ALLISON J. ROLAND PLANNING & DESIGN PORTFOLIO
Allison J. Roland 816 Piedmont Ave NW Atlanta, GA 30308 | ajro223@gmail.com | 706.767.0801
ENTHUSIASTIC & CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVER WITH A PASSION FOR IMPACTING COMMUNITIES THROUGH URBAN PLANNING & DESIGN
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2016Present
Urban Planner, Office of Park Design | Atlanta, GA Work collaboratively on park planning, design, and grant projects at the project development and project management levels across City departments and with various stakeholders
2015 2016
Project Manager Northeast Georgia Regional Commission | Athens, GA Serve Northeast Georgia counties and municipalities in the areas of economic and community development, comprehensive and strategic planning, brownfield development, and grant applications.
2013 2015
Director’s Assistant University of Michigan Volunteer Services | Ann Arbor, MI
2014
Sustainable Growth Intern, Georgia Conservancy | Atlanta, GA
2012
Park Design Intern, Park Pride | Atlanta, GA
EDUCATION University of Michigan Master of Urban Planning May 2015 Georgia State University Bachelor of Arts in Geography May 2013
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
RELATED PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Organization
Current
Future Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry | Atlanta, GA Worked as part of a team across several Citiy departments on the initial vision of the Quarry Park and assisted on RFP development for the design of Phase 1 of the park.
Current
Peace Park Community Vision Plan |Atlanta, GA Worked with Old Fourth Ward Community to develop a vision for their neighborhood park. Held multiple community meetings and design workshops to develop a final Vision Plan for the park.
Current
Playground Improvements Project Management | Atlanta, GA Successfully managed the allocation of $1.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funding for playground improvements at four different parks across South Atlanta.
2016
Grant Writing & Management | Athens, GA Worked on grant projects from the application to management level from federal funding sources such as CDBG and Appalachian Regional Commission for local governments in the Northeast Georgia region.
Verbal Communication Written Communication Grant Writing Project Management
TECHNICAL SKILLS Microsoft Office Adobe Creative Suite ARC Map AutoCAD Drone Operation Rhinoceros Google Sketch Up
*Currently seeking AICP certification
SERVICE WORK Current
Trust for Public Land Next Gen Board Member | Atlanta, GA
Current
Chattahoochee River Keeper | Atlanta, GA
Current
Northside Drive Baptist Church Member | Atlanta, GA
2015
AMOS Health + Hope Water Filter Installation Managua, Nicaragua
2013 - ‘15 First Baptist Church Young Adult Fundraising Chair | Ann Arbor, MI
T h e F u t u r e We s t s i d e P a r k @ B e l l w o o d Q u a r r y
4
P a r k w a y - Wa b a s h ( P e a c e ) P a r k
6
Drone Photography
8
Rev. James Orange Park at Oakland City
10
T h e Ya r d a t F i n g e r l e
14
Building on Momentum
18
CONTENTS C h u r c h D o o r s // D e t r o i t , M I // A l l i s o n R o l a n d
OFFICE OF PARK DESIGN
ATLANTA, GA
THE FUTURE WESTSIDE PARK AT BELLWOOD QUARRY The Dept. of Parks & Recreation led the initiative in 2016 on the initial design for the infamous proposed park at Bellwood Quarry. As part of the Park Design team I helped create an illustrative vision and concept for the Future Westside Park focusing on unique user access & interaction with the quarry turned drinking water reservoir. Contributors: Walt Ray, Allison Roland, Aaron Wiener, Dan Calvert, & Atlanta City Studio Technical Skills Used: AutoCAD, ArcMap, Adobe InDesign, hand-drawing Roland 4
ILLUSTRATIVE AERIAL RENDERING OF BELLWOOD QUARRY
PHASE 1 ILLUSTRATIVE MASTER PLAN FOR RFP Rock dale
St
PHASE 1 MASTER PLAN
West Marietta St
Johnson Rd
UPPER MEADOW MAIN ROAD
KNIGHT PARK LOWER MEADOW
INTERPRETIVE CENTER
PUMP HOUSE
GRAND OVERLOOK
OUTER PATH INNER PATH ATLANTA BELTLINE
SKYLINE MEADOW
HIKE-IN OVERLOOK
RESERVOIR CROSSING
GEORGIA POWER SUBSTATION
EDWIN PLACE PARK Edwin Pl
