C ol u m bi a Un i v e r s i t y Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation
UrbanPlanning
Spring/Summer 2013
Spring/Summer 2013
Faculty News The 2012-2013 academic year recently came to an end, but the studio work, wellresearched theses, and other academic contributions made these two semesters impressionable on the Urban Planning program. The faculty spent the year working on the program’s reaccreditation, including the development of a self-study report and preparing for the Planning Accreditation Board’s visit this fall. We also debated how to respond to the relatively large number of students from China entering the program. This involved considerations of course offerings, topics to be address within the studios, and how to manage the second-year theses when large numbers of students want to do their research on China. These discussions led to a search for a visiting professor for the 20132014 academic year who could teach courses on Chinese urbanization, a set of offerings which we currently lack. This fall, we will have the largest entering class to date. While exciting, it has led to discussions involving the number of electives and studios, faculty assignment to theses, and room usage. One solution is to take the pressure off the required courses by having both economics and techniques “boot camps” before the start of classes in September to bring all students to the same minimum level of knowledge and also enable some students to test out of these courses. Doctoral students have graciously committed to help with these sessions. The faculty also undertook a review of studio course offerings and developed a new system of studio selection in order to make sure we cover all of the specializations in the Program. We look forward to these changes as we know they will help our program grow.
Urban Planning Program Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Columbia University in the City of New York 413 Avery Hall, 1172 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10027 http://www.arch.columbia.edu/programs/urban-planning up@arch.columbia.edu
Lance Freeman Director, Master’s Program Robert Beauregard Director, Ph.D Program
Faculty and Staff Smita Srinivas Assistant Professor
Trisha Logan Assistant Director
Stacey Sutton Assistant Professor
Charlotte Egerton Manager of Marketing and Recruitment
Clara Irazabal Assistant Professor
Peter Marcuse Emeritus Faculty
David King Assistant Professor
Elliot Sclar Professor
Leigh Smith Program Assistant
Pictured above: Students in Chicago for the American Planning Association annual conference, April 2013. Pictured on the cover: Studio sites from the spring 2013 semester. Clockwise from top left: Communo ocho in Medellin, Colombia; Bangalore, India; Newark Penn Station in New Jersey; Creative Village in downtown Orlando, Florida; Upstate New York cattle farms; Pier 76 on the Hudson River.
Robert Beauregard, Director, Ph.D Program Adjunct faculty member Georgia Bullen, MSUP ’11, and Greta Byrum, MSUP ‘11 both have lectures in the upcoming Coursera Class - Technicity about technology and urban planning. Greta’s will be lecturing on “Participatory Community Network Planning” and Georgia’s is titled, “Participatory Social Media.” Moshe Adler recently had a paper published: “Findings vs. Interpretation in “The Long-Term Impacts of Teachers” by Chetty et al,” Education Policy Analysis Archives, Volume 21, No. 10, February
2013. Additionally, his book, “Economics for the Rest of Us: Debunking the Science that Makes Life Dismal,” was translated into Chinese and published in Beijing. In February 2013, GSAPP hosted TCLab’s Narrate: Complexity and Narrative in Health, a book launch for Market Menagerie: Health and Development in Late Industrial States, Professor Smita Srinivas’ most recent book. Smita Srinivas moderated a panel with urban designer Brian McGrath (Parsons), journalist Patricia Thomas (U Georgia), photo-journalist Stephen Mayes (VII photo) and emergency strategist Jason Cone (Medecins Sans Frontieres). The event was an opportunity to bring in diverse viewpoints and experiences in public health for a discussion. Professor Srinivas was also invited in 2013 by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and by UNICEF to help provide analysis and writing on technological innovation, urban issues, and social equity, for their flagship publications on development, the Global Perspectives on Development 2013, and the State of the World’s Children 2013. Pictured left: Srinivas speaking at the Narrate event in Wood Auditorium
Spring/Summer 2013
Faculty News The 2012-2013 academic year recently came to an end, but the studio work, wellresearched theses, and other academic contributions made these two semesters impressionable on the Urban Planning program. The faculty spent the year working on the program’s reaccreditation, including the development of a self-study report and preparing for the Planning Accreditation Board’s visit this fall. We also debated how to respond to the relatively large number of students from China entering the program. This involved considerations of course offerings, topics to be address within the studios, and how to manage the second-year theses when large numbers of students want to do their research on China. These discussions led to a search for a visiting professor for the 20132014 academic year who could teach courses on Chinese urbanization, a set of offerings which we currently lack. This fall, we will have the largest entering class to date. While exciting, it has led to discussions involving the number of electives and studios, faculty assignment to theses, and room usage. One solution is to take the pressure off the required courses by having both economics and techniques “boot camps” before the start of classes in September to bring all students to the same minimum level of knowledge and also enable some students to test out of these courses. Doctoral students have graciously committed to help with these sessions. The faculty also undertook a review of studio course offerings and developed a new system of studio selection in order to make sure we cover all of the specializations in the Program. We look forward to these changes as we know they will help our program grow.
