A Project Portfolio Bradley Scott Kotrba
2
Contents Background 5 Rural Transit Planning, GDOT Section 5311 Program (2007-08) 7 Dalton Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Analysis (2010) 9 Bike! Walk! Northwest Georgia (2010-11) 11 Consultation, Grants, Historic Preservation (2012-2016) 13 3131 Biddle Avenue Project - Wyandotte, MI (2016) 15 ULI Gerald D. Hines Competition - Chicago, IL (2017) 17 HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing Competition - Cleveland, OH (2017) 19 The Hamilton - Detroit, MI (2017) 21 Fitzgerald Neighborhood Redevelopment Exercise - Detroit, MI (2018) 23 Plaza Redesign Exercise - Ann Arbor, MI (2018) 25 Study in New Urbanism: Cherry Hill Village - Canton, MI (2018) 27 La Cornisa del Paseo de la Direccion - Madrid, Spain (2018) 29 Slow the Flow: Channeling Community Capacity for Stormwater Solutions (2018) 33 AGORA: Journal of Urban Planning and Design (2018) 35
3
2017 Fox Hill Drive Unit Number 9 Grand Blanc, Michigan 48439 +1 (989) 415-2887 bkotrba@umich.edu kotrbab1@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-kotrba Michigan State University - East Lansing, MI BS Urban & Regional Planning - 2007 Transportation Planning Concentration University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI MURP Urban and Regional Planning - 2018 Physical Planning & Design Concentration University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI Graduate Certificate Real Estate Development - 2018 AICP - Candidate - #220225
4
Background
My work has primarily focused on participatory planning, community and client outreach, along with innovative and sustainable design. Originally from Bay City, Michigan, I have worked as an urban planning professional since 2007, first in Northwest Georgia and more recently in Southeast Michigan.
With an interest in private consulting, I returned to his home state of Michigan and worked as a consultant with small local governments, agencies, and real estate development professionals. He assisted in aspects such as running charettes, developing economic and demographic profiles, commercial market analysis, and assisting with grant writing for grants thru agencies such as the Michigan Economic Development I began my education at Michigan State University’s School of Planning, Design, Corporation. Wanting to learn more about design, I returned to graduate school at and Construction. Graduating in May 2007. In October 2007, I accepted a planning the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning position with the North Georgia Regional Development Center in Dalton, Georgia. At enrolling in a dual degree program completing his Master of Urban and Regional the NGRDC, I worked primarily as a transportation planner working with the Georgia Planning and Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development. At Taubman I was very Department of Transportation administering the FTA 5303, 5304, 5307, 5309, and active, participating in student government, program recruitment, design and devel5311 federal grant programs. In Northwest Georgia I was privileged to work with opment competitions, and organizing and leading an introductory urban planning local governments, local schools, the State of Georgia, the US Census Bureau, the course called the Expanded Horizons Program. Expanded Horizons was designed to University of Georgia, APA GA, and Clean Air Coalition and Safe Routes to School. In give incoming first year grad students the opportunity to learn about and experience 2009, the North Georgia Regional Development Center and the Coosa Valley Regional real world urban planning in action. The course spent five days in Cleveland, Ohio and Development Center merged into the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission. With met with 26 different planning, community and economic development, housing and the merger, I worked to help create a regional bicycle and pedestrian transportation design organizations. The group also participated in a community service project with advocacy group to promote biking, walking, running and hiking throughout the North- the Red Line Green Way Collaborative. In 2017-18, I was given the opportunity as a west Georgia Region. An example of projects undertaken with Bike! Walk! Northwest creative layout editor for the AGORA Journal of Urban Planning and Design Volume Georgia are the Riverwalk trail in Rome, GA; the Northwest Georgia regional bicycle 12 – Semblance, which was awarded the Douglas Haskell Award for student journals transportation network which was developed with an interactive GIS mapping system by the Center for Design. available for users on mobile phones and GIS accessible bicycle computers; and connecting the Pinhoti Trail System to the Appalachian Trail Network in the North Georgia After graduation I joined ROWE Professional Services Company in Flint, MI as a Planmountains; as well as, developing brochures, maps, signage, and bike-ped plans for ner. He has worked primarily on zoning ordinance amendments, comprehensive plan the region. updates, and DDA creation and TIF plans. I look forward to future projects, exciting new adventures, and creative teamwork.
5
6
Rural Transit Planning, GDOT Section 5311 Program (2007-08) North Georgia Regional Development Center
Location of County Plans
Project(s):
Rural Transportation Planning Projects (GDOT)
Location(s):
Pickens County, Georgia; Gilmer County, Georgia; Fannin County, Georgia; Murray County, Georgia.
