Environmental communication and visual pollution: Its philosophical and psychological impact

This research examines the relationships between the environment, visual communication as a resource and their significance to the aesthetics of the people. The research will look into the psychology and philosophy effect. Visual pollution on humans can be manifested in two forms which have been already recognized:- direct, the effects being psychological and physiological; - indirect, the effects being various, from road accidents caused by distraction, to the economic decline of a community. Environmental design professional/students should work and educate cultural planners, city planners, architects and engineers to enhance the visual aesthetic qualities of the built environment in some Nigerian cities. Visual Arts research provides a forum for historical, critical, cultural, psychological, educational and conception research in visual arts and aesthetic educatio

Glimpses of an urbanism to come

First exhaustive research paper to provide a comprehensive spatial analysis of the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa, Italy. The paper argues that the 2001 G8 Summit saw the emergence of spatial techniques to control public spaces that would become paradigmatic of the urbanism of the XXIst century. Through maps and diagrams the events that took place during the summit are analysed and then compared to planning techniques utilised in other political rallies (2007 APEC, Sydney) or new cities (Dubai). By highlighting what tools and concepts underpin this emergent urbanism, the paper calls for a kind of architect that understands his role beyond the mere invention of new forms

Spartan Daily, November 16, 2017

Volume 149, Issue 37https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartan_daily_2017/1078/thumbnail.jp

Consumer Behavior: Product Characteristics and Quality Perception

Consumers rely on signals, both extrinsic and intrinsic attributes, to solve their asymmetric information problem regarding product quality. In this study an experiment is designed to evaluate how consumers assess quality perception in terms of specific product characteristics, namely colors and shapes in product labels. According to the cue consistency theory, the prediction is that multiple sources of information are more useful when they provide corroborating information than when they offer disparate conclusions. In this sense, particular colors and shapes combinations which are consistent are expected to enhance consumers´ product quality perception, while other combinations that are inconsistent will decrease it.Consumer, Behavior, Quality Perception, Label, Color, Shape

A Study of Historic Development of San Antonio\u27s River Walk

A draft version of a study of the historical development of the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas. Harrison Price Company (HPC) isolated factors which appear to have contributed to the success of the River Walk as well as factors that delayed success. HPC conducted a search of historical literature on key development events relating to the San Antonio River Walk. The 30-year period covered was 1962 through 1994. Profiled the hotel industry in downtown San Antonio from 1965 through 1994: chronicling the number of rooms available, occupied rooms, and average daily room rate. Developed a time line for developments along the River Walk, including hotels, restaurants and retail outlets. Prepared a profile of all the businesses along the River Walk. Interviewed key participants in the development of the River Walk to gain insights as to how decisions were made regarding land use and transportation. Reviewed the operating history of the water taxi services. Determined the degree to which public participation contributed to the development of River Walk amenities. Investigated how the River Walk is managed, policed and maintained. Quantified certain economic indicators for the San Antonio downtown market including office building occupancies, retail sales, and convention attendance. Prepared a comprehensive time line correlating various economic factors with key events in the development of the River Walk

Retrofitting hotels: evidence from the Protea Hospitality Group of hotels within Gauteng, South Africa

Abstract: Over the past decade the environmental responsibilities, practices, policies and performance of hotels have garnered an increasing international scholarship by tourism and hospitality researchers.The imperative for environmental retrofitting of hotels arises from the existence of resource-intensive and frequently inefficient systems and operational routines in the hotel sector which can result in negative environmental impacts. The present article analyses one dimension of the relationship between hotels and sustainable development in South Africa. Specific attention is on issues of the environmental retrofitting in hotels. The empirical focus is upon the operations of a ten hotels in Gauteng, South Africa’s economic heartland, which are part of the Protea Hospitality Group. It is revealed that the nature of retrofitting initiatives at the hotels differed with the most common initiatives being the introduction of LED lighting and recycling initiatives. The leading reasons for introducing environmentally friendly measures were to reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint, to reduce costs and to enhance brand image. These findings align with those of other investigations which have highlighted profit considerations linked to enhanced competitiveness as the most significant drivers for the greening of hotels.201