Urban Planning Program Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Columbia University in the City of New York 413 Avery Hall, 1172 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10027 http://www.arch.columbia.edu/programs/urban-planning up@arch.columbia.edu
Lance Freeman Director, Master’s Program Robert Beauregard Director, Ph.D Program
Faculty and Staff Smita Srinivas Assistant Professor
Trisha Logan Assistant Director
Stacey Sutton Assistant Professor
Charlotte Egerton Manager of Marketing and Recruitment
Clara Irazabal Assistant Professor
Peter Marcuse Emeritus Faculty
David King Assistant Professor
Elliot Sclar Professor
Leigh Smith Program Assistant
Pictured above: Students in Chicago for the American Planning Association annual conference, April 2013. Pictured on the cover: Studio sites from the spring 2013 semester. Clockwise from top left: Communo ocho in Medellin, Colombia; Bangalore, India; Newark Penn Station in New Jersey; Creative Village in downtown Orlando, Florida; Upstate New York cattle farms; Pier 76 on the Hudson River.
Robert Beauregard, Director, Ph.D Program Adjunct faculty member Georgia Bullen, MSUP ’11, and Greta Byrum, MSUP ‘11 both have lectures in the upcoming Coursera Class - Technicity about technology and urban planning. Greta’s will be lecturing on “Participatory Community Network Planning” and Georgia’s is titled, “Participatory Social Media.” Moshe Adler recently had a paper published: “Findings vs. Interpretation in “The Long-Term Impacts of Teachers” by Chetty et al,” Education Policy Analysis Archives, Volume 21, No. 10, February
2013. Additionally, his book, “Economics for the Rest of Us: Debunking the Science that Makes Life Dismal,” was translated into Chinese and published in Beijing. In February 2013, GSAPP hosted TCLab’s Narrate: Complexity and Narrative in Health, a book launch for Market Menagerie: Health and Development in Late Industrial States, Professor Smita Srinivas’ most recent book. Smita Srinivas moderated a panel with urban designer Brian McGrath (Parsons), journalist Patricia Thomas (U Georgia), photo-journalist Stephen Mayes (VII photo) and emergency strategist Jason Cone (Medecins Sans Frontieres). The event was an opportunity to bring in diverse viewpoints and experiences in public health for a discussion. Professor Srinivas was also invited in 2013 by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and by UNICEF to help provide analysis and writing on technological innovation, urban issues, and social equity, for their flagship publications on development, the Global Perspectives on Development 2013, and the State of the World’s Children 2013. Pictured left: Srinivas speaking at the Narrate event in Wood Auditorium
Commencement 2013
On Wednesday May 22nd, fifty-three talented GSAPP students became Masters of Urban Planning. At graduation, several students won prizes for their thesis work, or for other accomplishments, as listed below. The Class of 2013 will leave a lasting impression on the program through their academic contributions, including each of their theses, which are available online via Academic Commons. We are also excited to welcome these members to the alumni community!
Congratulations to the Class of 2013! AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PLANNERS OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD for outstanding attainment in the study of Planning Jinny Khanduja NEW YORK CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION’S AWARD for academic excellence and leadership in Urban Planning John Woodard CHARLES ABRAMS THESIS AWARD for a Master’s thesis that best exemplifies a commitment to social justice Wheels When Who Wants Them: Assessing Social Equity And Access Implications Of Carsharing In NYC, Advisor: David King Stephanie Shellooe Skill Development As An Alternative Welfare Mechanism For Construction Workers In India, Advisor: Smita Srinivas Rajlaxmi Teli
URBAN PLANNING PROGRAM AWARD FOR HIGH ACADEMIC ATTAINMENT Lucrecia Montemayor Solano PLANNING CHALLENGE AWARD for a Master’s thesis that makes a substantive contribution to our understanding of a contemporary planning issue Policy And Politics: The Effects Of Facility Regulation On Abortion Access In Virginia, Advisor: Smita Srinivas Sara Miller PLANNING RESEARCH DESIGN AWARD for a thesis that exemplifies a commitment to research methodology and/or planning techniques Changing Retail Dynamics In Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Advisor: Robert Beauregard Norabelle Greenberger URBAN PLANNING PEER TO PEER AWARD for outstanding service to classmates, faculty, and school Lucy Robson
WILLIAM KINNE FELLOWS TRAVELING PRIZES
These awards are granted on the merit of proposals submitted for travel abroad incorporating the study of architecture, including planning and other specialized aspects of architecture. Community Revitalization Survey of Jardim Gramacho In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil May Yu Mapping Chirikayen: A Pemon Community, Geo-Spatial Analysis & Public Health Nicole Bucholz Modeling Sustainable Food Systems through Incubators Jinny Khanduja Rural Educational NGO’s and Urban Aspirations: Mapping Local Skill Development in Rural Villages of Cambodia Clara Chung Visualizing Socially-Mixed Housing in Paris, France and its Implications on Neighborhood Development Millay Kogan
Commencement 2013
On Wednesday May 22nd, fifty-three talented GSAPP students became Masters of Urban Planning. At graduation, several students won prizes for their thesis work, or for other accomplishments, as listed below. The Class of 2013 will leave a lasting impression on the program through their academic contributions, including each of their theses, which are available online via Academic Commons. We are also excited to welcome these members to the alumni community!
