Delineation of geological problems for use in urban planning

Activities of the University of Alabama in support of state and local planning commissions are reported. Demonstrations were given of the various types of remotely sensed images available from U-2, Skylab, and LANDSAT; and their uses and limitations were discussed. Techniques to be used in determining flood prone areas were provided for environmental studies. A rapid, inexpensive method for study was developed by which imagery is copied on 35 mm film and projected on existing topographic maps for measuring delta volume and growth

NDM-506: CURRENT METHODS AND FUTURE ADVANCES FOR RAPID, REMOTE-SENSING-BASED WIND DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

Remote-sensing information provides an effective basis for the rapid assessment of wind damage. The development of remote-sensing based assessments has received notable attention over the past decade, although automated algorithms have not yet achieved the speed, objectivity, and reliability desired for practical implementation in time-critical damage assessments. The current standard practice for making swift, objective, and widespread assessments of wind damage currently consists of rapid visual interpretation of first-available imagery. Techniques for rapidly accomplishing widespread damage assessments by visual inspection have been implemented in recent major tornado outbreaks in Birmingham-Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Joplin, Missouri (2011). Quickly emerging technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and laser scanners, are helping to improve both the speed and the accuracy of damage assessments, in particular for rapid and target-specific data collection at very high spatial resolutions. Applications of these emerging technologies following recent severe tornadoes at Pilger, Nebraska (2014) and Pampa, Texas (2015) have demonstrated their role in helping to refine strategies for making rapid semi-automated damage assessments. Algorithms for comparing before-and-after remote sensing imagery are also of great interest for the future development of automated damage detection. Current development activities are centered on high-resolution before-and-after aerial images of recent tornado damage

Investigating Intra-Site Variability in the Use of Buildings During the Mississippian Period at the Ames Town Site (40FY7) in Western Tennesee

This thesis investigates a series of overlapping structures in unit F1-U25 at Ames (40FY7), an Early to Middle Mississippian period (ca. AD 1050 - 1300) site in Fayette County, Tennessee. Ames is comprised of a town, plaza, and four mounds all surrounded by a palisade wall. Approximately 220 meters east of the palisade wall, unit F1-U25 revealed a series of superimposed structures. The two primary goals of this thesis include determining the temporal relationship between the superimposed structures and the town site; and determining the function of the structures. A multi-staged research design including geophysical prospection, soil analysis, excavation, artifact analysis. and radiometric dating, was undertaken to achieve the two goals. The results of the study will improve the understanding of Early to Middle Mississippian period variability in settlement patterns in the uplands of Western Tennessee

Can\u27t You See the Sun\u27s Settin\u27 Down on Our Town?: Decline, Space, and Community in Frisco City, Alabama

This study examines the physical and social decline of Frisco City, a small town in southwest Alabama, and its residents\u27 associations with changing spaces and communities in the downtown area and the Frisco City school. It includes a rephotography project hosted on a website and a short documentary film that demonstrate the changes in the downtown physical environment and residents\u27 ties to its spaces. The group of residents interviefor the study seemed to view the declining downtown area and school as signifiers of their declining community; the economic, social, and physical changes in the town\u27s later history seemed to be accompanied by residents\u27 continuing detachment from social networks based in town. In 2009, however, a new civic group formed in hopes of providing a solution for the town\u27s decline by building new communities that share and care for restored spaces together

Urban Sprawl, Commuting, and Access to Public Transportation in the Southeast

Urban sprawl has emerged as a major urban planning issue in the past decade, with a variety of urban problems attributed to it. It is accused of consuming excessive amounts of land in an uncontrolled fashion, which leads to an unnecessary separation of land uses and activities and, in turn, increases the demand for mobility. A greater number of trips leads to greater air pollution and other environmental problems, while increased travel may lead to traffic congestion that decreases mobility and access to employment and services (Johnson, 2001; Gillham, 2002). Yet while automobility and accessibility may be diminishing due to the effects of sprawl, the reliance on automobiles is increasing. Urban sprawl is typified by the construction of low-density urban landscapes, with commercial buildings surrounded by parking lots located on large parcels. These parcels are spatially separated from residential areas by distance and crowded arterial streets unsafe for pedestrians. Walking is not feasible in such conditions, and those who do not have access to a car likely will have extremely limited mobility, and may not be able to easily reach potential employment locations within the city

