Browsing by Author "Britton, Earle V."

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    A methodology for the analysis of pedestrian urban spaces
    (1971) Gelsomino, Victor Vincent; Britton, Earle V.
    Pedestrian urban spaces are, and have traditionally been analyzed from an historical, cultural, and physical point of view. Information from the various fields dealing with this area of the physical environment is extensive in depth and scope. However, the problem that confronts the designer is not one of a lack of descriptive information about pedestrian urban spaces, but the lack of a specific type of quantitative and qualitative information that can be used to evaluate a physical environment. In addition, the need exists to establish a technique in the form of a useful tool to aid the architect in designing successful pedestrian urban spaces. Viewing the above as a primary concern, this thesis has addressed itself to consideration of two major areas: First, the establishment of a framework for describing pedestrian urban spaces. This framework is in the form of a descriptive vocabulary defining pedestrian urban spaces according to their archetypes, physical elements, and physical attributes. Second, the presentation of an interdisciplinary framework. This is the Intersystem Congruence Model, which draws together in a compatible arrangement the diverse analytical and design methodologies employed by the disciplines of Behavioral Science and Architecture. This approach, if applied to the task of evaluating pedestrian urban spaces would give the designer an opportunity to set up and investigate many more alternative solutions than is now possible. In so doing, it requires a deeper understanding of the problem, presents a logical approach for evaluation, and offers a basis from which the architect can objectively argue his conclusion.
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    Information for urban decisions: some potential systems
    (1971) Pfeffer, Gerald Stephen; Britton, Earle V.
    Numerous factors, including increasing complexity, judicial supervision and heightened public awareness of the issues, contribute to pressures placed on local government officials for higher quality and greater responsiveness in the making of decisions which affect community growth and change. Recent improvements in information technology could offer some prospects for improved delivery of data needed to make decisions. However, political problems in determining information needs and obtaining data from local sources tend to reduce the effectiveness of potential systems. Equally difficult are technical considerations which govern information processing once data becomes available. Adequate techniques exist for statistical analysis and graphic communication of successfully processed data, but at present, these systems can only be used by those willing to learn the detailed technical requirements of each program. Several systems are proposed to bridge this gap for decision makers in such diverse fields as social program evaluation, school facility management, health care delivery and land use planning. A local data collection agency, similar to the U. S. Census Bureau, is proposed to supply baseline and present-state data to such information systems. However, prospects for development and implementation of such systems are clouded by increasing political concern for individual privacy, conflicting opinions among experts about the value of computerized information systems, and the prospects for unforeseen societal change brought about by the development of a technocracy in control of these systems. Finally, a warning is issued to those who would entirely substitute the quantitative data available from computerized information systems for the empathetic, qualitative decision-making of traditional local government.
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    Infrastructure design in new communities: efficiency, comprehensibility, accessibility, variety, and adaptability
    (1972) Sanford, Thomas Jean; Britton, Earle V.
    Design and planning schemes concerning primarily physical factors of an urban area have specific effects, which can be anticipated, upon living patterns In a community. In search of these effects, this thesis examines the infrastructure. representing one part of physical urban design, of nine contemporary planned community examples. For convenience the examples are divided into two scales: (1) the neighborhood scale and (2) the new town scale of community planning. The nine examples were chosen to represent a wide range of contrasting Infrastructure concepts -- planned communities differing in many social and economic goals, English and American communities -- all contemporary to this century. In section 200 of the thesis infrastructure Is defined as the spatial pattern and physical structures which interrelate and organize all physical parts of a community. To examine the infrastructure of planned new communities, an evaluation framework is established consisting of five criteria: (1) efficiency, (2) comprehensibility, (3) accessibility, (4) variety, and (5) adaptability of infrastructure. In Sections 300 and 400 specific design concepts for each community example are studied using these criteria. It Is shown, first concept by concept, that by responding to these criteria Infrastructure design has a positive influence and effect, which can be anticipated, upon the original land development, social patterns, and growth of these new communities. At the conclusion of both the neighborhood and new town sections, these infrastructure design concepts are summarized. The range of concepts discussed include: physical community patterns, activity distribution concepts, and visual qualities of the communities. It is shown that infrastructure concepts at the new town scale, because of the larger numbers of people and quantities of land involved, can have wider effects upon community living patterns than at the neighborhood scale. In conclusion of the thesis the five criteria are used to draw together from all the examples general infrastructure design concepts and general effects again upon the original development, social patterns, and growth of a new community. It is shown that by infrastructure design it is possible to increase the accessibility of all community activities, shopping, recreation, working, and education, for all residents; to reduce or eliminate daily commuting for work for many people; and to Increase the diversity of these activities and facilities in a community. These points are among the effects, which can be anticipated, community planning can have upon urban living patterns.
