Dissertations

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Dissertations at Lincoln University may be submitted as part of a course of study towards a Masters degree by examination, a Bachelors degree with Honours, a Postgraduate Diploma or a Graduate Diploma. Dissertations are extended research essays and do not have equivalent standing to theses.

Students wishing to submit dissertations should see the Depositing theses and dissertations guide.

Recent Submissions

Now showing 1 - 5 of 514
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    Reshaping Christchurch’s public transport system: The potential of transit orientated development and rail : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Planning at Lincoln University
    (Lincoln University, 2023) Chrystal, Aidan
    Christchurch, New Zealand, is a city with a seemingly forgotten rail history. The city once had an intricate tram system that served much of the city which was removed and sealed over in the 1950s, and a heavy rail system that serviced much of the surrounding Canterbury townships and the South Island which has served only tourists since 1970. This abandoning of the rail network that once shaped the region was due to the rapid uptake of private vehicle usage which was more convenient and cheaper than rail. In recent years studies into the feasibility of reinstating public rail transport have received significant interest from local government and public due to growing concerns about climate change and the city’s urban sprawl. This research will investigate the potential of a public rail network in the Greater Christchurch region of New Zealand and will provide further analysis Rapid Mass Transit options in the region. Literature was reviewed on the current and previous rail proposals for the Greater Christchurch region as well as reviewing successful rail projects internationally. Key informant semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the Christchurch City Council/Greater Christchurch Partnership, Environment Canterbury and The Ministry of Transport to ascertain the key barriers and enablers of implementing a rail system in Christchurch. A quantitative analysis calculated the possible ridership numbers of an comprehensive Greater Christchurch region was also conducted using ArcGis, Census Commuter Data with Excel-based equations. This helped create a key research finding of an upper limit of 376,063 daily trips or 137,262,995 yearly trips that could be moved by rail between the catchments as defined within ArcGis. Other key findings highlight the importance of transit orientated development (TOD) in the success of rail whilst highlighting the success of new rail is at the expense of other transportation modes such as private vehicles. This suggests restricting cars in densified zones such as the central city being key to influencing a mode shift. Additionally, a change in mindset is also needed from the public to adopt public transport and from planners to find better ways of examining the potential success of rail through Cost-benefit analysis.
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    Modulating acidity and bioactivities of sauerkraut with Proprionibacterium freudenreichii : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Food Innovation at Lincoln University
    (Lincoln University, 2024) Luthi, Antonia
    Health and nutrition are inextricably connected, and as consumer demand for health promoting products grows, the food industry is responding with the development of functional foods. Synthetic vitamins are commonly supplemented to maintain good health, particularly Vitamin B12, as it is an essential micronutrient obtained exclusively through the consumption of animal derived foods. This leaves vegans and plant based eaters at risk of deficiency. Studies have shown that Propionibacterium freudenreichii can be successfully co-fermented with Latic acid bacteria (LAB) to produce B12 in grain based substrates. In this study P. freudenreichii was inoculated into a traditional sauerkraut fermentation, resulting in synthesis of B12 at promising levels. Acidity was also modulated when compared with sauerkraut produced by spontaneous LAB fermentation, highlighting the potential for the wider organopleptic appeal of sauerkraut.
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    Studies of bioactive compounds in brown and red onions (skin and flesh) : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Food Innovation at Lincoln University
    (Lincoln University, 2024) Yang, Bo
    Onions (Allium cepa L.) have been cultivated and consumed for thousands of years around the world. The bioactive compounds in onions such as phenolic compounds, are beneficial for the health of humans and can potentially reduce the risk of some diseases, which will lead to longevity of the population. Onion skin is non-edible and is always discarded by consumers and food producers. However, onion waste, mainly consisting of onion skin, is still a rich source of bioactive compounds. Red and brown onion samples in this dissertation were divided into two parts (skin and flesh) and two different extraction methods using two different solvents were tested. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were conducted to assess the bioactivity of onion extracts. The TPC, TFC values were significantly higher in the skin for both kinds of onions (p < 0.05) and 70% ethanol also had a significantly positive effect on the yields of total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids (p < 0.05) compared with reverse osmosis (RO) water. Red onions (both skin and flesh) had higher values than brown onions. Three antioxidant assays (ABTS, DPPH and FRAP assays) were conducted and onion skin also showed higher antioxidant activity than flesh. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) were employed to identify and quantity quercetin in onion skin and flesh. The quercetin content had a similar distribution to TPC and TFC.
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    Assessing the likely impacts of removing minimum parking requirements in New Zealand : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Planning at Lincoln University
    (Lincoln University, 2023) Ashcroft, Devon
    Minimum Parking Requirements (MPRs) determine the minimum number of car parks developers must provide based on the development, land use or activity occurring. Initially developed to manage car ownership growth and prevent the overspill of private vehicles onto surrounding streets, it has become increasingly evident that these requirements are unnecessary, and in fact, have resulted in more negative consequences than benefits. Planners and developers believe MPRs are overly restrictive, lack flexibility, and contribute to inefficient use of valuable land by providing excessive car parking rather than allocating this for housing or commercial development. Therefore, there has been a global shift toward gradually removing MPRs, with this change incorporated by New Zealand through the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (NPS-UD). Under the NPS-UD, MPRs are no longer allowed within district plans of tier 1, 2 and 3 territorial authorities, with all MPRs required to be removed by February 2022. Given the recent adoption of this change, a substantial knowledge gap exists in the research regarding implications in the New Zealand context. This research examines the potential positive and negative impacts of this policy change and how it will affect communities differently throughout New Zealand, with a specific focus on Christchurch, Auckland and Whangarei. Additionally, the research provides recommendations for complementary policies to accompany the removal of MPRs. The primary research method used was semi-structured interviews, analysed through in-depth thematic analysis. Interviewees included planners and developers from Auckland, Whangarei, and Christchurch. The findings from these interviews were compared and contrasted to existing literature and categorised into three overarching research questions. To ensure that communities gain maximum benefit from the policy change, four key recommendations are proposed to implement alongside the removal of MPRs. These recommendations include adopting a flexible and targeted approach, increasing alternative transport modes, strengthening on-street parking management and enforcement, and suggesting additional design criteria to be implemented with the removal of MPRs.
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    An analysis of the implications of planned behaviour theory on walkability in Christchurch, New Zealand : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Planning at Lincoln University
    (Lincoln University, 2023) Davis, Jack
    Walkability has recently become a key indicator of well-functioning cities. These cities have the ability to reduce carbon emissions, enhance social cohesion, and increase human physical health. With cities around the world striving to create more of these walkable areas, it is important to identify the primary drivers of this behaviour. This dissertation explores the implications of Planned Behaviour Theory to assess whether it can be used to predict human transport behaviour. Walkability for this study has been defined as the proximity of which, on average, people are from their needed amenities. This research took a quantitative approach and aimed to analyse the walkability across three areas of Christchurch, New Zealand, with a particular focus on how this can be applied to inform decision making on local policy. The independent variable in this study was the average time taken, in minutes, to reach essential services including healthcare, supermarkets, and education. A one-way ANOVA identified a statistically significant (F(2,54) = 35.27, p <0.001) result between the most walkable area and the two areas of less walkability. Riccarton South, identified as a 10-minute neighbourhood, contributed most significantly to this difference and was characterised by having greater access to amenities compared to the other two neighbourhoods of Somerfield West and Parklands. Two additional variables, time of day as well as day of the week, were also analysed and identified. No statistically significant result across the three neighbourhood areas were found. This research provides valuable insight into the psychological behaviour of people and provides recommendations to policy and planning practitioners as they seek to create these well functioning areas.