Higher Education in Antebellum Alabama

A profile and assessment of academies, military schools, and colleges.https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/mono/1045/thumbnail.jp

A Village Comes to Life: The Interpretation of Henry Ford\u27s Greenfield Village

Of all American living history sites, Greenfield Village, in Dearborn, Michigan, is one of the most interesting. Founded by Henry Ford and opened in 1929, Greenfield Village consists of 90 acres of nearly 100 historic buildings, all moved to the site from around the country and reassembled in a vague village formation. Unlike Colonial Williamsburg, the site is not historically significant and represents no one geographic location or time period. While in keeping with Ford’s vision of celebrating small-town life and the humble origins of many great thinkers and innovators, this structure has presented challenges for both the staff and the public to settle on a particular interpretive theme. When combined with the more universal criticisms regarding training, equipment, and messaging, these challenges make Greenfield Village a veritable microcosm of the strengths and weaknesses of living history interpretation. The history of interpretive programming at Greenfield Village demonstrates that weaknesses commonly criticized by academic historians are not inherent in living history programming. In fact, well-educated and trained park staffers saw living history as the solution to these problems and to finally find a way to unify Greenfield Village’s unique structure under a cohesive and effective interpretive theme. The 1982 implementation of the Edison/Saltbox project was a direct response to the most current scholarship on museum education and represented a continued dialogue with other open-air history museums. More recent attempts to improve the interpretation of African American history at Greenfield Village echo similar strategies at Colonial Williamsburg and respond directly to calls within the academy to address the prevalence of nostalgia in presentations of the past. While Greenfield Village’s programming continues to face the funding and staffing problems that plague living history programs nationwide, its story should remind scholars that nostalgia and antiquarianism are not problems inherent to living history

Socio-economic vulnerability to localized severe and tornadic events with a focus on communities in Alabama

As evidenced by our 24-hour news cycle, as well as the proliferation of reality television, the depiction of severe weather, particularly the devastation caused by tornadoes, and its effects on local communities has been of increasing popularity over the past decade. This coverage, in many instances, has acted as a catalyst for individuals to reflect on whether or not certain areas, or communities, are prepared for such events to occur. Communities themselves inherently exhibit particular social and economic characteristics such as age, population, density, poverty, and housing condition based on the individuals or infrastructure that resides within. The degree to which these socioeconomic conditions are present may impact that community's ability to be physically and financially resilient to the occurrence of severe weather. Understanding how severe weather events affect society and how communities are able to prepare for, respond to, and recover from such an event is an important factor in developing equipped and knowledgeable citizens. This paper proposes and analyzes various socio-economic factors that could increase a community's vulnerability to severe weather and where, geographically, they are most prevalent. Through the creation of a socio-economic vulnerability index, this paper analyzes what communities appear to be at an increased level of risk during a severe weather event and how these communities were impacted during one of the most historic tornado outbreaks across the state of Alabama.Honors CollegeThesis (B.?

Spatial and Temporal Analysis of the 27 April 2011 Tornado Outbreak in Central Alabama

This study investigates the spatial and temporal patterns of the 27 April 2011 tornado outbreak in Central Alabama. Disasters, and vulnerabilities to such events, vary across space and time. The 2011 Super Outbreak was the largest, most costly, and one of the most deadly tornado outbreaks ever recorded in U.S. history. In this study, the results of 29 documented tornado tracks (889 data points total) in Central Alabama reveal findings related to complex topography and its effects on tornado intensity. The temporal pattern s of this particular outbreak are - consistent with other studies’ evidence that suggests a small peak in nocturnal tornado activity in the Southeast U.S. These are a few of the many factors that contribute to tornado vulnerability in the Deep South