In 2016, announcements of a major renovation plan of the L train Metro line in New York City spar... more In 2016, announcements of a major renovation plan of the L train Metro line in New York City sparked intense discussion among commuters. In this study, we use Twitter data from 01/2016 – 04/2019, geolocated in New York City, to investigate the sentiment in the population towards topics related to different aspects of the shutdown. The results indicate the strongest sentiments towards alternative travel modes and the effects caused by the shutdown. We further show how the sentiments differ in their spatial clustering characteristics. Tweets conveying a negative sentiment toward the L train tend to cluster in lower Manhattan whereas positive and neutral hot spots are slightly less intense and spread out more evenly
Purpose University faculty, researchers and graduate students are increasingly working out of hot... more Purpose University faculty, researchers and graduate students are increasingly working out of hotdesks, nonterritorial workspaces available on a “first come first served” basis and cleared of all work and personal possessions at the end of every work session. The aim of this study of the hotdesking experiences of doctoral students in a US public university facility is to identify the themes and coping behaviors associated with hotdesking and examine their implications for campus workspace design and policymaking. Design/methodology/approach This study uses multiple methods – direct and participant observation of flex workspaces in the study site, semi-structured interviews of doctoral students hotdesking in the study site and archival research of public institutional data. Findings Study participants work early or late to secure suitable hotdesks, perform important tasks in locations other than the study site, incur co-working space and home office costs, etc. to cope with the themes of uncertainty, lack of control and lack of workspace continuity associated with hotdesking. Workspace reservation systems, storage lockers and workspaces for diverse tasks can improve the on-campus hotdesking experience. Off-campus support such as financial support for setting up and maintaining a home office, subscription to co-working spaces, etc. can facilitate productivity and foster a sense of connection in hotdesk users. Originality/value This study contributes evidence that hotdesking doctoral students operate in a hybrid work environment composed of on- and off-campus locations. This study provides original insight that hotdesk users need on- and off-campus workspace support to experience productivity, connection and well-being in a hybrid campus work environment.
Journal of Planning Education and Research, Oct 21, 2016
design professionals cannot. Rios also takes each movement to task for not fully operationalizing... more design professionals cannot. Rios also takes each movement to task for not fully operationalizing sustainability in social terms, calling widely to address inequalities at various levels of the urban form. Hill and Larsen pick up where Rios leaves off, highlighting the obsolescence of the Landscape–New Urbanism debate and the failure of both in addressing climate change. Hill and Larsen call New Urbanists’ claims “moral” and “territorial” and without a proven track record to affect human behavior (223). “Adaptive urbanism” and “equitable urbanism” (228) must be what guides future urban development if we are to make serious progress. Indeed, we view the Landscape–New Urbanist debate as old as the city itself—how to reconcile urbanism and environment. Each viewpoint is dependent on the “otherness of others” as an intellectual springboard (159). And, like any of the best stories of our time, both the hero and villain (which one is which in this scenario is in the eye of the reader) are both essential to the success of the work. Opposing forces motivate, and urban theorists need both Landscape Urbanism and New Urbanism to pull itself out of Solomon’s “cold tundra of irrelevance” (160) and play important roles in the innovations that will address the challenges of our modern world. While Discontents aims to resolve the debate between Landscape Urbanism and New Urbanism, which movement reigns supreme is as complex as the history of urban development and may only be determined by the viewpoint of the reader. Duany and Talen’s collection of chapters offers academics and practitioners in the urban design and planning arena an interesting debate surrounding theory, concepts, and practical application of two entangled movements.
A solar-powered automated transportation network (ATN) connecting the North and South campuses of... more A solar-powered automated transportation network (ATN) connecting the North and South campuses of San José State University with three passenger stations was designed, visualized, and analyzed in terms of its energy usage, carbon offset, and cost. The study’s methodology included the use of tools and software such as ArcGIS, SketchUp, Infraworks, Sketchup, Rhinoceros, and Autodesk 3DS Max. ATN vehicle energy usage was estimated using data from the university’s Park & Ride shuttle bus operation and by modeling with SUMOPy, the advanced simulation suite for the micro-traffic simulator SUMO. The energy study showed that an extensive solar photovoltaic (PV) canopy over the guideway and stations is sufficient for the network to run 24/7 in better-than-zero net-metered conditions—even if ridership were to increase 15% above that predicted from SJSU Park & Ride shuttle data. The resulting energy system has a PV-rated output of 6.2 MW, a battery system capacity of 9.8 MWh, and an estimated ...
Planning, in essence, is a set of future-oriented activities where individuals and groups organiz... more Planning, in essence, is a set of future-oriented activities where individuals and groups organize their current understandings of their circumstances in order to be better prepared for the future. Whether we are aware of it or not, all of us plan constantly. Planning is not a set of activities that is related to one’s chronological age or activities that are restricted to the human species. We could say that planning is hardwired into our psyche. Yet, in the United States, there is considerable skepticism and wariness about the role of planning in/for the public realm; many people believe that planning infringes on individual property rights while others believe that planning creates new and onerous regulations that inhibit growth and development. In resource-poor communities, planning is viewed as an enterprise that only serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful. When elected officials engage in conversations about planning, they are often feted by some sections of the elec...