Year(s) of Production:
2007-2009
Project Designer: North Georgia Regional Development Center (Dalton, Georgia) Project Management Lead:
Bradley S. Kotrba, Planner
Additional Agents:
Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and Mountain Area Transportation Services (MATS)
Funding Sources:
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5311 Funding via GDOT Non-Urbanized planning grant source projects
Key Project Components:
Evaluation of the existing system, identification of performance concerns, development of creative performance solutions, and recommendation of selfevaluation procedures.
The Georgia Department of Transportation, through the FHA 5311 projects fund, stipulates an analysis and program plan for the regional rural transportation agencies throughout the State. In North Georgia, the Mountain Area Transportation Systems (MATS) receives funding and provides services to all five counties within the North Georgia Regional Development Center’s region. Between 2007 and 2009, four rural public transportation plans (Murray, Pickens, Gilmer and Fannin Counties) expired and needed to be updated. An analysis was given to both the counties ridership demands and the transportation system. A determination was conducted to plot an increase/decrease of demand, the service provided, and financial capacity of the system. With the data gathered a plan was written for each county system and how these systems could improve its ridership, increase its direct financial gain from ridership and other areas determined to be more beneficial for both the system and the rider. 7
8
Dalton Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Analysis (2010) Northwest Georgia Regional Commission Project(s):
Dalton Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Analysis
Location(s):
Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia, USA
Year(s) of Production:
2010
Project Designer:
Northwest Georgia Regional Commission
Project Management Lead:
Bradley S. Kotrba, Planner
Additional Agents:
Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), Georgia Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS), Bike Walk Northwest Georgia (BWNWGA), Dalton Public Schools, City of Dalton
Funding Sources:
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5311 Funding via GDOT Non-Urbanized planning grant source projects
Key Project Components:
Comprehensive analysis of the nonmotorized bicycle and pedestrian facilities currently located within the rapidly expanding city of Dalton, GA.
With the growing interest in quality of life, community health, and multimodal transportation options. Georgia DOT, Georgia Safe Routes to Schools and the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission came together with the City of Dalton and Dalton Public Schools to create an analysis of the existing bicycle and pedestrian options available in the City of Dalton. This comprehensive analysis gathered information entire community by working with the City of Dalton, Whitfield County, stakeholder groups, elementary school principals and PTAs gathering information about concerns for safety, lack of connectivity and ease of mobility while planning for new development of bicycling and walking options for pedestrians/riders of all ages and interests. This project was used as a catalyst for planning a safer and more mobile city and weaving in the goals of Georgia Safe Routes to Schools. This analysis was the first step in creating a new quality of life for the City’s residents. One immediate result was the Dalton Public Schools applied for a SRTS grant, with he help of the NWGRC and was awarded at $485,000 grant to provide assistance to safe, accessible routes for its students to travel to and from school in 2010. 9
10
Bike! Walk! Northwest Georgia (2010-11) Project(s):
Bike! Walk! Northwest Georgia
Website:
www.bwnwga.org
Location(s):
Northwest Georgia Region (15 Counties, 49 Cities)
Year(s) of Production:
2010-2011
Project Designer:
Northwest Georgia Regional Commission (Dalton, Georgia/Rome, Georgia)
Project Management Lead(s):
Bradley S. Kotrba, Planner, David Kenemer, Planner
Additional Agents:
Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), Georgia Safe Routes to School, A Carroll GIS, Clean Air Coalition
Funding Sources:
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5311 Funding via GDOT Non-Urbanized planning grant source projects
Key Project Components:
Promote connections between land uses via cycling and walking; promote education to cyclists, pedestrians and motorists about their proper relationship to traffic and mobility; encourage and maintain promotion of cycling and pedestrian transportation through political and monetary support; encourage maintenance of roadways, trail ways, and sidewalks; promote renovation of existing roads and bridges and design new systems to facilitate safe cycling and pedestrian traffic; promote the establishment of greenways; develop a regional system over the 15 county Northwest Georgia Region, promote and market cycling and pedestrian activities and promote and facilitate cycling and pedestrian planning in the region.
Bike! Walk! Northwest Georgia was created to promote, facilitate, and enhance cycling and pedestrian mobility options throughout the fifteen-county northwest Georgia region. It acts primarily as an advocate, political conduit, and project development partner in regional cycling and pedestrian activities. It supports regional partners such as Safe Routes to School, cycling groups, MPOs, and hiking interests, etc. Projects that we undertook at BWNWGA while I was a project manager were a regional interactive route mapping resource available in printable (.PDF) and downloadable (.kml and .gpx) file formats for the entire 1,000-mile network connecting the Atlanta metro, Chattanooga Metro, Northeastern Alabama into the Northwest Georgia region. This interactive system could be downloaded and displayed on any GPS capable device (such as a GPS linked bike computer) and display route information in real-time Signage for this network was also financed and implemented by BWNWGA program. BWNWGA was asked to present this interactive network at Pro Walk Pro Bike 2010 in 2010.
