BUP/MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2004, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Community Planning

This thesis examines the tools of urban design by public planners. Urban design policy, review, and regulation are explored in detail. The study uncovered a wide body of literature, which was in many respects confusing and contradictory in regard to implementing urban design by planning officials. George Varkki's pointed criticism describing the lack of a definition of urban design offers a workable theoretical framework for analysis. Varkki offers an alternative definition of urban design which relies on the processes and techniques of professional practice. This theoretical paradigm was developed to analyze the effectiveness of the literature and examine case study findings of current practice in Minneapolis, MN. This study, confirms Varkki's argument and advocates for increased attention of scholarly research to be focused on the procedural elements of urban design.

Committee: Jay Chatterjee (Advisor) Subjects: Urban and Regional Planning

MFA, Kent State University, 2016, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

Post-industrial cities today are experiencing an influx of new generations moving into local urban communities. Street culture and walkable downtowns and districts are progressively developing in these urban areas, and the need is present for safer and interconnected bicycle infrastructure. Research has proven that the success of a walkable and bikeable environment plays a significant role in the comprehensive sustainability of a city. Therein lies an opportunity for design to help foster environmental experiences involving the urban streetscape. Experiential, or environmental, graphic design elements can improve the safety and connectivity of bicycle pathways for the betterment of the city as a whole. This investigation explores the value that environmental graphic design elements can contribute to the development of safer bicycle pathways, and further examines the role of wayfinding increasing the connectivity of urban bicycle networks. A case-study design investigation was executed involving districts and roadways in the near-west downtown Cleveland, Ohio area. The location is a primary link connecting west side neighborhoods to downtown Cleveland spanning three urban districts, making it a relevant area of study. This study uses design research tactics and prototypes to further understand how design can improve the user experience of Cleveland's bicycle pathways.

Committee: Ken Visocky O'Grady MFA (Advisor); Jessica Barness MFA (Committee Member); David Middleton MFA (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2003, Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning : Architecture

In the past century public policy, public opinion, and design trends have left many U.S. cities "donuts." These donut cities are characterized by destructive edge growth and a decaying center; contributing to socio-political, economic, and environmental ills. Pubic policy and public opinion are slowly changing to address the situation; yet, designers have little direct control over these underlying forces. However, designers can re-evaluate, re-conceive and re-envision the city in regards to a paradigm appropriate to cities of the new millennium. The paradigm calls for design and development that recognizes new economic possibilities for the city, conceives of the city in terms of its culture, and provides a vision. Using design metaphors of collage and text help to fill the "empty" hole by telling the story of the city and of the culture it contains. In particular, this thesis is explored through the design of a youth recreation park located in the "empty" center of the donut city of today's Cincinnati.

Committee: Dr. Barry Stedman (Advisor) Subjects: Architecture

Master of City and Regional Planning, The Ohio State University, 2006, City and Regional Planning

This study sought to discover the kinds of social behavior among pedestrians in a shopping center parking lot. A pilot study looked for social behaviors in three shopping center parking lots. Systematic unobtrusive observation revealed actual patterns of social behavior among moving and stationary pedestrians. Typical behaviors were noted and a coding sheet was developed for the final study at one parking lot. The kinds of social behavior observed included conversations, talking on cell phones, and playing. Many planners promote fostering social behavior in pedestrian environments. Some have argued the best places to enhance behavior are places where people attempt the behavior naturally. Planners disagree on whether parking lots should be promoted as civic spaces, and the question is open whether pedestrian-oriented site design can foster social behavior in shopping center parking lots.

Committee: Jack Nasar (Advisor); Jennifer Evans-Cowley (Other) Subjects:

