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Publication Ethnic Minority Visitorship in Shenandoah National Park: An Analysis of the Impact of Social Media in Attracting Diverse Visitors(2024-05) Azuela, Lauren M.In 2017 the National Park Service (NPS) celebrated its’ 100th anniversary. In that same year the Office of Relevancy, Diversity and Inclusion would only be celebrating its fourth year in existence. From the time it was created the NPS sought to connect visitors with the most natural and well-preserved landscapes the country had to offer. However, the lens by which the proper use of park lands was determined originated from activities normalized by an overtly White population of Americans. In modern times the NPS has initiated campaigns and engaged public non-profits to address the chronic underrepresentation of ethnic-minority visitors in their parks. Historical catalysts like the Civil Rights Movement and the modern advent of the Black Lives Matter movement disseminated via social media, have paved the way for digital grassroots diversification efforts to more successfully engage demographics previously untapped through traditional in-person engagement. Through a qualitative research process, data from the social media app, Instagram was gathered to determine whether the use of content-specific terms, called ‘hashtags’ successfully conveyed the activities ethnic minority groups were choosing to engage with in Shenandoah National Park. Evidence from the study suggested that only a small number of unique hashtags conveyed ethnically diverse visitors engaging in activities exclusive to their demographic but were more likely being used by a small number of users to connect with a much larger group with specific, ethnicity-based commonalities. Based on the findings three models for future intervention were proposed: physical, digital, and remote. The implementation of these interventions offers engagement at varying levels of intensity that park managers or similar positions can choose from based on the capability and availability of their staff at any given time. Additionally, the intensity of engagement offers an option to the visitor to choose the level at which they will participate in reporting data. Ultimately the research contributes to the ongoing discourse on diversity and representation in public spaces and offers valuable insights on how interactive attractions and social media can be utilized to celebrate and promote diversity in Shenandoah National Park.Publication An Incremental Intervention in Jakarta: An Empowering Infrastructural Approach for Upgrading Informal Settelments(2017-05-01) Counihan, Christopher HIncrementalism is a growing movement within multiple design disciplines that approaches design with sustainable, social, and resilient aims structured around participatory, infrastructural, and phased approaches to design. Carefully considered structural and independent infrastructural frameworks allow infill and accretion according to the demands and needs of individuals and communities. This paper outlines the theories, case studies, and conditions driving incrementalism. My research has informed my project proposal for an incremental upgrade of a slum located in Jakarta using a phased, soft infrastructural, resident facilitated upgrade and development strategy creating new housing units, productive landscapes, and urban form. Incremental development will foster the social aims of my project, while affordably, equitably, and efficiently upgrading the standards of living for slum dwellers within the Waduk Pluit community.