Sophia Ferries-Rowe Urban Planning Portfolio 2020
ABOUT ME Planning sparked my interest after volunteering with an organization called Beggars for the Poor. As a volunteer, I organized and distributed hygiene products, food, and clothing to people experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis. I formed relationships with a few clients through hearing about their experiences and struggles. Many clients were motivated to work and pay rent, but they had trouble finding an affordable place to live. I became interested in what systems were in place that prevented motivated people from improving their quality of life. As a person who has always enjoyed living close to an urban center, I am passionate about making cities welcoming places for everyone. The interdisciplinary nature of planning allows me to be continually challenged and to see problems from new perspectives. My wide range of knowledge and enthusiasm for learning make me a great fit for an urban planning career.
Contact Information Email: ferriesh@mail.uc.edu Phone: (317) 418-2597 LinkedIn: Sophia Ferries-Rowe
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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody� - Jane Jacobs
RESUME EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
AUG. 2020 - PRESENT UC RESIDENT EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT
AUGUST 2015 - MAY 2019 BREBEUF JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Provides information and resources regarding move-in procedures, housing and food services, and student life.
Desk Assistant (Part-time)
Check students in and out, manage packages, submit maintenance reports, enforce social distancing guidelines, answer residents’ questions, and provide great customer service.
JAN. 2018 - 2020 BEGGARS FOR THE POOR Public service organization that distributes food, clothing, and hygiene products to people experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis.
Volunteer (Part-time)
Respond to clients’ needs and direct them toward local resources such as medical/dental clinics, clothing drives, and mental healthcare.
JUNE 2019 - SEPT. 2019 CENTER OF WELLNESS FOR URBAN WOMEN, INC. Community organization that provides classes about financial sustainability, social capital, and mental health for women in the King Commons neighborhood.
Summer Intern (Part-time)
Collected and analyzed survey data, met with community leaders, outlined policies, wrote legal documents, and created webpage for the Let’s Bike program.
AUGUST 2019 - PRESENT UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
ACHIEVEMENTS National Honors Society UC Student Diversity & Inclusion Council National Merit Scholar Scholastic Art and Writing Awards 6 Regional & 1 National NSDA National Qualifier Degree of Distinction
SKILLS ADVANCED: Microsoft Office, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator INTERMEDIATE: ArcGIS, SketchUp, Spanish Proficiency
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Neighborhood Analysis and Transformation 8 Spring Grove Village Timeline 9 Data Analysis and Visualization 10 Potential Community Transformation
Geographic Information Systems 14 ArcGIS, SketchUp, and V-Ray 16 Income and Internet Access Relationship Map
Community Engagement 20 King Commons, Indianapolis Internship - Let’s Bike 21 Coloring Books and Murals
Neighborhood Analysis and Transformation “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.� - Audre Lorde
Software in this Section 6
Adobe InDesign and Illustrator, SketchUp, ArcMap
Spring Grove Village is a Cincinnati neighborhood that includes the historic Spring Grove Cemetery and a quietly passionate community. This neighborhood has a rich history and tremendous potential to be a thriving area. This section includes an brief history of the neighborhood, an analysis of the community’s housing and employment characteristics, and a potential site improvement regarding the local business district and community center.
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Spring Grove Village of the Past 1788 Fertile land attracts
farmers to the Mill Creek.
1845 Spring Grove Cemetery
opens during cholera outbreak.
1851 The
railroad is completed, which grants access to larger markets.
1872 Chester Park horse
1965 P&G factory opens
1891 Cincinnati street car
track opens.
Spring Grove Village has started implementing the SGV 2.0 initiative to improve housing, engage local businesses, promote resident health, and embrace the diversity of the community.
Today
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in Saint Bernard, providing jobs for SGV residents.
is finished.
Spring Grove Village of the Present These two graphics display some critical demographic information regarding Spring Grove Village. Conveying statistical information in a comprehensible way makes it easier for planners to better understand the communities in which they are working.
24.3%
65.6% 88.2% Unaffordable
SGV Affordable housing availability as compared to neighboring communities.
Affordable
<20
20-35
35-50
>75
Median household income in thousands of dollars
Spring Grove Village Distribution of the trades in which SGV residents worked as compared to the population of Cincinnati in 2017.
50-75
Cincinnati
1% of Civilian Employed Population Ages 16+ Science and Arts, Business Management Natural Resources, Construction, Maintenance Transportation, Production, Material Moving Service Sector Sales and office
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Edgewood & Epworth Intersection Spring Grove Village Figure Ground comm
ercial
insti
tutio
tial
den
resi
Legend
nal
comm ercial
Streets Mill Creek
insti
tutio
Buildings
nal
Parks Parcels Pavement
HARMONY LODGE, INC.
The intersection of Edgewood & Epworth is in the heart of the residential district of Spring Grove Village. It has slow traffic, wide sidewalks, local businesses, and culturally significant buildings like the church and Harmony Lodge. It has the potential to become a neighborhood hot spot. 0 Sophia Ferries-Rowe Serena Powell
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Mixed-Use
10
1320 ft 0
15 7
330
660
1,320 Feet
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N
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Sidewalk Street Parking
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9
Two One-land roads
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Greenspace
64
Church
0
20 ft
Local Business - Sally’s Treats and Treasures
Spring Grove Village of the Future Adding signage and benches would make the local business sector more identifiable. Seating, a library box, a community bulletin board, and a cafe would convert the historic Harmony Lodge into a community center and attract customers.