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

American cities and their mobility options often exclude many groups and individuals. This is an issue because mobility can create disabilities and amplify social factors of exclusion, resulting in larger societal problems. Urban mobility not being inclusive is connected to the design process not being inclusive. Inclusive design can bridge the gaps by considering a wider range of human diversity. However, designers and organizations often overlook or dismiss specialized inclusive methods due to concerns about resources and efficiency. This research proposes a full inclusive participatory approach to urban mobility design, combining conventional design methods and the participation of exclusion expert users, users from groups who experience exclusion named to emphasize their equity with designers, throughout the design process. This is studied through a case study comparing a designer group and a participatory group with designers and people with visual impairments working equitably together. Both groups worked on a mobility design solution for the Cincinnati Metro bus service. To provide valuable insights for designers specifically, the design process was captured, participants were interviewed throughout the design process, and mobility design experts evaluated the final solutions of both groups. Designers involved in the participatory group recognize the value of the approach in learning, inclusivity, and productivity, and want to advocate for it. Experts state that the approach could yield more inclusive products and improved implementation if the work on the project continued. To conclude, the benefits the approach brings to designers in the form of knowledge and awareness, to the process in terms of increased inclusivity while retaining efficiency and productivity, and to the solutions in higher inclusivity and resource feasibility outweigh the challenges of having team leaders prepare more upfront and organizations to community outreach. The approach of full (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Heekyoung Jung Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Alejandro Lozano Robledo M.Des. (Committee Member); Yong-Gyun Ghim M.Des. M.S. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Over the course of human history, people have predominantly lived in rural areas relying on the land for basic needs like food water and shelter. The shift from nomadic lifestyle to agricultural communities marked a significant turning point in human development. Over time, these agricultural communities transitioned into urban centers which brought both positive and negative consequences. While urbanization offers benefits, it has also contributed to heightened stress, anxiety, and mental health issues that were comparatively less prevalent in agrarian societies. In response to the dynamic shifts due to urbanization, this thesis proposes the design of urban greenhouse dwellings that reconciles the historical connection between people and agriculture with the demands of contemporary urban living. The core premise of this thesis is to create a housing community that reintegrates farming into the urban fabric, seeking to strike a harmonious balance between the historical agricultural lifestyle and the complexities of modern urban existence. The envisioned greenhouse dwellings aim to serve low-income communities in Cincinnati, Ohio. The greenhouse acts a transformative space where individuals can reconnect with their agrarian roots while navigating the challenges of urban life. Through innovative design, the program will offer a holistic approach, addressing physical, mental, and environmental well-being by merging urban living with the therapeutic aspects of farming. The ultimate goal is to provide a model for sustainable urban development that fosters a sense of community, mental well-being, and a rekindled connection to the land. By integrating farming into the urban landscape, the project not only address the immediate challenges related to housing and well-being but also serve as a platform for economic empowerment by creating opportunities for local entrepreneurship. The greenhouse would function as a communal hub where the cultivation of crops is (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Vincent Sansalone M.Arch. (Committee Member); Edward Mitchell M.Arch (Committee Chair) Subjects: Architecture

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2023, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Urban Heat Island effect is an observed phenomenon where temperatures in urban areas are warmer than those in rural areas due to the materials used and the relative lack of green spaces. As the world continues to warm, there are mitigation strategies that can be taken to reduce the increase in temperature. When the temperatures rise above 28 °C, there are major health implications and can cause death. This thesis examines if the Ohio State University campus is affected by Urban Heat Island effect, how the Ohio State University self regulates through its Building Design Standards for roofing and paving materials, and the impact that has on the microclimate across campus, with particular focus on temperature and wind. Temperature and wind data was collected from eight weather stations across the campus and subsequently analyzed. The Building Design Standards were reviewed to understand regulations on the types of roofing and paving materials. This study found that the Ohio State University's campus is prone to the impact of Urban Heat Island effect. It is warming faster than the City of Columbus and the world. The buildings on campus near the weather stations tended to obstruct the natural wind pattern. The university's Building Design Standards do not priorities climate change or Urban Heat Island effect. Any mention of either is just a consideration or recommendation, not a requirement. Offices across campus are trying to make progress to become more sustainable, but not everyone is on the same page.

Committee: Ryan Winston (Committee Member); Qian Chen (Advisor) Subjects: Climate Change

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

This study aims to use design research methods to empower future female retirees in Northeastern China to refocus their lives as they approach retirement. This social group has sacrificed much of their time and energy to focus on the family and making a living. In other words, they have been thinking for others. They are about to retire, which means they will have abundant time to focus on self-interests, but many are uncertain of how to devote the next phase of their lives. The approach used is the co-design workshop and a newly designed toolkit to guide participants in redesigning an ideal urban park. Participants were asked what they wanted and why. One interview, one pre-test survey, and one post-test survey were also used in this study. Four workshops were conducted, two with two participants and one designer and two with one participant and one designer. The newly designed toolkit performed well, and all the participants successfully completed the park design without paper instructions; the workshop was inspiring for the participants, but some details need to be optimized; and there were further findings about the group “future female retirees in Northeastern China”. The article concludes a discussion of possible improvements to the workshop design and potential directions for further study.

