Podium Session J

ABSTRACT:

Memorial Parking Trees (MPTs) are a new variant of a nature-based solution (NbS) composed of a bioswale and a street tree allocated in the road, occupying a space that is sub-utilized by parked cars. This infill green practice can maximize the use of street trees in secondary streets and have multiple benefits in our communities. Using GIS mapping and methodology can support implementation in vulnerable neighborhoods. In this research, we based vulnerability assessments for London, Rio de Janeiro, and Los Angeles on the following three indicators: extreme temperature, air quality, and flood-prone areas. Evidence is emerging that disadvantaged populations may live at higher risks of exposure to environmental hazards. The income and healthcare accessibility of neighborhoods are the two indicators that will help us target these communities for a better and faster decision-making process. The contrast between the results and the 15-min city concept supports our detecting and prioritizing neighborhoods for MPTS implementation, among other NbS solutions integrated into a more inclusive and sustainable urban design.

ABSTRACT:

In some cases, plazas that undergo archaeological testing for marketplace activity are identified using a method known as the configurational approach. This preliminary research method compares plaza locations to a list of associated features, often treated as a list of criteria. However, this approach has been criticized for its speculative nature and the equifinality of the results. Additionally, some argue that these “criteria” are only a list of assumptions. Until now, the configurational approach has received little attention due to its limitations and speculative nature, yet it remains an integral part of the preliminary process in marketplace research. This project compiles the criteria list(s) that have been previously proposed and will compare them to those marketplaces positively identified elsewhere in the Maya region. This study sets out to determine if some, all, or no features typically outlined as marketplace criteria are associated with confirmed marketplaces. Then, the “criteria” list is tested against plazas at Lakamha’ to narrow down a potential location for future investigations. The collection of empirical data recorded here is expected to create stronger criteria associated with marketplaces. Furthermore, identifying which architecture is most often associated with marketplaces, allows us to minimize any ambiguity during the preliminary process.

ABSTRACT:

The term “cold cases” has been increasingly used to describe incidents of unsolved crimes. While often applied to homicides, cold cases may also refer to other incidents like unsolved property crimes, sexual assaults, suspicious deaths, and missing persons. The cold case crisis in the U.S. is reflected in national crime data. Less than 50% of serious violent crimes known to the police are cleared by arrest (UCR, 2019). Additionally, over 85,000 active missing persons cases were under investigation in 2019 (NCIC, 2019).

The current research provides a critical evaluation of what is known about cold cases, how they are defined, the nature and distribution of these incidents, and current investigative methods for increasing their solvability. Questions about the measurement and external validity of national data as well as implicit/explicit biases in the formal designation of who/what constitutes a “cold case” and “missing person” are discussed. Case studies of successful investigations are also presented to help guide local, multi-jurisdictional, and national policies in best practices for identifying and solving these cases.

ABSTRACT:

The Mojave Desert spans across southeastern California, southern Nevada, with smaller portions within Utah and Arizona. This desert is considered to be the smallest and driest in the United States, creating unique taphonomic processes to human remains exposed to this harsh environment. Once such taphonomic process is vertebrate scavenging. Currently, a forensic analysis has not been conducted to explore the taphonomic patterns of vertebrate scavenging in southern Nevada. There are a large variety of carnivore, rodent, and avian scavenger species that span across this region. Forensic anthropology case file from 2000-2021 were reviewed for documentation of scavenging from the Clark County Office of the Coroner and Medical Examiner's Office (CCOCME) database. Of the 107 forensic anthropology cases reviewed, 30 cases (28%) had documented evidence of vertebrate scavenging. The most common scavenged skeletal elements included the lower extremities, radii, ribs, and skull. The least common body region with traces of scavenging were the hands, feet, sternum, and vertebrae. However, these least scavenged skeletal elements are also the body regions most often missing from recovered cases. It is unknown if these body regions were consumed and/or carried off through scavenging activity, or if the skeletal elements were not recovered due to other taphonomic processes (e.g., weathering). While the collected data offers valuable insight into vertebrate scavenging patterns in southern Nevada, it is apparent that scavenging patterns are highly variable.