379 research outputs found

    Tradition and Innovation in Construction Project Management

    Get PDF
    This book is a reprint of the Special Issue 'Tradition and Innovation in Construction Project Management' that was published in the journal Buildings

    Collective Embodiment and Communal Feeling: A Critical Somatics Approach to Performance for Social Change

    Get PDF
    “Collective Embodiment and Communal Feeling: A Critical Somatics Approach to Performance for Social Change” argues for a novel approach to performance for social change that focuses on the sensory and somatic dimensions of collectivity as the basis for countering the atomizing politics of neoliberalism. It proposes a critical somatics approach to the deconstruction and reconfiguration of participants’ embodied subjectivities, emphasizing the cultivation of conditions that facilitate experiences of collective embodiment and affective interdependence. Whether in the kinesthetic awareness of bodies dancing together, the situational or proprioceptive awareness of a collective engaged in creative disruption, or the physical contact of activists’ clasped arms forming a human chain in protest, these conditions require multisensory engagement, improvisational coordination, and shared feeling. Based on ethnographic accounts of the phenomenological experience of collective embodiment, I argue that such experiences enact—rather than merely argue for—forms of collectivity through their operation on the level of the body. This approach to performance for social change builds on the experience of practitioners and artist-activists in an effort to preserve the core contributions of existing techniques while seeking avenues to overcome their susceptibility to the influence of increasingly ubiquitous neoliberal frameworks. Opening with a consideration of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed as a touchstone example, I argue that the technique’s cognitive approach to social change and its emphasis on discursive techniques contribute to the manner in which it individualizes responsibility for combating systemic oppression. Turning to Cynthia Winton-Henry and Phil Porter’s InterPlay as an example of an affective approach to performance for social change, I critique its practitioners’ culture of individualism, but identify the critical potential of its recognition of collective embodiment. Extending this analysis to protest and direct action, I explore the existential prefiguration of communities of care and the cultivation of communal feeling, an affective and collective form of embodied cognition. After offering a series of activities designed to create the conditions for experiences of collective embodiment and develop the affective bonds of communal feeling, I close with a consideration of the broader implications of positioning speculative theory at the forefront of movements’ political practice.Doctor of Philosoph

    Conflicting Visions: Political Struggle Over Urban Space in Lawrence Heights

    Get PDF
    This dissertation is a case-study of a public housing district in North York, Toronto known as Lawrence Heights, a so-called “priority neighborhood” undergoing the largest “urban revitalization” project in Canada. Typically, a revitalization is formed through a public-private partnership between a government and private developers, which together direct the razing of a disinvested area, followed by the building of new residential developments, commercial businesses, and public amenities in its place. It happens that government officials, planners, architects, and developers are employing enormous resources towards a revitalization project unfolding in the context of late neoliberalism (as a once revolutionary paradigm) undergoing fracturing since the crisis of 2008. In this situation, however, people continue struggling against, and are actively resisting, the long-standing and increasingly visible consequences of neoliberalism as a market-driven de-democratizing force that has leveled social service provision while also driving up living costs. The research uncovers forms of political conflict that have arisen during the Lawrence Heights revitalization. In so doing, I map out a chronological narrative detailing the past and present of this district as it continues transforming. To this end, I address the following questions: What do ongoing relations between interested parties involved in remaking Lawrence Heights tell us about the capacity for late neoliberalism to absorb and modify the multiple visions put forward for the neighbourhood’s future that align with its principles? What political outcomes arise in the deliberations over the use and distribution of resources associated with the revitalization? How do these interactions in this localized case study fit into larger struggles between different groups to leverage the state to institute certain policies in an environment where neoliberalism’s negative impacts on poorer communities have fueled energetic counter-pressures? Borrowing from Gramscian thought, this dissertation argues that the early stages of the Lawrence Heights revitalization suggests the potential unfolding of a localized passive revolution with grassroots anti-systemic organizers seizing meaningful levels of control over the direction of revitalization planning, as evidenced by their securement of resources for resident-led programs, employment opportunities, and decision making power, while struggling against the prevailing limits and power enforced by neoliberal policy regimes

    Exploring cyclists’ and pedestrians’ personal exposure, wellbeing and protective practices on-the-move

