Browsing by Subject "Austin, Texas"
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Item Analysis, implementation, and applicable designs of low impact developments for stormwater management in Austin, Texas(2012-05) Wade, Shannon Brooke; Paterson, Robert G.; Kahn, Terry D.This paper serves as a “kicking-the-tires” analysis of low impact developments as a method of stormwater management. Specifically, this paper examines the feasibility, benefit, and current practice of low impact developments in Austin, Texas. Merits, strengths, and weakness are comparatively determined primarily on the basis of the impact and efficiency of design, particularly relating to ability to handle water volume and potential to improve water quality. By examining case studies and “applied” examples the potential of low impact development application is considered for the expected, potential, and/or alleged benefits of low impact implementation.Item Art learning in the home: a survey of households in Austin, Texas(2009-12) Wilky, Megan Marie; Bolin, Paul Erik, 1954-; Ulbricht, Jarvis W.The purpose of this study was to determine how much art activity is taking place within households in Austin, Texas. By way of a questionnaire, the parents or guardians of children attending schools within the Austin Independent School District were surveyed regarding art activity within their homes. The objective of this investigation was to provide answers to questions such as: In what ways do children participate in art making within the context of the family household? To what extent does it appear a parent’s/guardian’s level of schooling, number of children in the family, and amount of electronic entertainment available to the child correspond with the amount of art activity that takes place in the household? Professional and personal motivations led to this investigation. There is an ever increasing amount of electronic entertainment available to children. Has this recent growth of technology had an effect on the amount of time children spend with art activities in the home? Through my own experiences growing up, and through conversations with others, it was brought to my attention that the number of children residing in a household might have an effect on the amount of art activities taking place within the home, as well as the parent’s or guardian’s level of education. Through the data collected by this investigation, I was able to reach a conclusion regarding the relationship found between the amount of art activities taking place in the households surveyed and the three variables studied in this investigation: (a) the parent’s education, (b) the amount of electronic entertainment available to the children in the home, (c) the number of children residing in the home. Support from the data indicated a significant pattern representing that the parent’s/guardian’s education is related to the amount of art activity taking place within the household. However, there was no pattern found regarding the variable of electronic entertainment devices found in a home and the amount of art making within that home. There was also a significant relationship found regarding the numbers of children residing in the household, and the amount of art activity those children are engaged in. The data collected indicated that a household in which fewer children reside is more likely to participate in more art activities.Item At-risk wastewater pipeline identification due to flooding(2016-05) Abbott, Kristin Whitley; Faust, Kasey M.; King, Carey Wayne, 1974-; Kreitler, CharlesCorrosion is a risk to all ferrous pipelines, and the impact of moisture from major flood events in potentially corrosive soils upon the corrosion of sensitive pipeline materials has not yet been thoroughly studied. Rapidly accelerated corrosion from flooding can cause a pipeline break and lead to environmental hazards. This research seeks to quantify the risk of wastewater pipeline components to fracturing and damage from flooding to inform decision-makers. The corrosion risk to Austin Water Utility’s aged ferrous wastewater pipelines from surrounding soil through flooding is analyzed by establishing the relationships among pipeline material, age, and the surrounding soil type. First, aged ferrous wastewater pipelines in the network were isolated. Then, the Web Soil Survey from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for Travis County and FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) were overlaid on the selected pipelines. USGS soil data was used to locate potentially corrosive soils surrounding the pipelines. Third, FIRM flood zones were overlaid on the selected soil and pipelines in order to examine the relationship between soil type, moisture, and increased corrosion potential. Three different flood zones were evaluated. The analysis shows a total of 386 pipelines, or 27.99 miles of pipelines, were identified to be at-risk.Item Austin Logistics Inc : assessing defect density(2010-12) Nanchari, Nithin Krishna; Perry, Dewayne E.; Krasner, HerbertAustin