Committee: John Dixon M.F.A. (Committee Member); Matthew Wizinsky M.F.A. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Design

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

The driving force that governs our lives, and therefore our stories, is time. The linearity of time provides structure to our lives, as does its perpetual motion. One of the few forces that can seemingly counteract the passage of time is space. Space exists outside of time and allows us to inhabit the same spaces as those who lived hundreds of years before us, as well as those who will follow us. Space creates shared experiences between disparate lifetimes. One of the ways that we connect space and time is through storytelling. This dissonance across space and time creates a state of liminality at their intersection. Starting with the myth of the crossroads, this paper explores liminality in the city squares of Savannah, Georgia. As with many old American cities, ghost stories are exceedingly popular, furthering the connection of time through space. After a discussion of a few of the particular stories of Savannah, this paper investigates ways to occupy and activate the space of the crossroads through the lens of theater design. Theaters curate a narrative experience for those that move through them. The stage itself sits at the convergence of two major pathways, that of the actors and that of the patrons. The productions that happen on the stage inhabit the false reality of suspended disbelief. Like the crossroads, the stage is a place where dissonance is allowed and the rules of the natural world bend. A theater, therefore, provides the space necessary to break from our linear timelines through storytelling. The culmination of this document (and subsequent project) is the design of a new community based theater for Savannah, Georgia. The design of this theater aims to provide a platform at the crossroads where the people of Savannah can come together to tell their own stories.

Committee: Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Member); Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2022, History

The Toledo Tomorrow model city exhibit of 1945 was intended to showcase Toledo to possible investors and revitalize the city's economy after World War Two. However, its longer lasting effect was to popularize the idea of a national interstate system and the suburban lifestyle it made possible. The Toledo Blade newspaper and its owner Paul Block Jr. not only funded the exhibit; they encouraged citizens to regard their city as obsolete, priming them for expensive and destructive road building projects. The exhibit's designer, Norman Bel Geddes, used the opportunity to apply the abstract auto-centric principles of his famous 1939 Futurama exhibit to a real-world city. The apparent result by the 1970s was a downtown sapped of vitality and predominantly black inner-city neighborhoods adversely affected by highway construction.

Committee: Timothy Messer-Kruse Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Rebecca Mancuso Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: American History; History; Urban Planning

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Observance of downtown Cincinnati's urban makeup has led to an investigation of the density between the eastern and western urban cores. Western Cincinnati neighborhoods have been through an ongoing separation and isolation due to multiple infrastructural developments throughout the years including the Cincinnati Southern Railway and Interstate 75. A desire to reconnect western Cincinnati with the downtown core has led to the investigation of the 8th Street that spans from west to east crossing over the Mill Creek and Cincinnati Southern Railway by the means of a viaduct that continues into downtown Cincinnati. Observation of the 8th Street Viaduct and surrounding area revealed the potential of the viaduct and the underdeveloped land adjacent. The goal of the thesis project is to populate the 8th Street Viaduct architecturally and realize its potential as the western entry into downtown Cincinnati. Surrounding the 8th Street Viaduct is a barren manufacturing zone ripe with overgrowth of nature and the Mill Creek. The architectural response has the opportunity not only to provide development along an opportunity rich street front, but also practice biophilia by encouraging access and celebration of the natural phenomena present in the area.

Committee: Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Member); Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

The suburbs are ending… not ending in the final way one may think of like a bad movie, but ending as they are known today. It is documented that a gamut of people are choosing to live differently than people of the past. Instead of the traditional American Dream of a house, on some land with a fence, there are multiple dreams that do not end up in the suburbs. Americans are situating themselves closer to where they work, depending less on car ownership, locating themselves near entertainment, and focusing on urban spaces. In building the case for an urban cluster neighborhood, this thesis proposal examines the history of suburb development, verbs that represent design methods, and how thoughtful planning and design can construct volumes, buildings, and the in between spaces that offer a unique opportunity for opulent culture. The results suggest that isolation in the suburbs is no match for socialization is the sub-urban dream.

