Browsing by Type "Master's project"

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Open Access
1 Linking Land Use and Water Quality: Guiding Development Surrounding Durham County’s Drinking Watershed
(2012-04-26) Levin, Katie Rose
Abstract Linking Land Use and Water Quality: Guiding Development Surrounding Durham County’s Drinking Watershed By Katie Rose Levin May 2012 Cities and Counties have an obligation to provide water to their citizens in the quality and quantity necessary to support a viable existence. To meet these demands, in 1929 Durham City dammed the Flat River, creating the reservoir named “Lake Michie” in the far north eastern part of Durham County. Although located in a primarily rural area, there are signs that stormwater runoff is having detrimental effects on Lake Michie. The reservoir has already lost a quarter of its holding capacity to sedimentation, and was recently classified as Eutrophic by the USGS. Development pressure will only increase, as for the last ten years Durham County’s population has grown faster than the average across the state. To address development concerns, Durham county and city created the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) which provides enhanced protection for the land in the Lake Michie Watershed. The UDO limits the amount of impervious surface allowed on any one parcel in the watershed to 6%, while allowing a transfer of development between parcels to discourage urban sprawl. In addition to the protection afforded by codes, Durham managers are interested in creating a unified conservation scheme, based on preserving parcels as forested areas. This Project provides information and maps that can be used for conservation planning. Through combining topography, soils, and land use, areas likely to have highest impact on water quality are highlighted. Using this information, parcels can be evaluated based on their relative impact on water quality. Likewise, parcels can be compared against each other for the relative impact they have on water quality, informing transfers of impervious surface areas to meet development code. By combining the scientific evaluation of land use effects with the political boundaries of parcel ownership officials can easily translate science into the politics of conservation and development. Just like the New Hope Creek and Eno River conservation maps, now Lake Michie has a scientifically based conservation map to help officials and land managers preserve water quality into the future. Adviser: Dr. Dean Urban
Open Access
$100 Million Dollars Later: Are School Resource Officers Making North Carolina Schools Safer?
(2023-04-20) LeFebvre, Joanna
Since 2016, North Carolina has spent over $100 million on School Resource Officer (SRO) salaries and training. Research consistently finds SROs have little to no effect on school safety and can contribute to over-disciplining students. A difference-in-differences study on the effect of a 170% increase in SRO funding for North Carolina elementary and middle schools in 2018 suggests SROs have no effect on criminal acts or short-term suspensions but may increase the number of school-related arrests. Estimates suggest SROs caused an increase of about 0.035 arrests (p<0.1) per 1,000 elementary and middle school students. This translates to an additional 35 school-related arrests resulting from SRO presence. Arrests of students with disabilities increased by 0.243 (p<0.1) per 1,000 students, arrests of male students increased by 0.058 (p<0.1) per 1,000 students, and arrests of economically disadvantaged students increased by 0.068 (p<0.1) per 1,000 students. Findings for these subgroups align with previous research suggesting these students are particularly vulnerable to excessive disciplining. Lawmakers should consider these results when deciding the best ways to increase student safety and well-being in elementary and middle schools. Additionally, the state should require school districts to collect SRO data at the school level to evaluate the effects of SROs across time and decide if this investment of taxpayer dollars produces the desired results.
Open Access
2018 Land Trust Communication Guide
(2018-04-26) Hanway, Hayley
Communications is a critical component of a land trust’s success. Since land trusts are mainly private, non-profit organizations, they are heavily dependent on donors and volunteers. A strong communications strategy will attract new donors and volunteers while retaining old ones. This project for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan (LCWM) evaluates different communications platforms and strategies and provides a list of recommendations for an effective communication’s plan. Research was conducted via a survey disseminated to LCWM members and informational interviews with other environmental organizations. Final recommendations include prioritizing Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube/Vimeo over other forms of social media, investing in an annual (or five-year) professional paper magazine product, strengthening partnerships with local organizations, and holding more events for outreach.