Congratulations to the Class of 2013! AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PLANNERS OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD for outstanding attainment in the study of Planning Jinny Khanduja NEW YORK CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION’S AWARD for academic excellence and leadership in Urban Planning John Woodard CHARLES ABRAMS THESIS AWARD for a Master’s thesis that best exemplifies a commitment to social justice Wheels When Who Wants Them: Assessing Social Equity And Access Implications Of Carsharing In NYC, Advisor: David King Stephanie Shellooe Skill Development As An Alternative Welfare Mechanism For Construction Workers In India, Advisor: Smita Srinivas Rajlaxmi Teli
URBAN PLANNING PROGRAM AWARD FOR HIGH ACADEMIC ATTAINMENT Lucrecia Montemayor Solano PLANNING CHALLENGE AWARD for a Master’s thesis that makes a substantive contribution to our understanding of a contemporary planning issue Policy And Politics: The Effects Of Facility Regulation On Abortion Access In Virginia, Advisor: Smita Srinivas Sara Miller PLANNING RESEARCH DESIGN AWARD for a thesis that exemplifies a commitment to research methodology and/or planning techniques Changing Retail Dynamics In Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Advisor: Robert Beauregard Norabelle Greenberger URBAN PLANNING PEER TO PEER AWARD for outstanding service to classmates, faculty, and school Lucy Robson
WILLIAM KINNE FELLOWS TRAVELING PRIZES
These awards are granted on the merit of proposals submitted for travel abroad incorporating the study of architecture, including planning and other specialized aspects of architecture. Community Revitalization Survey of Jardim Gramacho In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil May Yu Mapping Chirikayen: A Pemon Community, Geo-Spatial Analysis & Public Health Nicole Bucholz Modeling Sustainable Food Systems through Incubators Jinny Khanduja Rural Educational NGO’s and Urban Aspirations: Mapping Local Skill Development in Rural Villages of Cambodia Clara Chung Visualizing Socially-Mixed Housing in Paris, France and its Implications on Neighborhood Development Millay Kogan
Studios While many parks encounter difficulties with financing, funding is an especially pressing challenge for Hudson River Park, as it does not receive any funding from the City or State of New York for operation or maintenance. Additionally, the piers that were envisioned to be revenue generating centers for this over four-mile long waterfront park, are not bringing in the money needed to support the park due to controversy over suitable uses in one area, and a prolonged development process in another. The park has also had difficulty holding on to a cohesive image, as it runs through seven Manhattan neighborhoods. The studio focused on the area between Pier 76 at West 34th Street to Pier 84 at West 44th Street, because the client viewed this section as an area with opportunity for the whole park.
Spring 2013 Hudson River Park
Growth Management in Medellin, Colombia National violence and conflict throughout Colombia has forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes in rural areas. The displaced people flock to cities, developing rapidly growing informal settlements in cities such as Medellín. Medellín is proposing a Greenbelt Plan to contain urban expansion, manage growth, reduce risks, and preserve and enhance the green hill areas of the city’s valley. This approach is well intentioned, but needs to be much better crafted. The plan has not yet been contextualized to address the particularities of each community it affects. Growth management is a multi-faceted issue and should be addressed as such. The studio’s proposal aims to strengthen the Greenbelt Plan by tackling the larger issue of growth management through addressing the local needs of the client. To achieve this, the studio developed strategies that are incremental interventions tailored to the client’s requests.
Extending the PATH to EWR
The studio conducted this study on behalf of two clients, the Regional Plan Association and the City of Newark, who asked us to “present a vision for a new community plan to tie redevelopment and community resources” to a new PATH station. The mission was Dayton-oriented, rather than previous studies that have supported the extension of PATH for the benefits realized by Newark Airport, Downtown Newark, and Midtown and Lower Manhattan. As a studio, our job is twofold: 1) Create a redevelopment plan for this area that best leverages the catalyst of a new transit station and 2) create community support for a new PATH station, so that both the PATH and community development can move forward.
• The studio groups introduce their projects • To read the full reports, visit the UP website Creative Village in Orlando, Florida
The Creative Village Studio studied a planning project led by the City of Orlando in a public-private partnership with Creative Village LLC and Banc of America Community Development Corporation to redevelop 68 acres of underutilized land in downtown Orlando. The redevelopment planning effort aims to integrate transit, education, and digital media industry in the downtown area. The goals of this revitalization project are to turn the underutilized land into a live-work downtown district that appeals to the “creative class,” to create new jobs and education opportunities for the neighboring lowincome community of Parramore, and to reconnect this once marginalized neighborhood to the Downtown Core. Finally, the project’s close proximity to the hub of Orlando’s growing multi-modal transportation network will make Creative Village Florida’s first truly urban and high-density Transit Oriented Development.