Committee: Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Museums as learning institutions have been around for centuries, originating as personal collections within private homes and extending to open exhibitions that anyone may attend. The ritual of attending a museum, similar in manner to other ceremonial activities, is parallel to that of a reverential experience with an additional facet of learning. But how will the postmodern museum look and function? What are strategies developed by museums and cultural centers that will best heighten the overall experience and perspectives gained by visitors? While there are various models of learning and identities that help define typical museum visitors and why they visit, there needs to be a more modern lens applied to this methodology to understand guests in the 21st century, especially in light of recent events including the Covid-19 pandemic. Such places need to be more resilient and flexible to respond to issues presently or imminently existing and not simply to preserve previous moments in time. By reflecting on previous practices and understanding the present need of institutions such as these, this thesis will explore scenarios in which a modern museum is combined with an academic complex and community cultural center serving a variety of demographics. The goal of having such a place as a one-stop destination would be to create a large overall snapshot of the University of Cincinnati, Clifton Heights, and greater Cincinnati area communities, engaging diverse groups of people at various levels. A building and surrounding urban design layout are envisioned in proximity to UC's campus, presented in models and drawings, and described in an in-depth essay extrapolated primarily from research on the narrative experience and relevance of physical museums. The physical nature of the museum will challenge preconceived notions of what these buildings should offer, showing a holistic perspective of what they can grow to be. The investigation also shows how a postmodern museum/cu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

There is an urgent need to increase the habitat value of cities, both for human health and for conservation. Constructed Green Infrastructure (GI), which uses vegetated areas to solve engineering problems such as stormwater mitigation, is an attractive option for habitat creation, and ecological engineers, with their stated goal to design for both human and natural benefit, should be key players in its design and implementation. However, ecological engineers are hampered by the lack of a suitable reference by which to evaluate the ecological goals of the GI which they design. They are further hampered by the lack of information about the ecology of many common GI practices. Bioretention cells (BRCs) are the most common form of green infrastructure used for stormwater management. Much work has been done to evaluate the hydrological and pollutant-removal capabilities of BRCs, but there has been comparatively little investigation of the ecological properties of these systems. This is a critical gap in knowledge, as ecological design of BRCs could not only increase their functioning as stormwater infrastructure but could also contribute ecological value to urban areas. Investigation of the habitat value of BRCs could lead to design techniques that subsidize and/or prioritize habitat creation in tandem with stormwater management, allowing ecological engineers to capitalize on the current popularity of this practice to improve urban habitat for both humans and non-humans. I address this gap in knowledge with a multi-taxon survey of biodiversity in BRCs installed as part of a large-scale retrofit of GI in Columbus, OH. I developed and validated a protocol to survey birds with automated acoustic monitoring – a first in an urban area – and determined that BRCs affected bird community composition during spring migration but not during the summer breeding period. BRCs did not generally harbor more species than lawns, but nearby remnant ravines appeared to increase species (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jay Martin PhD, PE (Advisor); Mary Gardiner PhD (Committee Member); Stephen Matthews PhD (Committee Member); Ryan Winston PhD, PE (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology; Environmental Engineering

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2020, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

In the 1950s Kuwait's ruler Sheikh Abdallah Al-Salem initiated the transformation of the country from a small port town to a modern socialist welfare state. This transformation entailed the provision of modern infrastructure and welfare services—health care, education, and housing. While the state extended health care to all residents, it limited education and housing to Kuwaiti citizens, thus instigating decades of polarized urban landscapes and a stratified social structure. As the state attempted to adopt modernity, it resorted to categorize its population by nationality, ethnicity, income bracket, and family structure among others and it tailored welfare services accordingly. This often raised issues and tensions between “tradition” and “modernity,” as perceived in Kuwait at the time. Tradition was considered as cultural practices and beliefs related to the past, whereas modernity was aligned with progress and advancement evident in the sciences and industrial development and exemplified by the West. Despite this significant phenomenon, we currently lack a thorough survey and analysis of this development. The housing program began in the 1950s, when the state implemented several housing policies through multiple public agencies. It adopted and appropriated foreign concepts such as the neighborhood-unit, detached single-family house, multi-unit block housing, and more recently “self-sufficient” satellite towns. The state's housing program also segregated various populations, creating several distinct dualities: Kuwaiti/non-Kuwaiti; “urbanized” versus “non-urbanized” or hadhar versus Bedouin; citizen versus stateless (Bidoon); and lastly nuclear versus non-nuclear family (single mothers). Thus, the polarized built environment physically reflected these socio-economic dualities that have been prevalent in Kuwaiti society. The dissertation sheds light on this predicament while providing a comprehensive narrative of this unique development in Kuwait, which ha (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rebecca Williamson Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Carla Chifos Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jeffrey Tilman Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, City and Regional Planning