Open Access
A Background and Case Study on Septic Tank Failure as it Relates to Climate Impacts, Recent Climate Policy, and Community Needs
(2023-04-28) Oglesby, Cameron
In the two years since President Joe Biden took office there has been an unprecedented national focus on environmental justice and climate justice in the distribution of federal funds and resources. There has also been an influx of federal funds made available to address a pervasive history of infrastructure disinvestment across the country, particularly water and wastewater infrastructure. This report attempts to converge the issues surrounding waste management infrastructure in the U.S., specifically regarding septic system failure, and the opportunity areas for improvement in federal dollars, outlining the policy history, modern context, and recommendations for taking advantage of this current moment of public salience. This report outlines a thorough national policy history for septic system infrastructure as well as recent policy opportunities and community concerns regarding federal funds. This report also attempts to outline the greatest indicators or identifiers for septic failure as well as breakdown potential policy solutions or priority areas for federal and state-level actors and advocates based on septic and sewer infrastructure investments taking placed in Miami-Dade County in Florida and the Middle Peninsula/Chesapeake Bay region of Virginia. The background and case study analysis consists of a literature review of national and regional septic failure, utilizing what little academic literature exists on the topic and more recent journalistic coverage of this issue across the U.S. The national background as well as individual case studies are further fleshed out through a series of interviews with academic and community experts in water protection and wastewater management. The final product is a comprehensive overview of septic system policy history, modern funding opportunities, and solutions/recommendations based on expert testimony.
Open Access
A Biomass Fuel Assessment for Duke University’s Chilled Water Plant #2
(2010-04-30T15:51:51Z) Crowley, Richard
This Masters Project identifies the University’s biomass fuelshed and locates potential supply sources and probable fuel quantities. An Excel workbook couples user-defined transportation, processing, collection and handling, and purchase premium expenses within fuel classes to establish probable purchase costs for each supply source. Results are optimized for a lowest cost fuel mix to meet modeled plant demand based on user defined plant parameters. Finally, total biomass fuel costs are compared to fossil options to determine if biomass is a financially justifiable fuel for Duke to pursue. The results of this study indicate that the university fuelshed likely contains supply for more than 4 times the steam plants fuel requirements. The cost per million British thermal units combusted within the fuelshed is highly variable, ranging from approximately $1.01 for construction / demolition material to over $29 for forest thinnings. Several fuel classes are more economic than current prices for natural gas, ranging from less than a quarter to three quarters of the price of natural gas. The preliminary assessments of purchasing biomass fuel for use in the plant resulted in costs significantly lower than natural gas, and even potentially lower than coal. It is anticipated that the annual fuel costs for a biomass plant could be met for around $2.25 million based on plant parameters modeled and the estimated biomass characteristics (collection, base cost, etc.). Fuel costs are demonstrated to be highly sensitive to changes in fuel properties (mainly distance and moisture content) and plant operating parameters. A large portion of the biomass estimates are derived using employee based proxy equations, and the author was unable to confirm the accuracy of these supply estimates. Finally, the cost modeled is for fuel supply only. This paper does not take into consideration storage, operating / maintenance, or capital outlay, all of which are traditionally higher for biomass than fossil fuels. Despite these uncertainties there is a clearly demonstrated opportunity to fuel the plant with biomass at a cost less than natural gas. Additionally, the large and diverse biomass supply will lend resiliency to market fluctuations.
