Browsing by Subject "Public engagement"
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Item Albeit with misgivings : applying actor network theory to the contested case of the South Lawrence Trafficway(2014-12) Bussing, Greg Austin; Dooling, SarahThis paper analyzes a contentious road-building project by elucidating the different values involved and articulated in the decision-making process, delineating the various networks of institutions, individuals, organizations and materials formed around these values, and describing the outcome of the conflict as a function of the interactions between and among these networks. The project in question is the South Lawrence Trafficway, a section of Kansas Highway 10 (K-10) intended to route traffic south around the City of Lawrence, as opposed to its current alignment through the local streets of the city. This particular project has been contested for decades, primarily because of the historical, cultural and environmental values placed on the land through which the road is routed, known as the Wakarusa Wetlands, Baker Wetlands, or Haskell/Baker Wetlands. The analysis focuses on moments of value articulation- critical points during the conflict during which actors and networks of actors express their values with the intent of affecting the outcome of the decision. This paper’s analysis of the conflict draws on Henrik Ernstson’s framework for studying environmental justice and ecological complexity in urban landscapes, along with research on place meaning and desired outcomes for land-use decisions and natural resources planning efforts. The report will examine the decision-making process behind the proposal and approval of the South Lawrence Trafficway, taking into consideration the various institutional and individual actors (and networks of actors) involved, the positions, motivations and strategies of these actors, and the documents used in arguments for either side (maps, documents, court decisions, reports, etc.). The paper begins with an introduction, which includes a condensed summary and chronology of the South Lawrence Trafficway project. Literature review and research design sections follow. The next chapter discusses the actors, networks, values and materials involved in the conflict, as well as the legislative and institutional context within which the conflict occurs. The paper concludes with a summary of findings, and the proposal of future research questions.Item Engaging the Millennial Generation : public participation methods for Millennials in Austin’s planning processes(2016-05) Peris, Karen Emily; Wilson, Patricia Ann; Mueller, ElizabethPlanning processes include the necessary component of engaging the public in the process with a fair and equitable process. The difficulty with participatory planning processes is reaching all affected groups. One of these difficult to reach cohorts is the Millennial generation. It is a common misunderstanding that Millennials are unengaged and self-centered. Regardless, it is important to engaging the generation because Millennials are a large part of urban populations, especially in Austin. As Austin implements the 2012 comprehensive plan, there are many planning processes that will follow. Austin city planners have the opportunity to engage the Millennial cohort moving forward with these planning processes, starting with the activity corridors, which is the next task of the comprehensive plan. To understand how to engage the Millennials it is important to define the generation's characteristics. The literature review is research of the history of participation, generational differences, and analysis of the Millennials. Then, the report looks at case studies from four cities that have targeted the Millennial generation in engagement process to deduct important themes and understand lessons learned. Overall, the report realizes through the analysis of the characteristics and themes that Millennials engage in different ways than have been effective in the past, but they are, in fact, engaged in civic life. Millennial characteristics and motivations align with the modern landscape of public participation. Understanding the target audience will make planning processes more equitable.Item An evaluation of online participatory planning spaces : a case study of the Oak Hill Parkway Virtual Open House(2014-05) Ettelman, Benjamin Lamond; Mueller, Elizabeth J.State planning and transportation agencies continually face the escalating problem of increasing needs coupled with limited financial resources to meet those needs. In this difficult fiscal environment, the importance of meaningfully involving the public in the decisions that shape the future of our cities and regions becomes even more amplified. Proactively working with the public to gain buy-in from the early stages of the planning process is one of the most effective strategies to reduce project costs. The classic process in which state planning and transportation agencies have engaged the public is no longer an effective or efficient model as public meeting attendance has consistently decreased. As technology continues to shape the way that the public communicates with each other and their government, the onus falls on state planning and transportation agencies not only to continue to provide the traditional methods of engagement, but to look for new and innovative ways to gain increased public participation in the planning process. The traditional methods of public engagement will always be an important part of the planning process, but discovering the effectiveness of emerging technologies in order to develop new best practices for public engagement is the charge of the future. This report will evaluate whether a) online participatory planning spaces expand participation in the planning process and b) examine how evaluative metrics gathered by using online tools can inform decision makers of the utility of virtual planning spaces. This report will then present an evaluative criteria in order to establish a baseline by which to assess the performance of public involvement processes. This report will then present a case study of the Oak Hill Parkway Virtual Open House Pilot Project, a pilot study conducted in Austin, Texas to test the effectiveness of online participatory planning spaces in the field. This report will also share the results of interviews with Oak Hill Parkway Project representatives regarding the usefulness of virtual planning spaces. The report will conclude with a discussion of lessons learned and future research needs.Item Televising architecture : media, public engagement, and design in America(2014-05) Dodd, Samuel Tommy; Cleary, Richard LouisStarting in the 1940s, the cultural revolution associated with the popularity of television placed new demands on how and where designers communicated the value of their work with the American public. "Televising Architecture" explains how architects, planners, and other design professionals used television as a communication technology and as a cultural platform for shaping public opinion on the built environment. Each of the six chapters describes a specific purpose and context for the application of television to architectural practice. I consider public affairs programs produced by the American Institute of Architects; the use of closed-circuit television for space simulations; public service announcements meant to offset negative coverage on urbanism; interactive television projects that elicited community participation in planning; and PBS mini-series on the history of American architecture. I conclude by discussing Home and Garden Television (HGTV) as a lesson in media convergence for design professionals in the twenty-first century. "Televising Architecture" provides a new way to understand architecture not as a text, image, or built object, but as a complex system of communication models — including representation, negotiation, mediation, and participation — that occur between design experts and the public at large. I draw from the work of media and technology scholars who treat media as sites of negotiation and convergence. One of my primary methods is to analyze the largely untapped archive of architectural images, texts, and sound-bites found in television programming. I do so by examining programs themselves, including frame-by-frame analysis to identify what the programs communicated through visual tropes and camera and editing techniques, and a textual analysis, drawing on transcripts, program summaries, and press coverage. As a result, Televising Architecture provides historical perspectives— and a series of media lessons— for understanding the practice of architecture in our current digital culture, wherein architects must navigate a new media environment in the pursuit of social relevance.Item Transportation planning and public involvement in Texas(2016-05) Kresl, Emil Frank; Mueller, Elizabeth J.; Bacon, Kevin MWhile the Texas Department of Transportation and other transportation planning organizations may seem to be succeeding at their mission on at least some levels, whether or not that mission is the best thing for the state and local communities remains to be seen. This report examines how TxDOT engages with the public, their intentions with that engagement, and the effects of that engagement on the planning process and the implementation of transportation solutions. Understanding how transportation objectives on a local scale correspond to those on a state scale is fundamental to this examination. Ultimately recommendations are provided with the aim of improving public involvement in the transportation planning process.