Logistics Inc. Solutions provides tools that help centralize resource management, optimize and maintain compliance of calling schedules for consumer financial service organization (banks, financial institutions). With the increasing number of customers, the amount of rework and availability of resources had been notably decreasing over time; thereby negatively affecting the overall cost and quality of the software being delivered. The improvement objectives of the company and its departments were broadly stated but lacking a goal-driven nature. The software measurement Goal-Question-Metric (GQM) approach was chosen and used for this research initiative to better support business driven quality improvement. Software defect density data was collected and analyzed to identify significant deviations in the software development life cycle.. The results of the initial analysis on the transformed defect-tracking data helped identify the negatively affected areas within the software development life cycle. The data showed significant variations in the requirements, design and implementation phases of the product life cycle, thus helping identify various process improvement opportunities. On quantifying the change in defect density, the effectiveness of using GQM has also provided valuable insights for process improvement. Based on these results, we were able to identify some of the weaknesses and shortcomings in our application development process.Item Changing parking building in the Texas Capitol Complex(2013-12) Na, Aena; Doll, Larry A. (Larry Alan)The site is in a garage area in the state capitol complex, Austin Texas. Even though this place is located near by important government facilities and public park and links between UT Campus and Central Business District, there are no people who enjoy the place because there are no function except parking. There are just authoritative and mono-cultural office buildings and boring parking buildings. On the street, there are no trees, retails, and galleries for pedestrians. Existing parking buildings are same type and structure. Because the city has several plans to develop this area in the future such as Waller Creek Development, UT Medical School Master Plan, and Austin's Urban Rail, you can see the importance of this area. The most critical problem is this area is cutting the relationship between UT Campus and Downtown. My question is "How can a new type of parking building contribute to make the Texas Capitol Complex good place?" So I suggest a new type of mix-used parking building. The project goal is to gather people, link separated places: The State Capitol, Waller Creek, UT Campus, CBD, intermingle different functions: garage, gallery, shop, theater, restaurant, lounge, pool, park, and then make the place more dynamic, enjoyable and energetic place. Further, I expect that Austin become interesting city to live and visit through like this new place.Item Climate action strategies for the University of Texas at Austin(2010-05) Hernandez, Marinoelle; Eaton, David J.; Walker, Jim H.This report analyzes the current greenhouse gas emissions inventory for The University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin), reviews the carbon reduction strategies being implemented at UT-Austin and other peer institutions, and offers recommendations for strategies that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions at UT-Austin in the future.Item The complexities of performance measurement in the public sector : a case study of the City Auditor’s Integrity Unit(2011-05) Isupov, Marina; Wong, Patrick, 1956-; McDaniel, ReubenThe last two decades of public sector reform have ushered in a new paradigm of client-citizens expecting better governmental performance at lower costs. Two distinct, but not unconnected, forces have been at the heart of this transformation: the drive towards applying “New Public Management” (NPM) techniques in public sector administration, and the shift to a “Governance” view in rule making and political action. The City of Austin has been at the forefront of these movements, and The City Auditor’s Office (COA) rests at their nexus. This report is a study of the City Auditor Integrity Unit (CAIU), the investigative arm of COA, and more specifically, the CAIU’s system of performance measurement. The report explores the challenges of designing and using a performance measurement system within CAIU to achieve more socially optimal outcomes for the City of Austin. The analysis in the report draws on a number of theoretical perspectives, most significantly on Complex Adaptive Theory (CAS).Item A disaster on top of a disaster : how gender, race, and class shaped the housing experiences of displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors(2011-05) Reid, Megan Kelly, 1981-; Angel, Ronald; Williams, Christine L., 1959-; Lein, Laura; Rudrappa, Sharmila; Carrington, BenIn this dissertation project, I examine the experiences of displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors in the context of post-disaster housing