tta B
ie Mar lvd
Hortense
PROCTOR CREEK GREENWAY Pl
Gertrude Pl
Jefferson St
GROVE PARK
Francis Pl
Gary Ave
WOODSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
B.E.S.T. ACADEMY
BANKHEAD MARTA STATION
wy
GROVE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ld Lee
Dona
well Pk Hollo
MADDOX PARK
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OFFICE OF PARK DESIGN
ATLANTA, GA
VISIONING PLAN FOR PARKWAYWABASH (PEACE) PARK A collaborative redesign of a neighborhood park in the Old Fourth Ward. I worked as part of a team to initiate a community visioning process which included an intensive park survey process, design workshops, meeting with community leaders and City Councilmembers, and developing a final design & document for the Peace Park community. Contributors: Allison Roland, Aaron Wiener Technical Skills Used: AutoCAD, ArcMap, Adobe InDesign, hand-drawing Roland 6
OBSERVED PARK USAGE
PARK USAGE SNAPSHOT OCTOBER 27 - NOVEMBER, 2016
*This data was gathered by the City of Atlanta Office of Park Design through 21 visits to the park at various times of the day between the dates of October 27 and November 14, 2016.
PEACE PARK OBSERVED PARK USAGE DIAGRAM & INFOGRAPHIC
Parkway Drive
Peace A venue
PARKWAY-WABASH (PEACE) PARK FINAL CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
Wabash Avenue
Figure J: Final Conceptual Design Parkway-Wabash Park | 27
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OFFICE OF PARK DESIGN
ATLANTA, GA
DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY The Office of Park Design has two DJI Phantom 4 drones which I become registered through the FAA to operate. I selftaught and utilized this technology to create promotional park videos, capture aerial photos for basemaps, and supervise construction projects from multiple angles. Contributors: Allison Roland
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CITY OF ATLANTA PARKS & REC LAKE ALLATOONA PROPERTY
MLK REC & AQUATIC CENTER CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS
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PARK PRIDE
ATLANTA, GA
VISIONING PLAN FOR REV. JAMES ORANGE PARK AT OAKLAND CITY A collaborative redesign of a neighborhood park in SW Atlanta. As an intern at Park Pride, I worked alongside two other interns, under the supervision of Walt Ray, to develop a public input and Visioning process in order to determine community priorities for the redesign of their neighborhood park. Designs from this plan began implementation in winter of 2014. Contributors: Walt Ray, Allison Roland, Becky Katz, Christine Rollins Technical Skills Used: AutoCAD, ArcMap, Adobe InDesign, hand-drawing Roland 10
THE PROCESS The Visioning process involved the organization of a steering committee and several community meetings which included the completion of a prioritization activity which illustrated the community’s top priorities for the park. These priorities are highlighted in the diagram above. Once the high-priority projects were decided-upon, myself and two other interns worked with the Park Pride Visioning team to develop a base sketch for a final Visioning Plan, shown below, which was approved and supported by the community. The base sketch was then used to create the final park Visioning conceptual master plan shown on page six.
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THE VISION The final Vision Plan for Rev. James Orange Park at Oakland City, shown to the right, was the result of many site-visits, in-depth research, and extensive community-engagement. The community deemed certain projects high-priority which included a new multi-purpose community center, outdoor pool, multi-aged playground, memorial garden, splash pad, and the removal of a segment of the drive through the park. While the Vision Plan is not strictly set-in-stone, the surrounding community showed widespread support for the plan. In the winter of 2014, less than two years after the completion of the Visioning process, construction began on the new outdoor pool and splash pad at Rev. James Orange Park. The new facilities opened to the public in the Summer of 2015.