Learning, Skills, and Public Infrastructure Projects
LabourNet, the client of this report, aims to address many of the challenges resulting from India’s growth and occupies a position at the intersection of policy makers, corporate entities, not-for-profit organizations and workers themselves, to address a diverse range of issues including training and social protections. In order to help them expand their training, our studio was asked to research apprenticeship and training systems in various countries, if a relationship exists between skills, productivity and wage, and the impact of skill requirements through certification in the construction sector. This report addresses the original questions asked by our client of a productivity-wage relationship and several of the challenges we believe to be unresolved through LabourNet’s current structure – however, as a planning studio, our concerns are with planning in the public interest and specifying whose interests are best served by public and private infrastructure projects.
Planning for a Regional Food System In conjunction with the Natural Resources Defense Council, this studio was tasked with giving a set of recommendations for strengthening a regional food system through the lens of grass-fed livestock production, as a way to address issues of the environment, local economic development, and health. Accordingly, this report examines beef production from a systems-based approach: the regional grass-fed beef system in the Catskills region of central New York as a response to the issues created by the current system, the challenges this regional system faces, and recommendations for strengthening regional beef production.
Studios While many parks encounter difficulties with financing, funding is an especially pressing challenge for Hudson River Park, as it does not receive any funding from the City or State of New York for operation or maintenance. Additionally, the piers that were envisioned to be revenue generating centers for this over four-mile long waterfront park, are not bringing in the money needed to support the park due to controversy over suitable uses in one area, and a prolonged development process in another. The park has also had difficulty holding on to a cohesive image, as it runs through seven Manhattan neighborhoods. The studio focused on the area between Pier 76 at West 34th Street to Pier 84 at West 44th Street, because the client viewed this section as an area with opportunity for the whole park.
Spring 2013 Hudson River Park
Growth Management in Medellin, Colombia National violence and conflict throughout Colombia has forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes in rural areas. The displaced people flock to cities, developing rapidly growing informal settlements in cities such as Medellín. Medellín is proposing a Greenbelt Plan to contain urban expansion, manage growth, reduce risks, and preserve and enhance the green hill areas of the city’s valley. This approach is well intentioned, but needs to be much better crafted. The plan has not yet been contextualized to address the particularities of each community it affects. Growth management is a multi-faceted issue and should be addressed as such. The studio’s proposal aims to strengthen the Greenbelt Plan by tackling the larger issue of growth management through addressing the local needs of the client. To achieve this, the studio developed strategies that are incremental interventions tailored to the client’s requests.
Extending the PATH to EWR
The studio conducted this study on behalf of two clients, the Regional Plan Association and the City of Newark, who asked us to “present a vision for a new community plan to tie redevelopment and community resources” to a new PATH station. The mission was Dayton-oriented, rather than previous studies that have supported the extension of PATH for the benefits realized by Newark Airport, Downtown Newark, and Midtown and Lower Manhattan. As a studio, our job is twofold: 1) Create a redevelopment plan for this area that best leverages the catalyst of a new transit station and 2) create community support for a new PATH station, so that both the PATH and community development can move forward.
• The studio groups introduce their projects • To read the full reports, visit the UP website Creative Village in Orlando, Florida
The Creative Village Studio studied a planning project led by the City of Orlando in a public-private partnership with Creative Village LLC and Banc of America Community Development Corporation to redevelop 68 acres of underutilized land in downtown Orlando. The redevelopment planning effort aims to integrate transit, education, and digital media industry in the downtown area. The goals of this revitalization project are to turn the underutilized land into a live-work downtown district that appeals to the “creative class,” to create new jobs and education opportunities for the neighboring lowincome community of Parramore, and to reconnect this once marginalized neighborhood to the Downtown Core. Finally, the project’s close proximity to the hub of Orlando’s growing multi-modal transportation network will make Creative Village Florida’s first truly urban and high-density Transit Oriented Development.
Learning, Skills, and Public Infrastructure Projects
LabourNet, the client of this report, aims to address many of the challenges resulting from India’s growth and occupies a position at the intersection of policy makers, corporate entities, not-for-profit organizations and workers themselves, to address a diverse range of issues including training and social protections. In order to help them expand their training, our studio was asked to research apprenticeship and training systems in various countries, if a relationship exists between skills, productivity and wage, and the impact of skill requirements through certification in the construction sector. This report addresses the original questions asked by our client of a productivity-wage relationship and several of the challenges we believe to be unresolved through LabourNet’s current structure – however, as a planning studio, our concerns are with planning in the public interest and specifying whose interests are best served by public and private infrastructure projects.
Planning for a Regional Food System In conjunction with the Natural Resources Defense Council, this studio was tasked with giving a set of recommendations for strengthening a regional food system through the lens of grass-fed livestock production, as a way to address issues of the environment, local economic development, and health. Accordingly, this report examines beef production from a systems-based approach: the regional grass-fed beef system in the Catskills region of central New York as a response to the issues created by the current system, the challenges this regional system faces, and recommendations for strengthening regional beef production.