This dissertation presents a comprehensive analytical framework for examining urban green infrastructure and its urban planning implications. Comprised of four essays, this research investigates the concepts, measurement, modeling and implications of urban green spaces and vegetation (UGSV). Leveraging the increasing variety and precision of geospatial big data and techniques, this research characterizes the heterogeneity of UGSV in terms of physical form and functions to inform the effective environmental design of UGSV. The first and second essays present methods for the assessment of spatial patterns of UGSV and their socioeconomic accessibility using various green measures. Remote sensing, GIS and pattern recognition techniques are used to measure UGSV over large geographic areas with fine thematic resolution. The third and fourth essays deal with planning applications, focusing on the relationship between UGSV, sustainable mobility and microclimate moderation. The results imply that urban and suburban neighborhoods experience significant disparities in terms of socioenvironmental benefits provided by UGSV, and the assessment of how and where the inequity occurs varies with green measures and applications. UGSV relates closely to the long-term sustainability of active travel and thermal environment, while the benefits are likely to be spatially and socially limited to certain groups, requiring targeted planning interventions. This dissertation highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary understanding of `greenness' in urban areas, suggesting that divergent understandings in different fields should be integrated to formulate a coherent strategy for green infrastructure planning.

Committee: Jean-Michel Guldmann (Advisor); Gulsah Akar (Advisor); Desheng Liu (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

This research is a comparative case study of the dynamic cultural policy design in American and Chinese urban settings, with the city of Boston and the city of Qingdao as the two sample cases. Each of the two separated in-depth case studies is based on the general analytical framework of the dynamic urban cultural policy design. Specifically, each case has discussed three cultural creative economy (CCE)-based development strategies, which have further played certain roles in urban development, framed as intra-urban vitality and inter-urban competitiveness. The Boston case manifests a dynamic layering strategy of the CCE development from organization-based cultural nonprofits support to industry-based creative industries facilitation, then to occupation-based creative workforce cultivation and attraction. Organizational mobilization, financial incentives and informational advocacy become the three main pillars in Boston's cultural policy tools portfolio in pursuit of mobilizing stakeholders, facilitating cultural nonprofits and creative businesses, promoting public private partnerships and building regional networks. The case also finds that the CCE-concerned advocacy coalition, policy learning and transfer and political leadership change have caused a dynamic evolution of the policy image and fundamental values of the cultural creative sector in Boston, together with which, Boston's cultural policy design has also evolved in terms of both policy goals and policy toolkits. In contrast, the Qingdao case reveals the long-term cultural institutional reform in China, from public cultural institutions (PCIs) to the dichotomy of PCIs and cultural industries, then to creative businesses and cultural creativity-anchored economic restructuring. The authoritative guidelines and regulations, organizational ownership and operation, financial incentives and information campaign constitute the four major cultural policy tools in Qingdao's cultural policy design. The Qingdao c (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Margaret Wyszomirski (Advisor); Edward Malecki (Committee Member); Shoshanah Goldberg-Miller (Committee Member) Subjects: Comparative; Public Policy; Urban Planning

MS, Kent State University, 2019, College of Architecture and Environmental Design