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M Y
O K
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I T
Epworth Street
P2
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Q2 J
V Q1
Vision Plan: Rev
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Legend
J Y
I
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P1 H F
Oakland Drive
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W
B K
G
A
X N
J
S
O K T Property to Acquire P3
U
A Multi-Use Field B Reverend James Orange Memorial Garden C Proposed Large Pavilion D Tree Grove E Outdoor Pool F Multi-Aged Playground G Splash Pad H Recreation Center I Existing Amenity to Remain J Fitness Stations K Seating L Parents’ Pavilion M Outdoor Classroom N Reconfigured Parking O Drinking Fountain P1 Oakland Drive Entrance* P2 Epworth Street Entrance* P3 Campbellton Road Entrance (Pedestrian and Bicycle Only)* Q1 Walking Trail Q2 Bicycle Trail R Enhance Natural Area S New Staircase T Lighting U Low Retaining Wall V Bollards W Demolish Existing Pool and Bath House X Remove Segment of Oakland Lane Y Erosion Control *All Entrances Include Signage, Seasonal Landscaping and Lights
verend James Orange Park at Oakland City July 28, 2012
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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
ANN ARBOR, MI
THE YARD AT FINGERLE
A collaborative development proposal for a historic lumber site in Ann Arbor, MI. The design proposal focused on flood and stormwater management as the site sits directly above the Ann Arbor floodway and floodplain. The proposal also focused on providing affordable and market-rate housing, office and retail space as well as an outdoor public space for community use. Contributors: Allison Roland, Brad Vogelsmeier Technical Skills Used: AutoCAD, ArcMap, Google SketchUp, Rhinoceros, Adobe Creative Suite, hand-drawing Roland 14
.4 miles to Main Street Corridor
THE YARD AT FINGERLE
The ‘Yard at Fingerle’ features office, retail, mixed-use residential buildings, town homes, traffic flow improvements, and a focus on active living through a large public green space that connects to the existing Allen Creek Greenway. The model below shows the square footage of building and land uses that make up the proposal for the Fingerle site. The proposed uses were determined through intensive market research and intended to build upon existing assets shown in the diagram to the right. To increase accessibility to existing and proposed amenities, we addressed circulation issues for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians throughout the site as shown below.
4
5
7 3
.5 miles to UM Central Campus
2 1
6
1 1 2
3
Bake Me Crazy
618 Main
4
Proximity to Main Street Corridor
South Main Market - Anthony’s Gourmet Pizza - San Fu Oriental Cuisine - Copernicus European Delicatessen - Shoe Repair - Back Alley Gourmet - By The Pound - Sun Tan City
5
Hanover Square Park
6
Potter’s Guild
7
Proximity to UM University of Michigan Fingerle Site
Retail + Commercial Mixed-Use Residential Residential Public + Green Space
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STORMWATER MITIGATION There is an approximatley 60-foot decrease in elevation leading down to the Fingerle site from downtown Ann Arbor. This causes extreme amounts of run-off and stormwater issues which flood the site each year. This is a main issue addressed in this proposal through innovative yet simple stormwater mitigation techniques shown on page fifteen. The techniques proposed not only address important flood and stormwater issues on the Fingerle site, but also create a fun, useful public green space known as “The Bowl.� The potential programming of The Bowl is shown above and the elevation is shown below. Through all of these stormwater mitigation techniques we were able to surpass the required stormwater storage amount set for the site by the City of Ann Arbor.
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Check Dam
Retention Pond
Bio Swale
Rain Garden
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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
DETROIT, MI
BUILDING ON MOMENTUM
A neighborhood revitalization plan which is currently being funded in the Osborn neighborhood of Detroit. The plan offers short-term implementation recommendations for increasing occupancy, activating vacant spaces, and increasing connectivity. The final product was presented to the client: the Osborn Neighborhood Alliance. Contributors: Allison Roland, Evan Severs, Lacey Sigmon, Yinchun Ding, Oren Brandvain, Matt Warfield, Pier Davis Technical Skills Used: ArcMap, Google SketchUp, Rhinoceros, Adobe Creative Suite Roland 18
OSBORN NEIGHBORHOOD DETROIT BOUNDARY
LIVE IN OSBORN TARGET AREA OSBORN NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARY 0
0.4
0.8 MILES
N Source: Motor City Mapping 2014; U.S. Census Bureau; Tiger/Line, 2013;
7 MILE RD
ATI OT AVE
HOOVER ST
VAN DYKE AVE
E STATE FAIR AVE
GR
SCHOENHERR ST
8 MILE RD
GREINER ST D
SR
L HO C I N MC
THE OSBORN NEIGHBORHOOD Located in the NE corner of Detroit abutting Gratiot Avenue and 8 Mile Road, is the neighborhood of Osborn. Though affected by high crime rates, blight, and a feeling of disconnect from the rest of the city, Osborn is still a vibrant neighborhood with an active community organization, the Osborn Neighborhood Alliance (ONA). After community meetings, extensive research, and personal conversations with ONA, three main issues emerged: housing, vacant spaces, and connectivity, with an overall theme of increasing a feeling of safety in the neighborhood, specifically for pedestrians. These issues were addressed by the UM Osborn Capstone Team through a neighborhood revitalization plan entitled “Building on Momentum”.
