The Case for a K-12 Planning Education 

By Isabel Soberal What would it look like to incorporate principles of urban planning into the K-12 curriculum in U.S schools—could it be the answer to apathy planners are looking for? Dr. Thomas Campanella’s 2011 article, entitled “Jane Jacobs and the Death and Life of American Planning,” reflects on the canonization of Jane Jacobs by grassroots activists, not necessarily for the overall betterment of the … Continue reading The Case for a K-12 Planning Education 

From Archives) What XKCD Can Teach You About Planning

This post was originally published on March 27, 2018, and is one of the most viewed articles in 2022.  By Nora Schwaller XKCD is a beloved, online nerd comic that primarily involves esoteric jokes about physics and math with a healthy dose of snark. But that’s not all these humble stick figures provide. They can also offer valuable insight and lessons into some of the … Continue reading From Archives) What XKCD Can Teach You About Planning

Astronaut. Athlete. Artist. Why not Urban Planner?

What do you want to be when you grow up? This is the definitive question of childhood, with the answers often changing…quickly. 2nd grade career aspirations went something like this: Monday, I’ll be a scientist; Tuesday, an artist; and by Friday, a professional soccer player. For many kids, the notion of urban planning as a career is never on the table—planning isn’t the most common … Continue reading Astronaut. Athlete. Artist. Why not Urban Planner?

What XKCD Can Teach You About Planning

XKCD is a beloved, online nerd comic that primarily involves esoteric jokes about physics and math with a healthy dose of snark. But that’s not all these humble stick figures provide. They can also offer valuable insight and lessons into some of the finer complications of planning: from big-picture issues, to niche problems. Therefore, through careful review and study, you can use XKCD comics to … Continue reading What XKCD Can Teach You About Planning

Zombie Preparedness: A Communication Strategy for Emergency Preparedness

Zombies have become a fixture in literary and cinematic culture over the past century. The list of on-screen zombie productions is extensive, ranging from White Zombie in 1932 and Night of the Living Dead in 1968, to this year’s Patient Z and dozens of others in between. In 2016, Netflix boasted a buffet of 19 zombie-themed shows to satiate their viewers’ appetite for the undead. … Continue reading Zombie Preparedness: A Communication Strategy for Emergency Preparedness

Science Fiction and Planning

As planners, we often engage in visioning processes with communities to identify and elaborate on the kinds of communities we want to plan. Our vision plans build an image of what could be in order to inform the agenda, strategies and policies we then develop and implement as planners. Vision planning can be an imaginative space to respond to the needs and desires of a … Continue reading Science Fiction and Planning

Women in the Workplace: 4 Takeaways

The following is a collaborative piece between Angles and the Center for Community Capital. UNC’s Center for Community Capital (CCC) works with seven female Graduate Student Fellows from DCRP. In anticipation of our transition into the workforce, we met with researchers and analysts at the CCC to reflect on women’s roles in the fields of research and planning. We discussed how gender intersects with our … Continue reading Women in the Workplace: 4 Takeaways

Fall 2016 Workshop Review

Each year, UNC Department of City and Regional Planning students have the opportunity to take a hands-on workshop course; the course is required for second year Master’s students. Workshops usually include client-facing work, collaborating with large teams on complex challenges taking place in a North Carolina community. This fall, the department organized two workshop courses: one focused on economic development, the other on transportation. Below … Continue reading Fall 2016 Workshop Review

Planning for Schools in Raleigh, NC

Wake County, North Carolina is growing, and fast.  In 2013, to better manage this exponential growth that adds 63 people per day, the city of Raleigh (at the heart of Wake County), adopted a new “Unified Development Ordinance” (UDO). The UDO has been successful in many respects by encouraging compact, pedestrian-oriented development to preserve natural resources and enhance overall quality of life1. In spite of … Continue reading Planning for Schools in Raleigh, NC