News
The Urban Land Institute/ McNamara Internship Program at Virginia Tech's Alexandria Center
The Urban Land Institute/McNamara Internship is a one-year program open to second-year graduate students in several disciplines including urban planning at Virginia Tech’s Alexandria campus. The student selected for the internship will have the opportunity to work for the Urban Land Institute in Washington, DC. The internship is funded through the generous support from Virginia Tech alumnus Donald J. McNamara. For additional information, click here.
A Suburban World? The Metropolitan Institute Sponsors Conference to Examine the Future of the New Metropolis
In a conference hosted in Reston, Virginia on April 6 - 8, the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech continued the global conversation on the challenges facing the new metropolis - sprawl, congestion, and affordable housing. For more information on the conference, click here.
Innovation in Idaho - New Poster Displays Evolution of High-Tech Firms in Boise
Idaho TechConnect, the Idaho Department of Commerce, and Virginia Tech Urban Affairs and Planning professor Dr. Heike Mayer have recently completed a poster that details the high-tech lineage of firms in Boise as well high-tech innovation currently throughout Idaho. For the poster and the research that supported this development, see: Knowledge Region: Boise, Idaho and www.idahotechconnect.com
Tech Evolution: VT Professor Writing Book on Cities' High Tech Lineage
Heike Mayer, Assistant Professor in Urban Affairs and Planning, is compiling information on the evolution of "second tier" high technology regions such as Phoenix, AZ; Boise, ID; Kansas City, MO; and Portland, OR. Her work was recently noted by the Business Journal of Phoenix; click here to view this article. For more information on Dr. Mayer’s work, click here.
British Environmental Policy and Planning Study Abroad Program
February 29 – March 10, 2008
This study abroad program offered an opportunity to compare planning and development, historic preservation, and environmental conservation in the United States and Britain. Four intensive class sessions on British history, the policy/regulatory framework, cultural influences on planning, and map reading preceded a 10-day trip to the Lakes District in northern England. A group of 24 undergraduate and graduate students from both Blacksburg and Alexandria then hiked 70 miles through glacial moraine along the Cumbria Way, where they were able to view, first-hand, the results of Britain’s rural conservation programs and public access laws. The trip ended in urban – and densely developed – Manchester, as a contrast to the remote areas on the trek.
For more information about the program, and to view images of their recent trek, click here.
Award Winning Study Identifies Redevelopment Opportunities for Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth Redevelopment Opportunities assesses the opportunities for residential redevelopment in Portsmouth, Virginia. As one of the older cities in Virginia, Portsmouth was largely “built-out” in the Sixties and Seventies, constraining the potential for larger scale redevelopment and new construction. Recent redevelopment efforts have been very successful, suggesting the potential for Portsmouth to gain a larger share of diverse segments of the housing market. To help the City address this potential, a UAP graduate studio class examined the constraints, challenges and opportunities in expanding the City’s competitive position for currently underrepresented market segments. The studio prepared a comprehensive analysis of residential redevelopment potential in Portsmouth that includes very advanced analysis of both the economic sectors in Portsmouth and of housing location choice within the metropolitan area. The report demonstrates an innovative approach for identifying geographic clusters for targeting future redevelopment. This portion of the analysis utilized local property records, field checking, and multi-criteria screening to create the redevelopment clusters.
This studio project, led by Dr. Ted Koebel, won the 2008 Student Project Award of the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association (VAPA).
To view this report, click here (note, the report is in Adobe pdf format, and is 6.7 megabytes).
New Professional Development Courses Offered by Planning Academy
The Planning Academy at Virginia Tech is pleased to announce its latest dynamic professional development courses for spring 2008! For the complete line-up and registration information, please visit: http://www.planningacademy.ncr.vt.edu/.
Alexandria's Eco-Progression: The Eco-City Update
On January 22, 2008, the Alexandria City Council formally launched the Eco-City Project by accepting a special report prepared by UAP’s Eco-City Studio, A Green-ventory of the City’s Environmental Policies, Plans, and Programs. Professor Joe Schilling spoke on behalf of Virginia Tech and Director of Environmental Quality William Skrabak represented the city. Mayor Euille and the City Council passed Resolution 2265 in favor of the Eco-City Project that will create the city’s first Eco-City Charter. For the spring semester UAP graduate students and professors will lend a hand designing and facilitating an Eco-City Café on March 8th, 2008 and the city-wide Eco-City Summit set for May 10th.
The Web cast of the Council Meeting is located on the City’s Web site and is available at http://www.alexandriava.gov. For more information about the Eco-City Alexandria Project, click here.
Redevelopment in Alexandria? VT Students Evaluate Three Sites
In December 2007, Shelley Mastran's Land Use Planning class students presented the results of their study of three potential redevelopment sites in north Alexandria to the North Old Town Independent Citizens Civic Association at The Lyceum. The students focused on various zoning scenarios under which three parcels might be redeveloped--the ABC/Giant site (click here for a pdf of the ABC/Giant site plan as developed by Jason Peters), the WMATA bus barn site (click here for a pdf of the WMATA bus barn site plan as developed by Jason Peters), and the Mirant Power Plant. Their presentation was enthusiastically received.
Introducing: Virginia Tech's Urban Planning Study Abroad Program
In conjunction with the Universities of Miami and Technologico de Monterrey, Virginia Tech has initiated an urban planning study aboard program beginning this summer in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. For additional information, click here.