Tag Archives: geography

Featured Thesis: Investigating the intersection of urban agriculture and urban planning…in Victoria, Canada

An M.Sc. thesis in the Department of Geography, by Abdolzaher Ghezeljeh

https://dspace.library.uvic.ca/handle/1828/11736

Abstract:

The world is home to predominantly urbanized populations that continue to grow. In an increasingly urbanized world, cities suffer from various challenges, including urban poverty and food insecurity, which result in unsustainability, health concerns, and crime increase. Many reasons affect urban poverty, including controversial government policies, an imbalance between existing resources and demands, and inefficient urban management and planning. Integrating urban agriculture (UA) into development policies can alleviate urban poverty and food insecurity in cities. Therefore, a line of research seems necessary to gain a better understanding of various ways to boost food production and improve sustainability in cities. To this end, the present study attempts to investigate the role of urban planning and governance in community gardens in Victoria to examine how urban planning and governance can support food production. A qualitative research method with semi-structured interviews and community mapping workshops were used within three groups of governmental, non-governmental, and residential actors in Victoria, Canada. Eighteen participants were interviewed, and eight participants took part in workshops held in the James Bay and Fernwood neighbourhoods. The three proposed research questions in this study were analyzed by thematic analysis using NVivo 10 software. The findings revealed that nine themes should be considered to improve food production in Victoria. The themes include improving UA economic efficiency, increasing awareness, gaining community satisfaction, effective landuse policies, productive partnership, improving the long bureaucratic procedure, offering grants, providing resources and facilities for gardeners, and changes in existing zoning bylaws. In addition, the findings of the workshops show that the City of Victoria plays the most crucial role in UA projects. Study results reveal that the compost education center, residents, and community centres should create an active partnership with the City towards improving community gardens.

To read more, visit UVicSpace https://dspace.library.uvic.ca/handle/1828/11736

*UVic’s open access repository, UVicspace, makes worldwide knowledge mobilization possible. Through this platform, researchers at any institution have access to dissertations (and theses and graduate projects) published by our graduate students. This also makes works available to the interested layperson, who may be engaged in learning more about the research being done at UVic, with no paywall. UVic’s graduate students are doing valuable research every day – but sometimes it goes unsung. Our goal with this series is to shine a light on our students by featuring excellence, one achievement at a time.

The UVic LIbraries ePublishing Services Team

Let them eat kale: food insecurity discourses in Richmond, BC

by Audrey Tung

M.A. thesis, Department of Geography

Abstract:

Household food insecurity is a persistent yet hidden problem in wealthy nations such as Canada, where it has in part been perpetuated through discourses and practices at the local scale. Drawing upon archival materials, participant observation of local food programs, and semi-structured interviews with food program clients and community facilitators, this study analyzes the ways in which household food insecurity has been framed within the context of Richmond, British Columbia. The study’s findings suggest that discourses organized around the production and (re)distribution of food, rather than income inequality, have misdirected household food insecurity reduction activities away from the central issue of poverty. The present study therefore helps to draw attention to overlooked income-based frameworks, especially approaches that highlight the importance of political economy. It reinforces the inextricable link between health outcomes and the inequitable distribution of economic resources and political power – things that have become lost or concealed in various discourses on household food insecurity.

To read more, visit UVicSpace.

*UVic’s open access repository, UVicspace, makes worldwide knowledge mobilization possible. Through this platform, researchers at any institution have access to dissertations (and theses and graduate projects) published by our graduate students. This also makes works available to the interested layperson, who may be engaged in learning more about the research being done at UVic, with no paywall. UVic’s graduate students are doing valuable research every day – but sometimes it goes unsung. Our goal with this series is to shine a light on our students by featuring excellence, one achievement at a time.