policies and practices. This research is based on two years of in-depth interviews with Katrina survivors who were displaced to Austin, Texas. I analyze these interviews to understand the raced, classed, and gendered implications of post-disaster housing policies and to consider what these implications reveal about the relationship between social policies, housing, and social inequality more broadly. This project is informed by an intersectional understanding of social stratification systems and inequalities and a critical analysis of neoliberal social policy. First, I outline the gender, family, and class ideologies embedded in government-run post-Katrina housing policies and practices, and show how they specifically disadvantaged people who did not conform to them. I identify temporal domination as a specific aspect of class oppression evident in respondents’ experiences with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) rental assistance programs. Next, I specifically examine respondents’ experiences settling into their new neighborhoods and searching for jobs. I found that many black survivors ended up in segregated remote areas of the city, far from jobs and public transportation. Their job searching experiences suggest that employers used racist stereotypes about Latino workers to coerce them to work for low wages. This reveals the complex and interrelated racial dynamics of low-wage urban housing and labor markets. Finally, I explore how survivors got by in the face of such difficult and in some cases dire circumstances. One primary way survivors coped with the uncertainty caused by their displacement was relying on their social networks. While women tended to depend on adult child - parent and other familial relationships, men tended to distance themselves from the potential support of their mothers and other relatives. Respondents also constructed fictive kin relationships to provide support to others, sometimes for the explicit purpose of ensuring one or both members of the relationship had access to stable housing. This reveals how both gender and family relationships can shape disaster recovery and everyday experiences of poverty. Overall, this project contributes to the study of race/class/gender inequality, social policy, housing, and disaster recovery.Item Eastern watershed analysis of alternate approaches to delineation in Austin, TX(2010-05) Vermillion, Elizabeth Lauren, 1982-; Paterson, Robert G.; Schuster, StefanDrainage area is a measure of the number of acres feeding into a creek. Drainage area threshold is the amount of acreage required for the creek to be included on a map. Watersheds mapped according to higher drainage area thresholds will show creek systems that are shorter and concentrated at the bottom of the watershed. Watersheds mapped according to lower drainage area thresholds show creek systems that are longer and extend further up the watershed. Since all watersheds are subject to different land uses, soil types, geology, etc., they should be mapped according to different drainage area thresholds. Headwaters are where creeks begin. There is empirical evidence that properly functioning headwaters significantly reduce erosion, improve water quality, slow stormwater flows, and provide habitat. If municipalities use lower drainage area thresholds to define their creeks, they can include more headwaters in their creek setback requirements. This professional report identifies the Harris Branch watershed as being under relatively more pressure to develop and exhibiting more environmental risk than other watersheds in Austin, Texas’ Desired Development Zone. Creeks in the watershed are redrawn according to reduced drainage area thresholds using a simple ArcGIS analysis. The analysis reveals a critical mass where creek setbacks appear to be too extensive. If creeks with a drainage area of 5 acres are protected by development code, the setbacks created have excessive branching that could be too restrictive for development. A critical mass ratio should be considered when determining which drainage area threshold is most appropriate for a watershed. The critical mass ratio is equal to the number of branches allowed per a specified distance of creek centerline. The process of identifying this critical mass ratio can help growing cities find a balance between the need to encourage development in designated areas and the need to protect natural creek systems everywhere. I recommend that municipalities review the effects of reducing drainage area threshold for each watershed, and then identify the drainage area threshold that, when protected by setback requirements, allows for extended and connected greenways as well as an increase in density.Item Effects of Habitat Characteristics on Occupancy and Productivity of a Forest-Dependent Songbird in an Urban Landscape(2013-04-24) Robinson, Dianne HaliHabitat fragmentation and isolation can result in decreased occupancy and reproductive success within songbirds, particularly for species inhabiting urban environments where suitable habitat may be limited. The golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) is a federally endangered songbird that inhabits oak-juniper (Quercus spp.