Sally’s Treats and Treasures
Visit the Local Business District! Located on E Epworth
Community Center - Harmony Lodge Hangout & Cafe
HARMONY LODGE HANGOUT HARMONY LODGE CAFÉ Community Bulletin Board
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Geographic Information Systems, SketchUp, and V-Ray Skill-building “The most important attitude that can be formed is that of the desire to go on learning.” - John Dewey
Software in this Section ArcMap, ArcCatalog, SketchUp, V-Ray
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As a first-year student in the BUP program at DAAP, I took a computer graphics class which covered a wide range of software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, ArcGIS, AutoCAD, SketchUp, and V-Ray. These were used to supplement the site study of the UC Campus. I also took a course entirely focused on ArcGIS in which I learned fundamental skills that culminated in my final project discussing the relationship between household income and internet access.
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ArcGIS Skills
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Defining a projection without any spacial references.
Switching classification method, adding charts, and using layer masks.
Creating multiple data frames, displaying overview maps.
Creating unique geodatabases and importing feature classes/ coordinate systems.
Deleting and modifying elements on a map.
Joining and relating data to find connections easier.
SketchUp
Art installations in high-visibility area on Sigma Sigma Commons
The sculptures and installations in a lowvisibility area outside the Langsam Library
The UC fountain installed next to Clifton Avenue in front of University Pavilion
The Sigma Sigma torch which is visible from many buildings on campus
V-Ray
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Relationship Between Household Income and Internet Access This project identifies the areas most in need of an affordable, dependable wireless solution, so the city could gain an understanding of where a form of municipal Wi-Fi would be most beneficial.
ArcGIS Process Indiana Block Groups TIGER/ Line Shapefile
Excel file with income and internet access data Upload .zip to ArcGIS Online
Select by Attribute (”CountyFP” = ‘097’)
Create layer from selected features
Join data “TRACTCE” and “Census_Tract”
Select Attributes to show: Med_income and no internet
Marion County Block Groups Shapefile
Export layer as shapefile
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Smart Mapping Change Style: Relationship
This relationship map was created using the smart mapping style on ArcGIS Online. The relationship between the two attributes “Median household income” and “Percent without internet” is shown here. Bright orange represents the areas of Marion County, IN that have both a low median income and a high percentage of people without reliable internet. These are the areas that would benefit most from a creative wireless solution.
Final Map
Link to web map
High Income High % w/o Internet High Income
Low Income
Low % w/o Internet
High % w/o Internet
Low Income Low % w/o Internet
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Community Engagement “My job isn’t to fix or rescue or to save. It’s to accompany, see people, and listen to them.” - Father Greg Boyle
Software in this Section Adobe InDesign and Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office
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In Summer 2019, I took an intern position at the Center of Wellness for Urban Women in the King Commons neighborhood of Indianapolis. I got a glimpse of the work I would do as a planner: meeting with community groups, surveying residents, and mapping essential resources relevant to the bike program I was helping develop. Additionally, digital graphics and fine arts have always been a passion of mine. I spent Summer 2020 working on projects and developing my artistic skills.
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King Commons, Indianapolis Bike Program Let’s Bike Program Outline Great Places 2020 The strategic plan focuses on the theme LOVE: Livability, Opportunity, Vitality and Education. The Let’s Bike program enhances the quality of life by promoting more active lifestyles and providing alternative transportation options to the bus and car.
Free bike service that sponsors group rides and provides bikes for residents through the Center of Wellness for Urban Women.
Responsibilities • Meet with neighborhood organizations (Groundwork Indy
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and Freewheelin’) to learn from their programs and discuss partnership opportunities Survey community members Locate resources such as parks, bus stops, and bike racks to identify possible trails and ride routes Write legal documents like the liability waiver and rider applications Create the Let’s Bike web page
Coloring Books The first coloring book I did was for Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School. It included landmarks from the school to comfort students quarantined at home.
Brebeuf Jesuit
sā·cred birthright
I was commissioned for the second book by LaTasha Sandidge, a doula and owner of sā·cred birthright. It was created for expectant parents.
Murals The two murals are on houses in the Indianapolis area. They are inspired by the residents’ personalities and tastes. Intersectionality-inspired painting on a boarded up Downtown Comic shop in downtown Indy, painted during Black Lives Matter protests.
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Final Thoughts Cities are widely recognized as places of great inspiration, passion, and culture. Unfortunately, not everyone has equal access to these incredible resources. As an urban planner, I hope to help communities that have been historically ignored or harmed by the forces of change realize their visions for the future. Throughout my life, I have had the privilege of using my time and money to help others meet temporary needs. However, systematic changes must also be made to improve the quality of life for all. Urban planning has the power to shape cities that embrace all people and allow them to thrive. I hope to use my talents and education to serve others and develop more just cities.
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