Student News
May Yu, MS UP ’13, organized a Studio-X Rio Workshop this spring in conjunction with Instituto de Estudos do Trabalho e Sociedade (IETS). The workshop, Protecting Local Livelihoods in Urban Sustainable Development: The Case of Jardim Gramacho, investigated the intersection of employment and environmental sustainability, and the role of planners and policy makers in these issues. The panel discussion focused on a local example of the closure and rehabilitation of Jardim Gramacho, the largest landfill in Latin America. Though Gramacho was an environmental hazard, it provided livelihoods for around 3,000 workers in the informal economy. Through speakers representing various related interests and a working thematic session, the participants strategized for a more equitable and sustainable Gramacho. Pictured left: Participants in Rio de Janiero workshop
Lecture and Discussion on Planning for China In February, students and faculty from the
New York metro area Planning schools gathered at Columbia for a symposium on urban planning in China. The country has experienced rapid urbanization in the past few decades, raising multiple planning issues. Similarly, our program and other American planning schools have welcomed a greater population of Chinese students interested in gaining the knowledge to solve the challenges of urbanization in their home country. For this particular lecture Weipin Wu, Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University, spoke on the history of Chinese urbanization, which was beneficial to attendees unfamiliar with the timeline of China’s growth. The second half of the event shifted gears to a panel discussion with Chinese students and graduates from local planning schools. The discussion raised important questions of how to gain relevant experience in the United States and how to apply an American planning education in China. The event was organized by the newly formed Urban China Network, a group of Chinese students from area planning programs. Next year the group plans to hold similar events to bring planning issues in China to the forefront.
Pictured above: Weiping Wu’s informative lecture which attracted students and faculty from schools across the region. Pictured on opposite page from top: Jet Richardson presenting the Medellin studio midterm report at the GSAPP Alumni event in Chicago; Students taking in the city view from the top of St. John of the Divine; Planners aboard the boat tour of Chicago; Graduates and alumni networking at the Year End Celebration in the UP studio.
• In March, the UP Program held an inaugural Speed Networking event for current students and alumni. Sixteen alumni, with graduation years ranging from 1982 to 2011, met with thirty-five students in timed rounds. The students found that meeting with successful planning professionals who were once in their shoes was a rewarding and encouraging experience. We are in the process of planning the second annual event – contact Charlotte Egerton if interested in participating. • This spring, the Planning Student Organization organized a tour of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Students from both the planning and preservation programs were treated to a lecture and tour from Stephen Facey, the Cathedral’s historic preservation consultant. With the ideal spring weather, the views from the rooftop were spectacular. • GSAPP was represented well at APA’s National Planning Conference this year, as forty students traveled to the windy city. In addition to attending conference presentations, the students participated in a boat tour of the city via the Chicago River. GSAPP Alumni also hosted a reception which featured studio presentations from students. • GSAPP’s multi-program Porto Maravilha Rio Studio led by Clara Irazabal this past fall has continued to receive media coverage and praise. Real for Rio featured the student’s study on low-income housing feasibility in the revitalization of Rio’s port area. http://riorealblog.com/abecedario/ • Emily Heard, MS UP ’14 is the recipient of an internship and grant through the New York Transportation Council and the University Research Transportation Center. She will spend the next year working on a Community Planning initiative for Long Island communities affected by the MTA East Side Access project. • The Hudson River Park Studio was selected to represent Columbia University GSAPP at the APA Metro Studio presentations at Pratt University in May. • This year, graduating students were given the chance to publicly present their theses at the UP Year End Celebration the night before graduation. On Tuesday May 21, students, faculty, alumni, family and friends gathered for presentations of eight Master’s theses, followed by a reception in the UP studio. Since planning theses are typically only presented to thesis advisors and readers, this event was an opportunity for their research to reach a larger crowd. Thank you to all the attendees!
Student News
May Yu, MS UP ’13, organized a Studio-X Rio Workshop this spring in conjunction with Instituto de Estudos do Trabalho e Sociedade (IETS). The workshop, Protecting Local Livelihoods in Urban Sustainable Development: The Case of Jardim Gramacho, investigated the intersection of employment and environmental sustainability, and the role of planners and policy makers in these issues. The panel discussion focused on a local example of the closure and rehabilitation of Jardim Gramacho, the largest landfill in Latin America. Though Gramacho was an environmental hazard, it provided livelihoods for around 3,000 workers in the informal economy. Through speakers representing various related interests and a working thematic session, the participants strategized for a more equitable and sustainable Gramacho. Pictured left: Participants in Rio de Janiero workshop
Lecture and Discussion on Planning for China In February, students and faculty from the
New York metro area Planning schools gathered at Columbia for a symposium on urban planning in China. The country has experienced rapid urbanization in the past few decades, raising multiple planning issues. Similarly, our program and other American planning schools have welcomed a greater population of Chinese students interested in gaining the knowledge to solve the challenges of urbanization in their home country. For this particular lecture Weipin Wu, Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University, spoke on the history of Chinese urbanization, which was beneficial to attendees unfamiliar with the timeline of China’s growth. The second half of the event shifted gears to a panel discussion with Chinese students and graduates from local planning schools. The discussion raised important questions of how to gain relevant experience in the United States and how to apply an American planning education in China. The event was organized by the newly formed Urban China Network, a group of Chinese students from area planning programs. Next year the group plans to hold similar events to bring planning issues in China to the forefront.
