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Viewed the Thesis/Dissertation in Its Final Electronic Format and Certify That It Is an Accurate Copy of the Document Reviewed and Approved by the Committee U UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date: May 11, 2009 I, Sara Michelle Phillips , hereby submit this original work as part of the requirements for the degree of: Master of Community Planning in College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning It is entitled: Sustainable Development: A Tool for Urban Revitalization Sara Phillips Student Signature: This work and its defense approved by: Carla Chifos, PhD, AICP Committee Chair: Michael Romanos, PhD, AICP Verle Hansen, PhD Approval of the electronic document: I have reviewed the Thesis/Dissertation in its final electronic format and certify that it is an accurate copy of the document reviewed and approved by the committee. Committee Chair signature: Carla Chifos Sustainable Development: A Tool for Urban Revitalization A thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF COMMUNITY PLANNING In the School of Planning of the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning 2009 by Sara Phillips B.P., Miami University, 2007 Thesis Committee: Carla Chifos, PhD, AICP, Chair Michael Romanos, PhD, AICP, Member Verle Hansen, PhD, Reader ABSTRACT As urban residents throughout the United States moved to the suburbs in the mid twentieth century, many urban cities and their neighborhoods lost population, jobs and a sense of community as public services were reduced and the physical conditions of buildings deteriorated. Many scholars and practitioners claim that sustainable development can aid in revitalizing declining urban neighborhoods (Devuyst et al. 2001; Chiras and Wann 2003; Crowe 2003; Been and Voicu 2006; Erickson 2006; Kemp 2006; Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 2006; Wiland and Bell 2006). Sustainable development represents the coexistence between economic development and the environment as it promotes economic growth at minimal expense to the environment or to future generations. Sustainable communities are therefore introduced when deciding how a city or neighborhood should be planned to meet economic needs of the present without compromising future generations to meet their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development 1987). These communities recognize that they must offer an ecologically sound, economically viable and socially responsible environment for its residents. This thesis focuses on determining how sustainable development can serve as a tool for urban revitalization by exploring the projects that cities are currently implementing throughout the United States. It consists of a data set designed to analyze cases throughout the United States that have used different sustainable development techniques to revitalize their urban neighborhoods. iii iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee, Dr. Carla Chifos, Dr. Michael Romanos, and Dr. Verle Hansen for their guidance, patience and wisdom. I would also like to thank my friends and boyfriend who have provided a temporary escape from this challenging endeavor. Most importantly, I want to thank my family for their unconditional love and support, for without their guidance, I would not be where I am today. v Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 The Problem ................................................................................................................................ 2 Format of Document ................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2: Methodology ................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 3: Literature Review ......................................................................................................... 10 Declining Urban Neighborhoods in the United States .............................................................. 10 Sustainable Communities .......................................................................................................... 14 Importance of Knowledge ......................................................................................................... 22 Sustainability and Revitalization ............................................................................................... 23 Chapter 4: Data ............................................................................................................................... 34 Chapter 5: Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 89 Links Within Data Categories ................................................................................................... 89 Revitalization/ Environmental Goals .......................................................................................... 90 Green Activities/ Initiatives ........................................................................................................ 95 Funding ..................................................................................................................................... 102 Key Players ............................................................................................................................... 103 Links Between Data Categories .............................................................................................. 105 Sustainable Development Analysis .......................................................................................... 106 Revitalization Goals and Green Activities ............................................................................... 136 Revitalization Results and Green Activities ............................................................................. 154 Chapter 6: Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 170 Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 174 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................ 178 Appendix ...................................................................................................................................... 195 Comparative Matrix ................................................................................................................ 195 Case Studies ............................................................................................................................ 195 vi Table of Figures Figure 1. Sustainable Development Diagram ................................................................... 17 Figure 2. Summary Table: Revitalization/ Environmental Goals ..................................... 92 Figure 3. Frequency of Revitalization/Environmental Goals Used .................................. 95 Figure 4. Summary Table: Green Activities ..................................................................... 98 Figure 5. Frequency of Green Activities Used ............................................................... 101 Figure 6. Summary Table: Funding Sources .................................................................. 102 Figure 7. Summary Table: Key Players .......................................................................... 105 Figure 8. Summary Chart: Potential Value of Green Space ........................................... 111 Figure 9. Summary Chart: Potential Value of Community Gardens .............................. 116 Figure 10. Summary Chart: Potential Value of Environmental Restoration .................. 117 Figure 11. Summary Chart: Potential Value of Brownfield Redevelopment/ Infill ....... 119 Figure 12. Summary Chart: Potential Value of Mixed-Use Development ..................... 121 Figure 13. Summary Table: Potential Value of ‘Green’ Infrastructure .......................... 123 Figure 14. Commercial LEED Projects by State ............................................................ 124 Figure 15. Growth of Green Buildings in the United States ........................................... 125 Figure 16. Summary Chart: Potential Value of Green Buildings, Green Technology & Green Construction Practices .......................................................................................... 127 Figure 17. Summary Table: Potential Value of Transportation ...................................... 129 Figure 18. Summary Table: Potential Value of Green Job Training and Creation ......... 130 Figure 19. Summary Chart: Potential Value of Pedestrian-Friendly Streets .................. 132 Figure 20. Summary Table: Potential Value of Eco-Industrial Parks ............................ 135 Figure 21. Summary Table: Goal 1 and Green Activities .............................................. 137 Figure 22. Frequency of Green Activities Used to Achieve Goal 1 ............................... 139 Figure 23. Summary Table: Goal 2 and Green Activities .............................................. 140 Figure 24. Frequency of Green Activities Use to Achieve Goal 2 ................................. 141 Figure 25. Summary Table: Goal 3 and Green Activities .............................................. 142 Figure 26. Frequency of Green Activities Used to Achieve Goal 3 ............................... 144 Figure 27. Summary Table: Goal 4 and Green Activities .............................................
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