The University District in Seattle is home to both a premier research university and an assortment of social services. This brings people of relative economic privilege along with the businesses that cater to them and people experiencing poverty and homelessness to same neighborhood. When commercial establishments and social service agencies closely share public space, their differing needs may come into conflict. The perception of homeless people as disruptive to capitalist goals in urban environments has resulted in changes to cities that prioritize the demands of businesses and often exclude, punish or generally make life more difficult for homeless people. At the same time, there are spaces, actors and alliances that refuse this exclusionary cityscape and present hopeful alternative negotiations of shared public space. My research looks at these alternatives to ask how public space is negotiated between business and social service providers to understand why and how exceptions to the exclusionary patterns of the contemporary city and the pathologizing discourse of homelessness emerge. Methods include semi-structured interviews with business and social service leaders in an alleyway in the University district as well as participant observation in the alley. Individual beliefs of the key stakeholders that consider structural causes of poverty and homelessness, long-term investment in the community, a vision for cross-class interaction and features of the built environment all contribute to this location’s more inclusive community. Theorizing from already existing alternatives to normative scripts about the city can help us imagine what possibilities exist for a cityscape that is more inclusive and caring of marginalized groups. My findings are of particular relevance to other communities in Seattle where privileged and impoverished populations closely share public space, such as the current negotiations surrounding the formalization of tent cities in Ballard and Interbay.

The acquisition and consumption of food is a daily struggle for homeless individuals and those experiencing high levels of poverty. I use the concept of foodscapes - spaces in which food is grown, acquired, consumed, and prepared - to study the complex political, ethical, and practical factors that shape and influence the geographies of survival that homeless individuals use on a daily basis in their search for food. My research looks primarily at geographies of survival - the daily practices of provision and protection necessary to survive - that homeless individuals utilize while living in city-sponsored encampments in Seattle, WA. These unique encampments are semi-permanent in that the city has allocated the land on which they rest to this purpose for one year with the option to extend for another year. They are also unique in that they are self-governed by residents living on site, operated by local non-profit organizations specializing in homeless services, and held to city health and safety standards. This project focuses on the geographies of survival and the foodscapes utilized by residents living in these unique encampments. Central to this project's contribution to the growing literature surrounding homelessness and food security is an emphasis on “lived experiences" and perspectives of residents living in the encampments. Of particular interest were changes in provision and consumption practices by individuals after arriving at the encampments and the underlying driving factors that brought about these changes. Data generated from a series of semi-structured interviews with residents was transcribed and thematically analyzed using a series of salient codes. Reoccuring themes of Security, Community, and Sustainability emerged during this process, each of which I use to discuss the implications that semi-permanent city-sponsored homeless encampments have on the provision and consumption of food within homeless populations. 

Public restroom maintenance and management is expensive and varies throughout city establishments in terms of cleaning schedules, safety monitoring and funding sources. Neighborhood groups pursuing the installation of public restrooms often earn grant money from their city to install the restroom, but must develop their own localized funding and management plans for the daily upkeep of the facility, including contingency costs for restroom misuse and vandalism. This research proposed a community participation plan as a strategy for managing a public restroom. Neighborhood Watch, as well as ‘Adopt a Street’ programs that invite/implore community members to take ownership of their neighborhood’s safety and well-being through volunteer work inspired this plan. It was hypothesized that the adaptation of these neighborhood programs for a public restroom would aid in creating ownership and respect of the restroom and thus discourage inappropriate use, saving money in cleaning and repair fees. A literature review examined crime monitoring programs, building respect in public space, and the idea of self-surveillance as a basis for developing strategies to solicit community participation. An online survey aided in understanding public perceptions about safety, accessibility, and cleanliness of public restroom facilities and the public’s role as users in reporting problems and maintaining the proper function of the restroom. Initial survey results indicated that while people supported the idea of shared community responsibility in public restroom upkeep, management cannot solely depend on volunteer contributions, but could rather supplement the maintenance efforts of paid employees. Findings from this research were presented to the University District ULoo committee, a community group studying the feasibility of bringing a public restroom to the U District neighborhood.