Open Access
A Bottom-up Approach to Setting a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target for Charlotte, North Carolina
(2011-04-28) Brewer, Shannon; Martin, Emily; Thompson, Lisa
In 2007, Charlotte’s City Council passed a resolution directing City staff to: (1) Inventory City Operations Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions; (2) Establish aggressive and realistic GHG emission reduction targets; (3) Create an action plan; (4) Prepare a cost-benefit analysis; and (5) Adopt a budget to meet the emission reduction targets. The objective of this project is to update the inventory of GHG emissions from City operations and recommend a GHG emissions target, based on research into best practices as well as economic and technical feasibility. Several considerations are important to the City in the selection of a GHG emission reduction target. First, many other cities have set ambitious emission reduction targets that appear unlikely to be met by their respective target dates. Charlotte does not want to set an unattainable target that fails to consider technical and economic feasibility. In addition, the City hopes to set an example for the community by setting an aggressive target and by making consistent and visible progress towards reducing emissions. First, we interviewed a number of peer organizations, including other municipalities, universities and corporations. The purpose of this stage of our project was to investigate how comparable organizations set GHG emissions reduction targets and to document best practices for climate action planning. Our findings suggest that there is no accepted process for choosing a GHG emissions reduction target and many organizations set targets with little or no analysis into the economic or technical feasibility of achieving that target. The remainder of our work focused on identifying potential GHG reduction projects for the City and determining alternate emissions reduction scenarios. We decided on a bottom-up approach (starting with individual business units before creating an organization-wide strategy) to fit with Charlotte’s unique decentralized structure. Potential greenhouse gas reduction projects were identified through collaboration with five of the City’s key business units. These projects were incorporated into different scenarios based on several key factors. Using these scenarios as a basis, we believe that the most likely GHG emissions reduction that the City can achieve under current financial, technical, and political constraints is approximately 1% per year.
Open Access
A bottom-up electricity demand model for the residential sector in Querétaro, Mexico
(2016-12-12) Hernandez, Mauricio; Cao, Sunzhe
There is a growing interest in reducing energy consumption and its associated greenhouse gas emissions from every sector of the economy. The residential sector is a substantial consumer of energy in every country and understanding which factors affect the energy consumption in this sector is crucial for policy makers, investors, utilities, and other stakeholders. This study contributes to a better understanding of these factors through a case study in Queretaro, Mexico. Particularly, this study sheds light on two different methods for collecting detailed information on the end uses of energy in homes, and for assessing the relationship between energy consumption and demographic and socioeconomic indicators. The data used for this study were collected through face-to-face surveys in 32 households and by tracking real-time electricity consumption in a subset of these households. Finally, a bottom-up model was used to estimate the electricity demand of the households surveyed, with the results suggesting a correlation with income, number of lightbulbs, dwelling size, and the number of days the household was occupied. The results of the study motivated the authors to recommend the extension and replication of this study, to assess the role of private transportation in energy consumption, and to improve the use of technology for the collection and analysis of data.
Open Access
A Bottom-Up Model of Residential Electricity Demand in North and South Carolina
(2017-04-28) Hollis, John
Residential electricity is a significant component of total electricity use in the United States, and the residential market is also a key demographic for energy efficiency (EE) and distributed generation growth. Uncertainty in residential load growth is driven by the impact of changes in technology, policy, demographic and life-style changes. Using a bottom-up engineering model, we begin the construction of a tool to facilitate analyzing the effects of these factors. We use data from the EIA’s Residential Electricity Consumption Survey (RECS), in conjunction with EnergyPlus and BEopt, publicly available software from NREL, to construct 22 archetypical residential buildings characterizing North and South Carolina’s housing stock. We then model energy use for these buildings, and extrapolate these results to the larger housing stock. Projections are accurate for a benchmark year using actual weather data. We identify a number of potential improvements to the model and ways in which the uncertainty on future projections of energy use can be bound. Our conclusions follow: - The archetypical model is a reasonable solution for regional scale residential electricity modeling which minimizes computational needs. - The model delivers disaggregated energy demand, and hourly demand, estimates which are useful for future analysis of energy policy cost effectiveness. - Weather data is a driving source of uncertainty, and hence input weather data should be carefully considered. Projections should use varied weather data to bound uncertainty. - Despite being less computationally demanding than other methods, this model would benefit from an automated method of archetype alteration to ease sensitivity analysis. BEopt supports this through python and XML input files.
