Master of Regional Planning (MRP) Theses and Exit Projects
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This is a collection of Master in Regional Planning (MRP) Theses and Exit Projects for the Department of City and Regional Planning.
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Item Collective Agency in the Margins The Role of Women's Savings Groups in Informal Governance and Development in Nairobi and PuneMedha Kulkarni (2025)In the informal settlements of Pune and Nairobi, access to formal financial institutions remains severely limited. In response, residents, particularly women, developed self-initiated savings systems to bridge financial gaps, support survival, and create platforms for civic engagement. Drawing from fieldwork, focus group discussions, and interviews, this study examines how community savings groups enable residents to navigate systemic inequalities in land tenure, housing, and access to basic services. By centering lived experiences, the paper argues that these initiatives go beyond providing household-level financial support; they foster broader social and economic resilience within informal settlements, have the potential to complement traditional institutional frameworks, and are a grounded strategy for addressing urban poverty across diverse contexts. The paper concludes by critically reflecting on whether savings groups should be strengthened as transformative institutions in their own right, or whether deeper structural reforms are necessary to address the underlying injustices that make them essential in the first place.Item BEYOND BOOKS: LIBRARY PROGRAMMING ACROSS THE URBAN-RURAL DIVIDETornari, Louisa (2025-05)Modern public libraries have evolved beyond their traditional role as book repositories to become community hubs offering diverse programming. This study explores how urban and rural libraries leverage their unique community capital to deliver programming that reflects their constituents, using Tompkins County, New York, as a case study. Through semi-structured interviews with librarians at the urban Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) and the rural Newfield Public Library (NPL), alongside analysis of Public Library Survey (PLS) data, this research highlights disparities in resources and strategies. Despite these differences, both libraries adapt creatively to their contexts. Urban libraries function as cultural anchors within dense institutional networks, while rural libraries serve as all-purpose social infrastructure. This study contributes to broader conversations about the urban-rural divide, the role of public institutions in fostering social cohesion, and the urgent need to support libraries as essential democratic spaces.Item Intertwining Urban Shrinkage and Aging Challenges in the Yangtze River Delta Region, ChinaWang, Chengyu (2025-05-14)This research examines the intertwined challenges of urban shrinkage and demographic aging in China's Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, where nearly half of cities exhibit local shrinkage while elderly populations exceed national averages. Through regional analysis and interviews with officials in four cities, the study reveals systematic contradictions between demographic realities and policy implementation. Despite negative population growth, growth-oriented development models driven by GDP-centric evaluations pose hidden risks for future urban decline. Based on perspectives framing aging as an opportunity for societal restructuring, this research analyzes East Asian top-down planning strategies (Japan's networked compact cities, Singapore's age-friendly planning, and South Korea's smart aging initiatives) and identifies structural governance barriers in the YRD cities. The paper aims to provide insights for addressing these dual challenges, ultimately contributing to adaptive planning approaches for sustainable urban futures.Item Rent Stabilization Policy And Market Response: Evaluating Housing Stability And Tenant Protection Act 2019's Impact On New York City Rent Stabilized Buildings' PricesDong, Xuyuan (2025-05-14)On June 14, 2019, the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (“HSTPA”) was enacted in New York State, marking a significant shift in rent regulation policy by closing loopholes for deregulation and strengthening tenant protections. While the law has reduced speculative opportunities, it has also provoked strong opposition from landlords who had invested in rent stabilized properties under the expectation of future deregulation-driven appreciation. Five years after HSTPA’s passage, this paper evaluates the impact of HSTPA on the sales prices and investment patterns of rent stabilized buildings in New York City. By drawing on property transaction data from multiple city agencies, this study employs a quantitative approach to assess shifts in market behavior. The analysis offers insight into the effectiveness of HSTPA in reshaping investor strategies and stabilizing tenant protections, while also highlighting market tensions and uncertainties that remain in the rent stabilized housing sector.Item Friends, Enemies, in Public Meetings: How Relationships Between Public and Private Sector Planners Shape Planning ProcessKann, Elias (2025)As planning practice is increasingly conducted in the private sector, the relationships between public and private sector planners have become a critical force shaping planning processes and outcomes. This paper introduces a framework to evaluate these relationships by defining three planner roles—Rational, Advocate, and Intermediary—and two consultant roles—Expert and Collaborative. Drawing on planning and consulting theory, five practitioner interviews, and professional experience, the paper analyzes how local government capacity and this critical relationship influence planning practice. These dynamics affect how public engagement is conducted, how