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  • 1. Reeher, Paige BUMBLE BEES UTILIZE WEEDY MARGINS AND ARE UNAFFECTED BY THE INCREASING URBAN GRADIENT

    Master of Science, University of Akron, 2019, Biology

    Pollinators provide the essential ecosystem service of animal-facilitated pollination. Recent studies have presented a novel and surprising avenue for future pollinator conservation, urban pollinator habitat. One group of pollinators, bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus), might be especially well suited to utilize the heterogeneous landscape of urban environments. A defining feature of urban environments is their large amounts of impervious surface. In this study we investigated the influence of urbanization on bumble bee communities by surveying bee and flower abundance and diversity in weedy margins nestled within impervious surfaces along an urban gradient. We first quantified and defined an urban gradient by creating an “intensely developed” land cover category with > 50% impervious surface using the USGS NLCD. To choose our survey sites we analyzed the land use information above to identify likely sites distributed across the urban gradient. We conducted surveys from mid – June – early – August 2018 between the hours of 10:00 and 17:00, when bees are most active. To quantify the bee abundance and diversity, on each site visit we conducted timed surveys in which a single observer (the same observer at all sites) walked freely throughout the site and identified all bees for a total of 15 minutes. Following the bee survey, we then surveyed the floral community. During the summer of 2018 we observed 2776 total bees. Bumble bee abundance was not significantly affected by the proportion of intensely developed land in the local landscape or floral richness. There was a difference in relative abundance of the three bee groups, with bumble bees significantly more abundant than both honeybees and “other” bees. During our floral surveys we documented 66 different floral taxa across all 33 sites; natives made up less than 10% of the total floral abundance. Our findings affirmed both of our predictions: (1) that bumble bees would be unaffected by the degree of intens (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Randy Mitchell Dr (Advisor); Jessie Lanterman Dr (Committee Member); Todd Blackledge Dr (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology

  • 2. Oliver, Winona The Influence of Principals on Teacher Retention: An Examination of the Relationship Between Principal Behavior and Teacher Retention

    EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Education : Urban Educational Leadership

    This qualitative study investigated the connection between the behaviors of principals and teacher job satisfaction and motivation, and how this connection results in increased teacher retention. Particularly, the researcher looked at what strategies principals use to motivate and encourage teachers to remain at a school. The researcher also examined teachers' primary reasons for staying at a particular school. Two urban high schools were the sites for this study. The researcher conducted both focus groups and interviews. Individual interviews were held with two principals; one principal had two years of experience and the other had seven years of experience. In addition, the researcher conducted individual interviews with three teachers from each school. One focus group at each school, each composed of three to four participants, also yielded data. The research showed that college education programs do not adequately prepare teachers to work with students and face the various challenges that often accompany them. Teachers need support in order to succeed as educators. The data revealed that the principal sets the tone and is the driving force of a school, thereby having a huge impact on the school environment. Though teachers were more likely to stay at schools where they felt a connection to their students, this study found that the principal is instrumental in teacher retention. The researcher found that though teachers believe they directly have control of many aspects of the school reality, the principal continues to orchestrate and facilitate school operations in an indirect, inclusive manner. The effective, invisible principal creates an environment where teachers are empowered and moved to the forefront, while the principal navigates from the background. The ability of the teacher to focus on teaching and learning is directly correlated with the principal's ability to maintain a safe and orderly environment, complete with the supports and recognition teacher (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Lanthan Camblin PhD (Committee Chair); Roger Collins PhD (Committee Member); Terry Joyner EdD (Committee Member); Steve Sunderland PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Sociology; Educational Theory; School Administration

  • 3. Kim, Min Kyung Governance Matters in Policy Design Process for Urban Cultural Redevelopment: A Comparative Case Study of Gordon Square Arts District and Uptown District in Cleveland, Ohio