The UVic LIbraries ePublishing Services Team

Featured Thesis: Predicting retention of diluted bitumen in marine shoreline sediments, Southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

This 2017 M.Sc. in Geography thesis discusses diluted bitumen (dilbit) shoreline retention for southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia

 

by Lee Allen Sean Britton

Abstract:

Canada has become increasingly economically dependent on the exportation of bitumen to trans-oceanic international markets. As the export of Alberta bitumen from ports located in British Columbia increases, oil spill response and readiness measures become increasingly important. Although the frequency of ship-source oil spills has dramatically declined over the past several decades, they remain environmentally devastating when they occur. In the event of a marine spill, great lengths of shoreline are at risk of being contaminated. Once ashore, oil can persist for decades if shoreline hydraulic conditions are correct and remediation does not occur. Most commonly transported oils (e.g., fuel oils, Bunker C, crude oil, etc.) have been thoroughly studied, and their fate and behaviour in the event of a marine spill is well understood. In contrast, because diluted bitumen has been historically traded in relatively low quantities and has almost no spill history, there is a sizable knowledge gap regarding its effects and behaviour in both the marine environment and on coastal shorelines. The intent of this thesis was to develop a classification scheme to identify marine shorelines of high and low diluted bitumen (dilbit) retention for southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. This study builds upon the outcome of former laboratory bench top dilbit and sediment research known as Bitumen Experiments (Bit_Ex). Bit_Ex investigated dilbit penetration and retention in six engineered sediment classifications ranging from coarse sand to very large pebble in accordance with the Wentworth Classification scheme. This research used Bit_Ex findings to predict dilbit retention in poorly sorted in-situ beach sediments found on shorelines representative of the southern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Field and laboratory measurements were conducted to document the occurrence of in-situ shoreline sediments and hydraulic conditions and were used to predict dilbit retention by comparing such characteristics between Bit_Ex and unconsolidated in-situ beach sediments. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) was measured using a double-ring constant-head infiltrometer. Measured Ks values were then compared to predicted Ks values generated by five semi-empirical Ks equations. A modified version of the Hazen Approximation was selected as the most appropriate. Using measured and calculated metrics, sediments were grouped as having either low or high dilbit retention. When sediments were analysed as homogenous samples, the experimental results suggested two of ten shorelines were composed of a combination of low and high retention sections, while the remaining eight sites were of low retention. Upon the isolation of coarse surface strata, results indicated two shorelines were entirely veneered with high retention sediments, and four shorelines were a combination of high and low retention. The residual four shorelines were found to be entirely composed of low retention sediments. The results illuminate the importance of shoreline stratification when predicting shoreline oil retention. This characteristic is a factor that current shoreline oil retention mapping techniques do not adequately consider. Additionally, the findings suggest that while sediments indicative of retaining weathered dilbit are relatively uncommon within Juan de Fuca and Harro Straits, high retention unweathered dilbit sediments are more common.

To read more, visit UVicSpace https://dspace.library.uvic.ca/handle/1828/8917

*UVic’s open access repository, UVicspace, makes worldwide knowledge mobilization possible. Through this platform, researchers at any institution have access to dissertations (and theses and graduate projects) published by our graduate students. This also makes works available to the interested layperson, who may be engaged in learning more about the research being done at UVic, with no paywall. UVic’s graduate students are doing valuable research every day – but sometimes it goes unsung. Our goal with this series is to shine a light on our students by featuring excellence, one achievement at a time.

The UVic LIbraries ePublishing Services Team

Open Education Resources Grants @UVic

What are open Education Resources (OERs)?

“Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.”[1]

OER Grants

UVic’s OER grant was established in 2019 with funding from the UVic Undergraduate Student Society, UVic Libraries, the Division of Learning, Teaching, Support and Innovation (LTSI), and UVic Systems. The LTSI, Libraries, and UVSS administer the grants. The grant provides funding of up to $5,000 along with staff support to help faculty members redesign a course to adopt, adapt or create open textbooks or other OER as their primary course material.

Proposals were evaluated based on the following five criteria:

  1. The potential impact of cost-savings to students based off the cost of educational materials being replaced, class sizes, as well as possible employment of TA’s for the project;
  2. Their potential impact on student learning and the student experience in the form of high-quality materials, and open and innovative pedagogy;
  3. Overall alignment with UVic strategic framework;
  4. Long-term plans to reuse the OER in courses in subsequent terms;
  5. The extent to which the OER will be freely and openly shared throughout and beyond UVic (e.g., through BCcampus); and,
  6. Feasibility of the OER being ready within a reasonable timeframe, preferably ready for the following winter or spring term.

