sources often are financing organizations more than projects. They have adapted to, and leveraged, the changes in the real estate capital markets of the 1990s by employing strategies that include the greater use of equity, sharing of ownership, and use of securitized equity and debt. Public sector involvement in large-scale urban mixed-use projects is still an important component and likely will continue to be, as well as the participation of large private institutional investors such as life insurance companies and pension funds. by Margretta Milles. S.M.

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Wolter, John Charles. "Developing a business plan for Milwaukee Mutual Insurance Company : existing and future real estate investment and development activity." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/78954.

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Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1986. MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. Includes bibliographical references. by John Charles Wolter. M.S.

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Shin, Stephanie H. "Planning for a multi-generational future : policies, regulations, and designs for multi-generational housing in the United States." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/73825.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2012. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 70-74). Multi-generational housing is a rising trend that is increasingly being considered as a viable housing option for the Boomerang generation, Baby Boomers and the aging population, and immigrant families. Cultural preferences, socio-economic factors, and the increasing availability of kin all contribute to people's decisions to live in multi-generational housing arrangements. However, the current housing landscape is inundated with suburban, single-family homes and a nuclear-family centered homebuilding industry and dominant culture in the United States does not match multi-generational housing needs. This thesis examines how planning professionals and practitioners may encourage more multi-generational housing opportunities as a way to age in place, live more efficiently in terms of space and finances, and meet demand that is largely being overlooked by developers and the existing housing opportunities of today. After a brief history of multi-generational housing in a U.S. context and the factors that contributed to both its decline post- World War 11 and its more recent resurgence, several different typologies are documented through interviews and case studies. The thesis ends with an examination of the largest barriers to the creation of more multi-generational housing, such as zoning and the disincentive to take on the risk of non-traditional development, and proposes recommendations to planners on how to overcome these challenges with planning interventions. The conclusion proposes and outlines the steps that can be taken following the completion of this thesis, including the creation of a practical guide or manual for planners on multi-generational housing that can be distributed to planners, organizations focused on the aging population, groups working to promote intergenerational activities and interaction, and other interested parties as a resource and how-to guide. by Stephanie H. Shin. M.C.P.

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Little, Kristin S. 1968. "Incorporating the past into one's future : a framework for conservation and economic development in Guayaquil, Ecuador." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68356.

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Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture; and, (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1999. Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-112). Conservation and revitalization efforts in Latin America have been typically centered on the preservation of individual monuments and historic buildings. This approach has recently led to the development of more integrated revitalization plans that begin by seeking to conserve the area as a whole. This thesis presents an outsider's observation of the situation in the Las Penas neighborhood of Guayaquil. Ecuador from a two-point perspective planning and architecture. Using case studies and site-based observations, this thesis proposes elements to be considered in creating a framework for future development by the residents and planners of a Las Penas. These elements are distilled into several guiding policy and design principles with the goal of achieving the greatest collective benefit. In contrast to prescriptive development guidelines common to revitalization plans, this thesis presents local residents and planners with a palette of guiding policy and design principles intended to inform their own creation of a dynamic framework for the transformation of their neighborhood, Las Penas. by Kristin S. Little. M.C.P. M. Arch.

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Fernandez, Martinez Marcela 1965, and Anthony James 1963 Simboli. "The history and evolution of the residential mortgage market in Mexico : a look at its future." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/34698.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture; and, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1998. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-98). Research was conducted in Mexico in order to determine the size, future growth and current status of the Mexican residential mortgage market, and to assess the potential for securitization. Securitization offers good prospects of liquifying the mortgage loans enabling these funds to be reinvested into the housing market. In the long run, securitization can also attract other sources of capital, both foreign and domestic, to the housing market. The key elements of structuring these securities lie in the underwriting standards and loan origination systems that are effectuated. Poor origination and collecting practices will hinder the success of securitization. The development of an efficient primary market would facilitate the sale of loans in the secondary market, increasing capital flow efficiencies. Interviews with private and Federal authorities confirmed that securitization is being actively pursued and encouraged by the Mexican government. Some of the important questions to be answered are; how quickly can the primary market be developed, what impact will the new foreclosure laws have on recovery rates, what demand will the domestic markets have for these securities, and how quickly can foreign investment be attracted. But at this moment, the most important question to be answered is to what degree the government should be involved in developing the secondary market. It was found that FOVI will be further developed to act as an originating agency since it is currently one of the only sources of funding for residential mortgages in Mexico. The immediate future for securitizing mortgages rests on the precedent set by these new FOVI loans. by Marcela Fernandez Martinez and Anthony James Simboli. S.M.