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

    While cultural district development as an urban redevelopment strategy has received much attention in urban neighborhoods and cities in the United States, the policy-making process for cultural district development has been less examined. To offer a detailed and deeper understanding of the policy-making process, this dissertation study examined policy design and governance for two different cultural district development practices in Cleveland, Ohio. This study employed the case study methodology with multiple-case design enabling both in-depth investigation of each case and cross-case analysis. The data was collected through document analysis, media coverage review and semi-structured interviews with people who participated in each cultural district development practice. The findings of this study show that governance matters in policy design process for cultural district development as an urban redevelopment strategy and suggest some policy implications which can be applied to supporting non-profit arts and cultural organizations and institutions who participated in cultural district development as cultural actors. As examples of the policy implications, encouraging and supporting the cultural actors to engage in governance establishment for cultural district development and employ formal governance tools may be applied to increase their capacity and opportunity that can improve their benefits from cultural district development. Also, in terms of supporting the cultural actors participating cultural district development, offering ongoing technical assistance together with project grants may be more efficient than offering project grants only.
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    Committee: Margaret Wyszomirski (Advisor); Wayne Lawson (Committee Member); Ed Malecki (Committee Member); Shoshanah Goldberg-Miller (Committee Member) Subjects: Arts Management; Public Administration; Public Policy

  • 4. LINX, MICHAEL AN URBAN SUPERMARKET

    MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2006, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

    Quality nutritional goods aren't as readily available to the urban poor. The supermarket distribution chain encounters too many obstacles within the city to be successful in providing goods at prices as effectively as its suburban counterparts. Urban poor households struggle to maintain their food budgets. Residents of these neighborhoods are often aware of the implications of a poor diet, but aren't confident enough in their knowledge of nutrition to correct it. Because of this, many of them are overweight, in poor health, and believe they're powerless to change. The functions of the urban supermarket must evolve to meet these nutritional and economic needs. The architecture also needs to evolve to reflect these changes while serving as an icon for the community. The “big-box” structure isn't an inviting place to make smart healthy choices. The rejection of this mentality must be reflected in the architecture or its differentiation will be lost.
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    Committee: Jeffrey Tilman (Advisor) Subjects:

  • 5. Gritzmacher, Christopher Urban Design Within the Planning Process: A Case Study of Current Practice “Block E” in Minneapolis

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

  • 6. Woo, Myungje Impacts of urban containment policies on urban growth and structure

    Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, City and Regional Planning

    Numerous communities have adopted some form of urban containment policies (UCPs), such as greenbelt, urban growth boundaries (UGBs), and urban service areas (USAs), as methods to prevent urban sprawl and protect open space. Although there is controversy over the negative and positive impacts of UCPs, little is known on their impacts on population and employment growth, and on the overall urban spatial structure. The purpose of this research is to (1) understand the system of UCPs, (2) empirically analyze their impacts on population and employment growth, and built-up areas in combination with housing values, and (3) examine their impacts on the location of industrial activities as well as population. Two approaches are considered to empirically analyze the impacts of UCPs on urban growth and urban spatial structure. In the first approach, a simultaneous equation model is used with, as endogenous variables, the changes in total population, total employment and sectoral employment, housing values, and land area at the municipal/city level. In the second approach, population and employment density gradients, estimated with both monocentric and polycentric models at the metropolitan level, are used to examine the impacts of different UCPs on urban spatial structure. The research finds that both the stringent containment policies (SCPs), including greenbelts and UGBs, and the less stringent containment policies (LSCP), including USAs, have significant impacts on changes in population, employment, housing values, and land areas. When both direct and indirect effects are taken into account, the SCPs have a positive effect on changes in population, employment, housing values, and land area twice larger than the LSCPs, suggesting that SCPs more successfully accommodate new growth within the growth boundaries, and that housing values increase with the tightness of UCPs. In terms of the urban spatial structure, statewide SCPs encourage metropolitan areas to move to a polycentr (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Jean-Michel Guldmann (Advisor) Subjects:

  • 7. Berger, Jane When hard work doesn't pay: gender and the urban crisis in Baltimore, 1945-1985

    Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, History

    This dissertation explores roots of the current urban crisis in the United States. Most scholarly explanations associate the problem, particularly of high levels of African-American poverty, with deindustrialization, which has stripped cities of the factory jobs that once sustained working-class communities. My account deviates from the standard tale of black male unemployment by focusing on shifting patterns of African-American women's labor—both paid and unpaid. Using Baltimore as a case study, it argues that public rather than industrial-sector employment served as the foundation of Baltimore's post-World War II African-American middle and working classes. Women outpaced men in winning government jobs. Concentrated in social welfare agencies, they used their new influence over public policy to improve the city's delivery of public services. Black women's efforts to build an infrastructure for sustainable community development put them at odds in municipal policy-making battles with city officials and business leaders intent upon revitalizing Baltimore through investment in a tourism industry. The social services workers scored some important victories, helping to alleviate poverty by shifting to the government some of the responsibility for health, child, and elder care women earlier provided in the private sphere. The conservative ascendancy of the 1970s and 1980s, reversed many of the gains African-American public-sector workers had won. Intent upon resuscitating the United States' status in the global economy, American presidents, influenced by conservative economists and their elite backers, made macroeconomic and urban policy decisions that justified extensive public-sector retrenchment and cuts or changes to social programs. Public-sector workers and their unions, most notably the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), fought with limited success to prevent the transformation of American public policy. Neoliberal policies ero (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Kevin Boyle (Advisor) Subjects: History, United States

