After the Flood, the Decision to Rebuild or Leave Permanently
As I write this, residents from flooded neighborhoods in eastern North Carolina are sitting in crowded high school gyms, staying at area motels, and bunked with family and friends. While Hurricane Matthew threw high winds and storm surge at coastal communities, devastating flooding came to inland communities. Rivers bulged over their banks, entering homes and covering roads in a growing mass of moving water. When … Continue reading After the Flood, the Decision to Rebuild or Leave Permanently
Little Boxes on a Hillside: A Review of New Urbanism
As a design and development practice, New Urbanism (NU) emerged in response to widespread suburban sprawl across the United States. The movement seeks to create vibrant, healthy, and sustainable communities through human-scale urban design. NU’s fundamental tenants include walkability, connectivity, mixed uses, architectural diversity, green infrastructure, and increased density. But it’s rise in popularity since the 1980’s has not been without controversy. Critics of NU … Continue reading Little Boxes on a Hillside: A Review of New Urbanism
The Future of Floods: Lessons from Charlotte-Mecklenburg County
This post was drafted prior to the flooding in North Carolina associated with Hurricane Matthew, but we feel that these lessons are now more relevant than ever given the severity of the damage across the state. This post was written in response to a field trip taken by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Natural Hazards class in the Department of City and Regional Planning … Continue reading The Future of Floods: Lessons from Charlotte-Mecklenburg County
Pork, GRITS, and Planning
As a native North Carolinian, there are a few things that come to mind as quintessentially Southern. At the top of this list is barbecue. The smell of hickory chips, the taste of tangy vinegar, and the social ritual of the pig pickin’ are, for many, cornerstones of a place-based identity. Unfortunately, our cultural appreciation for authentic barbecue underscores a fundamental tension between the strength … Continue reading Pork, GRITS, and Planning
Injecting Social Justice into Local Government
On September 28th, Durham City Councilwoman Jillian Johnson and Mel Norton of Duke University’s Cook Center on Social Equity visited UNC’s Department of City and Regional Planning to discuss with students and faculty the work of balancing social justice advocacy while serving in local government. Continue reading Injecting Social Justice into Local Government
CAN SOMEONE TELL US WHAT’S GOING ON?
A bit belated but still entirely relevant. Here are some answers provided by the class of 2017 for the the class of 2018’s deepest darkest questions starting their first year of graduate school in City and Regional Planning at UNC Chapel Hill. The ones you were afraid to ask. 2018: What advice do you have for students who are transitioning from working full-time to being a … Continue reading CAN SOMEONE TELL US WHAT’S GOING ON?
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
Plan for All —Making Planning More Inclusive
As planners, we are supposed to represent the public interest. But ensuring that this representation truly reflects a diverse public with uneven access to power can be challenging. Addressing this challenge is the mission of Plan for All, a subcommittee of the Department of City and Regional Planning (DCRP) student governing body, Planners Forum. We aim to bring greater awareness of social justice issues like … Continue reading Plan for All —Making Planning More Inclusive
Uber Eats and the Image of the City
The sharing economy is a seemingly unstoppable force in the modern global economy. It is changing the way the smartphone owner travels, books a room, and most pertinent to me, how they order delivery food. After reflecting on my brief stint as a bicycle courier, I realized that my deliveries took me to places I would’ve never considered visiting otherwise. I moved to Washington, DC … Continue reading Uber Eats and the Image of the City
Tapping Wineries and Breweries as an Economic Development Tool
Sometimes the best way to incubate is to ferment. One Southeast Washington State city has leveraged its unique natural resources to create an incubator for aspiring winemakers. Walla Walla, Washington, population roughly 30,000, is tucked away in the rural southeast corner of the Evergreen State, about 250 miles southeast of Seattle and 200 miles east of Portland, Oregon. It’s not the kind of place people … Continue reading Tapping Wineries and Breweries as an Economic Development Tool
Carolina Planning Journal 