UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
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Item Gateway to the City: Reconnecting Center City Philadelphia to the Delaware River Waterfront(2012) Gavin, David Michael; Kelly, Brian; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)This thesis proposes to examine the relationship between the dense city core of Philadelphia and the Delaware River waterfront. The thesis will consider the possibility of reestablishing connectivity between the city and waterfront that existed prior to the construction of I-95. The site in Center City Philadelphia is located along I-95 and bounded by Market Street, the Delaware River, and Walnut Street. The space over I-95 will be considered as potential buildable area and underdeveloped areas along the Delaware River waterfront will be investigated to promote greater utilization and active daily use. The thesis will study how appropriate programming of underutilized city land can activate the river's edge and establish links between neighborhoods immediately adjacent to the site. The thesis will also examine how park systems might provide an extension of comfortable open space prevalent throughout the eastern areas of Center City.Item WATERFRONT REGENERATION: Mediating Boundaries of Abandonment Along the Hudson River(2015) Palmadesso, Allison Rose; Lamprakos, Michele; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The edge between city + water has become a divide. This thesis addresses this edge that has been thickened by abandoned industry and challenges the way we design for our changing waterfronts through a design approach relying on specificity of place. The design proposal shows how the water/city divide can become a connective threshold, how industrial landscapes can be reclaimed, and how this place-specific investigation can be an example to learn from through Westchester County’s Hudson River Waterfront, the City of Yonkers, and the abandoned Glenwood Power Plant. This method has resulted with the integration of building into landscape so that it acts as part of a new infrastructure which cleans water, supports urban agriculture, and provides recreational and training opportunities for the surrounding community. Flows have been re-purposed to knit connections in all axes, and begin to heal water’s edge.Item Shifting Gears: Exploring Parametric Design to Renovate an Urban Waterfront(2014) Jester, Paul Edward; Cook, Kelly D; Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA); Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)A powerful tool currently being used by architects and planners, parametric design has yet to be embraced by landscape architects. Through research and design, this thesis seeks to answer two questions: what is parametric design and how can it benefit the field of landscape architecture? Looking at historical and present-day sources, the evolution of computer aided design has been drawn out leading to the emergence of parametric design. An explanation and analysis of parametric tools, including a series of case studies, has been conducted to show how these tools are presently being utilized by designers. Utilizing parametric methods and tools, a design proposal was created to renovate a waterfront site in Baltimore, MD that focused on highlighting the city history and promoting health for the local residents and inner harbor.Item Chesapeake City, Maryland: Creating a Vision for Eastern Shore Town Development(2009) McKearin, Jonathan Matthew; Bell, Matthew J; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Exploring the future of town development on Maryland's Eastern Shore, this thesis confronts the pattern of sprawling suburban expansion by offering an alternative masterplan of compact, limited development for the historic town of Chesapeake City. In addition to proposing a comprehensive strategy for managing future growth in the region, this project actively engages the local discourse surrounding the Chesapeake Country National Scenic Byway, asserting Chesapeake City's position as the northern gateway to the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland's Eastern Shore. By reconnecting the town to the Scenic Byway and strengthening the town's presence on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, the project augments the town's access to the recreational and tourist opportunities of the northern Chesapeake region. Furthermore the project proposes a carefully woven network of neighborhoods and districts, promoting a diverse, livable community.Item Rediscover the waterfront through redevelopment - a cultural and entertainment center in Huizhou, China(2007-01-17) Shang, Huijun; Bechhoefer, William; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Huizhou, only 70 km from Hong Kong, takes a quarter of the Pearl River Delta Specific Economical Region in Guangdong Province, China. With a very strong industrial background and rich in natural and cultural attractions, Huizhou is a fast developing regional hub connecting Guangdong to the world. However, the historical core of city, which once had ports along the main waterfront, has lagged behind the development of the city and it was left for small commercial and residential developments. New interest in this area rediscovered the public importance of the historic district. Revitalization of this waterfront will reinforce the city's civic status in the region and reconnect people to its past as a center for folk culture and commercial. The primary goal of this thesis is to re-interpret the historic core of Huizhou, by providing a year-round cultural and recreation urban focus for this district and its neighborhoods along the waterfront. The new cultural and entertainment center will include an information center, galleries/public educational spaces, conference/exhibition spaces, hotel, as well as other related recreation programs. This thesis demonstrates how to enhance the city's built environments in dense urban fabric and will spur the development of strong water network of the city.Item A Response to the Current Development of Valparaiso's Waterfront: An Urban Marketplace that Stimulates the Local Economy and Celebrates the City's Genius Loci(2006-12-22) Hernandez, Alejandra Isabel; Bell, Matthew; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Item The effects of waterfront development on housing prices: the case of eastern Baltimore(2006-12-07) Oliva, Simeon; Howland, Marie; Urban Studies and Planning; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Residential waterfront development has taken advantage of available land and water amenities in the centrally-located ports of many American cities. Its impacts on the housing market of the surrounding neighborhoods may not have been distributed evenly. This study measures how waterfront development has affected housing prices in a residential area south-east of Baltimore's downtown through time. The results indicate that development on the waterfront has had a positive impact on prices in the entire study area during the analyzed time-frame. However, this impact has been far more pronounced on the prices of properties located within a short distance from the water even decades after the initial projects on the waterfront were started. The study thus support claims that waterfront development has created uneven patterns of growth in Baltimore.Item Reconnecting to the Waterfront: A Maritime Aquarium for Southwest, Washington, DC(2006-05-19) Ramos, Stephen Anthony; Eisenbach, Ronit; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis re-links Washingtonians to the Potomac River waterfront, once an essential amenity for the city. Citizens of the original working-class community of Southwest, Washington, DC were drawn by the availability of maritime jobs due to its close proximity to the Washington Channel. In the 1950's, a campaign of Urban Renewal was enacted, which ultimately resulted in the gentrification of the indigenous community, altered street patterns and the removal of historic building fabric. One of the major fallacies of the development was the irresponsible development along the waterfront, which severed and limited the connection between the neighborhood and the Washington Channel. This thesis encourages the exploration of and interaction with Washington's historic maritime culture and the exclusive ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The tools for working this connection are the Washington D.C. Maritime Aquarium and a new waterfront promenade. The Maritime Aquarium which adds a major public educational venue to the city's downtown area will feature aquatic exhibits on the Chesapeake Bay watershed and interpretive exhibits on the history of Washington's maritime culture. Reclaiming and activating the lethargic waterfront, the new promenade allows visitors the opportunity to engage the water and participate in a variety of recreational activities. Ultimately this thesis educates and increases our awareness of our relationship with the natural world, while simultaneously improving the aesthetics of the existing waterfront and city.Item PORTLAND, MAINE: A CULTURAL GATEWAY CONNECTING WATERFRONT AND CITY(2005-12-19) MCNAMARA, ERIN P; Bechhoefer, William; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis explores how a community oriented multi-cultural arts facility on the Portland, Maine waterfront can serve as a meaningful link between both the city and the waterfront, and city residents and an increasing flow of tourist traffic. Involving community members in its performances and audience, the facility and its programs would serve to communicate the multifaceted identity of Portland to waterfront visitors. The location of the facility in a newly developing waterfront area also ensures that Portland's residents will maintain access to and maintain a presence in this historic area, which was the original city center. Without well intentioned development, this area might become strictly a tourist and high-end retail district.