This project uses five basic steps. The first was a literature review that focuses on planning concepts for the waterfront industrial landscape and its redevelopment. The second is a site analysis of the power plant that discusses the characteristics of the study area and its abutters. Special attention will be paid to regulatory factors such as Chapter 91, Designated Port Areas, waterways regulations, and easements while conversations with local stakeholders were held to grasp the professional and public perspective. In addition, socio-economic anchors currently present within the community were identifying future uses and developments can proceed.

Foreshadowing my conclusion, through my five steps of research have brought me to believe the best possible reuse of the Salem power plant will be to convert the plant into a natural gas fired power plant. This would continue to use the existing easements and contribute to Salem's tax base. It would also require significantly less space allowing for the coal pile and oil tank farm to be removed and the brownfield mitigated. This future vacant space should be converted to regional cruise ship terminal that would also service the Salem/Boston ferry service. Any additional area could be landscaped into recreational areas allowing for public access or be used to develop Salem's maritime infrastructure.

Now, once again, the city is trying to revitalize its downtown and neighboring areas to attract people by improving different types of social and cultural amenities. In this thesis, the author studies the relation of the city with its natural asset 'The Connecticut Riverfront' which can be a great place to attract people towards the heart of the city. The author has also researched the various reasons causing this natural asset to be underutilized for several years. In addition, the author also explores the possibilities of connecting the Springfield city and downtown to the riverfront, providing safe and undisturbed access mainly to pedestrians, physically challenged people, and bike riders. Research shows that the existing transportation paths and presence of industrial area are the major barriers discouraging people from reaching the riverfront.

In order to overcome this problem, firstly, the author suggests the rezoning of the riverfront area by changing the existing industrial zone into a business B zone which will allow various types of businesses. Secondly, the author proposes relocation of most of the existing business to open up the land for new development. The proposed development will include dedicated residential areas with semi-private green open spaces, mix-use development with street-front retail area to provide safety on the roads, a dedicated retail complex to serve the new development, demolition and renovation of abandoned buildings, and some activities on the riverfront such as restaurants, bars, cafes, art galleries, exhibition spaces, plazas, and green public open spaces. The connection from city to riverfront will be improved to provide better and safe accessibility. This proposal will increase the residential area in the heart of the city, which will also increase safety in this area.

Residents and visitors can take advantage of this beautiful natural asset thereby bringing Springfield city's waterfront in the limelight. Lastly, this proposal lays the foundation for further development of the riverfront area due to increased accessibility and safety.

Whitingham is a rural community of 1,300 residents located near the Massachusetts border. Although Whitingham's population has grown slowly over the last twenty years, it has seen a significant increase in subdivision and housing construction, particularly vacation homes. Loss of the town's rural character and changes to its open space and natural resources due to development pressures were described by town residents as one of the most pressing concerns in Whitingham's 2010 draft town plan.

This project describes the local and regional setting of Whitingham, Vermont and examines the challenges and opportunities the town must work with in order to create and implement successful long term open space and natural resources planning. In particular, this project was designed to simplify and make palatable what could otherwise seem to be a complex and daunting planning and implementation strategy. It suggests a variety of low-budget and easy to implement options aimed at the long term conservation of the town's rural character, natural resources, and open space resources.

Additionally, various planning concepts and initiatives were applied in the case studies and worth being noted in this project. Historic mills are large structures that tend to be located in downtown areas, which makes it a main task for regional planners to determine what next steps should be taken to handle these buildings. If redeveloped, the mills offer an array of benefits associated with planning goals and theories of today.

The greenway design proposal includes a larger scale urban area conceptual plan and a focused area schematic plan. Multiple functions have been proposed to deal with the complex urban challenges. The broader scale plan creates a green network of land that heals the land fragmentation and water pollution of Yantian River. The finer scale plan creates a green connection between two forest parks with other functions like public open space, stormwater treatment, environmental education and water remediation. This multi-level and multi-functional urban greenway explores the possibility of a more sustainable urban environment in the future for the Yantian district.

Perhaps more than any discipline, landscape architecture strives to enhance the rich relationship between humans and their surroundings. Careful analysis and disign can reveal landscapes that have been lost or damaged by our fast-paced societies, reawakening the full potential of human experiences they have to offer. This design project holds that very basic approaches within the discipline, such as using land forms and plant materials to vary experiences of space, light, topography, sight, and sound, can, in themselves enhance a person's innate understanding of their surroundings.

The goal of the following design is to suggest how the landscape at the New England Wildflower Society's (NEWFS) Nasami Farm could be experienced by visitors through an ecologically sensitive and site appropriate network of interpretive trails. The trail system's design relies upon direct physical experiences and interactions with the landscape as core components of the site's broader environmental education program.

In the absence of a workable international framework for addressing global climate change, smaller agencies, both governmental and private, have begun taking proactive steps to reduce their share of pollutants, greenhouse gas-contributing and otherwise. Regional intergovernmental alliances, such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), non-governmental agencies, such as ICLEI Global: Local Governments for Sustainability, and state and municipal governments, such as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Town of Amherst, Massachusetts, have acted upon the recognition that global environmental problems can be addressed at all levels through local initiatives, such as those that reduce energy demand through increased building and vehicle efficiency and those that reduce waste output through increased recycling.

A key event that raised town consciousness was the demolition of a Greek Revival house in the center of town in September of 1999. This demolition made way for a Dunkin Donuts franchise. It was the sudden sense of losing control that brought a University of Massachusetts Historic Preservation Studio to Rutland during the fall of 1999. The studio group provided the town with various preservation design alternatives to accommodate the uses in the town center. What could a small town do to accommodate its needs? The townspeople wanted to preserve their small town character. They needed to have a long-range plan for the town center that considered both the historic integrity and the need to maintain or expand business uses in the town center. A part of this process would also include assessing the zoning in the center of town. The town has supported planning and design studies that have helped in this process. Now this master's project will provide a clear plan of action for the town to use in its efforts to preserve the character of the town center.

The issues that will be addressed include defining small town character, providing tools and techniques to preserve small town character, studying the town of Rutland and making final recommendations for the town center of Rutland. The townspeople can then incorporate these recommendations into their ongoing planning process. To date, the planning process has involved writing a master plan, which takes into consideration many aspects of town character. The master plan contains a chapter that focuses on the character of the town center and includes both information and recommendations from this master's project. Currently the planning process is focussed on rewriting zoning by-laws, which have also taken into consideration the recommendations of this project.