http://hdl.handle.net/10150/246851 Thu, 21 May 2026 13:14:21 GMT 2026-05-21T13:14:21Z http://hdl.handle.net/10150/680159 Emerging Elderly Female Homelessness in Tucson, Arizona Pryor, Annmarie The population of unsheltered homeless in Tucson have been growing steadily in recent years. An emerging group that is at a high risk of encountering homelessness is elderly women. Research in this paper will investigate how the City of Tucson is prioritizing and combating elderly female homelessness. Many are facing this problem for the first time in their lives at the ages of 55+. This concerning information leads to the questions of what can be done to prevent the issue from starting as this group is not one that is facing chronic homelessness. There is a major concern with the availability of affordable housing in Tucson. Many of women who are becoming homeless at these older ages are dealing with increasing rent or loosing loved ones whom they were splitting bills with. Increasing affordable housing city-wise has the potential to prevent many elderly women from being homeless to begin with. The City of Tucson is aware of the issue of homelessness, but not enough programs are currently in place to help marginalized groups. While there are millions of funding allocated to several organizations there are not clear goals or quantities for each. Houston is an example of a city that has successfully decreased the homeless population by having nonprofit organizations and city funded public services work together for a common solution. This is a solution that could be helpful in Tucson as the homeless population remains at a steady number. Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone Project Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10150/680159 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10150/680158 Creating a Sustainable Town Center in Suburbia Friedman, Linus Large swaths of the United States consists of low-density, suburban development; this way of building emits large amounts of carbon emissions, fails socially, and is not economically sound. The goal of this study is to provide preliminary conceptual ideas for the creation of a vibrant, sustainable town center in the suburbs focusing on improving walkability, housing options, and connectivity. This study explores preliminary visions for one such prototype at South Hills Village Mall (SHVM), a suburban mall outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While many mall retrofits focus on dying or dead malls, SHVM provides a unique perspective of redevelopment at an economically productive mall. Additionally, the site has access to frequent light-rail public transportation, allowing for the potential of transit-oriented development. Current conditions are studied and assessed through an existing conditions analysis focusing on land use, economics, and transportation. Informed by this analysis, an overarching vision statement and goal guided the design of two development scenarios. The Low-Investment Scenario suggests quick, more inexpensive solutions, while the idealistic High-Investment Scenario creatively reimagines the space on a larger scale. The findings of this study back up the heavily studied claim that large amounts of the United States’ urban environment is dedicated to underutilized parking and could be repurposed. The concepts developed here can be of use to metropolitan regions across the Rust Belt looking to increase density and preserve natural green spaces. Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone Project Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10150/680158 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10150/680157 The Challenges of Infill Middle Housing in Bellingham Lott, Andrew In 2025, Bellingham WA enacted a new infill housing program to promote the construction of middle housing. This type of policy follows a nationwide shift in development that challenges the use of single-family residential construction in favor of infill middle housing that better matches the needs of the population. Over the course of 2025, 98% of the middle housing in-fill units were constructed by professional real estate developers but the volume is still not enough to keep up with the pace of population growth in Bellingham. During this study I used professional interviews with real estate developers along with a systematic literature review to identify four main challenges to infill middle housing construction in Bellingham. The challenges identified are building codes, available property, financing/cost, and available contractors. Each of these issues present significant challenges to real estate developers trying to build more infill middle housing in Bellingham. Should policies or social measures resolve these problems, construction activity may surpass the levels recorded in 2025. This is a crucial step to address Bellingham’s national leading housing cost issue. Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone Project Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10150/680157 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10150/680156 Impact of Environmental, Spatial, Operational, and Policy Factors on Military Facility Performance Flores-Tapia, Jessenia Military maintenance and administrative facilities operate within complex environments shaped by environmental exposure, spatial configuration, operational demands, and institutional constraints, often resulting in discrepancies between predicted and actual building performance. While existing research has examined individual contributors to building performance, few studies evaluate how these factors interact within real-world military environments. This study addresses that gap by examining how environmental, spatial, operational and policy-related factors collectively influence energy performance in military facilities. A mixed-methods approach was used, integrating Energy Use Intensity (EUI) over a three-year period, site and spatial analyses, climate data, and semi structures interviews with facility personnel. Results indicate that Building A operates at approximately a 53% higher EUI than Building B despite similar functions and the same geographic region, reflecting increased system demands associated with environmental exposure and spatial conditions. Observations and interview data further reveal operational inefficiencies, including inconsistent system control, simultaneous heating and cooling, and limited coordination between building systems. Institutional constraints, including procurement regulations, funding limitations, and restricted decision-making authority, limit the implementation of identified improvements. Building performance is therefore shaped by the interaction of environmental, spatial, operational, and institutional factors rather than design intent alone. These findings highlight the need for integrated, constraint-based strategies that address real world operational conditions within existing military environments. Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone Project Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10150/680156 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z