We congratulate the  July 2019 round of grant recipients:

  • Jane Butterfield, Department of Mathematics and Statistics – Pre-calculus Review Workbook

Over the past two years, we have been developing online review modules that calculus students can use to brush up their pre-calculus math skills. The purpose of this project is to convert those PDF files into an open-source html workbook, and to extend them to include trigonometry review. We will be using the markup language PreTeXt, which allows for the full range of mathematical typesetting, is extremely screen-reader compatible, and also allows for embedded WeBWorK exercises. The result will be an attractive, open-source, accessible, and widely-available workbook that gives students instant feedback as they refresh their skills!

  • Christopher Eagle, Department of Mathematics and Statistics – Open-access text for Math 110

Chris is producing an openly available supply of practice problems, together with hints, answers, and full solutions, for Math 110.  The questions are being obtained from a variety of existing open-access linear algebra texts, and then are being modified and arranged to match the way the material is covered in Math 110.  In the short-term this will make purchasing the Math 110 textbook optional for students.  In the long-term he plans for this to be the first step in the process of moving to a fully open textbook.

  • Shannon Fargey, Department of Geography – An Introduction to Earth System Science

The main goals of this project are both moral and academic. The underlying moral purpose of this project is to remove financial barriers to student success. Simply put, Students in GEOG 103 need a textbook to succeed and few students at present buy the textbook because it is too expensive. The UVic Bookstore has informed me that < 50% of students acquire the Textbook (hard copy and digital version). Earth system science is a very visual subject matter and all adequate textbooks are extremely expensive because of the number of required colour photographs and diagrams.

As I see it, a textbook is like a tutor. A good textbook guides the students to what is important, it explains concepts, and it helps students gauge their learning. This textbook will provide students an opportunity to read about the subject matter ahead of class, link to further resources, and include exercises that facilitate the achievement of the main learning outcomes of the course.

  • Allyson Hadwin, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies – Learning to self-regulate learning: Strategies for optimizing learning, motivation, and socio-emotional success at university

This interactive multi-media OER will include interactive modules used as: (a) a course text for Learning Skills courses, or (b) just in time resource for teachers, student services professionals, or university instructors supporting undergraduate students. Content will be drawn from two decades of empirical research and instruction with first year undergraduates students presenting a state-of-the-art catalogue of evidence-based of strategies for optimizing success in the face of range of student-identified behavioural, motivational, cognitive/metacognitive and socio-emotional challenges.

  • Quentin Mackie, Department of Anthropology – Introductory Archaeology: An Open Access Textbook

The Introduction to Archaeology open textbook will create a readily-updatable, locally-focused resource for students at UVIC and beyond. The textbook will integrate new writing, existing online resources, and open licensed images, all tied to original examples from the archaeology of Indigenous British Columbia and Canada.

 

The grant recipients were invited to welcome session on August 6 to share information about their projects, platforms they may use in publishing content and to gather information about supports available through the Libraries and Technology Integrated Learning.

 

 

 

 

 

[1] William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. (n.d.). OER Defined. Retrieved from https://hewlett.org/strategy/open-educational-resources/

Sanctuary City: A Suspended State by Jennifer Bagelman

Each year UVic faculty, staff, students, alumni, and retirees produce an incredible amount of intellectual content reflecting their breadth and diversity of research, teaching, personal, and professional interests. A list of these works is available here.

Sanctuary City: A Suspended State is a recent title by UVic Geography Alumna Jennifer Bagelman.