comprehensive plans are produced, and how planning knowledge is constructed. Ultimately, the study offers a conceptual and practical tool for assessing public-private planning relationships amid broader trends of privatization and professionalization in the planning field.Item Miles from Justice: Uncovering Transit Inequality in Ahmedabad’s NeighborhoodsShah, Nisarg (2025-05-14)In Ahmedabad’s peripheral neighborhoods—Naroda, Isanpur, and Ranip—mobility is not a step toward opportunity, but a daily battle for dignity. Based on in-depth interviews, community engagement, and field observation, this study uncovers how broken first-mile infrastructure, unaffordable commutes, and gendered safety concerns create a transit system that systematically excludes the very people who rely on it most. By centering lived experiences, this report argues that mobility is not merely about efficiency or infrastructure—it is about access, agency, and justice. Reframing transit as a public good rather than a service, this work calls for a shift in planning paradigms toward people-first mobility that centers dignity, inclusion, and equity. Without equitable mobility, cities do not just move unevenly—they leave people behind.Item Merit or Barrier? Rethinking Equity in China's Points-based Admission Policy for Migrant ChildrenChen, Wanyu (2025)This paper examines China’s point-based school admission system (PES) as a governance tool managing migrant children’s access to urban public education. Rooted in the hukou system, PES allocates school seats based on quantifiable indicators such as housing, insurance, and parental background. Although intended to enhance fairness and efficiency, the system has reinforced educational inequality. Privileged migrant families can meet scoring thresholds, while lower-income groups are excluded by rigid criteria and commodified items like paid certificates. The inclusion of extracurricular achievements also adds academic pressure. Drawing on policy reviews and case studies from cities like Beijing, Dongguan, and Shenzhen, this study argues that PES reflects broader urban development priorities while exacerbating social divisions. It concludes that PES, though innovative in form, poses critical challenges for equitable urban integration.Item Out of Sight, Out of Budget: the Invisibility Crisis in U.S. Infrastructure MaintenanceGuo, Yixiao Edward (2025-05-13)This thesis investigates why infrastructure maintenance in the United States remains chronically underfunded despite its economic and safety benefits. Focusing on roadway systems, it argues that the root cause lies in the low political and public visibility of maintenance activities. Through a literature review and in-depth interviews with transportation officials across state and local agencies, the study finds that maintenance is often deprioritized in budgets because it lacks the immediate, visible benefits politicians can leverage for credit-claiming. Case studies from six jurisdictions reveal how maintenance officials navigate funding constraints, visibility challenges, and intergovernmental dynamics. The research also explores the different strategies that can help elevate the profile of maintenance, as well as the implications of elevating visibility. This thesis contributes to the broader understanding of infrastructure policy and calls for changes to enhance long-term infrastructure asset stewardship in the U.S.Item Analyzing the Effectiveness of Smart Growth in Controlling Urban Sprawl - An Example from Maryland's PFAsYan, Shenghao (2025-05)The Priority Funding Areas (PFAs) policy, enacted in Maryland in 1997, is a famous case of smart growth strategies for alleviating urban sprawl. However, its practical effect remains debatable. To verify it, this study investigates the trend of urban sprawl in Maryland during 2000-2019 using the Weighted Urban Proliferation (WUP) indicator. The result shows that the urban sprawl in Maryland is still apparent. Also, the sprawl trend of areas in PFAs is not statistically different from that of non-PFAs. Therefore, the effectiveness of the policy in restraining urban sprawl cannot simply be attributed to the designation of PFAs. Broader socio-economic and political factors can also influence it. The study recommends stronger intergovernmental coordination, targeted financial incentives, adaptive zoning, and comprehensive monitoring systems to enhance effectiveness. Maryland’s experience underscores the importance of flexible, context-sensitive strategies for sustainable urban development.Item Environmental Planning Through Public-Private Partnerships: Lessons From Three New York City Business Improvement DistrictsBarnes, Katie (2025-05-01)This study investigates the role of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) as key stakeholders in urban sustainability and climate resilience planning in New York City. Operating at the intersection of public and private governance, BIDs represent an understudied middle ground between top-down governmental planning and bottom-up community initiatives. Through qualitative methods, including content analysis, direct observation, and semi-structured interviews, this research compares sustainability approaches across three diverse BIDs: Hudson Square (Manhattan), West Shore (Staten Island), and Pitkin Avenue (Brooklyn). The study examines how and why these BIDs implement sustainability strategies, how their efforts align with municipal goals, and how their approaches vary across different boroughs and neighborhood contexts. Findings reveal distinct patterns in how these hybrid governance entities incorporate environmental objectives while responding to local needs. This research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of multi-level urban sustainability governance and offers insights for policymakers seeking to engage diverse stakeholders in climate resilience planning.