Pictured above: Weiping Wu’s informative lecture which attracted students and faculty from schools across the region. Pictured on opposite page from top: Jet Richardson presenting the Medellin studio midterm report at the GSAPP Alumni event in Chicago; Students taking in the city view from the top of St. John of the Divine; Planners aboard the boat tour of Chicago; Graduates and alumni networking at the Year End Celebration in the UP studio.
• In March, the UP Program held an inaugural Speed Networking event for current students and alumni. Sixteen alumni, with graduation years ranging from 1982 to 2011, met with thirty-five students in timed rounds. The students found that meeting with successful planning professionals who were once in their shoes was a rewarding and encouraging experience. We are in the process of planning the second annual event – contact Charlotte Egerton if interested in participating. • This spring, the Planning Student Organization organized a tour of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Students from both the planning and preservation programs were treated to a lecture and tour from Stephen Facey, the Cathedral’s historic preservation consultant. With the ideal spring weather, the views from the rooftop were spectacular. • GSAPP was represented well at APA’s National Planning Conference this year, as forty students traveled to the windy city. In addition to attending conference presentations, the students participated in a boat tour of the city via the Chicago River. GSAPP Alumni also hosted a reception which featured studio presentations from students. • GSAPP’s multi-program Porto Maravilha Rio Studio led by Clara Irazabal this past fall has continued to receive media coverage and praise. Real for Rio featured the student’s study on low-income housing feasibility in the revitalization of Rio’s port area. http://riorealblog.com/abecedario/ • Emily Heard, MS UP ’14 is the recipient of an internship and grant through the New York Transportation Council and the University Research Transportation Center. She will spend the next year working on a Community Planning initiative for Long Island communities affected by the MTA East Side Access project. • The Hudson River Park Studio was selected to represent Columbia University GSAPP at the APA Metro Studio presentations at Pratt University in May. • This year, graduating students were given the chance to publicly present their theses at the UP Year End Celebration the night before graduation. On Tuesday May 21, students, faculty, alumni, family and friends gathered for presentations of eight Master’s theses, followed by a reception in the UP studio. Since planning theses are typically only presented to thesis advisors and readers, this event was an opportunity for their research to reach a larger crowd. Thank you to all the attendees!
Alumni Spotlight Michelle Young may have only graduated from GSAPP one year ago, yet her entrepreneurial success has already greatly contributed to the study of cities in a unique way. Michelle, the founder of Untapped Cities, caught up with us to talk about her company, the influence of planning, and some special Columbia memories. Your website, Untapped Cities, is an incredible resource for discovering new places in cities across the world. How has your planning background helped in founding your company? I started Untapped Cities while at Columbia GSAPP, before I began my masters, after I took a seminar in Urban Design and a class with Kate Ascher on the secrets of New York. I was inspired by the work I was seeing at Columbia GSAPP, and I realized there was so much being studied on cities that remained in the realm of planning education. Amazing student projects were filed away after a semester, the thousands of pages of reading we had were intended for intellectual circles, but had real world applicability if distilled from a different angle. The goal of Untapped Cities was to bridge the gap between the populist blogs out there on cities and academic practice, showcasing how people who work in city building understand cities. I wanted to make urbanism hip and accessible to everyone, and draw people into urban issues through a topic or place they didn’t know about before. I have been fortunate that Untapped Cities really resonated with a large number of my Urban Planning classmates (many of them remain writers today), along with an incredibly supportive faculty who allowed me to explore some non-traditional routes. Even though Untapped Cities covers much more than planning and policy now, we are still very grounded in cities from an urbanist perspective and we consistently cover behind the scenes looks at major construction projects, like the Second Avenue Subway and 7 Line Extension, and preservation topics. We work with organizations like the Municipal Art Society and the National Trust for Historic Preservation on their campaigns, to bring important issues to a global readership, we give workshops for the community on
social media, open data and planning at APA conferences and in NYC, and we were part of a Rockefeller Foundation conference at their Bellagio Center in Italy for the “Jane Jacobs Revisited” conference, marking the 50th Anniversary of “Death and Life of Great American Cities.” What challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur, and how have you worked to overcome them? I came from the corporate fashion world before getting into planning, so I have a background in business but not as an entrepreneur. Untapped Cities began from a completely non-commercial impetus—it was more like a calling—so adapting our crowd-sourced model to a business plan has been challenging. We’re now part of the Blankslate network, a company that monetizes websites like Brownstoner, Brooklyn Flea, Brokelyn and other websites. I think the greatest learning I’ve had so far is that you just can’t do it all yourself. I’ve learned that it’s important to focus on your passion and what you do best, and look for great partners to complete a team. It’s also extremely important to remain true to your vision, while also evolving your business. I’m also a strong believer in staying in touch, not in a forced way, but because I’m genuinely interested in what people are up to. Untapped Cities began because I was just curious about a lot of things in my surroundings, and that applies to people too, not just places. And finally, due to my network, I’m plugged into the startup scene here, which has been inspiring and I’m involved with several other start-ups in addition to Untapped Cities, as a board member or consultant. What is one of the most unforgettable experiences you had while in Columbia’s Urban Planning program? My biggest inspiration was the late professor Moji Baratloo, who was my urban studies studio teacher in the New York/Paris program at GSAPP and my advisor for many projects throughout my time at GSAPP. The way in which I see cities today, how I train our writers to look differently at their everyday urban environment for secret gems, layers of history, the quirks that others miss, comes from Moji’s development of my eye. She was an early supporter of Untapped Cities, pushing me to do more, to explore my academic studies through the lens of Untapped.