Open Access
A Business Plan for Blue Carbon Offsets at Duke University
(2012-04-26) Huo, Jian; Fisher, Rebecca
Marine ecosystems such as salt marshes, sea grasses and mangroves absorb from the atmosphere and store large amounts of carbon, both in their vegetation and in the soil beneath them. In light of rapid climate change and global warming, it is imperative that we invest in protecting and increasing the carbon and greenhouse gas sinks on our planet. Given the large quantity of carbon in coastal ecosystems relative to their area, these regions and their potential emissions are of great significance. By preserving and revitalizing coastal ecosystems, organizations can utilize this stored carbon to offset their carbon emissions. This is what the Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative is considering in North Carolina. By investing in the protection of the North Carolina shoreline, Duke University has the capacity to generate “blue carbon” Offsets to offset on campus emission. Building on existing scientific data, analysis, and available methodologies, this report presents a Business Plan for a potential blue carbon project in North Carolina and offers the following recommendations for moving this effort forward: 1. The initially proposed avoided erosion project for Ocracoke Island, NC does not appear to a viable source of blue carbon credits. 2. As an alternative, consider a project that involves preserving wetlands from avoided conversion to another land use rather than an avoided erosion project. 3. Do not engage in projects that will set the offset price above $20 per ton of carbon, as these projects are far more expensive than alternative sources of emission reduction. 4. Because blue carbon is a newly developing offset category, utilize the current methodologies for coastal ecosystems until specific guidelines become available. 5. To achieve cost effectiveness, the initial project should involve a partner organization(s). This will decrease the financial resources DCOI will need to provide the project and will utilize the skills of professionals who have years of experience with wetland preservation along the coastline.
Open Access
A Business Plan for Blue Carbon Offsets at Duke University
(2012-04-26) Fisher, Rebecca
Marine ecosystems such as salt marshes, sea grasses and mangroves absorb from the atmosphere and store large amounts of carbon, both in their vegetation and in the soil beneath them. In light of rapid climate change and global warming, it is imperative that we invest in protecting and increasing the carbon and greenhouse gas sinks on our planet. Given the large quantity of carbon in coastal ecosystems relative to their area, these regions and their potential emissions are of great significance. By preserving and revitalizing coastal ecosystems, organizations can utilize this stored carbon to offset their carbon emissions. This is what the Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative is considering in North Carolina. By investing in the protection of the North Carolina shoreline, Duke University has the capacity to generate “blue carbon” Offsets to offset on campus emission. Building on existing scientific data, analysis, and available methodologies, this report presents a Business Plan for a potential blue carbon project in North Carolina and offers the following recommendations for moving this effort forward: 1. The initially proposed avoided erosion project for Ocracoke Island, NC does not appear to a viable source of blue carbon credits. 2. As an alternative, consider a project that involves preserving wetlands from avoided conversion to another land use rather than an avoided erosion project. 3. Do not engage in projects that will set the offset price above $20 per ton of carbon, as these projects are far more expensive than alternative sources of emission reduction. 4. Because blue carbon in a newly developing offset category, utilize the current methodologies for coastal ecosystems until specific guidelines become available. 5. To achieve cost effectiveness, the initial project should involve a partner organization(s). This will decrease the financial resources DCOI will need to provide the project and will utilize the skills of professionals who have years of experience with wetland preservation along the coastline.
Open Access
A Business Plan for Residential Microgrid Software
(2020-04-21) Sundeen, Lisa
Have you ever thought about going solar or getting an electric vehicle? Do you know which utility rate would save you the most money? Does getting a battery make sense for your home? BUILD MY GRID is the first customer-centric platform that helps residential homeowners answer some of these questions. BUILD MY GRID relies on backend algorithms that optimize utility rates and renewable energy technologies to show customers how they can save the most money by going green. Specifically, customers can compare utility rates, examine different technology combinations, and see available grid services. The energy landscape is morphing into a sustainable decentralized system of energy resources. Residential customers will become increasingly empowered to participate in bidirectional energy management. BUILD MY GRID will help individuals engage in the energy transformation while simultaneously providing an important dataset for traditional energy players, such as utilities.