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Montoya, Luis D. (Luis Daniel). "The road still not taken : how combined heat and power can contribute to a sustainable energy future in Massachusetts." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44341.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 50-56). In order to address rising energy costs and global climate change, Massachusetts has adopted greenhouse gas reduction goals and implemented programs and policies to promote the clean and efficient use of energy. Despite these efforts, however, the rate of development of distributed generation (DG) in the state pales in comparison to that of traditional centralized generation facilitates. DG is the production of electricity at or near the location where it will be used. Instead of relying on power generated at large, centrally located facilities and distributed over long transmission lines, DG customers use small, modular generators to produce the power they use. DG units can generate electricity using wind turbines, solar panels, fuel cells, gas powered microturbines or other combustion engines. One class of DG, combined heat and power (CHP), has the immediate potential to accelerate DG growth and drastically improve the efficiency of electricity production. But technical and regulatory barriers associated with interconnection to the electricity grid and general project management challenges inhibit the wide-scale development of CHP. This thesis argues that although Massachusetts has worked hard to bring together members of the public and private sectors to address multiple barriers to DG, specific technical, regulatory, and logistical barriers continue to hinder the ability of Massachusetts energy customers to realize the potential economic and environmental benefits of DG, and CHP specifically. Case studies of CHP projects in Massachusetts are used to illustrate the variety of barriers facing potential CHP customers in the state and how public policy interventions can address those barriers. by Luis D. Montoya. M.C.P.

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Emmitt, Kathryn Courtney. "Past, present and future : evaluating the Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit as a tool for promoting historic preservation and economic development." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/45371.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-100). The first half of the 20th century saw very little interest in the preservation of historic properties; indeed, much of the nation's historic building stock was at risk of being lost forever, as the pressures of mid-century urban renewal threatened the historic city center, while historic buildings in suburban and rural communities across America were seen as outmoded, expendable, and too expensive to maintain. The creation of the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentive in 1976 did much to change this dire situation, breathing new life into our nation's aging built heritage, making preservation an attractive and profitable option for developers and government alike. During the thirty-plus years since it was put into action, the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit, along with analogous rehabilitation tax credit programs at the state level, have played a significant role in saving thousands of historic buildings by providing an appealing incentive to do so. In 2003, the Massachusetts legislature signed into law its own such program, the Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (MAHRTC). With its stated goals to promote historic preservation and economic development in the Commonwealth, the MAHRTC provides an income tax credit equal to up to 20% of eligible costs of approved rehabilitation to income-producing properties. Since its introduction four years ago, the program has already received a lot of attention, but has yet to undergo the careful review that it deserves. (cont.) This thesis puts the MAHRTC under the proverbial microscope, revealing its plus points as well as its flaws; it provides an in-depth analysis of the MAHRTC as policy, including an examination of its procedural administration, and the decision making processes behind the program's initial development and subsequent evolution; it evaluates the MAHRTC's ability to increase preservation activity in the Commonwealth; and finally, the thesis proposes recommendations to enhance the program's capacity to attain its stated goals. by Kathryn Courtney Emmitt. M.C.P.

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Christofidou, Elena Christou. "Nicosia, the divided capital of Cyprus : a look at its present and future using the comparative study of Berlin and Jerusalem." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/14982.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1986. MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH Vita. Bibliography: leaves 193-194. by Elena Christou Christofidou. M.C.P.

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Padilla, Sandra. "When the train comes : exploring the use of property and land acquisition funds to ensure affordability in future transit station areas." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/59762.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2010. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 94-97). Living in walkable, transit-accessible neighborhoods has many economic, health and social advantages. Yet, as demand for housing in this type of neighborhood increases, low-income people already living in or who would like to live in these areas can be "priced out" of these desirable locations. Planners, policy makers and advocacy organizations recognize this situation and have identified a standard set of tools that can be used to help produce and protect affordable housing near transit. Nevertheless, these are not always sufficient for the policy, financial and bureaucratic hurdles that must be overcome to develop affordable housing near transit. Over the past decade, a growing number of partnerships made up of non-profit organizations, private foundations, and public agencies have turned to Transit - Oriented Development (TOD) land acquisition funds to preemptively preserve affordability in future transit station areas. This thesis examines the role of land acquisition within the array of tools for preserving affordability near transit through three case studies: Denver FastTracks, Atlanta BeltLine, and the Boston Fairmount Corridor. Through these case studies and researching this practice, I shed light on the vital role that land acquisition can play in the effort to ensure affordability near new transit investment. by Sandra Padilla. M.C.P.