    Get PDF
    In dieser Doktorarbeit wurde untersucht, welche Faktoren Wohlbefinden, wahrgenommene Gesundheit und MobilitĂ€tspraktiken von Radfahrenden und FußgĂ€nger:innen wĂ€hrend des Unterwegsseins beeinflussen. Ziel war es, die persönliche Exposition gegenĂŒber Feinstaub und LĂ€rm unterwegs zu messen und diese der individuell wahrgenommenen Belastung gegenĂŒberzustellen. Zudem wurden weitere Faktoren, die das Wohlbefinden beeinflussen, untersucht. Die Arbeit beleuchtet ĂŒberdies, wie ĂŒber gesunde und angenehme MobilitĂ€t informiert werden könnte. Zuerst wurden mobile qualitative Interviews (Go-/Ride-Alongs) durchgefĂŒhrt und mit tragbaren Sensoren zur Messung von Feinstaub und LĂ€rm ergĂ€nzt. Der situative Kontext, die sensorische Wahrnehmung und soziale Aspekte beeinflussen, ob das Unterwegsseins in der Stadt als gesund und angenehm empfunden wird. Diese Faktoren können in vergleichsweise als hoch belastend gemessenen Situationen ausgleichend wirken. Weiterhin wurden Informationsmöglichkeiten fĂŒr eine gesunde MobilitĂ€t in der Stadt exploriert. Ein Literaturreview hat aufgezeigt, dass Gesundheitsthemen wenig BerĂŒcksichtigung in Forschung zu MobilitĂ€ts-Apps finden. Daran anschließend wurden Fokusgruppen durchgefĂŒhrt. Es wurde ermittelt, wie gesunde und angenehme Routen kommuniziert werden können. Hier könnendas Vorhandensein von Routenalternativen und BewĂ€ltigungsstrategien ein GefĂŒhl von Selbstwirksamkeit geben. Es wurde eine „pleasant routing app“ vorgeschlagen, die angenehme und gesunde Routenaspekte integriert. Um die AttraktivitĂ€t des Fahrradfahrens und zu Fuß Gehens zu steigern, sollten Erfahrungen, Wahrnehmungen und Praktiken von Radfahrenden und FußgĂ€nger:innen berĂŒcksichtigt werden. Letztendlich kann somit aktive MobilitĂ€t ihr Potenzial entfalten und zu einer lebenswerten, gesunden und umweltfreundlichen Stadt beitragen.This thesis investigates factors influencing cyclists’ and pedestrians’ health and wellbeing on-the-move. Moreover, the possibilities of smartphone apps for supporting a healthy and pleasant trip are investigated. The scope of this thesis is to combine the topic healthy and pleasant mobility with possibilities of mobility apps. First, the thesis explores how cyclists and pedestrians perceive their personal exposure towards air pollution and noise as well as other factors influencing commuting experience and wellbeing on-the-move. This is contrasted to actual measured particulate matter and noise. Qualitative interviews on-the-move (‘go-/ride-alongs’) are complemented by wearable sensors measuring particulate matter and noise. The results show discrepancies as well as coherences between perceived and measured exposure. The situational context, sensory awareness (e.g. water views) and social cues (e.g. seeing other people) are important for a perceived pleasant commute, even in polluted areas. Second, this thesis identifies how far health impacting factors are considered in research using mobility apps to identify their possibilities for supporting a healthy commute. A literature review reveals that research applying mobility apps is lacking the consideration of health topics and it is proposed to integrate health topics in mobility app development. Following these findings, the thesis investigates communication options to inform about a healthy and pleasant commute. Focus groups were applied showing that information should include feasible coping strategies and increase self-efficacy. Pleasant trip characteristics could be included in a healthy mobility app. If active mode users’ experiences, perceptions and practices are considered, cycling and walking can become more attractive and more people are encouraged to cycle or walk. Hence, active modes can unfold their potential for supporting the transformation towards liveable, healthy and environmentally friendly cities

    DO TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES AFFECT ROAD SAFETY OUTCOMES: A SPATIALLY DETAILED ANALYSIS IN SAN FRANCISCO

    Get PDF
    US traffic fatal deaths have steadily risen since 2010, with the past few years witnessing an unusual trend increase. To reverse such a dangerous trend, one must understand how and why road crashes occur and which factors are causing them. Emerging transportation technologies have shown the potential to improve mobility and safety. However, such technologies are not inherently beneficial and could worsen road safety if not effectively implemented. One such transportation technology that warrants investigation is the rise of ridesharing services, also called Transportation Network Companies (TNCs). The primary goal of the dissertation is to explore the statistical relationship between road safety outcomes and TNC service components like curbside pick-ups and drop-offs (PUDO) or through the TNC-involved vehicles miles traveled (VMT). It evaluates the relationship between TNC service components like PUDO and Tot TNC VMT with four main types of road crash frequency: the total number of road crashes, fatal and severe injury crashes, crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, and crashes involving drink-driving using San Francisco (SF) county data. A fixed-effect Poisson Regression Model with a robust covariance matrix compares San Francisco (SF) county\u27s 2010 safety outcomes when TNCs were negligible to safety outcomes for the exact locations in 2016 for which spatially detailed TNC data is available. Dependent variables like Total Crashes, Fatal and Injury Crashes, Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crashes, Alcohol-involving (DUI) Crashes, and Property Damage Only (PDO) Crashes are evaluated using the model, controlling for vehicle speed, Total VMT, and TNC service components, namely TNC VMT and PUDO. We apply that model to 2010 and 2016 scenarios and counterfactual scenarios that estimate what would have occurred in 2016 without specific aspects of TNC operations. The results show that TNCs indirectly increased total crashes by 4% due to higher exposure and 7% due to changes in vehicle speeds. The direct effect of TNCs on crashes offsets these increases, reducing crashes by 14%, but this effect depends upon the model specification and is insignificant in other specifications tested. The results for other types of crashes are similar in direction but lower in significance. Overall, the results suggest that TNCs are a minor factor in road safety outcomes, at least within the limits of what we can measure with the available data. This finding is broadly consistent with past research on the topic. These results interest engineers, planners, and policymakers seeking to improve road safety. Those aiming to reduce traffic crashes would be well-advised to avoid getting distracted by TNCs in one direction or another and instead focus on known solutions, including road design, vehicle technology, and reducing exposure through reducing vehicle miles traveled

    Development,Validation, and Integration of AI-Driven Computer Vision System and Digital-twin System for Traffic Safety Dignostics

    Get PDF
    The use of data and deep learning algorithms in transportation research have become increasingly popular in recent years. Many studies rely on real-world data. Collecting accurate traffic data is crucial for analyzing traffic safety. Still, traditional traffic data collection methods that rely on loop detectors and radar sensors are limited to collect macro-level data, and it may fail to monitor complex driver behaviors like lane changing and interactions between road users. With the development of new technologies like in-vehicle cameras, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and surveillance cameras, vehicle trajectory data can be collected from the recorded videos for more comprehensive and microscopic traffic safety analysis. This research presents the development, validation, and integration of three AI-driven computer vision systems for vehicle trajectory extraction and traffic safety research: 1) A.R.C.I.S, an automated framework for safety diagnosis utilizing multi-object detection and tracking algorithm for UAV videos. 2)N.M.E.D.S., A new framework with the ability to detect and predict the key points of vehicles and provide more precise vehicle occupying locations for traffic safety analysis. 3)D.V.E.D.S applied deep learning models to extract information related to drivers\u27 visual environment from the Google Street View (GSV) images. Based on the drone video collected and processed by A.R.C.I.S at various locations, CitySim: a new drone recorded vehicle trajectory dataset that aim to facilitate safety research was introduced. CitySim has vehicle interaction trajectories extracted from 1140- minutes of video recordings, which provide a large-scale naturalistic vehicle trajectory that covers a variety of locations, including basic freeway segments, freeway weaving segments, expressway segments, signalized intersections, stop-controlled intersections, and unique intersections without sign/signal control. The advantage of CitySim over other datasets is that it contains more critical safety events in quantity and severity and provides supporting scenarios for safety-oriented research. In addition, CitySim provides digital twin features, including the 3D base maps and signal timings, which enables a more comprehensive testing environment for safety research, such as autonomous vehicle safety. Based on these digital twin features provided by CitySim, we proposed a Digital Twin framework for CV and pedestrian in-the-loop simulation, which is based on Carla-Sumo Co-simulation and Cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE). The proposed framework is expected to guide the future Digital Twin research, and the architecture we build can serve as the testbed for further research and development

    Multiple vehicle cooperation and collision avoidance in automated vehicles : Survey and an AI‑enabled conceptual framework

    Get PDF
    Prospective customers are becoming more concerned about safety and comfort as the automobile industry swings toward automated vehicles (AVs). A comprehensive evaluation of recent AVs collision data indicates that modern automated driving systems are prone to rear-end collisions, usually leading to multiple-vehicle collisions. Moreover, most investigations into severe traffic conditions are confined to single-vehicle collisions. This work reviewed diverse techniques of existing literature to provide planning procedures for multiple vehicle cooperation and collision avoidance (MVCCA) strategies in AVs while also considering their performance and social impact viewpoints. Firstly, we investigate and tabulate the existing MVCCA techniques associated with single-vehicle collision avoidance perspectives. Then, current achievements are extensively evaluated, challenges and flows are identified, and remedies are intelligently formed to exploit a taxonomy. This paper also aims to give readers an AI-enabled conceptual framework and a decision-making model with a concrete structure of the training network settings to bridge the gaps between current investigations. These findings are intended to shed insight into the benefits of the greater efficiency of AVs set-up for academics and policymakers. Lastly, the open research issues discussed in this survey will pave the way for the actual implementation of driverless automated traffic systems

    Machine Vision: How Algorithms are Changing the Way We See the World

    Get PDF
    Humans have used technology to expand our limited vision for millennia, from the invention of the stone mirror 8,000 years ago to the latest developments in facial recognition and augmented reality. We imagine that technologies will allow us to see more, to see differently and even to see everything. But each of these new ways of seeing carries its own blind spots. In this illuminating book, Jill Walker Rettberg examines the long history of machine vision. Providing an overview of the historical and contemporary uses of machine vision, she unpacks how technologies such as smart surveillance cameras and TikTok filters are changing the way we see the world and one another. By analysing fictional and real-world examples, including art, video games and science fiction, the book shows how machine vision can have very different cultural impacts, fostering both sympathy and community as well as anxiety and fear. Combining ethnographic and critical media studies approaches alongside personal reflections, Machine Vision is an engaging and eye-opening read. It is suitable for students and scholars of digital media studies, science and technology studies, visual studies, digital art and science fiction, as well as for general readers interested in the impact of new technologies on society.publishedVersio
    • 

    corecore