The Emergence of Collective Dreams: An Exploration of Community Development Based Collaborative Landscape Design

<p>This thesis explores the nature of a landscape design process that could ensure the resilience and sustainability of suburban public space. Utilising a literature review and two large case study projects, the research presents an argument that: • public landscapes must be seen as multi-dimensional complex systems emerging from the co-evolution of different players in the landscape community with the dynamics of their wider ecosystem; and • the sustainable design of these spaces is dependent on collaborative decision-making, the engagement and empowerment of the local community, and the restoration of ongoing responsive interaction with the site. This approach is referred to as 'deep landscape design' and is expanded through the presentation of a number of guiding principles which it is hoped will support designers, council staff and community leaders to implement it. These guiding principles describe a facilitated, nested and iterative model of design in which: • the physical, ecological and cultural dimensions of landscape can be integrated holistically; • multiple engagement methods are established enabling the inclusion of a large range of community partners; and • those engaged in the design of the space are able to reflect on the impacts of their decisions and make changes accordingly. The research suggests that through the inclusion of deep design principles, small projects with a specific focus can initiate a process of increasing community knowledge, skill, and ownership in the design and maintenance of landscapes. A process which is necessary for the sustainability and resilience of public spaces.</p>

The Emergence of Collective Dreams: An Exploration of Community Development Based Collaborative Landscape Design

<p>This thesis explores the nature of a landscape design process that could ensure the resilience and sustainability of suburban public space. Utilising a literature review and two large case study projects, the research presents an argument that: • public landscapes must be seen as multi-dimensional complex systems emerging from the co-evolution of different players in the landscape community with the dynamics of their wider ecosystem; and • the sustainable design of these spaces is dependent on collaborative decision-making, the engagement and empowerment of the local community, and the restoration of ongoing responsive interaction with the site. This approach is referred to as 'deep landscape design' and is expanded through the presentation of a number of guiding principles which it is hoped will support designers, council staff and community leaders to implement it. These guiding principles describe a facilitated, nested and iterative model of design in which: • the physical, ecological and cultural dimensions of landscape can be integrated holistically; • multiple engagement methods are established enabling the inclusion of a large range of community partners; and • those engaged in the design of the space are able to reflect on the impacts of their decisions and make changes accordingly. The research suggests that through the inclusion of deep design principles, small projects with a specific focus can initiate a process of increasing community knowledge, skill, and ownership in the design and maintenance of landscapes. A process which is necessary for the sustainability and resilience of public spaces.</p>

Signs, beaches and bodies in pandemic times

During the height of social distancing conditions in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, the beaches of Sydney’s eastern suburbs became heavily regulated through prolific signage, physical barriers, and the presence of police and council staff. This essay explores the role of signage, as part of the outdoor media landscape, in contributing to the specific affective atmospheres in these extraordinary conditions and further demarcating Sydney’s beaches as exclusive spaces. Drawing on autoethnographic insights and visual imagery gathered during this time, I argue signs, as under explored forms of media, act as both mundane forms of governance and more-than-mundane contributors to the reconfiguration of affective and spatial relations.

THE PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS GREEN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DIMENSIONS: A STUDY AT PONTIAN DISTRICT COUNCIL, JOHOR STATE OF MALAYSIA

Environmental management is an important management in building the quality of human life. The management of the green environment, in turn, adds value to efforts to build a more harmonious environment in an effort to prevent pollution related to land, water, fire, and wind. This study takes one step towards identifying people's perceptions of the dimensions of environmental management that affect their lives and their environment. This study focuses on the Pontian district, the Johor state of Malaysia with the objective of this study was to identify the perceptions of Pontian district council staff on the dimensions of environmental management in relation to their work environment as the Pontian district council staff are directly and indirectly involved in green environment management such as waste management and green environmental competency. The survey respondents consisted of 120 staff at the Pontian District Council. The results showed four dimensions of green environment management outcome with the highest percentage agreement is a green organizational climate of 73.5 percent followed by green environment efficiency giving a 72.5 percent agreement percentage followed by green quality of working life 66.8 percent and finally green environmental of waste management by 60.8 percent.

The Effect of B2B SERVQUAL on PMC Performance: The Mediating Role of Top Management Support in UAE Executive Council

The purpose of the study is to examine the relationships between B2B SERVQUAL, top management support and project management consultant performance in United Arab Emirates executive council. This followed the quantitative research design as developed self-administrative questionnaire to collect data from UAE executive council staff. This study revealed the findings as follows: (1) B2B SERVQUAL significantly predicts PMC performance and top management support; (2) top management support significantly mediates between B2B SERVQUAL and PMC performance; (3) finally, top management support positive and significantly effects on PMC performance.

How the “Surge” Came to Be

This chapter explores first-hand insights from President Bush's national security advisor, Stephen J. Hadley, and two National Security Council staff members, Meghan O'Sullivan and Peter Feaver, about the logic of the surge strategy and the process by which that strategy emerged. The “surge” is generally understood as the deployment to Iraq of 20,000 to 30,000 US troops in 2007 to supplement the roughly 160,000 already there. More importantly, however, it reflected a change in strategy in how US forces would be used. They would deploy with Iraqi military and police units and live out among the Iraqi people rather than on US military bases. Their priority would be to help Iraqi forces provide security for the Iraqi people. The surge would also create more time and a better environment in which to build Iraqi security forces. The essential feature of the decision-making process that produced the surge was that from the beginning President Bush was at the center of the process. Ultimately, President Bush's decision to launch the surge ended a major strategic debate within his administration.

Stoke achieves transformation through coaching

Purpose – Shows how Stoke City Council has transformed its working culture by training employees to give coaching and therapy sessions to colleagues. Design/methodology/approach – Examines the reasons for the program, the form it takes and the results it is achieving. Findings – Explains that all council staff have free and confidential access to the service. The council also created a priority service for more urgent and complex cases to which access is through a human resource referral. Practical implications – Reveals that more than 75 staff members have so far received coaching from the network. Those off work because of anxiety and depression who received the coaching have returned to employment much sooner than expected. Social implications – Explains that the background to the initiative is that local authorities are being expected to achieve more and more on increasingly tight budgets. Originality/value – Describes the background to the success of coaching and therapy sessions at Stoke City Council.