Matching Items (60)
Description
For waste management in Asunción, Paraguay to improve, so too must the rate of public recycling participation. However, due to minimal public waste management infrastructure, it is up to individual citizens and the private sector to develop recycling solutions in the city. One social enterprise called Soluciones Ecológicas (SE) has deployed a system of drop-off recycling stations called ecopuntos, which allow residents to deposit their paper and cardboard, plastic, and aluminum. For SE to maximize the use of its ecopuntos, it must understand the perceived barriers to, and benefits of, their use. To identify these barriers and benefits, a doer on-doer survey based on the behavioral determinants outlined in the Designing for Behavior Change Framework was distributed among Asunción residents. Results showed that perceived self-efficacy, perceived social norms, and perceived positive consequences – as well as age – were influential in shaping ecopunto use. Other determinants such as perceived negative consequences, access, and universal motivators were significant predictors of gender and age. SE and other institutions looking to improve recycling can use these results to design effective behavior change interventions.
ContributorsLoPrete, Eric (Author) / Klinsky, Sonja (Contributor) / Fischer, Daniel (Contributor) / Wiek, Arnim (Contributor)
Created2020-04-24
Description
Multi-scalar, integrated and transformational solutions are necessary to address the complex problems of climate change and sustainable development. Cities are using urban living labs to develop and test such solutions; however, the pace of transformation does not yet match the urgency of the problems at hand. In business, accelerators are used to advance new and potentially transformational enterprises, giving fresh ideas an advantage over more established competition, thereby accelerating the pace of change. This article examines the accelerator model and considers its adaptation to urban living labs. From the literature, a multi-scalar business accelerator model is proposed that addresses both individual and system interventions to advance sustainability transformations. Also proposed is a formative-evaluation framework to guide effective implementation of the accelerator model. This article concludes with recommendations for scholars and practitioners working on urban living labs to utilize business accelerators to advance sustainability transformations.
ContributorsMack, Ashley (Author) / Whithycombe Keeler, Lauren (Contributor, Contributor) / Wiek, Arnim (Contributor) / von Wehrden, Henrik (Contributor)
Created2019-04-24
Description
The next generation will be better prepared to cope with the daunting sustainability challenges if education for sustainable development is being taught and learned across educational sectors. K-12 school education will play a pivotal role in this process, most prominently, the teachers serving at these schools. While pre-service teachers’ education will contribute to this transition, success will depend on effective professional development in sustainability education to teachers currently in service. Arizona State University has pioneered the development and delivery of such a programme. We present the design principles, the programme, and insights from its initial applications that involved 246 K-12 in-service teachers from across the USA. The evaluation results indicate that due to participation in the programme, sustainability knowledge, perception of self-efficacy, inclusion of sustainability in the classroom, modelling of sustainable behaviours, and linking action to content all increased. We conclude with recommendations for the widespread adopting of the programme.
ContributorsRedman, Erin (Author) / Redman, Aaron (Author) / Wiek, Arnim (Author)
Created2018-07-13
Description
This project aims to provide a contextualized history of the Sky Harbor Neighborhood Association‟s community collective action efforts. The Sky Harbor Neighborhood (SHN) of East Phoenix is bounded on the West by 24th St., on the East by 32nd St., on the North by Roosevelt St., and the South by Washington Street. SHN is a majority Latino, low-income, working class community (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010) that faces a variety of challenges including low walkability due to inadequate pedestrian infrastructure, low tree coverage, and crime. East Van Buren St., which has a reputation for being one of Phoenix‟s red-light districts, splits the neighborhood in two. In addition, the SHN lacks some key amenities such as grocery stores and is partly considered a food desert by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA Economic Research Service, 2012).
ContributorsPearson, Kimberly (Author) / Golub, Aaron (Thesis director) / Wiek, Arnim (Committee member) / York, Abigail (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2012-12
Description
Freshwater is an essential component of life for most organisms on earth. "Civilization itself is built on a foundation of water (Fagan, 2011)," as people often congregate near water sources, and find innovative solutions to exploit these resources for food production and domestic needs. Rising demand for water due to altered lifestyles and population increase pose further stress on water availability. Alterations and pollution of freshwater ecosystems can dramatically compromise ecological services that many species, among them humans, depend on. Arid places are specifically vulnerable in regards to water, characterized by very low levels of precipitation, as well as many dry months, which are often followed by a short time of severe storms. Considering the interconnectedness of social and ecological systems in regards to freshwater services is crucial in order to sustainably manage freshwater resources and avoid ecological crises that in turn are likely to lead to social crises around the globe (Berkes et. al., 2003).