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    Location analysis of office activity: downtown and suburban office park
    (1971) Sahni, Randhir; Britton, Earle V.
    This study is based on the premise that urban functions should be located in response to inner and inter activity relationships. Being one of the important and growing urban functions, office activity was examined to study activity relationships and locational processes. Its growth, changing location in the urban context, and its national pattern was studied in a historical perspective. Then its future growth and development were reviewed. The office types incorporated in this research are: Manufacturing, Transportation, Communication, Utilities, Government, Services, Insurance and Real Estate. These types cover about 900 of the office employment in the New York region. Using a vertical hierarchy office types were broken down into three levels: Headquarter office, Middle office, and Local office. The criterion to differentiate them was the physical jurisdiction of each office level. A one-way matrix was constructed as a tool to trace the "in" and "between" interactions of office functions. Factors that bring about the location of office activity in downtown or suburban office parks were researched from previous studies. Matrices were used for developing a relationship between office types and their locational needs. Concrete application confirms its (matrix) usefulness though the scaler value judgements used are somewhat subjective, based on the knowledge of and research done by the author. The matrices when completed give a clear picture of the relationships, within an activity and between activities / and their location needs, which can be a valuable aid in locating office activity specifically and urban functions in general.
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    The distribution of benefits and costs in urban area transportation
    (1972) Anthony, William John; Britton, Earle V.
    This thesis deals primarily with economic impacts of transportation and their distribution and has two basic goals. The first is to describe why the distribution of benefits and costs from urban transportation is important. The second is to describe how the economic impacts of highway systems and rapid transit systems are distributed. The thesis deals with each mode separately. The distribution of the benefits and costs from the operations of present systems is described. The difficulties of this task are outlined. However, some indicators of benefits and costs do give an idea of the distribution of impacts from the day to day operations of systems, and data on these indicators are compiled. The impacts of new facilities are discussed, including the long term as well as the short term impacts.
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    Urban development and physical form; a proposal for decision making
    (1971) Christy, Howard Beverly; Mixon, John; Britton, Earle V.; Hendren, Philip
    Realizing that under all decisions concerned with design there is an undefined value base, this thesis has been structured to investigate the problems in identifying that value base and in so doing, proposes an approach for handling similar investigations. The proposal is conceived to question those decision-making processes dealing with urban and regional planning and design, and in particular those processes related to urban development and the resulting physical form. It emphasizes environic factors, forces, and influences and their dynamic effect upon natural and man-made conditions. The intent is to encourage and cultivate a better understanding for control and management of natural resources and other conservational assets, and to develop a sense of strategy in their protection and uses Importance is placed upon the relevance of timing and on physical design, both in terms of long-range investment and in immediacy with respect to conditions of current crisis. The concept of land as a commodity which is exhaustible in terms of destroying its natural and inherent life support quality is a reoccurring theme throughout the investigation. The degree of success or failure experienced by the architect/planner in his effort to achieve a livable environment is evaluated in the application of the decision- making process to the design process. The conflict between design theory and the practice of design is examined in relationship to the architect/planner's background of knowledge and commitment to professional responsibility. A case study which typifies the full range of problems anticipated in an urbanization process is scrutinized as a vehicle for testing the validity of such a concern for an approach as well as the approach itself. The keynotes of the proposal are its attempt to eliminate the existences of crisis decisions and design by default within the city-building process. The particular methodology proposed herein is structured to enable the investigator to have a better understanding of the scope of effort necessary in order to identify the means to an end. That end is the elimination of indecisive planning.