  • 8. Mojica Bonilla, Ana Multiple Scenario Interface for Visualizing Urban Structures: The Cases of the Salvadoran Cities of San Salvador and Santa Tecla

    Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2009, Geography (Arts and Sciences)

    This thesis analyzes the urban structure development of two Latin American cities through an interactive longitudinal visualization of the Salvadoran cities of San Salvador (the capital of El Salvador) and Santa Tecla. To what extent is a hypothetical model relevant to either of these two cities? How can a longitudinal, interactive visualization assist with an comparative analysis of the relevance of urban expansion models to the development of San Salvador and Santa Tecla? Can such a visualization contribute to the delineation of urban expansion policies for these cities? Archival files and maps were digitized and vectorized to create animated urban evolutions for each city. These geovisualizations were compared to the hypothetical models presented by Borsdorf, Bahr, and Janoschka (2002) in order to assess their relevance. The analysis indicated that the urban structural development of each city was more complex and differentiated than the theoretical model, findings richly supported by the geovisualizations. If combined with more specific annual land use data, these visualizations can also be useful for guiding urban management.
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    Committee: Margaret Pearce PhD (Committee Chair); Yeong–Hyun Kim PhD (Committee Member); Harold Perkins PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Cartography; Geography

  • 9. Alhusaiki, Saeed Extreme Urban Heat

    Master of Landscape Architecture, The Ohio State University, 2024, Landscape Architecture

    Extreme heat events have significant impacts on urban environments and their residents. They can shape the physical form of cities, influence urban planning and design, and even mold the cultural identity of urban communities. This thesis aims to investigate the interplay between extreme heat events, city formation, and cultural identity that happened in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Working methods for this study will be the development of a historical narrative through the lens of extreme heat and its impacts on urban form and patterns of urban behavior. The aim of this work is to understand Jeddah's history of responding to extreme heat over time, comprehend the factors exacerbating urban heat, and assess their impacts on society and the environment in order to design an ideal residential model tailored to Jeddah's climate and meeting housing needs. This model will be derived from lessons learned from literature review and precedent analysis that are tailored to Jeddah's climate with the ambition of producing a model that can mitigate the impact of climate change on the city and other urban areas facing extreme urban heat due to climate change.
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    Committee: Jacob Boswell (Advisor); Kristine Cheramie (Committee Member); Ujaan Ghosh (Committee Member); Kelsea Best (Committee Member); Andrew Cruse (Committee Member) Subjects: Landscape Architecture; Sustainability

  • 10. Ross, Sonseeahray Connecting Public School Partnerships to Possible Selves for Black Urban Youth

    Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2023, Educational Leadership

    Black urban youth face many obstacles in their personal development and future pursuits. Many of these obstacles result from systemic challenges that exist within their communities and cultural norms that negatively shape their self-concept and possible selves, a concept which argues that future self-concepts are constructed through personal evaluation of a current and desired future state. Corporate-education partnerships have recently been introduced to urban communities as a way to introduce youth to alternative professional pathways, although there are few studies about the extent to which Black urban youth are impacted by such partnerships. Using the possible selves theory, this study explored how one corporate-education partnership influences the self-concept and possible selves of Black urban youth engaging in a mentoring program, and the extent to which engagement in the program affected their view of themselves and future aspirations. This study focused on the Infinity Mentoring program, which is a partnership program between the Ascension corporation, Woodsby High School, and community-based organization Cincinnati Youth Connection (all pseudonyms). Findings from this study showed that participants in the program had improved feelings or self-concept about themselves and that participants gained increased motivation toward college, career, and their future aspirations as a result of the Infinity Mentoring program. The study adds to the scholarship on corporate-education partnerships, demonstrating the intrinsic impact these partnerships can have on Black urban students.
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    Committee: Dr. Kate Rousmaniere (Committee Chair); Dr. Sherrill Sellers (Committee Member); Dr. Michael Evans (Committee Member); Dr. Denise Taliaferro Baszile (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Behavioral Sciences; Black Studies; Business Community; Developmental Psychology; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Sociology; Individual and Family Studies; Social Psychology; Teacher Education; Urban Planning

