The objective of this thesis is to develop a residential model for steep slopes, in the mountain village of Ajaltoun. It is anticipated that this preliminary design would represent an alternative method for residential development on steep slopes in the context of Lebanon. The study starts with an introduction describing the existing housing conditions that resulted from the continuing civil war and the need to develop steep land, thus justifying the purpose of such a model. The introduction is followed by the project description where the goals and strategies of this preliminary design are stated and the physical layout graphically presented. The project deals only with the design aspects of the circulation and access, the lots subdivision layout, and the dwelling layout.

There are twenty million acres of lawns in North America. In their current form, these unproductive expanses of grass represent a significant financial and environmental cost. However, viewed through a different lens, they can also be seen as a tremendous source of opportunity. Access to land is a major barrier for many people who want to enter the agricultural sector, and urban and suburban yards have huge potential for would-be farmers wanting to become part of this growing movement. The Urban Farmer is a comprehensive, hands-on, practical manual to help you learn the techniques and business strategies you need to make a good living growing high-yield, high-value crops right in your own backyard (or someone else's). Major benefits include: Low capital investment and overhead costs Reduced need for expensive infrastructure Easy access to markets Growing food in the city means that fresh crops may travel only a few blocks from field to table, making this innovative approach the next logical step in the local food movement. Based on a scalable, easily reproduced business model, The Urban Farmer is your complete guide to minimizing risk and maximizing profit by using intensive production in small leased or borrowed spaces. Curtis Stone is the owner/operator of Green City Acres, a commercial urban farm growing vegetables for farmers markets, restaurants, and retail outlets. During his slower months, Curtis works as a public speaker, teacher, and consultant, sharing his story to inspire a new generation of farmers.

Smart Geotechnics for Smart Societies contains the contributions presented at the 17th Asian Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (17th ARC, Astana, Kazakhstan, 14-18 August, 2023). The topics covered include: - Geomaterials for soil improvement - Tunneling and rock engineering - Slope, embankments and dams - Shallow and deep foundations - Soil dynamics and geotechnical earthquake engineering - Geoenvironmental engineering and frost geotechnics - Investigation of foundations of historical structures and monitoring - Offshore, harbor geotechnics and GeoEnergy - Megaprojects and transportation geotechnics Smart Geotechnics for Smart Societies will be of interest to academics and engineers interested or involved in geotechnical engineering.