Re-imagining Yerevan in the post-Soviet era: Urban symbolism and narratives of the nation in the landscape of Armenia's capital

The urban landscape of Yerevan has experienced tremendous changes since the collapse of the Soviet Union and Armenia’s independence in 1991. Domestic and foreign investments have poured into Yerevan’s building sector, converting many downtown neighborhoods into sleek modern districts that now cater to foreign investors, tourists, and the newly rich Armenian nationals. Large portions of the city’s green parks and other public spaces have been commercialized for private and exclusive use, creating zones that are accessible only to the affluent. In this dissertation I explore the rapidly transforming landscape of Yerevan and its connections to the development of contemporary Armenian national identity. This research was guided by principles of ethnographic inquiry, and I employed diverse methods, including document and archival research, structured and semi-structured interviews and content analysis of news media. I also used geographic information systems (GIS) and satellite images to represent and visualize the stark transformations of spaces in Yerevan. Informed by and contributing to three literatures—on the relationship between landscape and identity formation, on the construction of national identity, and on Soviet and post-Soviet cities—this dissertation investigates how messages about contemporary Armenian national identity are being expressed via the transforming landscape of Armenia’s national capital. In it I describe the ways in which abrupt transformations have resulted in the physical and symbolic eviction of residents, introducing fierce public debates about belonging and exclusion within the changing urban context. I demonstrate that the new additions to Yerevan’s landscape and the symbolic messages that they carry are hotly contested by many long-time residents, who struggle for inclusion of their opinions and interests in the process of re-imagining their national capital. This dissertation illustrates many of the trends that are apparent in post-Soviet and post-Socialist space, while at the same time exposing some unique characteristics of the Armenian case.

Um percurso sobre o patrimônio e a morfologia urbana do centro de Fortaleza-CE

The incursion into the historical area from Fortaleza´s downtown presents reminiscences of a heritage collection that can be recognized as city built heritage, in architectural and urban aspects. The neighborhood has in its urban tracing a synthesis of the various phases from the Brazilian architecture materialized in its tracing and built goods. This composition mainly covers the eclectic production, passing the time of art déco, including the period of modern production. This paper aims to identify the existing heritage collection. This study aims to identify the existing net assets, the temporality and spatiality that allow to recreate the neighborhood´s form urbain history. Based on the theoretical and methodological support of the urban morphology urban of authors such as Aldo Rossi (1966), Gordon Cullen (1971), José Lamas (1990), Kevin Lynch (1960), and Philippe Panerai (1999) was allowed on a predefined route, to build part of urban memory of Fortaleza. The historical and morphological study runs through a sequenced analysis developed on the articulated subsets, formed by the network neighborhood squares: Praça José de Alencar, Praça Capistrano de Abreu (Lagoinha), Praça Clóvis Beviláquia, Praça do Carmo, Praça Murilo Borges (BNB), Praça Coração de Jesus, Parque das Crianças, Praça do Riacho Pajeú, Praça dos Voluntários (Polícia), Praça do Ferreira, Praça Waldemar Falcão (Correios), Praça General Tibúrcio (Leões), Praça Figueira de Melo, Bosque Dom Delgado (Pajeú), Praça Cristo Redentor, Praça Caio Prado (Sé), Praça dos Mártires (Passeio Público), e Praça Castro Carreira (Estação). Separated the neighborhood based on this square system because it is perceived that there is in these public spaces a path which includes a portion of the urban history of Fortaleza. In addition to this there is a higher concentration of goods in its area in relation to others sectors of the neighborhood, where the loss of the characterization is an imperative of the urban set. In order to find this network of public spaces contained in the study area were proposed two routes based on the city limits of 1875 established by Adolfo Herbster (Fortaleza´s city plan).The path starts by known boulevards (Imperador, Duque de Caxias and Dom Manuel avenues) and the seafront. The study is grounded in the literature review, document and empirical theme, consisting of an overlay of maps, drawings and photographic collection that ratify this net assets as both architectural urban nowadays. Among the results, it was observed that before a current context of loss of locus of the concept of historical-cultural agglomerated, the squares express the strongholds of equity ambience that perhaps stand in urban morphology of the capital from Ceará.