  • 11. Parker, Denisha Drivers of Predatory Insect Distribution in Urban Greenspaces

    Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Entomology

    The majority of the human population resides in cities. This transformation to an urbanized world has disrupted many species due to habitat disturbance, alien species colonization, and changes in soil and air quality. This reality has raised concerns about the impact of urbanization on insect communities. Many cities are implementing conservation efforts to combat these stressors by transforming habitats to urban farms, pocket prairies, and rain gardens. Although urbanization is a negative driver of insect biodiversity, opportunities exist to implement conservation strategies in “legacy cities” that can support insects and allow us to understand how challenges of urbanization affect their distribution patterns. Legacy cities are cities that have faced significant population decline due to the fall of manufacturing industries. This has resulted in an increase in vacant land that can be revitalized to target key conservation initiatives. My research was focused on how urban habitat transformation affects predatory insects and their community assembly, distribution patterns, and diet. I used lady beetles (Coccinellidae) and long-legged flies (Dolichopodidae) as my target species due to previous evidence illustrating their decline and importance as biological control agents. My key objectives were to determine how the local management and landscape context of urban greenspaces influenced the abundance, richness, and health of these predators. To examine their health, I focused on their ability to locate prey as well as their dietary breadth. In Chapter 1, I found that habitat type had no effect on native lady beetle abundance while local variables within a site such as plant height, biomass and bloom abundance supported a greater richness of lady beetle species. Also, I found that landscape variables such as decreased impervious surface surrounding a site and sites that were surrounded by less isolated greenspace patches supported a greater abundance and richness in (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Mary Gardiner (Advisor); Michel Andrew (Committee Member); Megan Meuti (Committee Member); Carol Anelli (Committee Member) Subjects: Entomology

  • 12. li, xuefei POSITIONING THE CULTURAL CREATIVE ECONOMY IN INTRA-URBAN VITALITY AND INTER-URBAN COMPETITIVENESS: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC CULTURAL POLICY DESIGN IN BOSTON AND QINGDAO

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

  • 13. Freiman, Christine Urban Waterway Renewal: Integrating Planning and Ecology to Achieve Balanced Outcomes

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

    We have entered a new phase in our ever-evolving relationship with our urban waterways. Unprecedented urban growth and dramatic changes in climate are causing us to see the interconnectedness between the health of our people and the health of our natural systems. Flooding, water pollution, habitat loss and endangered species have created a sense of urgency to find novel ways to approach these urban ecological issues -- and are necessitating greater levels of collaboration between a wide range of professionals, including planners, engineers, landscape architects, ecologists, and others. Historically, when it comes to urban river redevelopment, urban planners have emphasized stronger physical connections between the public and the water. Landscape ecologists and hydrologists likewise pursued opportunities to connect fragmented watershed habitats (May 2006). The concept of “connection” has been espoused by both camps with very different meaning. These differing viewpoints can lead to competing goals. For planners, oft stated goals are increasing economic opportunity and improving quality of life. Ecologists, on the other hand, aim to restore natural river functions and strengthen resiliency of aquatic life. Multi-use, riverside developments represent a real-life example of this conflict. Such developments can contribute to urban vibrancy and can increase the tax base; they can also result in soil compaction and increased impervious surface, which can drive polluted runoff into rivers. This thesis will seek common ground between planning and ecology in the context of urban waterway redevelopment. Through a literature review, several questions will be answered, including: How has our relationship with our urban waterways evolved in the past two centuries, and how has this affected waterfront development? What are today's most pressing urban ecological issues? What are the traditional roles filled by planners and ecologists? What dynamics might be hindering collabo (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Conrad Kickert Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Christopher Auffrey Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

  • 14. Kong, Hui Understanding the Development and Design of Chinese Cities: Towards an Approach based upon the New Science for Cities

    Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Geography

    Cities are complex self-organizing systems. A holistic urban design needs to take into consideration all the sub-systems, driving forces, and stakeholders as well as the interactions among them. For a long time, traditional urban planners and designers in China have to work under an over-simplified conceptual framework and methodology to produce scenarios/policies that influence the life of citizens. Recently, with the explosion of big data and high-performance computing, the emerging new urban science has opened up important avenues to better understand the complexity of cities, thus to support urban design practices. Quantitative methods such as spatial data analysis and urban models have become the essential tool and also posed critical challenges for the design and planning of Chinese cities under the new data environment. During the past decade, numerous quantitative urban studies have been conducted considering urban modeling or urban planning of Chinese cities. However, most studies have failed to synergistically integrate quantitative methods with design practices. To fill in the gap between urban design and quantitative urban studies, this dissertation aims to build a bridge between urban planning/design and quantitative geographic data analysis. The new science of cities is introduced as the theoretical foundation of this research. In the new science of cities, the quantitative methods (positive/empirical dimension of urban studies) and urban design (normative/idealistic dimension of urban studies) are seamlessly integrated to help us understand and design cities (Batty, 2013). Inspired by the framework as articulated in the new science of cities, this doctoral dissertation aims to develop a synthetic approach to link the positive and normative dimensions, to accomplish urban design based on spatial data analysis and urban simulation. By doing so, we develop new approaches for understanding and designing of Chinese cities, from three essential geographic (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Daniel Sui (Advisor); Morton O'Kelly (Committee Member); Ningchuan Xiao (Committee Member); Max Woodworth (Committee Member) Subjects: Geographic Information Science; Geography; Land Use Planning; Transportation; Transportation Planning; Urban Planning

  • 15. Adair, Matthew Suburbanization of the City: An examination of the built environment characteristics and social life of German Village, a historic urban neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio

    Master of City and Regional Planning, The Ohio State University, 2017, City and Regional Planning

    German Village is typical of many inner-city areas, in that it enjoyed growth and vitality from its genesis in the mid-nineteenth century until a period of decline in the mid-twentieth century. With high vacancy rates and low-property values, parts of the neighborhood were even suggested for demolition in urban renewal schemes. But in 1960, the German Village Society formed to advocate for the preservation of the historic structures and for the creation of a protected historic district. In 1963, the City of Columbus established the German Village Commission to regulate demolition and exterior alteration of structures within the boundaries. Since then, property values have risen and the district has transformed into a highly desirable neighborhood—a process that could be characterized as gentrification. The socio-economic impacts of gentrification have been explored by a variety of scholars (see Lee, Slater and Wiley, 2013). The case of German Village, a neighborhood that has been gentrified for over half a century, offers an interesting case study into a central question of this thesis: Is there a new phase of post-gentrification that suggests such urban neighborhoods are becoming suburban? More specifically, has German Village adopted physical and socio-cultural characteristics similar to those we attribute to the suburbs? The approach to this research advances a developing theory of suburban form and culture that looks past traditional definitions of a suburb to uncover a more nuanced understanding of both the land use, socioeconomic demographic characteristics and lifestyle of suburbanization. I find that German Village has embraced a suburban lifestyle as indicted by its shift toward homeownership and privatism as indicated by the proliferation of private fences and pools as well as a stress on the home as a commodity and symbol of social status. The physical features of the neighborhood have changed to embrace a more autocentric lifestyle, adding garages (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Bernadette Hanlon PhD (Advisor); Kyle Ezell MCRP (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

  • 16. Scarrow, Ryan Hothouse Flowers: Water, the West, and a New Approach to Urban Ecology

    Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Sociology

    The Western United States contains not just one of the most arid regions in North America, but also the most urban region of the country. How to supply water to urban areas is one of the great questions of any society, and in the Southwest this was answered through a massive infrastructure centered around the Colorado River. It is my contention that the cities that received this water – such as Phoenix, Las Vegas, and San Diego – have been artificially subsidized in their population and land area growth, and have had to develop specialized economic functions in order to justify further subsidies of water from the river and, by extension, the rest of the country - that they are, in plain terms, hothouse flowers transplanted into an environment that they could never live in without massive inputs. Multiple strands of urban and environmental theory are then presented and examined to gauge their ability to explain, let alone predict, the existence and development of such cities; while human ecology and urban political ecology have the tools and theoretical power to do so, I contend that the presence of technology and money – whether private or from government – is so new and combines so effectively in the form of these hyperspecialized cities that previous theories must be updated. After establishing that there is a sufficient distinction between metropolitan areas in the Colorado River System (MSAs that receive water via the Bureau of Reclamation's massive infrastructure) and those in the Rest of the Arid West, in addition to the rest of the United States, I then conduct time-series regressions with panel-corrected standard errors and conclude the following. Metro areas in the Colorado River System are larger and grew faster than their Arid counterparts in population and land area. The availability of Colorado River water induced land area growth in metropolitan areas such as Phoenix, Tucson, and Las Vegas. Metropolitan economies in the Colorado River System are s (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Edward Crenshaw (Committee Chair); Hollie Nyseth-Brehm (Committee Member); Christopher Otter (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Sociology

