Matching Items (12)
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- All Subjects: urban planning
- Creators: School of Sustainability
- Creators: School of Politics and Global Studies
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
- Resource Type: Text
Description
Defines the concept of the arcology as conceived by architect Paolo Soleri. Arcology combines "architecture" and "ecology" and explores a visionary notion of a self-contained urban community that has agricultural, commercial, and residential facilities under one roof. Two real-world examples of these projects are explored: Arcosanti, AZ and Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Key aspects of the arcology that could be applied to an existing urban fabric are identified, such as urban design fostering social interaction, reduction of automobile dependency, and a development pattern that combats sprawl. Through interviews with local representatives, a holistic approach to applying arcology concepts to the Phoenix Metro Area is devised.
ContributorsSpencer, Sarah Anne (Author) / Manuel-Navarrete, David (Thesis director) / Salon, Deborah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This paper explores women and bicycling, with the focus of looking at how to get more women onto the bicycle in Tempe, Arizona. The main areas of interest for this study are improvements to bicycling infrastructure and an increase in the safety and the perception of safety of women cyclists in the Tempe area. In order to explore this topic, an online survey of 75 Arizona State students was conducted. From the results women were primarily concerned with their safety due to the condition of the overall infrastructure and the lack of bicycle related improvements. Research such as this that examines women and cycling is significant due to the current underrepresentation of women in the cycling community and has the potential to improve safety and increase bicycle ridership.
ContributorsStarr, Nicole (Author) / Kelley, Jason (Thesis director) / Golub, Aaron (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Changes in Latino neighborhoods in Tucson, Arizona that occurred between 1990 and 2010 were studied. The overall Latino population increased substantially within the larger metropolitan area during the target time period. Neighborhoods were selected that had changed to become predominantly Latino during the target time period based on maps measuring ethnic clusters. Research was designed to characterize Latino neighborhoods in Tucson in terms of transformation. Methodology for comparison between changed and unchanged neighborhoods was developed. Observations were made in the three new neighborhoods, as well as in three historically Latino neighborhoods that experienced little change during the same time period. Interviews were conducted with residents from each neighborhood. Exploratory findings were made regarding the transformation of the neighborhoods with increased Latino populations. Findings showed that two areas of transformation increased largely because of the rise of higher density rental housing while one area transformed because two new affordable subdivisions were created within the studied time period. One new neighborhood's physical domain changed from an undeveloped land to a neighborhood with tract style houses. The historical areas have transformed in different ways including a decrease in crime and an increase in the younger population. The historical areas have experienced little change in the physical domain. All neighborhoods studied had evidences of a Spanish speaking population, and have businesses that cater to the surrounding Hispanic population.
ContributorsLeavitt, Isabella Maish (Author) / Lara-Valencia, Francisco (Thesis director) / Velez-Ibanez, Carlos (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Transborder Studies (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
City planners often use bicycle friendly rating schemes as tools to guide them in their efforts to establish a bicycle community. However, the criteria and methodologies used vary from program to program and often do not encapsulate all of the necessary elements that comprise true bicycle friendliness. This report documents the important elements, strategies, and best practices that well-established Dutch, Danish, and German bike friendly cities exhibit to create a baseline standard for bicycle friendliness. Not all rating programs' criteria and methodologies align perfectly within this understanding of bicycle friendliness. City planners should use these programs as tools while keeping their limitations in consideration. The City of Tempe currently uses the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community program and BikeScore.com. By understanding the limitations associated with these programs, Tempe should move forward in their pursuit of bicycle friendliness by using multiple rating programs simultaneously and by looking at top-rated cities' strategies to enhance their infrastructure, network, urban form, and biking culture.
ContributorsTrombino, Frank Michael (Author) / Golub, Aaron (Thesis director) / Kelley, Jason (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
This research project is part of a larger study of green infrastructure in urban planning and sustainability initiatives in cities across the U.S. Within the past few decades, the topic of sustainability has been at the forefront of city planners’ minds as cities grow, there is new or redevelopment, and the threat of climate change and future climate variability increases. Green infrastructure is one increasingly popular urban sustainability strategy, which is widely promoted for its ability to provide multiple benefits. This multi-functionality translates into ecosystem services and possible disservices for a local community and the city as a whole. This research project examines 120 planning documents from 19 U.S. cities to examine whether the services cities say they expect green infrastructure to provide, or the rationale, match with the criteria used to determine where green infrastructure is sited. For this project, we ask: what are the rationales that cities provide for developing green infrastructure and what are the criteria cities are using to determine where to site it? We find that certain rationales, or benefits, are claimed without corresponding and specific siting criteria to substantiate how these benefits will be achieved, while other benefits, like those related to stormwater management, are prioritized over other potentially important benefits.
ContributorsColeman, Emma Ciara (Author) / Meerow, Sara (Thesis director) / Hoover, Fushcia-Ann (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12
Description
This thesis explores the role and meaning of community in the community land trust (CLT) model, and uses a single embedded case study to examine the mission, organizational structure, and governance model of Newtown CDC, a CLT based in Phoenix, Arizona. The thesis seeks to answer the questions, “What does community participation and empowerment mean to Newtown CDC”, and “how does the organization satisfy the competing needs of community participation and affordable housing production?” Historical documents of Newtown CDC, interviews with CLT staff, board members, and national policy representatives, as well as a survey of current and former CLT residents, reveal the perceived meaning and role of community, its evolution, and successes and failures in engaging the community. The data finds that a change in political and cultural dynamics has contributed to more resources focused on developing affordable housing, and less focus on community engagement. CLTs have adapted to this change, and the role and execution of community engagement has also evolved.
