This investigation reports on a study that assesses how students value active, cooperative, and traditional learning activities within a single large cross-disciplinary class. The study surveyed students' perceived value of a range of teaching techniques (from traditional to cooperative) utilized within a general education class. Students rated the various techniques on an ordinal scale and the values were statistically compared using a mean difference (paired sample) test. The study was replicated four times over four semesters, where class size ranged from 125 to 180.The study found that students valued lectures and being active. From the students' perspective, however, working with others (cooperative learning) diminishes the value significantly. Any activity, be it active, cooperative or traditional, that directly relates to improving exam performance was the most valued of all.

While theoretical aspects of transferable development rights (TDR) programmes have been explored, there is little research into programmatic elements of successful TDR programmes. The reported research systematically analyses characteristics of TDR programmes that correspond with successful programme implementation. After describing the basic elements of TDR programmes, this paper uses an iterative, case-study approach to: (1) identify and classify TDR programmatic characteristics; and (2) develop a TDR evaluative framework. This TDR evaluative framework is then used to examine three TDR programmes: Manheim Township, PA; Montgomery County, MD; and New Jersey Pinelands. A comparison of these programmes' strengths and weaknesses, and discussion of their programme elements, demonstrate the utility of the TDR evaluative framework for analysing TDR and other growth management programmes. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that a high degree of knowledge of local land use demands and patterns, programme leadership and presence of a TDR bank are important for TDR programme success.

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While there is research on children's participation, what is needed are investigations on how children perceive community design and whether the geographic location in which the children live has an effect on their perceptions of an ideal community. The objectives of this study are to (1) identify children's ideal community elements and (2) determine if there are any differences in rural and urban children's perceptions. Models of an ideal community are created by ninety-three rural children and fifty urban children in a design charrette. Model content is analyzed using multivariate statistics to identify element and pattern preferences. Principal component analysis of the resultant thirty-eight models reveals that for the rural children, six components are considered significant dimensions and explain 67 percent of the variance, with the first component accounting for nearly 27 percent of the variance. For the urban children, four components are significant and explain 51 percent of the variance, with the first component accounting for nearly 15 percent of the variance. Spatial diagrams indicate that there is a difference between the rural and urban models. Furthermore, discriminant analysis reveals that there is a statistical difference between the content of the urban and rural models at a significance level of .007.

Communities employ land use planning as a way to standardize how a community looks and to ensure that land uses are distributed in an efficient and ethical manner. A temporary, seasonal, or interim use is in effect for a defined purpose and a set period of time, after which it expires. Finding productive, temporary uses for underutilized (e.g., park, sidewalk) or vacant land and buildings can reverse disinvestment, foster a sense of community, curb crime, save on maintenance costs, spur economic activity for surrounding businesses, create market demand, and raise property values. Temporary uses can be an effective community and economic development tools. This guide explores four increasingly popular temporary uses: events, urban agriculture, building reuse, and street vending.