The Battle for the Heart of [Downtown] Greensboro
Looking at a map of downtown Greensboro, it becomes apparent that something big is coming. The entire eastern side of the downtown is undergoing a major shift, and much of it is entrenched in public dissent tied to development choices being made by the City and local developers. This is apparent in various current projects in Greensboro, from the Tanger Performing Arts Center, controversy around … Continue reading The Battle for the Heart of [Downtown] Greensboro
Grace Lake and the Sinkhole of 1986: A Remediation Plan and 30-year Saga of Grass Roots Involvement
Central Florida, encompassing the area between Daytona and Tampa, contains numerous lakes—and many sink holes, which occur due to the weakening and collapse of the supporting layer of limestone beneath the ground surface. In fact, it is understood that a majority of the lakes in this area (“sink hole alley”) were formed as sink holes appeared and filled with ground water from the large underlying … Continue reading Grace Lake and the Sinkhole of 1986: A Remediation Plan and 30-year Saga of Grass Roots Involvement
Owning a Home as an Undocumented Immigrant
For many immigrants, owning a home is a sign of having achieved the American dream. With the economic recession and housing market downturn, there has been some concern about the decline in overall homeownership rates; however, immigrants remain enthusiastic about homeownership. The homeownership rate among the foreign-born population in 2015 was fifty percent, only ten percent lower than the rate among the U.S.-born population, but … Continue reading Owning a Home as an Undocumented Immigrant
Symbolism in Downtown Charlotte Public Art
Public art is crucial in representing many aspects of Charlotte’s history and character. An analysis of the structures and figures scattered throughout the uptown area gives a glimpse of the relationship between the art and the buildings around it. Through this analysis, we are also able to analyze the significance of public art to the history of Charlotte. Starting with one of the most … Continue reading Symbolism in Downtown Charlotte Public Art
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
Honk for Wildlife! And Other Neighborhood Tales
For much of the professional field, planning takes place in civic buildings, government halls, and non-profit offices. The range of their consideration can extend throughout a city or even an entire region. But for much of America, how neighborhoods function and how daily life gets lived is negotiated at a smaller scale. One (often amusing) way that this occurs is through the neighborhood listserv, which … Continue reading Honk for Wildlife! And Other Neighborhood Tales
Affordable Housing Toolkit Snapshot: Inclusionary Zoning
This blog is part of a series spotlighting the writings of first-year DCRP Master’s students in fulfillment of PLAN720: Planning Methods in Fall 2017. The dearth of affordable housing options available to residents of our nation is slowly seeping into the national discourse, where previously it had largely been confined to the purview of urban planners, lawyers, and policy advocates. Matthew Desmond’s groundbreaking 2016 book, … Continue reading Affordable Housing Toolkit Snapshot: Inclusionary Zoning
Seeing the Weird in a Rapidly Changing Austin
Seeing the Weird in a Rapidly Changing Austin This winter break, I crossed another city/state off my bucket list by visiting Austin, Texas. Known for its unique flair (“Keep Austin Weird” is the city’s marketing slogan), music, barbeque, and other fried foods, the city’s rapid change in population over the last couple of decades has transformed its physical landscape. The US Census estimates that from … Continue reading Seeing the Weird in a Rapidly Changing Austin
Now Available Online – Volume 42 of the Carolina Planning Journal
Volume 42 of the Carolina Planning Journal is now available for free on the Carolina Planning Journal webpage. Just scroll to the bottom and click on the link! “The prefix ‘re-‘ holds two contradictory connotations. It can mean ‘again,’ or multiple repetitions, or it can mean a withdrawal or reversal. While one meaning implies forward motion, the other suggests retreat. And what a provoking approach to take to … Continue reading Now Available Online – Volume 42 of the Carolina Planning Journal
Carolina Planning Journal 