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Bornstein, Ethan S. 1973. "The future of the timeshare industry : will the brands dominate? : A summary of the vacation ownership industry and an analysis of the advantages that the brands have over smaller independent developers." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/32225.

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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2002. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-44). The timeshare industry has transformed since its introduction to the United States nearly thirty years ago. Suffering from its early beginnings of dubious business practices and negative consumer perception, timesharing has evolved into a credible and growing source to the real estate industry. The concept of timeshare, at its simplest level, is dividing up condominium style residences into weekly increments, commonly referred to as intervals, which are sold to consumers in perpetuity or for a period of time. Timesharing has experienced explosive growth reaching four billion dollars in U.S sales in 2001 with compounded annual growth of over fourteen percent during the past twenty years. Over eighty-five percent of all timeshare owners are satisfied with their purchases. It is estimated that less than two percent of the U.S population own timeshares. With the convergence of the baby-boomer generation fueled with disposable income to spend on vacation experiences, the potential for growth is enormous. Industry insiders and the public mainly credit growth and consumer acceptance of timesharing due to the entry of large branded companies such as Marriott, Starwood, Disney, and Hilton. These companies have brought a degree of credibility and innovation to the industry that was lacking in the earlier part of its existence. Today, the industry is dominated by smaller independent companies who account for seventy-five percent of the market, but the brands continue to increase their market share. Will the timeshare industry mimic the consolidation of the hotel industry thirty years ago? This thesis paper will synthesize the pertinent aspects of the timeshare industry in order to establish a framework for those readers unfamiliar with the industry. It will also investigate and analyze the key reasons and competitive advantages that brands have over smaller independent developers. The thesis concludes that brands will dominate the timeshare industry due to five key factors: credibility/quality/ brand awareness; financial and economic advantages; sales and marketing; liquidity and flexibility; and consolidation. by Ethan S. Bornstein. S.M.

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Rayle, Lisa (Lisa Michelle). "Telling the future together : the potential of collaborative scenario-building in the transformation of urban governance in Portugal." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/61570.

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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning; and, (S.M. in Transportation)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2010. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-143). In cities worldwide, the geographic and functional mismatch between urban governance structures and the actual dynamics of urban activities has hindered efforts to achieve sustainable and equitable development at the metropolitan scale. Overcoming this mismatch requires coordination between typically fragmented government agencies-and this coordination requires inter-organizational collaboration. In Portugal, the twin challenges of declining urban centers and sprawling suburbs, combined with the absence of a metropolitan planning structure, have heightened the importance of inter-agency collaboration, especially in terms of land use and transportation. In contrast to typical studies of policy integration, which tend to focus on barriers to collaboration, in this thesis I examine forces which contribute to its emergence. I consider two questions: first, what conditions and factors have actually led to inter-organizational collaboration in the Portuguese context? Second, what is the potential for a particular scenario-building process to lead to further collaboration among those who participated? Study of existing collaborative arrangements reveals five conditions which appear to contribute to the emergence of collaboration. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of scenario-building workshops conducted with stakeholders in Portugal suggests that these exercises have increased the likelihood of the future collaboration among participants to a small degree. Finally, recognizing that collaboration is necessary, but not sufficient, for better metropolitan-level development, I suggest ways in which government policy can take advantage of pro-collaboration forces. by Lisa Rayle. S.M.in Transportation M.C.P.

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Goldschagg, Paul. "Airport noise in South Africa : prediction models and their effect on land-use planning /." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1292.

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Hope, Alex. "Greener homes for the future? : sustainability in PFI local authority social housing." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2011. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/5667/.