Open Access
A case study analysis of a participatory process in fisheries management
(2008-12-05T18:29:57Z) Vasquez, Melissa
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the experiences of participants in a participatory process in environmental management and to examine relative contributions of process features and the achievement of social goals to participants perceptions of their experience. I examined the case of the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission Sea Turtle Advisory Committee, an ad-hoc advisory committee composed of scientists, fishermen, and managers convened to develop solutions to reduce sea turtle-fishery interactions in North Carolina inshore waters. I conducted semi-structured interviews with participants about their experience on this committee. I recorded and transcribed audio of the interviews and coded participant responses using NVivo software. Most participants categorized their experience as positive overall, citing the achievement of social goals rather than the production of substantive recommendations. Participants were most satisfied by the level of motivation of their fellow participants, but least satisfied by the lack of responsiveness from the lead agency, the Marine Fisheries Commission. The committee’s achievement of its goals was further hampered by poor facilitation, which resulted in confusion about the goals and scope of the process. Despite significant setbacks, all committee members responded that they would consider participating in a participatory process again in the future.
Open Access
A Case Study of Community Solar’s Impact on the Energy Affordability of Minnesota’s Low to Moderate Income households
(2020-04-24) Jung, Annie
Community solar gardens have been adopted by many states in the United States of America. They are an innovative way for utility ratepayers to have a direct role in the energy transition and support deployment of solar power onto the grid. However, the renewable energy industry has been criticized for the lack of low-to-moderate income household participation. To examine this further, I analyzed the participation rate of low-to-moderate income households in a sample set of Minnesota community solar subscriber data. This was achieved by translating the threshold for low-to-moderate income households to a housing price value. Furthermore, a model was created to assess the financial impact of various community solar tariffs on all the stakeholders involved. Analysis of data from 306 credit scores and 185 addresses of community solar garden subscribers showed that even with a credit score minimum requirement, almost 31% of subscribers were low-to-moderate income households. The results of the model showed that non-subscribing ratepayers pay at least 5% more in annual utility bills than subscribers, regardless of their income level. I also found that utilities and developers have competing interests when setting community solar tariffs, even after the Value of Solar was implemented. Overall, these findings support the low-to-moderate income ratepayer advocates and arguments for community solar reform.
Open Access
A CASE STUDY OF GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY AND THE SOCIOPOLITICAL PROCESS: AUTHORIZATION OF PROCESSOR QUOTA SHARES IN THE MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT
(2003) Hunt, Stephanie L
Special interest groups are trying to change language in the Magnuson-Steven Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) to allow fishery management councils to create and allocate processor quota (PQ). This limited entry tool is a companion to Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQs) which allocate harvesting rights to individual fishermen or vessel owners. Authorizing PQ would allow councils to give seafood companies exclusive buying rights and would require fishermen to sell their catch to the limited number of buyers holding PQ shares. A grassroots advocacy campaign opposing PQ prevented the 107th Congress from including controversial PQ language in MSFCMA reauthorization. Employing the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen’s Association (CCCHFA) as a case study, I will analyze how strategies of coalition building, constituent mobilization, and media contact were effectively applied in this campaign. Likewise, strategies to activate members of Congress played a prominent role in the effort. The CCCHFA led 225 visits to Congressional offices, trained more than 17 commercial fishermen in advocacy techniques, generated press coverage on both coasts, and produced a hard-hitting advocacy video that was distributed to all 535 members of Congress. To accomplish future goals, the anti-PQ campaign requires a long-term commitment with flexible goals and strategies, which allow the CCCHFA to take advantage of the changing sociopolitical climate. Given its limited resources, the organization must use time efficiently and continue to build upon past victories.
