Title page for ETD etd-02022007-214330

Type of Document

Master's Thesis

Author

Johnston, Matthew Walker

Author's Email Address

majohn13@vt.edu

URN

etd-02022007-214330

Title

Labor Heights Plaza: Place for an Emergent Public

Degree

Master of Arts

Department

Landscape Architecture

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name	Title
Patrick Miller	Committee Chair
Caren Yglesias	Committee Member
Dean Bork	Committee Member

Keywords

day labor
plazas
public spaces

Date of Defense

2006-03-21

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

Day laborers are a visible indication of an increasingly problematic immigration policy in the U.S. Their presence in area parking lots has agitated local residents, who demand action by municipalities. This thesis explores the issue of day labor waiting sites in the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. region and proposes a physical design solution to help integrate these sites into existing neighborhoods.
A literature review provides background in plaza form and history, as well as some theories on immigration and assimilation. The case study examines a publicly-funded day labor waiting center. Lessons learned from this case study, as well as site analysis and a review of user needs, are then applied to the final design. The design takes the resilient public space type of the plaza and adapts it to the day laborers’ unique set of requirements, resulting in a multi-functional space that serves a diverse set of demands.

Files

Filename		Size	Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
Filename		Size	28.8 Modem	56K Modem	ISDN (64 Kb)	ISDN (128 Kb)	Higher-speed Access
	01intro_LitReview.pdf	2.84 Mb	00:13:08	00:06:45	00:05:54	00:02:57	00:00:15
	02case_study.pdf	4.76 Mb	00:22:02	00:11:20	00:09:55	00:04:57	00:00:25
	03_site.pdf	7.45 Mb	00:34:29	00:17:44	00:15:31	00:07:45	00:00:39
	04_design.pdf	7.55 Mb	00:34:56	00:17:58	00:15:43	00:07:51	00:00:40
	05_reflection_references.pdf	126.98 Kb	00:00:35	00:00:18	00:00:15	00:00:07	< 00:00:01