O registro de procedimentos metodológicos em projetos de intervenção arquitetônica no patrimônio edificado: o caso de Natal-RN

In the midst of growing preservationist awareness, regarding methods of architectural intervention of buildings with a recognized heritage value, there are numerous approaches on how the original heritage value can be protected. However, can these intervention projects be differentiated? Is it possible to identify how they differ (if in fact they do) from an architectural project not related to preservation? Although there are numerous theoretical studies regarding methods utilized in architectonical projects, there appear to be a lack of studies focused on an architectural intervention exclusively focused on areas or edifications that have a recognized heritage value, thereby requiring a reflection on which methodological procedures in an architectonical project serve the purpose of the preservation of the historical aspects. This discussion is of even greater importance because, at the national level, some recent discussions on this type of architectural design seem arbitrary and lack methodological rigor. Therefore, this research attempts to focus equally on the theoretical-methodological practices of preservation as well as the architectural project methods. In an attempt to address these aspects, the focus of this research centers on the case studies of the intervention projects of the maritime passenger terminal of Natal (Terminal Marítimo de Passageriros de Natal), the old government hall (Palacio do Governo - EDTAM) and the old central hotel (Hotel Central) which are situated in the area known as the historic downtown of the city of Natal, within the federal heritage protection polygon. The analyses of these is intended to identify what methodological procedures were recorded in the final product (in the graphical representation of the architectural design and other documents) delivered to IPHAN / RN, the body responsible for review and approval of these architectural projects, noting whether such procedures appear, in some way, in the final product, and if an understanding of the complexity of preservation is evident. The analyses of these projects corroborate the hypothesis that there are unique characteristics, which must be addressed in the intervention project for preservation when compared to new project design. The main characteristic to be addressed is related to the very nature of the project. It is inherent in the dialectical relationship between the need to preserve (the identified heritage values) and the need to modernize (making adaptations to contemporary life). This relationship, denominated in this dissertation as "radical restraint", must, or at least should, guide the actions in the project as well as the technical analyses of the preservationist organization. However, this radical restriction appears more evident in the guidelines put forth by legislators than in the decisions of designers. These legislators require the presentation of documents, aimed at identifying and contextualizing intervention (Ordinance No. 420 of December 22, 2010), that grant (or should grant) assistance in the decision making process. It was evident in the analyses of these documents that there existed a disconnect between the documents produced and the decisions made in the project. This fact can be seen in the total absence of dialogue about theoretical-methodological preservationist principles, which, in our view, is an essential element of the methodological procedures of the intervention project needed to guide the legislative and project design discussions.

Portrait of Lorraine O'Grady, performance artist, as "Mlle. Bourgeoise Noir."

Inscription: Verso: Lorraine O'Grady, performance artist, performing "Mlle. Bourgeoise Noir" at Just Above Midtown/Downtown, New York.

Single particle characterization using the soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS)

Understanding the impact of atmospheric black carbon (BC) containing particles on human health and radiative forcing requires knowledge of the mixing state of BC, including the characteristics of the materials with which it is internally mixed. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time the capabilities of the Aerodyne Soot-Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer equipped with a light scattering module (LS-SP-AMS) to examine the mixing state of refractory BC (rBC) and other aerosol components in an urban environment (downtown Toronto). K-means clustering analysis was used to classify single particle mass spectra into chemically distinct groups. One resultant cluster is dominated by rBC mass spectral signals (C+1 to C+5) while the organic signals fall into a few major clusters, identified as hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA), oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA), and cooking emission organic aerosol (COA). A nearly external mixing is observed with small BC particles only thinly coated by HOA ( 28% by mass on average), while over 90% of the HOA-rich particles did not contain detectable amounts of rBC. Most of the particles classified into other inorganic and organic clusters were not significantly associated with BC. The single particle results also suggest that HOA and COA emitted from anthropogenic sources were likely major contributors to organic-rich particles with low to mid-range aerodynamic diameter (dva). The similar temporal profiles and mass spectral features of the organic clusters and the factors from a positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of the ensemble aerosol dataset validate the conventional interpretation of the PMF results.

Applying life cycle assessment to analyze the environmental sustainability of public transit modes for the City of Toronto

One challenge related to transit planning is selecting the appropriate mode: bus, light rail transit (LRT), regional express rail (RER), or subway. This project uses data from life cycle assessment to develop a tool to measure energy requirements for different modes of transit, on a per passenger-kilometer basis. For each of the four transit modes listed, a range of energy requirements associated with different vehicle models and manufacturers was developed. The tool demonstrated that there are distinct ranges where specific transit modes are the best choice. Diesel buses are the clear best choice from 7-51 passengers, LRTs make the most sense from 201-427 passengers, and subways are the best choice above 918 passengers. There are a number of other passenger loading ranges where more than one transit mode makes sense; in particular, LRT and RER represent very energy-efficient options for ridership ranging from 200 to 900 passengers. The tool developed in the thesis was used to analyze the Bloor-Danforth subway line in Toronto using estimated ridership for weekday morning peak hours. It was found that ridership across the line is for the most part actually insufficient to justify subways over LRTs or RER. This suggests that extensions to the existing Bloor-Danforth line should consider LRT options, which could service the passenger loads at the ends of the line with far greater energy efficiency. It was also clear that additional destinations along the entire transit line are necessary to increase the per passenger-kilometer energy efficiency, as the current pattern of commuting to downtown leaves much of the system underutilized. It is hoped that the tool developed in this thesis can be used as an additional resource in the transit mode decision-making process for many developing transportation systems, including the transit systems across the GTHA.