About the Book

Sanctuary City: A Suspended State traces the ancient concept of sanctuary up to the present day, revealing how the contemporary and supposedly hospitable ‘sanctuary city’ inadvertently entrenches a hostile asylum regime. This book specifically explores the UK-based sanctuary movement with a focus on Glasgow, host to the largest population of asylum seekers in the UK. Based on ethnographic research, Sanctuary City examines how sanctuary renders intractable the serious problem of protracted waiting, indefinitely deferring the rights of asylum seekers. Whilst illuminating how sanctuary functions as a technology that suspends many lives, this book also explores a myriad of subversive practices that politically challenge this waiting state. It is a timely and critical contribution to the study of hospitality and asylum.

About the Author

Dr. Jen Bagelman is currently a lecturer in human geography at the University of Exeter. She grew up on Coast Salish territories (Vancouver Island) and completed both her BA and MA at UVic. After finishing her PhD at the Open University, she lectured at Durham University then completed a two-year SSHRC funded postdoctoral fellowship at UBC. Her research specialisms include: citizenship; migration and displacement; asylum and sanctuary; food security; participatory research methods and creative outputs. Her twitter feed is @bagel_woman.

Dr. Bagelman will be taking part in this year’s Author Celebration, March 9, 2017. Other members on this year’s panel include: Donald Galloway (Law), Simon Springer (Geography), and Serhy Yekelchyk (Germanic & Slavic Studies). For more information about this and other IdeaFest events, please check out the website.

Violent Neoliberalism by Simon Springer

Each year UVic faculty, staff, students, alumni, and retirees produce an incredible amount of intellectual content reflecting their breadth and diversity of research, teaching, personal, and professional interests. A list of these works is available here.

Violent Neoliberalism: Development, Discourse, and Dispossession in Cambodia is a recent title by UVic Geography Associate Professor Simon Springer.

About the Bookspringer-cover

Violent Neoliberalism explores the complex unfolding relationship between neoliberalism and violence. Employing a series of theoretical dialogues on development, discourse and dispossession in Cambodia, this study sheds significant empirical light on the vicious implications of free market ideology and practice. This book is a major contribution to the fields of peace and conflict studies and human geography studies. It may interest those who want to inquire more into how neoliberalism can be understood and how violence and economic development intersect in the era of neoliberal globalization, especially in the case of contemporary Cambodia.


About the Author

Simon Springer is Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Victoria. He has been researching the political, social, and geographical exclusions that neoliberalization has engendered in post-transitional Cambodia for over a decade. He joined the Department of Geography at UVic in the summer of 2012, having previously spent time at the National University of Singapore and the University of Otago, New Zealand. Dr. Springer brings to UVic a very active, critical, and cutting-edge research program with an internationally-recognized publication record. Visit his website for more info or read his tweets here.

Praise for the Book

“Grounding his book on previously published scholarly articles and chapters, Springer (geography, Univ. of Victoria, BC) presents a full-throated critique of ‘Neoliberalism [which] has become the dominant political economic arrangement in our world today.’ … The volume is well written and contains a useful bibliography. Of interest principally to scholars and graduate students whose interests are in issues of ideology and social development and their interrelationship. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and up.” – A. Magid, Choice, Vol. 53 (10), June, 2016

“Empirically-grounded, and theoretically-rich, this revolutionary book constitutes the most provocative account of contemporary Cambodia yet written. It is, though, much more, in that Springer provides a radically new way of thinking about the complex intersection of violence and economic development. Violent Neoliberalism will challenge and transform how scholars must think through political economy.” – James Tyner, Kent State University

“If any doubt existed about the inherently violent nature of neoliberalising processes, then Simon Springer removes it with great aplomb. As a result, proclamations of ‘success stories’ of development in countries such as Cambodia should be taken for what they are: authoritarian, violent tales of dispossession. The book is required reading for all who take an interest in how neoliberalism and ultimately capitalism can be understood and overcome.” – Ian Bruff, University of Manchester

“Written from a critical perspective, Professor Springer’s provocative book is a major contribution to the academic literature on violence in general. Theoretically well informed, methodologically sophisticated and empirically rich, Violent Neoliberalism is also a powerful challenge to the conventional perspectives that tend to focus overwhelmingly their analytical attention on what Cambodians do and the impact of their cultural traditions on their violent behaviour.” – Sorpong Peou, Ryerson University