N
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BUILDING WITH INTERVENTIONS EXTENDED LIBRARY PUBLIC SPACE WITH SEATING GREEN SPACE ALLEY WITH BOLLARDS BIKE RACKS CROSSWALK BIKE LANE GREENING OF DETROIT PROPERTY FOR INVESTMENT STREETSCAPE
N PROPOSED EXISTING
1 Sidewalks
Existing sidewalks along Schoenherr and McNichols Streets will remain intact and receive minor improvements
2 Proposed Pole Banners Pole banners along Schoenherr Street, Greiner Street, and McNichols Road to signify presence in LIOTA
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3 Proposed Redesign of
Matrix Center’s Entrance
Outdoor activity space and seatings outside the Matrix Center to create a more attractive entrance area and addition of a kiosk to improve wayfinding for the Osborn Neighborhood
4 Crosswalks
Repainted crosswalks to increase visibility and safety of pedestrians
5
Proposed Native Landscaping
New street landscaping using native, low maintanence trees and plants.to vitalize the visual image along Schoenherr Street
6 Proposed Bike Lane
Addition of bike lanes along Schoenherr Street and E McNichols Road (East of the Matrix Center) to improve connectivity and guidance to the Matrix Center
4 Proposed Bike Lane
3 Proposed Native Landscaping
Addition of bike lanes on Schoenherr increasing connectivity and traffic to the Matrix Center and new community spaces
New street landscaping using native, low maintenance trees and plants
5 Proposed Pavillion
2 Matrix Center
Home of ONA and focal point of community development improvements in Osborn
20’
6’
PROPOSED EXISTING
Repurposing of vacant structures to serve as outdoor pavillion space for community events
6’
5’
BUILDING ON MOMENTUM To increase occupancy in the neighborhood, we proposed artist residencies, encouraged partnerships with local housing and development authorities, and assisted ONA in the steps toward developing a community land trust. These recommendations would help to increase the diversity of housing stock as well as give more options for home ownership. To address the amount of vacant space in the community, we suggested a series of pocket parks, community gathering spaces and gardens in existing vacant lots and alleyways. These spaces helped to increase safety in the community by making passive spaces active and also addressed the community need for greenspace. We proposed a series of bike lanes on the main thoroughfares of the community to help increase connectivity within Osborn. With wide existing streets, as shown to the right, it would be relatively simple to add bike lanes throughout the community. We also proposed the installation of a community signage package to increase the ease of travel within the neighborhood. This proposal built upon the already strong community identity of Osborn and ONA.
26’
SECTION 1. GREINER ST SECTION
Side Bike walk Lane Parking 6’ 5’
Setback 24’
Bike Side Parking Lane walk 40’
5‘
Setback
6’
24’
SECTION 2. SCHOENHERR ST SECTION
Side Setback walk 10’
Bike Lane Parking
Right of Way
6’
29’
40’
5’
1 1
Bike Parking Lane 5’
Right of Way 23’
Side walk 6’
GREINER ST 2
2
E
Existing sidewalks along Schoenherr and Greiner Streets will remain intact and receive minor improvements
O ICH N MC
R LS
D
NA
GRA TIO T AV
1 Sidewalks
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ALLISON J. ROLAND PLANNING & DESIGN PORTFOLIO