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The United Kingdom is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050 as part of a strategy to mitigate climate change. As housing is responsible for approximately 26 percent of all UK carbon emissions, housing carbon reduction is a key component in meeting this target. Local Authorities are faced with the problem of how to improve the quality of existing housing stock, provide additional social housing to meet increasing demand, and cutting emissions from both new and existing housing stock. The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) is being used as a means to deliver new and refurbished social housing using private, rather than public capital, and is expected to enable the delivery of sustainable, rented homes. However there have been concerns about the use of the PFI model to deliver public sector housing which meet sustainability goals. The overall aim of this thesis is to examine whether the UK’s Public Finance Initiative (PFI) can achieve the procurement of sustainable social housing. In order to address this aim, the study considers the technical and contextual issues that affect sustainability in PFI housing projects, focussing specifically on one such project in the North East of England. With regard to the technical issues, the research introduces a methodological tool that has been developed to assess the sustainability of PFI housing projects. It is envisioned that the tool will be useful for assessing the sustainability of other housing projects procured under a public private partnership arrangement. The contextual issues are examined by means of an ethnographic study carried out from within North Tyneside Councils PFI procurement team over a period of 2 years. The results of the study suggest that the PFI procurement model can be used to deliver sustainable housing, but is currently hampered by a lack of skills, knowledge and understanding. These problems are particularly acute at the project management and governance level within the procuring local authority. The study identifies the need for clear guidance on incorporating sustainability into the procurement of PFI projects. It also recommends the use of appropriate tools to assess the sustainability of plans and build capacity within local authority procurement teams.

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Munoz-Marquez, Trujillo Rafael Arturo. "Future climate change impacts on the boreal forest in northwestern Ontario. Implications for the forestry sector and the local community." Thesis, University of Waterloo, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10012/1002.

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A large body of research has documented evidence of climate change impact already occurring on different systems on earth, future impacts can be expected. Accordingly, research is urgently needed to analyze the potential impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems in order to contribute to better landscape planning and management. This thesis investigates how climate change affects landscape change, and how to use this understanding in the analysis of land-use and landscape planning and management to adapt to climate change impacts. In particular, this study examines how climate change may impact a managed forest in terms of timber availability, and the regional community that relies on it for its survival. I hypothesized that the Boreal forest in north western Ontario will change in the short term (i. e. 60 years) in species composition and will produce less available timber as a result of human-induced climate change as modeled by different General Circulation Models plus harvesting, compared to a baseline climate. The study objectives were (a) to evaluate the degree of change in land cover (species composition) under forest harvesting and various climate change scenarios; (b) to analyze timber availability under different climate change scenarios, and harvesting; (c) to describe possible scenarios of land cover change as a result of climate change impact and harvesting to assist in policy-making related to land-use and landscape planning; and (d) to identify possible sources of both land-use conflicts and synergies as a result of changes in landscape composition caused by climate change. The study area was the Dog-River Matawin forest in north western Ontario (? 8 x 104 ha). It is currently under harvesting. I used the Boreal Forest Landscape Dynamic Simulator (BFOLDS) fire model to simulate landscape change under different climate change scenarios (CCSRNIES A21, CGCM2 A22), which were then compared to simulations under a baseline climate scenario (1961-1990). I also developed an algorithm for the geographic information systems Arc View©, that selected useful stands, and simulated harvesting and regeneration rules after logging, processes not currently included in BFOLDS. The studied period covered 60 years to analyze impacts in the medium term in the landscape change. Results obtained were the following. (1) There will be a shortage in timber availability under all scenarios including the baseline. The impacts of climate change will cause a deficit in timber availability much earlier under a warmer scenario with respect to the baseline. The combined impact of climate change and harvesting could diminish timber availability up to 35% compared to the baseline by year 2040 under the CCSRNIES A21 scenario mainly due to an increase in fires. Deficits will occur 10 years before in the same scenario compared to the baseline (by year 2035). (2) In both scenarios and the baseline, there will be a younger forest. In 60 years, there will not be mature forest to support ecological, social and economic processes, as the forest will only have young stands. (3) Results obtained indicated that species composition will not change importantly among the scenarios of climate change and the baseline every decade, but there will be a change in dominance along the 60 years of the simulation under each scenario including the baseline. Softwood increased in dominance and hardwood decreased in all scenarios. The period length used in the simulation of 60 years appeared to be too short to reveal conspicuous changes in species composition. Increases observed in softwood over hardwood related to the increase in fires which promoted the establishment of species such as jack pine as well as the application of regeneration rules after logging. This finding did not agree with the hypothesis. Results of timber availability were consistent with what I expected. Warmest climate change scenarios (CCSRNIES A21) impacted both the amount of timber available (less availability every ten years) from the beginning of the simulation and the time when deficits occurred. There are important economic, social and environmental implications of the results of this study, namely a future forest that would be young and would supply much less timber. For the forestry industry, production goals would be hindered in the medium term, falling short of industry demands. For a society that depends heavily upon the forest to survive, declining production can imply unemployment, thus affecting the welfare of the community. For the environment, such a young, fragmented forest could be unable to sustain important key species and ecological processes, leading to a loss of biodiversity, Land-use and landscape planning should be used to regulate how the land is used to minimize climate change impact. They should be further used as adaptation tools, to help in ameliorate those climate change impacts that do occur.