ContributorsSubbaraman, Sree Manasvini (Author) / Ehlenz, Meagan (Thesis director) / Brewer, Stephanie (Committee member) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Transit ridership is declining in most cities throughout America. Public transportation needs to be improved in order for cities to handle urban growth, reduce carbon footprint, and increase mobility across income groups. In order to determine what causes changes in transit ridership, I performed a descriptive analysis of five metro areas in the United States. I studied changes in transit ridership in Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Phoenix, and Seattle from 2013 through 2017 to determine where public transportation works and where it does not work. I used employment, commute, and demographic data to determine what affects transit ridership. Each metro area was studied as a separate case because the selected cities are difficult to compare directly. The Seattle metro area was the only metro to increase transit ridership throughout the period of the study. The Minneapolis metro area experienced a slight decline in transit ridership, while Phoenix and Denver declined significantly. The Dallas metro area declined most of the five cities studied. The denser metro areas fared much better than the less dense areas. In order to increase transit ridership cities should increase the density of their city and avoid sprawl. Certain factors led to declines in ridership in certain metro areas but not all. For example, gentrification contributed to ridership decline in Denver and Minneapolis, but Seattle gentrified and increased ridership. Dallas and Phoenix experienced low-levels of gentrification but experienced declining ridership. Therefore, organizations such as the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) who attempt to find the single factor causing the decline in transit ridership, or the one factor that will increase ridership are misguided. Above all, this thesis shows that there is no single factor causing the ridership decline in each metro area, and it is wise to study each metro area as a separate case.
ContributorsBarro, Joshua Andrew (Co-author) / Barro, Joshua (Co-author) / King, David (Thesis director) / Salon, Deborah (Committee member) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
In this project I analyze Paolo Soleri's concept of arcology \u2014 the combination of architecture and ecology \u2014 from a theoretical, symbolic, and physical perspective. I utilize these three viewpoints to determine what aspects of his theories are most effective for urban design. While his ideas are based on building "arcologies" from the ground up, I will be using the Phoenix Metropolitan area to determine how we could apply his ideas to existing cities without having to rebuild entirely. This past summer I participated in the 5-week construction workshop the Cosanti Foundation offers at the physical prototypical city of Arcosanti in Mayer, Arizona during which time I studied Soleri's work and participated in the construction of the city while also participating in the community dynamic there. I have found that while not all components of Soleri's theories translated well into Arcosanti, there are certainly some ideas that could be applied help to improve the City of Phoenix. I propose improvements to the pedestrian realm and an increase public space with an emphasis on utilizing the infrastructure and land that is already present for future development.
ContributorsIbsen, Bronte Elizabeth (Author) / Manuel-Navarrete, David (Thesis director) / Kelley, Jason (Committee member) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
In 1974, with a relatively young and fast-growing city in front of them, the City Council of Phoenix, Arizona charged the Phoenix Planning Commission with studying potential plans for urban form. Through the help of over 200 citizens over the next eight months, the village concept was born. Characterized by an emphasis on community-level planning, unique neighborhood character, and citizen input, the village concept plan provides an compelling lens into decentralized planning. In 1979, the Village Concept, as part of the “Phoenix Concept Plan 2000,” was officially adopted by the Phoenix City Council and has remained a component of the city’s long-range planning ever since. Each village features a core of dense commercial and residential activity, with a surrounding periphery featuring varied densities and land usage. There were nine original villages outlined in 1979. As of today, there are 15 villages. Each village has a Village Planning Committee (VPC) made up of 15 to 21 citizens, each being appointed to the committee by the Phoenix Mayor and City Council. This exploratory study was born out of an interest in the Village Planning Committees and a desire to understand their function as a mechanism for citizen participation in urban planning and urban governance. Similarly, with the rapid onset of the automobile and freeway expansion in the decades after WWII, once-insolated communities in the Valley have become connected to each other in a way that raises questions about how to maintain neighborhood’s unique character while promoting sustainable growth and expansion of the city. Phoenix’s Urban Village Model attempts to answer those questions. The efficacy of the model can be considered from two perspectives––how does it aid in making land use decisions, and how does it promote citizen participation? While there is an extensive body of literature on neighborhood councils in the United States and plentiful analysis of the merits of such models as participatory mechanisms and devices of urban planning, there is a lack of discussion of Phoenix’s Urban Village Model. This thesis aims to include Phoenix in this growing body of work.
ContributorsCorridan, Sophia (Author) / Lewis, Paul (Thesis director) / Kelley, Jason (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Throughout the history of urban planning, different visionaries have attempted to promote their own utopian visions of cities, thus transforming urban planning thought regarding cities of tomorrow. By researching the utopian planned visions of Paolo Soleri, Ebenezer Howard, Le Corbusier, and Frank Lloyd Wright, different lessons can be taken from and instilled in a future city plan in the making, Telosa. Marc Lore and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have plans to start construction of this utopian desert city by 2030. Examining past utopian city visions can shed light on planning principles and forms of governance, as well as social, political, and economic processes that go together with this style of planning. Arcosanti, The Garden Cities, Letchworth, The Contemporary City, The Radiant City, Brasilia, Broadacre City and Levittown are all case studies examined to determine the value of utopian urban planning, in light of the plan of Telosa. By understanding the value of utopianism, and the inherent challenges faced, visionaries like Lore and BIG have a higher probability of bringing Telosa to fruition.
ContributorsMerhi, Christopher (Author) / Kelley, Jason (Thesis director) / King, David (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor)
Created2022-05