Open Access
A Case Study of GreenToGo in Durham, North Carolina
(2019-04-26) DePouw, Heather; Jiao, Yuchen; Marshall, Layne
The goal of the GreenToGo program in Durham, North Carolina is to provide the shared customers of GreenToGo and local Durham restaurants with an environmentally-conscious option for carryout food containers. This report highlights our efforts to identify and address the barriers to implementing GreenToGo reusable to-go containers for both businesses and consumers. We conducted research on consumer behavior and attitudes around green products, interviewed restaurant owners and managers, and surveyed customers to provide insight on opinions and perspectives of the GreenToGo program. Strategy summaries detailed important aspects of the program framework for scaling up the business plan to other community types. The development of program recommendations can be used to support the long-term sustainability of the Durham-based initiative along with its implementation in other locations.
Open Access
A Case Study of the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES): Will Municipalities Embrace SITES to Guide Future Development?
(2013-04-26) Howley, Jesse
The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) is attempting to become the benchmark certification for sustainable landscape development in the United States. Currently in pilot, the SITES 2009 Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks are expected to be revised by November 2013, at which time SITES will begin open enrollment. In 2009, Sarasota County, Florida converted a capped and closed landfill into a public park, Rothenbach Park. This park is home to a long list of sustainable features and is the winner of a 2010 American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) Excellence in Environmental Engineering Award in Sustainability. Through a case study of Rothenbach Park, this study attempts to determine if SITES adequately measures landscape sustainability and if SITES will be attractive to municipal policy makers as a guide for green development. The case study included a SITES score of Rothenbach Park using the 2009 SITES Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks. Input from six landscape sustainability experts, public records, and information provided by four Sarasota County officials involved with the development of Rothenbach Park were used to prepare the score. While Rothenbach Park scored well (estimated at a two star rating), there were areas for potential improvement, and recommendations are provided for improvement to park and county sustainable landscape practices. Feedback from Sarasota County officials about SITES was generally positive. The consensus was that SITES is an excellent tool for assessing landscape sustainability and would be useful as a tool for guiding development. However, in a time of limited local government resources, it is going to be important for SITES to become an educational support resource for municipalities to embrace its guidelines. Recommendations are provided to further that goal. Finally, communities like Sarasota County can benefit from SITES as a complement to existing sustainable development commitments. Potential policy tools to allow assimilation of SITES and its guiding principles into county land development are discussed.
Open Access
A Case Study of Transit Demand Modeling and Transportation Planning at North Carolina State University
(2012-04-20) Bream, Baird
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Policy Questions: How should a large urban university make short-term trade-offs in its provision of transit service to a new, multi-use library that is expected to shift demand towards new transit policies? How should the goals of transportation and campus planning fit into a larger decision-making process for university development? Recommendations: Based on the emerging preference among the NCSU community for rapid, direct bus services between major trip generators and in particular between Main Campus and Centennial Campus, these recommendations focus on short-term route adjustments and long-term changes in service delivery. The short-term route changes to the Wolfline system can meet demand at the Hunt Library without incurring substantial changes in existing service patterns or increases in transit resources. The long-term route changes impact the larger issues of campus planning and community engagement that NC State Transportation must address as Centennial Campus becomes a larger and more multi-use part of the campus. Short-term transit demand analysis at Hunt Library: 2012—2013 • Re-route 3A Centennial Express and 8 Southeast Loop to stop at Hunt Library via Main Campus Drive and Partners Way • Do not change frequencies on 8 Southeast Loop • Move one bus from 3 Engineering to 3A Centennial Express to improve frequencies • Increase daily end of 3A Centennial Express service from 6:30 PM to 9:54 PM Long-term campus development planning and transit planning: 2015—2022 • Wolfline service o Shift focus on Wolfline service from circulating loops to prioritize rapid, high-frequency service between campus precincts via major transit hubs and trip generators with limited stops o Develop express bus service between Hunt Library and D.H. Hill Library with limited stops along North and Central Campus precincts o Shift express bus service to corridor between Hunt Library and Talley Student Center