- Juniperus spp.) across central Texas. Past research on this warbler has indicated decreased patch occupancy near urban areas and negative reproductive effects associated with decreased distance to edge and decreased canopy cover. A rural study indicated warblers occupy patches ?3 ha, and warblers in patches ?20 ha are more likely to successfully fledge young. There are no thresholds yet identified for this warbler within urban environments, where effects of habitat fragmentation on reproductive success are more pronounced than within rural environments. I monitored patch occupancy, territory establishment, pairing success, and fledging success of warblers in an urban environment. I determined minimum patch-size thresholds for productivity measurements, and also monitored effects on productivity from canopy cover, woodland composition, distance to and size of the nearest habitat patch, and distance to the nearest habitat patch >100 ha. I compared my results to those from a similar study conducted in a rural system. I compared territory size and territory density between an urban and rural system. Warblers occupied 24% (n = 63) patches surveyed; the smallest patch occupied was 3.5 ha. The smallest patch with an established territory was 10.7 ha, and 10% (n = 63) of habitat patches had at least one established territory. Warblers successfully fledged young in 3 patches, the smallest of which was 26.5 ha. I found patch-size was predictive for territory establishment and pairing success with warblers requiring 13 ha (95% CI: 10.0 ? 16.8 ha) and 19 ha (95% CI: 15.7 ? 22.6 ha) habitat patches, respectively. I found a minimum threshold of approximately 66% canopy cover (95% CI: 65.2 ? 66.4%) required for patch occupancy, and found no warblers established a territory in a habitat patch >25 m from the next nearest patch. I found higher minimum thresholds within an urban system for territory establishment and pairing success than those seen within a rural system. I suggest preserving warbler habitat patches >22 ha that are in close proximity to other habitat patches. This will help to enhance warbler habitat within urban areas and maintain reproductively viable habitat patches, while not halting development completely.Item Enabling adult physical activity at parks with a focus on physical design elements(2010-05) Christoph, Ali Suzanne; Sletto, Bjørn; Kohl, Harold W.This report studies the built environment of Civitan Park, located in Austin, Texas. Through studying and observing how park design can influence adults’ ability to engage in daily physical activity, alternative design recommendations are suggested for Civitan Park in order to create a park more able to be used by adults for physical activity and in turn, decrease obesity rates.Item Energy retrofits in single family homes(2014) Bonsignori, Chiara; Moore, Steven A., 1945-Data on U.S. energy consumption and carbon emission stresses the importance of improving the current process of home remodeling in order to take advantage of the great potential offered by the existing housing stock. Home energy retrofits have gained increased popularity in the recent years. Yet, improvements are needed in order to get the most from these processes. In fact, energy retrofits occur in a way that is still too slow or too shallow. Furthermore, the retrofit industry approaches home assessments mainly relying on the use of technology and energy analysis tools. This method is limited inasmuch as it excludes social, cultural and personal variables from the assessment. This research investigates possible strategies to render the process of retrofit to be more holistic and long-lasting. Moreover, it investigates how the main obstacles that prevent homeowners from engaging in home energy retrofits can be removed and how the whole process can become easier and more accessible. Finally, it analyzes the relevant social groups that influence home energy retrofits and how their interactions shape this process.Item Estimation of population sizes for the Jollyville Plateau Salamander (Eurycea tonkawae) using a mark-recapture method(2010-05) Luo, Liming, 1976-; Sarkar, Sahotra; Pullum, Thomas W.The Jollyville Plateau Salamander (JPS), Eurycea tonkawae, is a species of salamander endemic to Texas, the United States. It is a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act. This report assesses the JPS population abundances at Lanier Spring, Long Hollow Creek at Wheless Spring, and Ribelin Spring in Austin using a mark-recapture method. The maximum likelihood estimation method was used to obtain the population size estimates under two models, the M₀ model and the M[subscript t] model. The M₀ model assumes that every animal has the same capture probability in the population for each sampling period while the M[subscript t] model allows capture probabilities to vary by time. Simulations were performed by using an MCMC