In cities and communities across the world, architects, planners, decision makers, and individual... more In cities and communities across the world, architects, planners, decision makers, and individuals, are using Geographic Information Systems (GIs) and related information technologies to understand and evaluate specific problems occurring in their physical an8 social environment. In the United States for example, the city of Milwaukee monitors housing
In 2016, announcements of a major renovation plan of the L train Metro line in New York City spar... more In 2016, announcements of a major renovation plan of the L train Metro line in New York City sparked intense discussion among commuters. In this study, we use Twitter data from 01/2016 – 04/2019, geolocated in New York City, to investigate the sentiment in the population towards topics related to different aspects of the shutdown. The results indicate the strongest sentiments towards alternative travel modes and the effects caused by the shutdown. We further show how the sentiments differ in their spatial clustering characteristics. Tweets conveying a negative sentiment toward the L train tend to cluster in lower Manhattan whereas positive and neutral hot spots are slightly less intense and spread out more evenly
Purpose University faculty, researchers and graduate students are increasingly working out of hot... more Purpose University faculty, researchers and graduate students are increasingly working out of hotdesks, nonterritorial workspaces available on a “first come first served” basis and cleared of all work and personal possessions at the end of every work session. The aim of this study of the hotdesking experiences of doctoral students in a US public university facility is to identify the themes and coping behaviors associated with hotdesking and examine their implications for campus workspace design and policymaking. Design/methodology/approach This study uses multiple methods – direct and participant observation of flex workspaces in the study site, semi-structured interviews of doctoral students hotdesking in the study site and archival research of public institutional data. Findings Study participants work early or late to secure suitable hotdesks, perform important tasks in locations other than the study site, incur co-working space and home office costs, etc. to cope with the themes of uncertainty, lack of control and lack of workspace continuity associated with hotdesking. Workspace reservation systems, storage lockers and workspaces for diverse tasks can improve the on-campus hotdesking experience. Off-campus support such as financial support for setting up and maintaining a home office, subscription to co-working spaces, etc. can facilitate productivity and foster a sense of connection in hotdesk users. Originality/value This study contributes evidence that hotdesking doctoral students operate in a hybrid work environment composed of on- and off-campus locations. This study provides original insight that hotdesk users need on- and off-campus workspace support to experience productivity, connection and well-being in a hybrid campus work environment.
Journal of Planning Education and Research, Oct 21, 2016
design professionals cannot. Rios also takes each movement to task for not fully operationalizing... more design professionals cannot. Rios also takes each movement to task for not fully operationalizing sustainability in social terms, calling widely to address inequalities at various levels of the urban form. Hill and Larsen pick up where Rios leaves off, highlighting the obsolescence of the Landscape–New Urbanism debate and the failure of both in addressing climate change. Hill and Larsen call New Urbanists’ claims “moral” and “territorial” and without a proven track record to affect human behavior (223). “Adaptive urbanism” and “equitable urbanism” (228) must be what guides future urban development if we are to make serious progress. Indeed, we view the Landscape–New Urbanist debate as old as the city itself—how to reconcile urbanism and environment. Each viewpoint is dependent on the “otherness of others” as an intellectual springboard (159). And, like any of the best stories of our time, both the hero and villain (which one is which in this scenario is in the eye of the reader) are both essential to the success of the work. Opposing forces motivate, and urban theorists need both Landscape Urbanism and New Urbanism to pull itself out of Solomon’s “cold tundra of irrelevance” (160) and play important roles in the innovations that will address the challenges of our modern world. While Discontents aims to resolve the debate between Landscape Urbanism and New Urbanism, which movement reigns supreme is as complex as the history of urban development and may only be determined by the viewpoint of the reader. Duany and Talen’s collection of chapters offers academics and practitioners in the urban design and planning arena an interesting debate surrounding theory, concepts, and practical application of two entangled movements.
A solar-powered automated transportation network (ATN) connecting the North and South campuses of... more A solar-powered automated transportation network (ATN) connecting the North and South campuses of San José State University with three passenger stations was designed, visualized, and analyzed in terms of its energy usage, carbon offset, and cost. The study’s methodology included the use of tools and software such as ArcGIS, SketchUp, Infraworks, Sketchup, Rhinoceros, and Autodesk 3DS Max. ATN vehicle energy usage was estimated using data from the university’s Park & Ride shuttle bus operation and by modeling with SUMOPy, the advanced simulation suite for the micro-traffic simulator SUMO. The energy study showed that an extensive solar photovoltaic (PV) canopy over the guideway and stations is sufficient for the network to run 24/7 in better-than-zero net-metered conditions—even if ridership were to increase 15% above that predicted from SJSU Park & Ride shuttle data. The resulting energy system has a PV-rated output of 6.2 MW, a battery system capacity of 9.8 MWh, and an estimated ...
Planning, in essence, is a set of future-oriented activities where individuals and groups organiz... more Planning, in essence, is a set of future-oriented activities where individuals and groups organize their current understandings of their circumstances in order to be better prepared for the future. Whether we are aware of it or not, all of us plan constantly. Planning is not a set of activities that is related to one’s chronological age or activities that are restricted to the human species. We could say that planning is hardwired into our psyche. Yet, in the United States, there is considerable skepticism and wariness about the role of planning in/for the public realm; many people believe that planning infringes on individual property rights while others believe that planning creates new and onerous regulations that inhibit growth and development. In resource-poor communities, planning is viewed as an enterprise that only serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful. When elected officials engage in conversations about planning, they are often feted by some sections of the elec...
In cities and communities across the world, architects, planners, decision makers, and individual... more In cities and communities across the world, architects, planners, decision makers, and individuals, are using Geographic Information Systems (GIs) and related information technologies to understand and evaluate specific problems occurring in their physical an8 social environment. In the United States for example, the city of Milwaukee monitors housing
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Papers by Laxmi Ramasubramanian