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Mackenzie, Andrew G. "A socio-economic impact assessment of the future closure of a diamond mine in Namaqualand, South Africa : planning for mine closure a decade in advance." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17326.

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Bibliography: pages 56-7. De Beers Namaqualand Mines (DBNM) have appointed the Environmental Evaluation Unit to undertake an impact assessment of mine closure. According to recent estimates DBNM anticipate that their diamond mining operations in Namaqualand will have to be closed in approximately ten years time. DBNM requested that the study focus on the socio-economic implications of mine closure within the regional context of Namaqualand and not the broader context of South Africa. It is anticipated that the results and recommendations of the study will be used by DBNM in planning for mine closure. The aims and objectives of the study are: 1) To assess the socio-economic consequences of future mine closure. 2) To recommend actions that will mitigate the impacts of mine closure. The aims and objectives of this report are to: 1) Fulfil the academic requirements of the degree. 2) Assess and evaluate information collected during the data collection phase of this project (contained in the Baseline Information Report) and to present these findings clearly and concisely, highlighting significant impacts and options for mitigation. 3) To communicate these findings in a way as would make them useful to both the client as the decision-maker and the interested and affected parties.

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Cannon, Melissa Lynn. "Challenges, Experiences, and Future Directions of Senior Centers Serving the Portland Metropolitan Area." Thesis, Portland State University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3712154.

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A growing body of research emphasizes the development of an understanding of the relationship between older adults and their physical and social environments (Wahl & Weisman, 2003). Researchers, planners, policymakers, and community residents have been increasingly interested in shaping urban environments as places that foster active aging and independence among older adults. Senior centers have served a critical role in their communities as focal points for older adults, as individuals or in groups, to participate in services and activities that support their independence and encourage their involvement in and with the community (NCOA, 1979). The aging of the population and influx of baby boomers into the older demographic, along with declines in participation rates and funding, are challenging senior center staff to be innovative and adaptive in order to demonstrate senior centers’ relevance to future older adults while maintaining the programming and services for their current participants. This research is a multiple-case study of five unique senior centers located throughout the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon. Different types and models of senior centers are represented by the selected cases, as they operate under different governance structures and vary in aspects such as administration, funding, participant characteristics, community partnerships, transportation options, physical environments, and range of services and programs offered. This study aims to better understand challenges, strengths, and future directions for different types of senior centers serving a metropolitan area. Data collection at each site included interviews with staff as well as focus groups with senior center participants. Interviews with key informants enriched the findings and provided outside perspectives of senior center experiences. Data analysis revealed challenges and strengths that were common across and unique to the different senior centers in this study. This research contributes to the literature in urban studies, community development, and gerontology by exploring potential opportunities for urban senior centers to adapt and continue to serve older adults. Recommendations were developed for how senior centers might capitalize on these opportunities and for how their communities might provide mechanisms of support to facilitate the continuation and contributions of senior centers in metropolitan areas.

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Dernbach, Rafael Karl. "Anticipatory realism : constructions of futures and regimes of prediction in contemporary post-cinematic art." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2019. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/289021.

