Daniel D. McLean

Geo-spatial technologies in urban environments

Applying Geo-Spatial Technologies in Urban Environments.- Remote Sensing of Impervious Surfaces and Building Infrastructure.- Policy Implications of Remote Sensing in Understanding Urban Environments.- Making Spatial Data Usable to the General Public.-Modeling Human-Environment Interactions with the Expansion Method.- The Relationship Between Urban Leaf Area and Summertime Household Energy Usage.- The Urban Environment, Socioeconomic Conditions, and Quality of Life: An Alternative Framework for Understanding and Assessing Environmental Justice.- Image Homogeneity and Urban Demographics: An Integrated Approach to Applied Geotechniques.- Local Government Perceptions of Urban Forestry.- Satellite Remote Sensing of Urban Heat Islands.- Remote Sensing as a Program Assessment Device.- Urban Sprawl Detection Using Satellite Imagery and Geographically Weighted Regression.- Satellites, Census, and the Quality of Life.- Urban Environmental Approaches: Policy, Application and Method.

An analysis of the perceived competencies of CEOs in public park and recreation agencies

This study identified the competencies that CEOs in public parks and recreation agencies in the United States perceived they needed in order to perform their duties. Two simultaneous Delphi techniques were used with two different cohorts of CEOs. Thirty jurors were selected from each group with 22 per group agreeing to participate. During the four step process, the jurors were asked to: (a) list competencies they perceived as important for the CEO position; (b) rank the importance of the competency in relation to their job; (c) determine if the categories derived from the results in the previous rounds were accurate; and (d) determine the perceived importance of the competency category to the CEO. Based on the results of the Delphi process, the CEO Competency Framework was developed consisting of three levels of specificity including six general competency categories 20 primary competencies and 72 specific competencies.

Community Leaders and the Urban Forest: A Model of Knowledge and Understanding

Foresters have a sound understanding of the urban forest, but this level of understanding rarely extends to the people who are able to effect change in communities—leaders. This article describes knowledge and understanding of the urban forest based on personal interviews conducted with leaders in two cities using qualitative research methods. Interpretation of the data suggests a knowledge and understanding model with three main constructs: urban forest meaning, processes, and benefits and outcomes. Respondents described the urban forest through categories (e.g., green spaces, quality of life) in terms of these constructs in a gradient ranging from entry to bridging to mature. The emergence of the constructs and categories provides a better understanding of how leaders perceive the urban forest and gives direction to future research that will continue the development of the model.

Using Q-methodology in competency development for CEOs in public parks and recreation

This study generated a systematic and comprehensive view of park and recreation CEO competencies by examining how CEOs in public parks and recreation subjectively ranked various competencies using Q-sorts and Q-methodology. Results found three different types of CEOs: the practical CEO, the structured CEO, and the traditionalist CEO. The Practical CEO focused on employee involvement in decision making thus making the work environment a more positive and reinforcing place. The Structured CEO placed an emphasis on structure, organization, and skills. The Traditionalist CEO placed emphasis on formal skill sets, task orientation, and external validation of skills. Understanding that the importance of specific competencies is viewed from different perspectives allows a more informed understanding of how CEOs in public parks and recreation perceive the importance of competencies.

Improving Student Learning in the Communication Classroom Q-Methodology and Learner Preferences

Instructors, challenged by traditional student learning, desire to gain a deeper understanding of how students learn. Utilization of Q-method provides an effective methodology to improve instructor understanding of human subjectivity. This research depicts how Q-methodology can provide the educator a rich tool to identify and assess student learning styles. This paper reports the adaptation of an existing learning styles instrument to a Q-method analysis in three upper-division communication classes. Four learning groups emerged from the analysis: Global Conceptualizer, Verbal Learner, Realistic Visualizer, and Ambiguous Conceptualizer. These four learning groups are discussed with implications for teaching and learning. The paper concludes that the use of Q-method can deepen understanding of students’ learning preferences by strengthening existing approaches of learning styles and improve instructor understanding of students.

Geotechnologies, Public Policy, & Practical Applications

The collection of papers in this volume includes standard urban applications of GIS and multi-spectral remote sensing—as well as applications that demonstrate the utility of emerging (and increasingly accessible) technologies, such as LIDAR (J. Jensen et al.). The inclusion of LIDAR examples reflects the growing use of LIDAR technologies in urban planning and civil engineering. The precision of this technology makes it ideal for use in complex urban systems. Similarly, hyper-spectral sensors offer high resolution options to assess a variety of urban surfaces. With respect to both technologies, falling costs associated with both LIDAR and hyperspectral data are making these increasingly viable methods for urban data collection.

Local Government Perceptions of Urban Forestry

The urban forest is a decidedly local issue. The size, impact, and benefits of the urban forest vary depending upon the local ecosystem, planning, and presence of a professional urban forester and staff, community commitment to an urban forest, and political understanding and political will to provide for and support a viable urban forest. Consistent with the vitality of the urban forest is political understanding of the importance of the urban forest, and a knowledge gap often exists between urban foresters and their local government leaders that is often large. For example, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the potential disparity between urban foresters and political leaders views of the urban forest.

Making Spatial Data Usable to the General Public: a Case Study in Tax Mapping

Local governments apply geospatial technologies in many ways. The scope of these applications varies across more than 80,000 of the local governments in the United States (over 3,000 counties, over 35,000 municipalities and townships, about 15,000 school districts; and about 30,000 special districts; Nedovic-Budic, 2003). In almost every case, geospatial analysts must provide services to government leaders and other governmental employees, and spatial data often needs to be available to the general public. For example, private real estate companies and developers often require spatial data to make informed decision. However, it can be challenging to provide spatial data to the general public. This is particularly true when the data or data structures are very complex or when data is copyrighted or sensitive in nature.