following completion of renovations • Development of parking decks for parking supply o Ensure that each campus precinct has sufficient parking for people traveling to precinct o Maintain sufficient surface parking around campus buildings to permit access for facilities vehicles and emergency service vehicles • Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure o Implement reductions in automobile access on Dan Allen Drive to improve pedestrian safety o Increase bike and pedestrian safety at Avent Ferry and Western intersection • NCSU community outreach o Communicate clear service standards for Wolfline operations to NCSU community to set expectations about public transportation services  Stress the use of the TransLoc app to make wait times more predictable o Communicate the Wolfline system upgrades and benefits that students, faculty, staff and corporate partners receive from their student fee and parking fee contributions o Communicate all restrictions in automobile access as early and as directly as possible to give opportunities for community feedback and travel behavior adjustment o Update Office of University Architect and Centennial Campus Development Office on transit technologies and infrastructures at all levels: NCSU; City of Raleigh; North Carolina Context for Case Study: This project uses North Carolina State University as a case study for transit planning at large urban university campuses and focuses on a new capital project, a large, multi-use library called the James B. Hunt Jr. Library located on the Centennial Campus of NCSU, a newer satellite campus precinct that is currently undergoing expansion. The NCSU Transportation Department will be responsible for providing public transit service (the Wolfline) for students, faculty and staff who want to travel to and from the Hunt Library, which is scheduled to open in the winter of 2013. Many departments attached to the Hunt Library and Centennial Campus view the Library as a flagship building that will raise the profile of NCSU and will transform the Centennial Campus from “an office park environment” to a “campus environment,” with greater student and pedestrian activity. Since the building will likely have a significant impact on a rapidly developing campus precinct, NC State Transportation must evaluate the potential demand for traveling to and from the Hunt Library that students, faculty and staff demonstrate to determine the impact that the Library will have on the Wolfline system. This expansion of transit service is one of several changes in transit operations that NC State Transportation is evaluating in its Campus Mobility Plan. The goal of the Campus Mobility Plan is to outline the changes in funding, service provision and streetscape infrastructure that are necessary to create an “enhanced multimodal campus transportation system” over the next ten years. Because the Campus Mobility Plan has far-reaching impact on the physical design of the campus, NC State Transportation will be communicating with and working with numerous departments across the NCSU Administration. Representatives from these departments serve as Advisory Stakeholders to the CMP and have the opportunity to share their visions for the Hunt Library and NCSU transportation in general with the Department at planning meetings. Methodology: This report bases its analysis on three evaluations. The first evaluation is an estimation of ridership and transit demand at the Hunt Library based on trip generation rates at the Library as a function of the Library’s net assignable square footage. This report compares these estimates to trip generation rates at the D.H. Hill Library and distributes the number of daily trips that each building generates into trips in to the library and trips out of the library and into low-demand morning hours and high-demand afternoon and evening hours. This analysis takes this system of trip generation and distribution from the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Trip Generation Report and applies the system to both libraries. The second and third evaluations are both qualitative. The second evaluation extrapolates trends in stated preferences from two surveys that NC State Transportation conducted in the Fall of 2011: a Customer Satisfaction Survey that the Department distributed to a sample of students, faculty and staff; and an Engineering Student Survey that the Department distributed to a sample of first-years, sophomores and juniors who have a major in the College of Engineering. Both surveys evaluate student preferences for Wolfline services and ask students to predict their interest in using the Hunt Library and their travel behaviors to and from the Library. The third evaluation is a series of interviews with members of the NCSU community who are serving as Advisory Stakeholders for the Campus Mobility Plan. The author interviews each stakeholder to obtain the stakeholder’s perspective on the current services that NC State Transportation offers to the larger community and those that the Department plans on providing. Specifically, these interviews focus on Wolfline services, parking services, the design and planning of campus transportation infrastructure, and the Hunt Library. Findings: 1. Assuming a seven-percent mode share for Wolfline services, estimated levels of demand for Wolfline services at the Hunt Library are within the system’s current capacity and NC State Transportation can meet this demand with small changes to existing services. 