ContributorsHenenson, Einav (Author) / Anderies, M. John (Thesis director) / Aggarwal, Rimjhim (Committee member) / Golub, Aaron (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2012-12
Description
Political polarization, or the inclination to align with the identity, ideologies, and candidates of a party that results in subsequent partisan animosity that creates divisions between these groups, can prevent important policies from getting passed. Policies related to sustainability, defined as that which “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” have been found to be particularly vulnerable to polarization (Brundtland, 1987). This research analyzes literature and expert interviews to provide recommendations and strategies that can be employed by sustainability advocates to get important policies passed despite the divisive political arena. The research concluded that public salience of sustainability issues, presentation of the co-benefits of sustainability policies, relationships amongst elected officials, and use of politically neutral language are especially important to garnering bipartisan support for sustainability policies. Based on these conclusions, strategies were recommended for sustainability advocates to use to overcome political polarization including bolstering communication skills to demonstrate how people are affected by sustainability issues and can benefit from sustainability policies and giving careful and continuous consideration to the words, phrases, and labels used to describe sustainability policies. A final recommendation is to examine political polarization and sustainability at the municipal level since this research indicated that this is a relatively under-examined context.
ContributorsBarlett, Riley (Author) / Melnick, Rob (Thesis director) / Kay, Braden (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2023-12
Description
This paper explores women and bicycling, with the focus of looking at how to get more women onto the bicycle in Tempe, Arizona. The main areas of interest for this study are improvements to bicycling infrastructure and an increase in the safety and the perception of safety of women cyclists in the Tempe area. In order to explore this topic, an online survey of 75 Arizona State students was conducted. From the results women were primarily concerned with their safety due to the condition of the overall infrastructure and the lack of bicycle related improvements. Research such as this that examines women and cycling is significant due to the current underrepresentation of women in the cycling community and has the potential to improve safety and increase bicycle ridership.
ContributorsStarr, Nicole (Author) / Kelley, Jason (Thesis director) / Golub, Aaron (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
This paper explores bicycle amenities at two Bicycle Friendly Universities (BFU), as ranked by the League of American Bicyclists. The reviewed universities, Northern Arizona University (NAU) and University of Arizona (UA), are compared to Arizona State University (ASU) to determine its current level of bicycle friendliness. Research gathered from studies and reports from the three campuses is utilized to compile a list of bicycle facilities and infrastructure that are not currently offered at any of the three universities, as well as to create a set of priorities that Arizona State University can use to implement more programs and facilities before submitting their application to become a Bicycle Friendly University. This paper suggests improvements for Arizona State University involving the campus co-op, a website demonstrating the impact of alternative transportation on the campus community, bike-in events, temporary bike valet at events, organized and faculty-led rides, a bike mentorship program, formal incentive programs for employees and students, way-finding signage and designated bike routes, secure bike parking facilities, and educational courses.
ContributorsMercado, Catherine A (Author) / Golub, Aaron (Thesis director) / O'Brien, Mary (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
City planners often use bicycle friendly rating schemes as tools to guide them in their efforts to establish a bicycle community. However, the criteria and methodologies used vary from program to program and often do not encapsulate all of the necessary elements that comprise true bicycle friendliness. This report documents the important elements, strategies, and best practices that well-established Dutch, Danish, and German bike friendly cities exhibit to create a baseline standard for bicycle friendliness. Not all rating programs' criteria and methodologies align perfectly within this understanding of bicycle friendliness. City planners should use these programs as tools while keeping their limitations in consideration. The City of Tempe currently uses the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community program and BikeScore.com. By understanding the limitations associated with these programs, Tempe should move forward in their pursuit of bicycle friendliness by using multiple rating programs simultaneously and by looking at top-rated cities' strategies to enhance their infrastructure, network, urban form, and biking culture.
ContributorsTrombino, Frank Michael (Author) / Golub, Aaron (Thesis director) / Kelley, Jason (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Social relationships are the single most factor that create joy in human lives. And yet, the ways we are building our cities and structuring our lives reduces our chances of interaction and increases isolation. Creating more public spaces may be a possible solution to this problem of declining social cohesion. Public spaces have been shown to improve rates of social cohesion and social interaction. They have also been show to have positive effects on physical health, local economies, the natural environment, reducing crime rates and psychological health. Creating public spaces in areas that are low-income or have limited amounts of space can be very challenging. This paper profiles options of community created spaces, space public spaces and temporary public spaces. All of which are options for low-income and limited space communities. The paper concludes with the summery of an active project to create a public space in such a community through a joint-use agreement.
ContributorsChampagne, Elizabeth Anne (Author) / Golub, Aaron (Thesis director) / Kelley, Jason (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2014-05