First Advisor

Nohad A. Toulan

Term of Graduation

Fall 1990

Date of Publication

Fall 10-24-1990

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Urban Studies

Department

Urban Studies

Language

English

Subjects

Central business districts -- Washington State -- Centralia, Central business districts -- Washington State -- Chehalis

Physical Description

1 online resource (3, xiii, 299 pages)

Abstract

The central theme of this Case Study is that social policy changes and is changed by its interaction with the changing non-physical (socioeconomic) and physical (infrastructure) urban form of the city within which it is formulated, implemented, and evaluated.

The primary hypothesis of this Case Study is that the policy represented by the Main Street Program changes and is changed during its implementation in the changing non-physical (socioeconomic) and physical (infrastructure) urban form of the small city of Centralia, Washington.

The primary purpose of the Centralia Main Street Program is to involve Centralia in a community development process directed to changing the City's non-physical and physical urban form, and to enhance the economic vitality and self reliance of the City's downtown main street area. To accomplish its purpose the Program relied on four implementation activities: (1) organization, (2) promotion, (3) design, and (4) economic restructuring.

The primary hypothesis is tested by measuring the changes in Centralia's non-physical and physical urban form that data and information indicate resulted from the Program's use of these four implementation activities. Changes in urban form were analyzed from three perspectives. A socioeconomic perspective focuses on objective data to measure changes in taxable retail sales. An organization perspective focuses on objective data and subjective information to measure changes in the organization of Centralia in relation to community organizations. And an individual perspective focuses on subjective information to measure changes in how those parties involved in the implementation of the Centralia Main Street Program perceived the Centralia, State of Washington, and National Main Street Programs.

This Case Study indicates that as a result of the implementation of the Centralia Main Street Program there were measurable changes in the nonphysical and physical urban form of Centralia's downtown main street area.

A secondary hypothesis assessed the reliability and validity of the multiperspective research methodology used to test the primary hypothesis in this Case Study. This test affirms that this Case Study produced a reliable and valid test of the first hypothesis.

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Comments

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43204

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