Pictured: Interior and exterior views of the old Domino Sugar Factory in Willamsburg, Brooklyn.
I’ve also had some wonderful opportunities to travel though Columbia GSAPP. I was part of Keith Kaseman’s Rio de Janeiro architecture studio, which was a mix of architecture, planning and real estate students. I researched how the legalization of graffiti in Brazil has led to an incredibly dynamic and vibrant art scene, and I got to meet some great people from a cross section of professions while we were at Studio-X Rio. My international studio was on Istanbul with Markus Dochantschi, where we shook up things face-to-face with the local government and trespassed into a controversial “slum” clearance project. Our findings about lack of citizen participation in the planning process really foreshadowed what’s happening in Taksim Square right now. What advice do you have for current GSAPP students that will help them get the most out of their education? One of the great things about Columbia GSAPP is that you have the opportunity to take classes in all the other programs at GSAPP and outside of it. I took urban related classes in real estate, architecture, urban design, at the Journalism School, at SIPA, all which have had an impact on my understanding of cities. And also, your classmates are your greatest asset! Many of us are still working on multiple projects together, more than a year after we graduated. Don’t be afraid to reach across the aisle to students in other programs at GSAPP.
To all of our students here in New York, also your hometown, what is your favorite ‘untapped’ part of the city? (If you want to share!) Ah, there are so many! The magic of New York City is that there is no way to get to know every inch of it, because it changes every day. A few of the most magical places I’ve been: climbing to the spire of the San Remo apartments overlooking Central Park at night, TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport (alone, with someone from Port Authority), breaking into the Third Section of the High Line a few years ago when it was still kind of wild, and exploring the Domino Sugar Factory with Two Trees, the developers. But most of the magic of New York City doesn’t come from these illicit places, it’s just reveling in a city that’s 24/7 and has rich, distinctive neighborhoods. There’s a tunnel on Doyers Street that shoots you out onto Confucius Plaza that I learned about from a GSAPP talk by David Freeland that I always take people to, definitely a little heterotopia within the city. If you are interested in a feature in the Alumni Spotlight, contact Charlotte Egerton, cce2119@columbia.edu.
Stay Connected! Want to stay up to date with events, employment opportunities, and other news from the program? Subscribe to the GSAPP Urban Planning Weekly Newsletter Join our LinkedIn group: Columbia University Urban Planners
Alumni Spotlight Michelle Young may have only graduated from GSAPP one year ago, yet her entrepreneurial success has already greatly contributed to the study of cities in a unique way. Michelle, the founder of Untapped Cities, caught up with us to talk about her company, the influence of planning, and some special Columbia memories. Your website, Untapped Cities, is an incredible resource for discovering new places in cities across the world. How has your planning background helped in founding your company? I started Untapped Cities while at Columbia GSAPP, before I began my masters, after I took a seminar in Urban Design and a class with Kate Ascher on the secrets of New York. I was inspired by the work I was seeing at Columbia GSAPP, and I realized there was so much being studied on cities that remained in the realm of planning education. Amazing student projects were filed away after a semester, the thousands of pages of reading we had were intended for intellectual circles, but had real world applicability if distilled from a different angle. The goal of Untapped Cities was to bridge the gap between the populist blogs out there on cities and academic practice, showcasing how people who work in city building understand cities. I wanted to make urbanism hip and accessible to everyone, and draw people into urban issues through a topic or place they didn’t know about before. I have been fortunate that Untapped Cities really resonated with a large number of my Urban Planning classmates (many of them remain writers today), along with an incredibly supportive faculty who allowed me to explore some non-traditional routes. Even though Untapped Cities covers much more than planning and policy now, we are still very grounded in cities from an urbanist perspective and we consistently cover behind the scenes looks at major construction projects, like the Second Avenue Subway and 7 Line Extension, and preservation topics. We work with organizations like the Municipal Art Society and the National Trust for Historic Preservation on their campaigns, to bring important issues to a global readership, we give workshops for the community on