  • 17. Lawrence, Molly Experiential Graphic Design: Generating Urban Renewal by Improving Safety and Connectivity in Bicycle Pathways

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

  • 18. Ozaki, Ana Rethinking Urban District Preservation: The Case of Bordeaux France

    MSARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2014, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

    As cities struggle to accommodate new uses without loss of identity, discussions of historic districts and preservation have been dramatically reinvigorated by the latest UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) normative text of 2011. The “Recommendation on Historic Urban Landscapes” recognizes the value of urban settings and lays out criteria for a systemic urban approach integrating sustainable development and socio-economic aspects into urban heritage management. This research aims to provide insight into the best practices concerning the process of revitalizing historic districts and urban fabrics, exploring the city of Bordeaux, France. The city has helped established a historic new preservation paradigm and criteria, while combining old and new into the urban landscape. Bordeaux went through a renovation process of its historic district, from 1996 to 2007, which helped it shape a new approach to urban management, closely coordinated by the local government. The Urban Project of 1996 culminated in Bordeaux's inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007, while also contributing to more inclusive and sustainable practices. Through the analysis of the best practices of Bordeaux, between 1996 and 2012, in particular the recognition of both the economic value of architectural heritage and the promotion of diversity in the use and population, this study helps to advance the discussion on historic preservation of urban landscapes, especially in the context of mid-sized cities dealing with formerly-neglected historic districts while accommodating new infrastructure.
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    Committee: John Eliot Hancock M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Edson Cabalfin Ph.D. (Committee Member); Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

  • 19. Howell, Jessica Passerine and Near Passerine Diversity, Richness, and Community Responses to a Rural to Urban Gradient in Southeastern Ohio

    Bachelor of Sciences, Ohio University, 2014, Biological Sciences

    Over 50% of the world’s human population lives in cities and the number is steadily rising. Urbanization involves a unique set of environmental characteristics including greater imperviousness of surfaces, higher temperatures, and higher noise and light levels than natural systems. Urban development favors resident species of birds, granivores and omnivores, and rock and cavity nesters over migrants, insectivores, and ground nesters. This leads to differences in colonization success among species. In this study I assessed species richness, diversity, abundance, and guild composition of passerine and near passerine birds in an urban area situated in a rural landscape. I hypothesized that diversity should be lowest in the most urbanized areas and highest in the rural areas, abundances of species should differ among habitats on the rural to urban gradient, and avian communities of urban and rural areas should be unique. The most rural site had the highest species richness and the urban area had the lowest. Species diversity was greater in more rural areas. The abundance of invasive species increased and migrant species richness decreased towards the urban core, and feeding and nesting guild structures differed. These results have wildlife management, biodiversity, and social implications at the local as well as global level.
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    Committee: Donald Miles (Advisor); Kelly Williams-Sieg (Other); Janet Duerr (Other) Subjects: Biology; Wildlife Conservation

  • 20. Wo, Chung PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF THE CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY WIND TURBINE AND CHARACTERIZATION OF WIND AVAILABILITY

    Master of Sciences (Engineering), Case Western Reserve University, 2014, EMC - Mechanical Engineering

    To better understand the behavior of wind turbines placed in an urban environment, a study was performed to characterize the wind availability and performance of a 100-kilowatt Northern Power Systems wind turbine installed at Case Western Reserve University. It was found that the annual average wind speed was 4.0m/s, generating net energy of 67MWh at a rate of 8.0kW. It was also found that the winds rarely reach the required 15m/s for the turbine to output at its rated capacity. The winds that do reach 15m/s or faster exist only in short gusts, prevalently during the Winter 2011 and Spring 2012 months. Additionally, in studying the turbine performance, it was found that the turbine has a maximum efficiency of 65-70% relative to the Betz Limit, at a wind speed of approximately 6.75m/s.
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    Committee: Iwan Alexander (Advisor); Jaikrishnan Kadambi (Committee Chair); Paul Barnhart (Committee Member) Subjects: Aerospace Engineering; Energy; Engineering; Mechanical Engineering