An unplanned demolition of a building is either natural such as an earthquake or human-caused disasters like terrorist attack and wars. Unplanned building demolition generates a considerable amount of dust cloud and demolition waste comprising Particulate Matter (PM) of various sizes. A significant body of evidence relates chronic and acute adverse health effects to increased exposure of PM to the public. However, the literature review reveals a limited number of studies addressing the impact of unplanned demolition on local air quality. This is primarily due to the post-disaster situation is chaotic. The study focuses on investigating neighborhood environmental morphologies that reduce pollution dispersion at pedestrian levels. The primary objective of this research is to investigate the pattern and characteristics of pollution dispersion due to unplanned building demolition in a neighborhood. CFD-based air quality model ENVI-met was used to simulate the pollution dispersion in selected ten types of neighborhood morphologies. The research compares simulated pollution blooms resulting from a building collapse amid of ten different neighborhood morphologies. For each neighborhood configuration, the simulation produced thirty-six horizontal and forty-eight vertical dispersion measurements. The analysis confirmed that the dust plume generated during unplanned building demolition dispersed 200m beyond the source at almost of the neighborhoods. However, the concentration levels were different depending upon the type of neighborhood morphologies. The research identifies the sensitivity of an area to human health in the neighborhood facing unplanned demolition. The thesis concludes with proposing few design recommendations for the street canyon, wind flow, building design, vegetation placement, and overall safety to help urban designers minimize the impact of unplanned building demolition and air pollution dispersion. The findings of this research are significant to urba (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Adil Sharag-Eldin Dr. (Advisor); Christopher J. Woolverton Dr. (Committee Member); Elwin C. Robison Dr. (Committee Member); Rui Liu Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture; Environmental Science; Public Health; Urban Planning

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Community Planning

Quality of life in a city is a culmination of personal experiences. These experiences are not only based on our psychological state of mind but also the quality of experience the space tends to create. As we move through the city, we respond to its elements and it certainly affect our psychological being. It is interesting how an informed decision is made to create a thoughtful combination of elements (composition) and how they play a significant role in making people feel happy, comfortable or safe; and how such forms can affect the people and the city as a whole. It is thought-provoking how Allan Jacobs in his book, “Great Streets” raises a point about – Why would you prefer driving from a certain street even if it takes a longer route? – “for a better experience” because these experiences make you feel happy, sad, fearful, angry, or disgust (predominant emotions of an individual). Public Spaces are dynamic in nature and each of them function in their own way. This research inclines towards understanding the factors responsible in creating these spaces and the relationship with the surrounding context. The most important factor here are the people and then the setting which creates enough animation for people to respond. Other major factors that functions a public space in a specific manner are the history of the place, socio-cultural values and political influences. These factors including the design of the space influence the behavioral pattern of people in these spaces. The research intends to create a universal method to evaluate urban public spaces irrespective of their geographical locations. Scholars like Carr, Carmona, Van Melik, Kohn, Mehta and many others have conducted some remarkable research on this subject. Although, these studies cover broader factors to evaluate spaces and, therefore, need to be detailed to specific categories. By the end of this research, a method/ process is achieved which works in multiple stages once a public space is id (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Vikas Mehta Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Francis Russell M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Architecture traditionally adheres to the infrastructural networks that facilitate its continued value, tending to maintain a dichotomous standard in which core and periphery are dictated by the density of the adjacent infrastructure. This thesis acts as a critique of New York's past and current attempts to foster reciprocating relationships between major highways and the districts they intersect, specifically in consideration of its crucial junctures at conditions that can be considered the intermediary. These intermediate areas in New York, particularly waterfronts, exist closest in proximity to the city's most vibrant realms, yet are paradoxically the most distanced due to the highways that sever them, resulting in a forfeiture of seamless connectivity. As issues involving environmental change and developmental expansion reveal themselves, aging infrastructure in these waterfront margins continues to experience growing challenges to the city's resilience and progression. Furthermore, a fragmented approach to architectural development without consideration of future dilemmas perpetuates a static outlook on how cities should utilize these peripheral areas. Through the analysis of urban phenomena such as Jane Jacobs's “border vacuum” and Rem Koolhaas's “Generic City” the research in this thesis will contextualize the ambiguous approach through which New York has been stitched together and hence its continued subsistence. In addition, a new pragmatic response will demonstrate how these ambiguous conditions can be exploited architecturally to facilitate connectivity and increasingly interdependent networks involving infrastructure and the public realm.

Committee: Aarati Kanekar Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Vincent Sansalone M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture