An Exogenous Approach to Circumventing Demolition by Neglect: The Impact of Agricultural Preservation on Historic Colonial Towns

The effects of city decentralization and counter-urbanization of the American landscape have resulted in simultaneous negative impacts on both historic structures and agricultural landscapes. Rapid conversion of farmland has helped to facilitate the relocation of both populations and commercial activities in communities across the United States, leaving inner cities replete with functionless, unused, and unmaintained heritage structures. As civic core areas have become shells of their former selves, many once-vital structures have been removed while others have been abandoned and left to decay--a process known as demolition by neglect. While historic preservation efforts have attempted to salvage these historic structures, these efforts have initially focused on the preservation of each buildings individually, based on its historical value and architectural merit, not taking into account its role in a constantly changing contextual landscape. Attempts to counteract this process and the negative effects of fringe developments through land preservation have also gained momentum since the 1970s. In response to growing concerns about the climbing rate of neglected historic structures, this dissertation considers the factors that affect ways to measure and sustain the viability of these structures while also protecting their historical integrity. Using multiple case study comparisons based on indicators obtained from viability and historic integrity models, this study compares the characteristics of demolition by neglect of living heritage sites within colonial towns to determine whether the preservation of peripheral agricultural lands has aided in decreasing the rate of this neglect

Urban Planning as an Extension of War Planning: The Case of Shenyang, China, 1898-1966

War-city relationships had long been studied by scholars regarding wars’ sudden impact on cities. Studies typically focused on one specific event’s impact on urban military, politics, economy, or society. This approach, however, treated war’s impact on cities as only temporary, hindered opportunities to reveal multiple political regimes’ spatial competition through war-oriented city planning and construction, which is crucial for city development, and their resultant urban form changes through time. In response, this study has examined city planning and construction activities during the short time gaps between multiple military conflicts, with various military objectives, and conducted by different political regimes in Shenyang, China. In accordance with archival research, a space syntax axis analysis has been used to quantify spatial dynamics throughout war-peace-war cycles to explore the impact of military-oriented planning on city-scaled development. We have found these planning strategies, initiated by specific military goals, acted as extensions of war planning, segregating the city and causing urban fragmentation. They also acted as a driving factor which promoted modernization of the city in the early 20th century. We conclude that wars oriented planning can alter a city’s development track and impact its structure and form through the creation of internally connected but isolated urban districts. Copyright © 2018 Journal Of Contemporary Urban Affairs

Plan integration for ecological resilience: examining factors associated with wetland alteration

A community’s resilience is strongly influenced by the growth management guidance provided by its network of plans. Wetland loss has been shown to amplify flood damage. This study explores the relationship between plan integration and wetland alteration, comparing the findings from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and League City, Texas. Combining spatial analytics, a Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard™ evaluation, and correlational statistics, we find that wetland loss is significantly associated with plan integration and development patterns and is less acute in League City than Fort Lauderdale. Integrating wetland protection policies throughout a network of plans helps build resilience to flood hazards

Urban Planning as an Extension of War Planning:

War-city relationships had long been studied by scholars regarding wars\u27 sudden impact on cities. Studies typically focused on one specific event\u27s impact on urban military, politics, economy, or society. This approach, however, treated war\u27s impact on cities as only temporary, hindered opportunities to reveal multiple political regimes\u27 spatial competition through war-oriented city planning and construction, which is crucial for city development, and their resultant urban form changes through time. In response, this study has examined city planning and construction activities during the short time gaps between multiple military conflicts, with various military objectives, and conducted by different political regimes in Shenyang, China. In accordance with archival research, a space syntax axis analysis has been used to quantify spatial dynamics throughout war-peace-war cycles to explore the impact of military-oriented planning on city-scaled development. We have found these planning strategies, initiated by specific military goals, acted as extensions of war planning, segregating the city and causing urban fragmentation. They also acted as a driving factor which promoted modernization of the city in the early 20th century. We conclude that wars oriented planning can alter a city\u27s development track and impact its structure and form through the creation of internally connected but isolated urban districts

A Statistical Meta-Analysis of the Design Components of New Urbanism on Housing Prices

The principles of New Urbanism such as increased density, mixed land uses and street connectivity are often recommended in response to the typical conditions of suburban developments. Much current empirical research has begun to test whether these principles can increase property values. The findings of these empirical studies have, however, been quite inconsistent. This research attempts to quantitatively synthesize these conflicting findings through a statistical meta-analysis. This study found that a lower density, decreased street connectivity and a closer proximity to a transit stop contributed to increased housing premiums, while mixed land uses were not shown to always do so

Gauging the Relationship between Contextual Growth and Structural Neglect

Population and land use out-migrations from urban to peripheral areas can result in non-functional, unmaintained historic structures which deteriorate to the point where removal is cheaper than removal – or demolition by neglect. The increasing rate of neglected historic structures is a growing concern. There is a need for research investigating connections between urban growth management and its effect on neglect. This paper applies Newman’s (2013) conceptual model of measuring neglect to Geographic Information Systems, comparing rates of neglect in historic Doylestown, Quakertown, and Bristol boroughs in Pennsylvania, USA utilizing different amounts of peripheral agricultural preservation. Comparisons are made examining descriptive statistics on existing conditions, a Polychoric correlation evaluating relationships between drivers of neglect, and a cross-comparative GIS spatial analysis. Results indicate as amounts of peripheral preserved farmlands increase, neglect can be lowered

Gauging the Relationship Between Contextual Growth and Structural Neglect

Population and land use out-migrations from urban to peripheral areas can result in non-functional, unmaintained historic structures which deteriorate to the point where removal is cheaper than removal – or demolition by neglect. The increasing rate of neglected historic structures is a growing concern. There is a need for research investigating connections between urban growth management and its effect on neglect. This paper applies Newman\u27s (2013) conceptual model of measuring neglect to Geographic Information Systems, comparing rates of neglect in historic Doylestown, Quakertown, and Bristol boroughs in Pennsylvania, USA utilizing different amounts of peripheral agricultural preservation. Comparisons are made examining descriptive statistics on existing conditions, a Polychoric correlation evaluating relationships between drivers of neglect, and a cross-comparative GIS spatial analysis. Results indicate as amounts of peripheral preserved farmlands increase, neglect can be lowered

Neighborhood Detox: Enhancing Resilience in a Hazard Vulnerable Area

Enhancing resilience in physically vulnerable areas and amongst socially vulnerable populations is most effective with participation from the local community. Engaging population groups who are often left out of the design/planning process and can thereby be untrusting of authorities can be a challenge. This design incorporates an approach that transforms numerous hydrological risks into citizen driven methodologies for data collection and design decision making. The engagement process specifically works to enhance knowledge of risks and methods for collecting data on these risks through education, awareness, and feedback loops that support climate justice design and planning in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, Texas, USA

Cryptosporidium Priming Is More Effective than Vaccine for Protection against Cryptosporidiosis in a Murine Protein Malnutrition Model

Cryptosporidium is a major cause of severe diarrhea, especially in malnourished children. Using a murine model of C. parvum oocyst challenge that recapitulates clinical features of severe cryptosporidiosis during malnutrition, we interrogated the effect of protein malnutrition (PM) on primary and secondary responses to C. parvum challenge, and tested the differential ability of mucosal priming strategies to overcome the PM-induced susceptibility. We determined that while PM fundamentally alters systemic and mucosal primary immune responses to Cryptosporidium, priming with C. parvum (106 oocysts) provides robust protective immunity against re-challenge despite ongoing PM. C. parvum priming restores mucosal Th1-type effectors (CD3+CD8+CD103+ T-cells) and cytokines (IFNγ, and IL12p40) that otherwise decrease with ongoing PM. Vaccination strategies with Cryptosporidium antigens expressed in the S. Typhi vector 908htr, however, do not enhance Th1-type responses to C. parvum challenge during PM, even though vaccination strongly boosts immunity in challenged fully nourished hosts. Remote non-specific exposures to the attenuated S. Typhi vector alone or the TLR9 agonist CpG ODN-1668 can partially attenuate C. parvum severity during PM, but neither as effectively as viable C. parvum priming. We conclude that although PM interferes with basal and vaccine-boosted immune responses to C. parvum, sustained reductions in disease severity are possible through mucosal activators of host defenses, and specifically C. parvum priming can elicit impressively robust Th1-type protective immunity despite ongoing protein malnutrition. These findings add insight into potential correlates of Cryptosporidium immunity and future vaccine strategies in malnourished children