social media, open data and planning at APA conferences and in NYC, and we were part of a Rockefeller Foundation conference at their Bellagio Center in Italy for the “Jane Jacobs Revisited” conference, marking the 50th Anniversary of “Death and Life of Great American Cities.” What challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur, and how have you worked to overcome them? I came from the corporate fashion world before getting into planning, so I have a background in business but not as an entrepreneur. Untapped Cities began from a completely non-commercial impetus—it was more like a calling—so adapting our crowd-sourced model to a business plan has been challenging. We’re now part of the Blankslate network, a company that monetizes websites like Brownstoner, Brooklyn Flea, Brokelyn and other websites. I think the greatest learning I’ve had so far is that you just can’t do it all yourself. I’ve learned that it’s important to focus on your passion and what you do best, and look for great partners to complete a team. It’s also extremely important to remain true to your vision, while also evolving your business. I’m also a strong believer in staying in touch, not in a forced way, but because I’m genuinely interested in what people are up to. Untapped Cities began because I was just curious about a lot of things in my surroundings, and that applies to people too, not just places. And finally, due to my network, I’m plugged into the startup scene here, which has been inspiring and I’m involved with several other start-ups in addition to Untapped Cities, as a board member or consultant. What is one of the most unforgettable experiences you had while in Columbia’s Urban Planning program? My biggest inspiration was the late professor Moji Baratloo, who was my urban studies studio teacher in the New York/Paris program at GSAPP and my advisor for many projects throughout my time at GSAPP. The way in which I see cities today, how I train our writers to look differently at their everyday urban environment for secret gems, layers of history, the quirks that others miss, comes from Moji’s development of my eye. She was an early supporter of Untapped Cities, pushing me to do more, to explore my academic studies through the lens of Untapped.
Pictured: Interior and exterior views of the old Domino Sugar Factory in Willamsburg, Brooklyn.
I’ve also had some wonderful opportunities to travel though Columbia GSAPP. I was part of Keith Kaseman’s Rio de Janeiro architecture studio, which was a mix of architecture, planning and real estate students. I researched how the legalization of graffiti in Brazil has led to an incredibly dynamic and vibrant art scene, and I got to meet some great people from a cross section of professions while we were at Studio-X Rio. My international studio was on Istanbul with Markus Dochantschi, where we shook up things face-to-face with the local government and trespassed into a controversial “slum” clearance project. Our findings about lack of citizen participation in the planning process really foreshadowed what’s happening in Taksim Square right now. What advice do you have for current GSAPP students that will help them get the most out of their education? One of the great things about Columbia GSAPP is that you have the opportunity to take classes in all the other programs at GSAPP and outside of it. I took urban related classes in real estate, architecture, urban design, at the Journalism School, at SIPA, all which have had an impact on my understanding of cities. And also, your classmates are your greatest asset! Many of us are still working on multiple projects together, more than a year after we graduated. Don’t be afraid to reach across the aisle to students in other programs at GSAPP.
To all of our students here in New York, also your hometown, what is your favorite ‘untapped’ part of the city? (If you want to share!) Ah, there are so many! The magic of New York City is that there is no way to get to know every inch of it, because it changes every day. A few of the most magical places I’ve been: climbing to the spire of the San Remo apartments overlooking Central Park at night, TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport (alone, with someone from Port Authority), breaking into the Third Section of the High Line a few years ago when it was still kind of wild, and exploring the Domino Sugar Factory with Two Trees, the developers. But most of the magic of New York City doesn’t come from these illicit places, it’s just reveling in a city that’s 24/7 and has rich, distinctive neighborhoods. There’s a tunnel on Doyers Street that shoots you out onto Confucius Plaza that I learned about from a GSAPP talk by David Freeland that I always take people to, definitely a little heterotopia within the city. If you are interested in a feature in the Alumni Spotlight, contact Charlotte Egerton, cce2119@columbia.edu.
Stay Connected! Want to stay up to date with events, employment opportunities, and other news from the program? Subscribe to the GSAPP Urban Planning Weekly Newsletter Join our LinkedIn group: Columbia University Urban Planners
End of Year Show
The GSAPP End of Year Show is a chance for all students to show off the past year’s hard work through creative displays. This year, the planning students exhibited in their new and improved studio, 201 Fayerweather. Exhibitors this year included all six first-year studios, Urban Magazine, second-year theses, Fundamentals of Urban Digital Design with Alejandro de Castro Mazarro, Urban Design for Planners with Justin Moore, and second-year students Francesca Camillo and John Woodard. The show officially opened with a reception on Saturday May 18 which drew a crowd large enough to fill Avery Hall and the Fayerweather Plaza. The opening was an opportunity especially for the first-year studios to interact with the public by discussing their reports. Congratulations to all of those who exhibited in this annual showcase of our program.
The spring issue of Urban Magazine is now online! Visit the program website to view, and learn more about the student edited publication.
Save the Date Fall Welcome Reception Wednesday, August 28 5 - 7pm Harlem Tavern RSVP details to come