2. The Customer Satisfaction Survey and the Engineering Student Survey reflect that the Wolfline service plays an important role in students’ mobility on a daily basis and that students show a high level of familiarity with the information technologies that NC State Transportation uses to promote its services and notify riders about changes and updates. 3. Students’ priorities for service improvements focus on greater frequency, longer evening service hours, and more connections between Main Campus and Centennial Campus. 4. The Customer Satisfaction Survey and the Engineering Student Survey show high levels of interest in the Hunt Library and high levels of demand for travel between Main Campus and Centennial Campus. 5. The results of the stakeholder analysis show substantial support for an increase in public transportation services and for greater connectivity between Main Campus and Centennial Campus. Many stakeholders express significant concern for reducing automobile access on Main Campus and promoting the development of parking decks over surface parking. Stakeholders also express opposition for increasing parking fees or transportation fees to fund an increase in Wolfline services. Support for greater pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is present, but opinions are more muted. 6. Many stakeholders state a preference for direct, limited-stop services between major trip generators with low travel times and high frequencies and believe that the growth of Centennial Campus will create greater demand for these services. They assert that NC State Transportation should prioritize these services in its future route planning. 7. Many stakeholders stress that the Department should engage with the NCSU community more directly and openly about the opportunities and limitations of a public transit system and its ability to enhance mobility and connectivity across the campus. 8. Several stakeholders believe that NC State Transportation should increase its investments in transportation infrastructure and develop high-speed, high-frequency transit services that are more capital-intensive than the current Wolfline system, including light rail transit and bus-only corridors.
Open Access
A CASE STUDY ON BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES AT W.E. HUNT RECREATION CENTER, TOWN OF HOLLY SPRINGS
(2021-12-04) Tan, Hui Chien
The Town of Holly Springs, located in Wake County of North Carolina, is interested in improving energy efficiency in municipal operations and facilities to offset increasing energy consumption and utility costs that are a substantial contributor to the Town’s budget. The purpose of this Master’s Project is twofold: a) to examine energy use in the Town; and b) to explore passive energy efficiency measures, particularly tree shade effect on annual energy consumption, for the most energy-intensive building owned by the Town. Quantifying the energy conservation benefits of trees in the urban environment adds value municipal tree planting efforts. This study utilized the eQuest energy simulation software to evaluate a series of proposed energy efficiency measures (EEM) on consumption and financial savings. The study concluded with recommendations on which EEMs to pursue based on savings generated.
Open Access
A Case Study Review of The Actual and Potential Role That Multinational Corporations Play in Global Mangrove Governance
(2022-04-21) Fahrenholz, Jacqueline
Since 1970, global mangrove loss has peaked and slowed with recent restoration efforts having some success. Though current instruments used have not proven to be sufficient to return global mangrove cover to historical levels. This study aimed to answer to what extent the private sector is contributing to mangrove reforestation over the last 10 years and what the driving factors behind this are. News articles were searched for examples of such initiatives, and their underlying motivations were identified. Across the last 10 years and 1,147 returned articles, only 5 instances were discovered, suggesting that this is a new phenomenon. In each of these cases, the companies were motivated to voluntarily undertake mangrove restoration because of the added benefit of carbon credits. These findings suggest that public private partnerships may provide support for success moving forward as private companies have larger sources of available funding. Inclusive policy will also be a necessary component to join entities together.
Open Access
A Characterization of the Shark Fisheries in Campeche, Mexico
(2013-04-09) Ritter, Jessica
Since the early 1990s, shark landings in the Mexican state of Campeche have declined drastically, mirroring an overall decrease in shark populations across the Gulf of Mexico. Historically, most research on the Campeche shark fisheries has focused on assessing the health of shark populations, with little emphasis placed on understanding the human dimension of these artisanal fisheries. This study begins to fill that knowledge gap through participant observation and informal interviews with fishery participants. Results clarify the organizational structure and the rules-in-use of the fisheries, as well as the attitudes of fishery participants towards government regulations. The characterization will ultimately inform Environmental Defense Fund’s future work to rebuild shark populations in the region.