Retrofitting hotels: evidence from the Protea Hospitality Group of hotels within Gauteng, South Africa

Abstract: Over the past decade the environmental responsibilities, practices, policies and performance of hotels have garnered an increasing international scholarship by tourism and hospitality researchers.The imperative for environmental retrofitting of hotels arises from the existence of resource-intensive and frequently inefficient systems and operational routines in the hotel sector which can result in negative environmental impacts. The present article analyses one dimension of the relationship between hotels and sustainable development in South Africa. Specific attention is on issues of the environmental retrofitting in hotels. The empirical focus is upon the operations of a ten hotels in Gauteng, South Africa’s economic heartland, which are part of the Protea Hospitality Group. It is revealed that the nature of retrofitting initiatives at the hotels differed with the most common initiatives being the introduction of LED lighting and recycling initiatives. The leading reasons for introducing environmentally friendly measures were to reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint, to reduce costs and to enhance brand image. These findings align with those of other investigations which have highlighted profit considerations linked to enhanced competitiveness as the most significant drivers for the greening of hotels.201

Discourse on Contextualism in Architecture and Design: The French Hotels and the African Paradigm

This article discussed the topic of Contextualism in architectural design through its relationship with Modern movement in architecture. Many writers have discussed the concepts of Context and Contextualism in architecture, mainly from the point of view of how Modern Architecture dealt with the subject. From these writings, one theme appeared recurrent: the notion that Modern architecture or Modern buildings neglected this very important requirement of architectural design, but rather presented a pseudo-industrial style of building that was intended to replace the academic eclecticism of the Beaux Arts. To do this, it employed imagery related to machinery rather than to previous building, thus symbolizing its belief in a social and a physical utopia to be created by technology. Very few, in their writings, discuss more than one dimension of this concept. Many tend to focus on physical context alone. However, the works of Robert Venturi explain to us that there may be more than one interpretation of the concept. He posits that one must necessarily include both the physical and cultural contexts. Other works such as those of Colin Rowe, Thomas L. Schumacher and Stuart Cohen have also delved into this concept from different dimensions, expounding on it from the perspectives of  Modernism, Post-Modernism, and Deconstructivism. Schumacher, for instance, proposes a scenario where the disparate theories of cultural and physical contexts are included rather than excluded.  In this particular article, a common Modern building type (hotel) is used to further explore and fathom the meaning of this concept and how it has been applied in the paradigm of African architecture. In contrast to the failures of Modern Architecture in dealing with the urban context, the French hotels of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries Rococo period exhibited a remarkable response to the urban site conditions. These buildings, in a bid to become part of their site, assumed exterior forms that differed from their interior configurations. As opposed to Modern Architecture, the form was basically determined by contextual requirements and considerations rather than by programmatic requirements and considerations. The most profound example of Contextualism in African architecture is revealed in the Great Mosque of Djenne, in Djenne, Mali, West Africa. The profundity of the form cannot be understated as the building’s response to its physical and cultural contexts is unequivocally original and authentic. Finally, we looked at some examples of contemporary Nigerian (African) contextual architecture in the City of Enugu and saw how the buildings responded to context within the ubiquity of Urbanism. Keywords: Contextualism, Symbolism, Modern Architecture, African Architecture, French Hotel

Real Ugly, Dead Beautiful

In the early 1980s, the all-girl band The Same used to play around New York City, piecing together lyrics from fragments of various languages. In that cauldron of fashion and media, The Same had the memorable motto Semper Mutans (Always Changing)

Boston Hospitality Review: Fall 2014

Boston Market Hotel Review by Andrea Foster -- The Prevalence of Longevity Amongst Leading Brands by Bradford Hudson -- European River Cruising On The Rise Among American Tourists by Melinda Jàszbernèny -- Building A Spirit of Inclusion: Pan Am and The Cultural Revolution by Mirembe B. Birigwa -- Re-imagining The Hotel Guestroom for The Millennial Business Traveler by Alexis Oliver -- Introducing RevPASH: The Free Webtool Application by Peter Szend