Sydenham Street Revived: A Public Space Experiment

In 2015, the Sydenham Street Revived pop-up park project (SSR) transformed Sydenham Street between Princess and Queen Streets into a temporary pedestrian-only public space. The goal of the project was to test out the idea of permanently pedestrianizing this street section. But what did this urban experiment ultimately prove? Using video footage, photographs, and observations recorded before and during the project, this report analyzes the use of the space in order to evaluate the claim that SSR created a successful public space and to make recommendations for a permanent public space on Sydenham Street. Two research methods were used: quantitative data collection, consisting of headcounts of both pedestrians and stationary users of the space; and a qualitative observational survey, based on the criteria for successful public spaces developed by the Project for Public Spaces. Data collection occurred two days one week prior to the project, and two days during the project, on days that were similar in terms of temperature and weather. The research revealed that the SSR did create a successful public space, although additional research is needed in order to determine how the space would function as a public place throughout different seasons, to study the street closure’s impact on surrounding residents and businesses, and to understand how private commercial activity would influence use. Recommendations for a permanent public space on Sydenham Street include considerations for flexible street design and a continuous, barrier-free surface; ensuring that there is an abundance of places to sit; making opportunities for public and community-created art; and to improve walkability by connecting the grid using a mid-block walkway.

Betting Against the House: Redeveloping a Former Casino in Reno, Nevada

Reno, Nevada, one of the nation’s original gaming meccas, is in the midst of reinventing itself and dramatically broadening its economic base. The timing is portentous, as a soft market for casino gaming prevails, largely due to nationwide expansion. Several Reno casinos have recently folded, and several more are facing difficulties.

"You Don't Have to be Filmish": The Toronto Jewish Film Festival

The Toronto Jewish Film Festival is a one-week celebration of Judaism and Cinema that occurs in downtown Toronto, at the Bloor Cinema, early every May. The folkloristic literature on festival notes that these kinds of events are ways that communities and groups celebrate themselves, and although film festivals are frequently excluded from consideration of traditional festivity, I shall demonstrate that such an omission is unfortunate, since like traditional festivity, film festivals, in particular ethnic film festivals, explore the same issues of liminality for the celebrating culture.

W-CDMA capacity analysis using GIS based planning tools and MATLAB simulation

The evolution of cellular systems towards third generation (3G) or IMT-2000 seems to have a tendency to use W-CDMA as the standard access method, as ETSI decisions have showed. However, there is a question about the improvements in capacity and the wellness of this access method. One of the aspects that worry developers and researchers planning the third generation is the extended use of the Internet and more and more bandwidth hungry applications. This work shows the performance of a W-CDMA system simulated in a PC using cover maps generated with DC-Cell, a GIS based planning tool developed by the Technical University of Valencia, Spain. The maps are exported to MATLAB and used in the model. The system used consists of several microcells in a downtown area. We analyse the interference from users in the same cell and in adjacent cells and the effect in the system, assuming perfect control for each cell. The traffic generated by the simulator is voice and data. This model allows us to work with coverage that is more accurate and is a good approach to analyse the multiple access interference (MAI) problem in microcellular systems with irregular coverage. Finally, we compare the results obtained, with the performance of a similar system using TDMA.

Helicopter route chart, New York.

Aeronautical chart showing designated helicopter routes and control areas.

A Plan for Salisbury, MD: Urban Design Transformations in Response to Sea Level Rise

This thesis proposes a master plan for Salisbury, MD that presents solutions to the challenges faced by small towns along tidal waterways. Salisbury’s challenges include flooding and sea level rise, poorly defined arteries framing downtown and disconnecting neighborhoods, and a lack of vibrant, mixed use development. These issues are common to small towns and present opportunities for transformative design.