algorithm based on the M₀ model. Between 2007 and 2009, the population size estimates for JPS (>16mm snout-vent length, (SVL)) at Lanier Spring varied between 86 and 554 under the M₀ model, between 80 and 549 under the M[subscript t] model, and between 76 and 564 using MCMC simulations. During 2007 monitoring periods, the population size estimates for JPS (>16mm SVL) at Ribelin Spring varied between 105 and 236 under the M₀ model, between 104 and 196 under the M[subscript t] model, and between 105 and 265 using MCMC simulations. During 2007 and 2008 monitoring periods, the population size estimates for JPS (>16mm SVL) at Wheless Spring varied between 368 and 1087 under the M₀ model, between 339 and 1075 under the M[subscript t] model, and between 411 and 1098 using MCMC simulations. Different estimation methods yielded consistent estimates. No clear population trends were detected due to the big fluctuations in estimates in this study.Item Evaluating mixed use developments : successes, failures, and recommendations for future developments(2011-05) Livingston, Ashley Lynn Hvolbeck; Butler, Kent S.; Zhang, MingThis paper seeks to develop an understanding of the conceptualization and development processes of two mixed-use developments in the Austin, Texas area: Midtown Commons, a transit-oriented development, and Cedar Park Town Center, a proposed New Urbanist style town center. Following a critical analysis of the pertinent literature that defines and contextualizes mixed-use, the author explores the history and background of each case study. Each case study is then evaluated and scored on a series of criteria to determine how successful each project has been, and what barriers each project faced in the development process. The paper ends with the author‘s conclusions and recommendations for future mixed-use projects in Austin.Item The exploration of motivations in joining a social networking website(2007-05) Hsu, Terri, 1981-; Lee, Wei-na, 1957-This study examines the motivations that drive strangers to join and interact with one another through a message-centric, niche social networking website. Using concepts grounded in word-of-mouth and computer-mediated communication, this study looked to explore the personal relationships built and fostered from social networking sites. Data was collected through observations and in-depth interviews with 12 participants of TheKnot.com's Austin, Texas forum for wedding planning. Results of the study showed an intricate and somewhat cyclical balance of different group members as their role changed over time. Also, the superficial motivations and expectations entering the site morphed into deeper relationships as participants became more involved in the community.Item An exploratory study of a Tamil immigrant community in Austin, Texas : issues of language maintenance and shift(2003-05) Ernest, Harishini Marysze; Moore, ZenaThis study examines the language choices of Tamil immigrants, part of a South Asian diasporic community, in Austin, Texas. The researcher posits reasons why Tamil language maintenance/shift occurs for this Tamil community in the United States English-dominant macrosociety. The study also examines the domains in which Tamil and English are used and the various sociolinguistic factors which influence the language maintenance/shift of Tamil. Tamil immigrant participants were selected by snowballing, a non-probability purposive sampling technique. This multi-modal study used both quantitative (a questionnaire) and qualitative data (participant interviews and participant observations). One hundred and nineteen questionnaires were collected of which 90 were used for this study. In addition, twelve first or second generation Tamil individuals were interviewed. Background for the study included reasons for emigration from the home country, Tamil diglossia, diaspora issues, identity issues, and language as a site of struggle. The theoretical framework included language as power, language as investment, and linguistic imperialism. Examining the language of instruction, participants interestingly evidenced a kline in English use from 67.1% in elementary grades, to 84.8% in the middle and high/secondary school, to 95.3% at the university level. Also, comparing language use as a child versus language use as an adult, there was a kline (continuum) moving from 'always using Tamil' in all domains as a child to 'equally in Tamil and English' in all domains as an adult. Participants were split as to why they used Tamil with some using it for privacy/secrecy and some using it for pride. A much smaller percent used Tamil for intimacy. Finally, with regard to language proficiency, participants evinced a declining kline from understanding, speaking, and reading, writing colloquial Tamil. The participants' proficiency in literary Tamil was also a declining kline with only 16.7% understanding, 17.8% reading, and even less speaking (8.9%) or writing (7.8%) literary Tamil. The results of this research study and an analysis of Moag’s 31 factors for maintenance/loss of