Undergrads analyze UNC spaces

This post was originally published on February 28, 2018. As the end of summer approaches and the school year starts, we go back to one of the archives to take a look at the spaces at UNC. By Marques Wilson, Forest Schweitzer, Olivia Corriere, Bronwyn Bishop, and Joe Young As part of the Community Design and Green Architecture (ENEC 420) course with Eric Thomas, the Project … Continue reading Undergrads analyze UNC spaces

DCRP in the Urban Land Institute Hines Student Competition

Each year, the Urban Land Institute conducts the annual Hines Student Competition — an opportunity for graduate students students across the country to form teams and create a visionary land use development design for a site in a North American city.  Each team of five must have members representing at least three different disciplines. Teams have two weeks to produce graphics and written analysis supporting … Continue reading DCRP in the Urban Land Institute Hines Student Competition

Undergrads analyze UNC spaces

As part of the Community Design and Green Architecture (ENEC 420) course with Eric Thomas, the Project Manager and Lead Designer at Development Finance Initiative, undergraduate UNC students evaluated public space. Using video and behavior mapping techniques, students evaluated how different local spaces are used, or not, at different times of the day and on different days. They noted weather and other factors that would … Continue reading Undergrads analyze UNC spaces

A Brief Guide to Durham’s Alleyways

Alley. A narrow passage between or behind buildings. This definition is too vague. I prefer (my own): Alley. A narrow passage between or behind buildings that provides auxiliary access. With this definition in mind, what follows is a list of Durham’s alleys. This list is by no means exhaustive; we’d love to hear about those you’ve explored that didn’t make it on this list. Right … Continue reading A Brief Guide to Durham’s Alleyways

Reviving Wasted Pavement

How should we use public space in downtown cores? What is the social role of parks? What form can community action take? Angles sat down with environmental studies and city planning student Caroline Lindquist, a senior undergraduate at UNC-Chapel Hill, to find out. We discuss the parklet she and her friends designed, built, and enjoyed on September 16th, known fondly by guerrilla urbanists throughout as “PARK(ing) … Continue reading Reviving Wasted Pavement

Planners for Public Pools

On hot days when I was a kid, my mom would occasionally load the car with a bag of towels and sunscreen and take my sisters and me to the pool. We rolled down all four windows to feel the breeze that lasted for the 20 sticky minutes it took to get there. I remember the blue-green water, thick with children’s bodies, shouting and waving and … Continue reading Planners for Public Pools

Street Seats: a student-designed parklet in NYC

On the corner of New York City’s 13th Street and 5th Avenue, hundreds of people use the sidewalk adjacent to The New School University Center every day. For a university in Manhattan, “campus” is a loose term that defines the parts of the city traversed by its students. Union Square Park—a magnet of public life—is a proximate and popular space for students and faculty to relax outside, … Continue reading Street Seats: a student-designed parklet in NYC

Seven Creative Placemaking Resources

It’s that time of year again: the Carolina Planning Journal is being copyedited and proofread and then copyedited and proofread again. And it is looking very beautiful. So: we’ve compiled a list of seven creative placemaking resources in order to get all of you excited about this upcoming volume, “Just Creativity: Perspectives on Inclusive Placemaking.” ArtPlace’s Blog Series called “The Huddle” ArtPlace is a funder … Continue reading Seven Creative Placemaking Resources

Sacred Spaces in Public Places

For those of us that identify as secular, the word sacred is often alienating and uncomfortable. The word can also seem mysterious, vague, and exclusionary. In its most basic sense, the word sacred means “set apart ” and sacred spaces can therefore be invaluable to secular people as well as those who participate in organized religion. We often talk about setting aside time for reflection … Continue reading Sacred Spaces in Public Places