Perspectives croisées : les déterminants sociaux de la vulnérabilité sexuelle chez les jeunes de 18 à 25 ans

Depuis les années 1990, les indicateurs de la santé sexuelle des jeunes de 18 à 25 ans démontrent que ce groupe d’âge est sexuellement vulnérable, ce qui est observable en raison de la hausse du taux d’infections transmises sexuellement, ainsi que des lacunes de connaissances en matière de santé sexuelle. Ce mémoire propose un regard nouveau sur la santé sexuelle des jeunes à partir d’un faisceau de perspectives sociologiques axées sur les déterminants sociaux de la santé pour mieux comprendre la vulnérabilité sexuelle chez les jeunes. Nous faisons appel à trois pistes analytiques en particulier : la perspective matérialiste, la perspective bio-psycho-sociale et la perspective des parcours de vie. Notre démarche de recherche s’inscrit dans une approche issue de la théorisation ancrée, employée au sein d’une clinique jeunesse de Montréal. Nos outils d’investigation consistent en entretiens semi-dirigés réalisés avec des intervenantes de la clinique et des jeunes patients âgés de 18 à 25 ans, ainsi qu’en observations non participantes dans divers lieux de la clinique. Les résultats de cette recherche font ressortir quatre déterminants sociaux : la question des connaissances en matière de santé sexuelle, les scripts sexuels genrés, la période de la jeunesse lors du parcours sexuel et les caractéristiques du quartier du centre-ville de Montréal. En tenant compte des perspectives croisées de ceux qui voient (les intervenantes) et de ceux qui vivent (les jeunes) la vulnérabilité sexuelle, nous pouvons mieux définir ces déterminants, leurs sources et leurs effets. Nous faisons également état de nos résultats au prisme des trois cadres analytiques des déterminants sociaux de la santé. Nous espérons que ces résultats inciteront la poursuite de recherches dans le domaine des déterminants sociaux de la vulnérabilité sexuelle et qu’ils seront utiles dans la formulation des recommandations pratiques pour les interventions en santé sexuelle auprès des jeunes.

How monuments shape urban identity

Monuments in our society commemorate historical events, acts or heroes, and educate people about them. Monuments are landmarks that stand out from other buildings to give the city identity and order. This thesis asks how a monument can be designed to project a clear image at a distance and articulate a spatial experience at close range. Two important monuments that form part of the life of America serve as examples: (1) The Statue of Liberty, in the New York Harbor, that has become the visual icon of New York if not the nation and (2) The Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach, Florida, that leads the visitor through a poignant experience at close range. The second part of the thesis is the design of a monument and museum for The Port of Miami, as part of the Port Boulevard Enhancement Project, sponsored by the Florida Foreign Trade Association, to celebrate the trade pioneers who helped Miami-Dade County achieve its prominence. The site for the monument is located at Biscayne Boulevard and Fifth Street, between Bayside Market Place and The American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami, at the Biscayne Bay.

Perspectives croisées : les déterminants sociaux de la vulnérabilité sexuelle chez les jeunes de 18 à 25 ans

Depuis les années 1990, les indicateurs de la santé sexuelle des jeunes de 18 à 25 ans démontrent que ce groupe d’âge est sexuellement vulnérable, ce qui est observable en raison de la hausse du taux d’infections transmises sexuellement, ainsi que des lacunes de connaissances en matière de santé sexuelle. Ce mémoire propose un regard nouveau sur la santé sexuelle des jeunes à partir d’un faisceau de perspectives sociologiques axées sur les déterminants sociaux de la santé pour mieux comprendre la vulnérabilité sexuelle chez les jeunes. Nous faisons appel à trois pistes analytiques en particulier : la perspective matérialiste, la perspective bio-psycho-sociale et la perspective des parcours de vie. Notre démarche de recherche s’inscrit dans une approche issue de la théorisation ancrée, employée au sein d’une clinique jeunesse de Montréal. Nos outils d’investigation consistent en entretiens semi-dirigés réalisés avec des intervenantes de la clinique et des jeunes patients âgés de 18 à 25 ans, ainsi qu’en observations non participantes dans divers lieux de la clinique. Les résultats de cette recherche font ressortir quatre déterminants sociaux : la question des connaissances en matière de santé sexuelle, les scripts sexuels genrés, la période de la jeunesse lors du parcours sexuel et les caractéristiques du quartier du centre-ville de Montréal. En tenant compte des perspectives croisées de ceux qui voient (les intervenantes) et de ceux qui vivent (les jeunes) la vulnérabilité sexuelle, nous pouvons mieux définir ces déterminants, leurs sources et leurs effets. Nous faisons également état de nos résultats au prisme des trois cadres analytiques des déterminants sociaux de la santé. Nous espérons que ces résultats inciteront la poursuite de recherches dans le domaine des déterminants sociaux de la vulnérabilité sexuelle et qu’ils seront utiles dans la formulation des recommandations pratiques pour les interventions en santé sexuelle auprès des jeunes.