Tamil, showed that the prospects for the continued maintenance of Tamil in Austin were limited. Finally, this study provided valuable sociolinguistic insight into this little-studied South Asian diasporic community in Austin, Texas.Item Foreign language anxiety and willingness to communicate in the ESL context : a study of intermediate- and advanced-level learners in two intensive English programs(2007-12) Hardy, Jacques Wilburn; Horwitz, Elaine Kolker, 1950-This study investigated the levels of and relationships between foreign language anxiety, willingness to communicate, and background variables among 44 intermediate and advanced-level adult ESL students enrolled in intensive English courses in Austin, Texas. Participants completed four surveys at the beginning of the Fall, 2007 instructional term. Descriptive analysis of the resulting data indicated relatively low levels of anxiety among the participants, although a small percentage exhibited moderate anxiety levels and nearly one quarter of them reported anxiety in certain classroom situations. The participants also reported generally low levels of willingness to communicate, especially with strangers and larger groups. Correlation analysis revealed that anxiety bore significant negative correlations with willingness to communicate, communication frequency, and self-perceived competence in both speaking and listening. Willingness to communicate correlated positively with frequency and self-perceived speaking competence. Participants who had been in the USA for over 6 months were slightly but significantly more anxious and less willing to speak English than newly arrived students. No other significant relationships were found between background variables and either anxiety or willingness to communicate in English.Item The geology of the building stone of Cedar Park and vicinity(1922-06) Barrow, Leonidas Theodore; Bybee, Halbert Pleasant, 1888-1957Item Growing younger gracefully? Progress and preservation in Rainey Street National Register Historic District(2016-05) Riemer, Allison Elizabeth; Holleran, Michael; Wegmann, Jacob AThe city of Austin is changing rapidly, and that change is most evident in the neighborhoods near downtown. Rainey Street was once a working-class residential neighborhood largely comprised of simple wooden cottages. But, it has quickly turned into an extension of downtown with nearly fifteen bars and restaurants on two short blocks, flanked by a new high-rise hotel, and several high-rise market rate apartment buildings in place or under construction. Many of the single-family homes have been rehabilitated as bars, with new fenestration, but much of the form and structure of the original homes remains. The two blocks of Rainey Street where the new bars lie has been a National Register Historic District since 1985, but if contributing buildings continue to be removed or radically altered, it may no longer qualify as a NRHD. Through an examination of the current state of contributing buildings, and interviews with business owners, architects, and other actors who have effected change in the District, the consequences for Austin’s built heritage are examined. It is hard for a district to grow “gracefully,” especially at a rapid pace, with polices that put few restrictions on height, and a disconnect between historic preservation planners and other city planning staff. Rainey Street is a successful nightlife corridor, and it is also atypical historic preservation in practice. Many of the business owners like the look of the old buildings, and have retained components, or have built new or mostly new buildings that retain the form and structure of the original neighborhood. In several cases, business owners retained historic buildings and built structures compatible with the existing streetscape because they did not want to further delay development any longer and chose to comply with historic preservation staff and the Landmarks Commission. Local historic districts designations are the best tool for retaining historic districts because they provide design guidelines. However, Rainey Street National Register Historic District may not be eligible as a local historic district in its current state. Historic preservation is largely driven by the actions of dedicated individuals, especially when there are limited incentives, and conversely, limited hindrances.Item Health benefits and support for Austin musicians(2009-12) Kalan, Harsh; Burd, Gene; Brenner, R B.There is plenty of support for local musicians in Austin. It ranges from providing health benefits to receiving home loans to equipment insurance. The live music capital of the world has provisions for recording artists as well as street performers whose primary source of income is music. These facilities go a long way in maintaining Austin‟s identity as one of the major music cities in the world. They also bring together members of this community for benefits that help strengthen the local music industry, which has been an important part of the city‟s economy for several years.