The City of Seattle has entered a phase of development where economic growth is happening at unprecedented rates for many neighborhoods. As Seattle changes for years to come, that presents the opportunity for local communities to learn how they can grow and to have a say about how their neighborhood will transform in the future. Seattle expresses local public policy preferences through Neighborhood Plans, which urban planners use as a framework for directing economic development. A powerful tool of controlling economic change in Seattle is through regulatory zoning laws in our Neighborhood Plans. Often, the primary goal of using these economic zoning tools is to help create livable and equitable communities. This research project analyzed these plans and tools to create potential changes in local neighborhoods and asks: how does Seattle’s zoning for economic growth create changes in neighborhoods? I examined the neighborhood of Columbia City as a case study to represent the dynamic growth and possible tensions of a shifting economic system on a local scale. After establishing the baseline of the neighborhood and its economy, I evaluated Seattle’s implementation of zoning and measured the impact of those regulations. The economic metrics to determine policy results were: affordable housing, retail revenue, the composition of businesses present and business turnover, and if patterns for new development matched city expectations. These results were mapped using a Geographical Information System (GIS), which also modeled the economic findings in the area. With a baseline model of the area’s economy, I then compared past zoning to where growth has been concentrated to find the significance of correlations present. With correlations between zoning laws and economic effects, I predicted how current zoning laws and future growth will affect the development of Columbia City.

In 2015, nearly 20% of China’s urban population were floating population who lived and worked in the cities (Ma, 2015). Substantial amount of them live in areas called “villages in the cities” (VICs). These are neighborhoods that are left underdeveloped from the government-led urbanization in the past three decades. Though VICs are often identified as “problematic areas” by government officials and surrounding urban residents, they are used as an important “landing place” for the migrants who cannot afford housings elsewhere. Because of that, VICs are also commonly known as “rural-urban fringe” amongst Chinese scholars and politicians. My research project examines the social relationship between migrants and indigenous in Cuiwei, a VIC located in a Pearl River Delta city called Zhuhai. By analyzing the descriptive records from tweenty migrants and indigenous villagers whom I have interviewed from Cuiwei village, I found that there is a lack of sense of community amongst not only the migrant, but also indigenous villagers in Cuiwei. On the one hand, my paper will suggest that this lack of sense of community is a part of the larger problems of Chinese urbanization and development. On the other hand, my paper will argue that this character is in part the cause of inadequacy in historic preservation, neighborhood security, and redevelopment bargaining in this VIC community.

Therapeutic gardens are a specific type of landscape designed to promote physical and psychological human health within a natural environment. Designs of therapeutic gardens vary depending on the user populations and the goal of my project is to understand the healing components of therapeutic gardens and apply them to specific circumstances. In this project, I will conduct a post evaluation on the Ichi-Go Ichi-E Garden, used primarily by Japanese American senior residents of a senior residential community, Nikkei Manor, and analyze the use patterns of residents and staff using observation, mapping, surveys and interviews. By analyzing the success of the project, I hope to answer the question of how therapeutic gardens can be effectively designed for specific users, site conditions and programs. These findings and knowledge will be integrated into the design for a new project: a capstone design & build project led by Professor Daniel Winterbottom for the Puget Sound Veteran’s Affairs Hospital. The garden will serve veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other stress-related illnesses. Finally, after gaining feedback from clients and presenting the final design, my classmates and I will build the project by June 2016 when the garden will be dedicated.

In today’s American suburbs, children tend to spend much less time outside than their parents or grandparents used to, because of parent’s monitoring on children’s activities and growing concern on neighborhood safety that inhibits children from freely exploring outdoor landscapes. Outdoor landscape that promotes children’s health and wellness is crucial in reversing a trend of increasing rate of obesity, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and anxiety or depression among children. Also, landscapes that include naturalistic features or vegetable gardens can provide environmental education opportunities that teach children about environmental sustainability. Briarcrest Elementary School, a public K-6 school in suburban area of Shoreline, WA., has a vacant rectangular space on its campus that has a concrete floor and metal cyclone fencing on three sides of the perimeter, which has great potential for improvement that benefits children. Through research and community engagement, I am aiming to come up with a financially feasible site design that can effectively revitalize the space. Even though funding from grants is a constraint, I aim to remodel the space in ways that align with key stakeholders’ (teachers’, children’s, parents’ and school administration’s) values and goals. My methodology includes researching exemplary cases of schoolyard revitalization projects and interviewing past schoolyard revitalization project leaders to inform design process, and surveying key stakeholders to identify core design values and guidelines. After engaging with Briarcrest Parent-Teacher Association and Briarcrest Neighborhood Association, my initial design proposal of remodeling is to have an outdoor classroom with raised vegetable garden beds. I am hoping to further engage with stakeholders and recruit volunteers from the neighborhood to realize the effort in creating outdoor learning opportunities for children.