Rural Studio & the 20K House
As a mission-driven, educational initiative, the Rural Studio has been able to commit almost a decade of rigorous analysis to the careful development of these affordable housing prototypes, illustrating the important potential of community design to explore ideas and provide services that the private market is unable to support. In 1968, civil rights leader Whitney M, Young Jr. addressed the National Convention of the American … Continue reading Rural Studio & the 20K House
Changing It Up: Rail Stations and Demographic Change
This article was adapted a project presented in partial fulfillment of a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill by Melanie Morgan under the guidance of Noreen McDonald, PhD. While there is no doubt that mass transit has many benefits, planners should be aware of these propensities for change when promoting TOD policies and must think critically about how … Continue reading Changing It Up: Rail Stations and Demographic Change
Creative and Sustainable Living in Berlin
This article originally appeared in Transition Magazine, a project created by students taking the Burch Field Research Seminar in Spain and Germany. “I have lots of friends here and it is only a 500 meter walk to school. It’s great living with people who all support each other.” Berlin, Germany-In 2010, eight friends joined together with a common vision. They wanted to live together and create a place … Continue reading Creative and Sustainable Living in Berlin
“A Comeback Short of the Mark:” An Income-Based Approach to Understanding the “Great Recession”
“Unless the discussion of the labor market recovery is connected to the larger matters of income and living standards, it tells an incomplete story.” Unemployment rates are a limited measure, but they are the focus of most economic recovery stories in North Carolina. Through the lens of the changing unemployment rate, one might conclude that North Carolina has experienced a comeback since the “Great Recession,” … Continue reading “A Comeback Short of the Mark:” An Income-Based Approach to Understanding the “Great Recession”
Sustainability Lessons from a German Neighborhood
Rather than working in opposition to natural forces, new American developments could follow Vauban’s example and plan with them. Vauban is an ecologically-and socially-minded neighborhood of 5,000 in Freiburg, Germany. In many ways, Vauban is a successful case study in sustainable urbanism. There is academic agreement that the design at Vauban is outstanding. Nevertheless, as long as this style of living and outstanding design is … Continue reading Sustainability Lessons from a German Neighborhood
Planning for the Phone Age
This article originally appeared on August 5, 2013, in The Good Plan, a blog by Changing Media. In the 1970’s, a man named William Whyte documented the behavior of individuals to gauge the desirable aspects of public spaces. Whyte placed cameras around the plazas and streets of New York City to observe how the unassuming moved. The study is essentially a prerequisite in today’s planning … Continue reading Planning for the Phone Age
Refugees of the Mediterranean Sea
This summer, as part of the team that won the 2015 Vimy Global Team Award from the UNC Center for Global Initiatives, I began work on a project about refugees in the Mediterranean. The Vimy Grant offers funding for interdisciplinary research or service projects outside the United States. I represent the Department of City and Regional Planning, and the other two members of the team … Continue reading Refugees of the Mediterranean Sea
Let’s Launch a Bike to Class Week
This article originally appeared in the Active Living By Design blog on August 31, 2015. As a dual degree graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill) studying city and regional planning and public health, I am passionate about promoting healthy and active living. While many physical environments need to be modified or developed to facilitate active living, college … Continue reading Let’s Launch a Bike to Class Week
The Working Women of Ahmedabad
This summer, I spent three months in Ahmedabad, India. Throughout the trip, I was pulled in two directions. The first: office-bound, collaborating with experienced staff at the Mahila Housing SEWA Trust (MHT), to help define the most rigorous yet realistic data for their monitoring and evaluation plans. The second: in the field, welcomed into the homes of over fifty women, and gaining a greater understanding … Continue reading The Working Women of Ahmedabad
Open Data: an Answer to the Downtown Data Dilemma
Downtown Anytown, USA is a challenging research subject. Vague terminology, idiosyncratic boundaries, and limited data availability have contributed to a disconnected and incomplete body of research on the contemporary downtown. A downtown’s geography is a particularly vexing matter; there is no formal or even consensus definition for downtown; they are not recognized by the government, the Census Bureau, or the Postal Service, so many traditional sources for demographic and housing data are not readily applicable to a city’s urban core. Continue reading Open Data: an Answer to the Downtown Data Dilemma
Carolina Planning Journal 