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This thesis examines strategies of anticipation in contemporary post-cinematic art. In the Introduction and the first chapter, I make the case for anticipation as a cultural technique for the construction of and adjustment to future scenarios. This framing allows analysis of constructions of futures as culturally and media-historically specific operations. Via anticipation, constructions of futures become addressable as embedded in specific performative and material economies: as regimes of prediction. The hypothesis is that cultural techniques of anticipation do not only serve to construct particular future scenarios, but also futurity, the very condition for the construction of futures. Drawing upon the philosophical works of, in particular, Vilem Flusser, Jacques Derrida and Elena Esposito, and the theory of cultural techniques, I conceptualize anticipation through the analysis of post-cinematic strategies. I argue that post-cinematic art is particularly apt for the conceptualization of anticipation. The self-reflexive multi-media interventions of post-cinematic art can expose the realisms that govern regimes of prediction. Three cultural techniques of anticipation and their use as artistic strategies in post-cinematic art are theorized: enactment, soft montage and rendering. Each of these techniques is examined in its construction of futures through performative and material operations in art gallery spaces. The second chapter examines strategies of enactment in post-cinematic installations by Neïl Beloufa. My readings of Kempinski (2007), The Analyst, the Researcher, the Screenwriter, the CGI tech and the Lawyer (2011), World Domination (2012) and Data for Desire (2014) propose that enactment allows for an engagement with futures beyond extrapolation. With Karen Barad's theory of agential realism, the construction of futures becomes graspable as a political process in opposition to a mere prolonging of the present into the future. The third chapter focuses on the strategy of soft montage in works by Harun Farocki. I interpret Farocki's application of soft montage in the exhibition Serious Games I-IV (2009-2010) as a critical engagement with anticipatory forms of organizing power and distributing precarity. His work series Parallel I-IV (2012-2014) is then analyzed as a speculation on the future of image production technologies and their role in constructing futures. The final chapter analyses the self-referential use of computer-generated renderings in works by Hito Steyerl. The installations How Not To Be Seen (2013), Liquidity Inc. (2014), The Tower (2015) and ExtraSpaceCraft (2016) are read as interventions in the performative economies of contemporary image production. I argue that these works allow us to grasp the reality-producing and futurity-producing effects of rendering as anticipatory cultural technique. My thesis aims to contribute to the discussions on a 'turn towards the future' in contemporary philosophy and cultural criticism. My research thus focuses on the following set of questions. What can we learn about the operations of future construction through encounters with post-cinematic art? How are futures and future construction framed in such art? What realisms do future constructions rely on? And how can anticipation as a cultural technique be politicized and democratized?

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Dubois, James H. "An architectural vision of Marysville, Kansas : community energy planning and design - a process to achieve a self reliant, sustainable future." Thesis, Kansas State University, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/14004.

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Ehliasson, Kent. "Framtidsstudier i stora organisationers långsiktiga planering : analysmodell och fallstudier /." Linköping : Tema Teknik och social förvaltning, Linköpings universitet, 2005. http://www.ep.liu.se/diss/arts_science/2005/319/index.html.

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ZANZI, AMBROGIO. "ECOSYSTEM SERVICES: PROVISION, ASSESSMENT AND QUANTIFICATIONHOW TO COUNCIL SUSTAINABLE FOOD PROVISION, TERRITORIAL PLANNING, URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND NATURAL CAPITAL PRESERVATION? CASE STUDIES AND EXPERIENCES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE." Doctoral thesis, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/2434/848125.

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The doctoral dissertation represents an investigation into the topic of Ecosystem Services and the related challenges that our society has to face, such as the integration between environmental conservation, sustainable food provision, socio-economic development and the need for improving quality of life. In particular, the dissertation proposes a set of case studies thanks to which it is possible to evaluate and assess the provision of Ecosystem Services in different contexts and at different spatial scale, both in agricultural and urbanized areas, therefore showing, from various point of views, the implementations of Ecosystem Services driven policies and approaches. Through the exploration of different environments, the interactions between new forms of agriculture (e.g., agroecology and agroforestry), territorial planning and environmental benefits can be observed, explaining dynamics and opportunities deriving from the application of combined frameworks capable to council both theoretical and practical aspects. The adoption of these frameworks, as well as the related analytical research methodologies, allows, on the one hand, a deeper understanding of the “state-of-art” scenario among Ecosystem Services concept and, on the other, provides specific insights for the transition to a more sustainable development and clear perspectives about the needed future research directions.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Future studies; prediction; planning'

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