Example of Regional Cycling Route Map (.pdf version)
0
Bike! Walk! NW GA Route 103
2
4
8
4 12
Route 103
11
16 Miles
Janes Street Corridor Development Charette Component Courtesy: New E.R.A...... Community Group (2013) 12
Consultation, Grants, Historic Preservation (2012-2016)
1893
2006
Project(s):
Consultation, Grants, Historic Preservation
Website:
New E.R.A. Development Downtown Saginaw Charette Exercise (2013)
Location(s):
Mid-Michigan
Year(s) of Production:
2012 - 2016
Project Designer:
New E.R.A. Community Group, Jenifer Acosta Development
Additional Agents:
Fuss & O’Neil, TSSF Architects, WAK, Symmetra Design, MEDC, City of Saginaw
Funding Sources:
City of Saginaw, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Historical Preservation Society
Key Project Components:
Public charette design and group leadership, historic preservation grants, brownfield redevelopment grants, real estate development and historic structure preservation
Between the years working in the state of Georgia and returning to study for graduate education at the University of Michigan, I worked on small projects with local real estate developers, local governments, and local community groups in planning and development activities. Examples that I have presented here include a charette exercise that I assisted with for the New E.R.A. Community Group in 2013. I have included a link to a short video presented by New E.R.A. Community Group about this charette which provides a more in-depth adventure into the design exercise.
2016
The second example is a historic preservation project in downtown Bay City, Michigan which is converting the vacant Chemical Bank Building (Crapo Building) into a mixed-use development of offices, residential and retail space by Jenifer Acosta Development of Midland, Michigan. The project involved research for historical information to supplement historical preservation and brownfield redevelopment grants through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
13
14
3131 Biddle Avenue Project - Wyandotte, MI (2016) ULI - Michigan Chapter Real Deal Award Winner
Existing Structure and Vacant Lots
Precedents
Project(s):
3131 Biddle Avenue
Award:
2016 ULI Real Deal Student Award Winner
Location(s):
Wyandotte, Michigan
Year(s) of Production:
2016
Project Designer(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Xu Zhang, Scott Feil
Project Manager:
Bradley Kotrba
Additional Agents:
Ross Business School, City of Wyandotte DDA
Funding Sources:
Student Project
Key Project Components:
Student real estate development project in conjunction with the Wyandotte DDA. Preliminary urban design, architectural design, precedent research and financial modeling
As a component of the Real Estate Fundamentals (UP517) course, student teams were charged to develop a real estate project of their choosing and turn it into a hypothetical development. The team was responsible for researching the real estate, demographic, economic, and job markets; strategize a development proposal and structure the financial model therefore, creating a preliminary design package attractive for potential backing. The 3131 Biddle Avenue project received the Real Deal Award for the most promising opportunity presented during the competition presentations to professional bankers, designers, and real estate professionals. The award consisted of $15,000 worth of pro bono work by professionals in the environmental/remediation, architectural, development, and financial fields to assist the Wyandotte DDA in developing this or similar project into reality for the city.
Site Plan
15
16
ULI Gerald D. Hines Competition - Chicago, IL (2017) Project(s):
ULI Gerald D. Hines Student Competition
Location(s):
Chicago, Illinois
Year(s) of Production:
2017
Project Designer(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Clark Chung, Yurong Xiao, Xuehan Li, Shujie Xie
Project Manager:
Bradley Kotrba
Additional Agents:
A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Funding Sources:
Student Project
Key Project Components:
Student Real Estate Development Competition
Each year the Urban Land Institute holds the Gerald D. Hines Memorial Real Estate Development Competition. The January 2017 competition consisted of a project site in Chicago, Illinois. The site was located on the north branch of the Chicago River on the site of a decommissioning Chicago Public Works garage facility. The proposed development contained mixed land uses such as residential, commercial, retail, hotel, technology/light industrial and institutional; wrapped into a package proposal that was valued at over $950 million in development. The project theme was centered on the history of the Goose Island and River North neighborhoods. Examples of these include the formation of industry, its transition into a district of growing commercial retail pattern and the focus on developing into a sustainable multi-use district. The heart throughout all these different land uses was the Chicago River and its importance at the project site. Therefore, the team chose to use the river as a focal conduit and present the history along a multimodal pathway outlining the history of the site and connecting both sides of the river.
17
18
HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing Competition - Cleveland, OH (2017) Project(s):
HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing
Location(s):
Cleveland, Ohio
Year(s) of Production:
2017
Project Designer(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Srinidhi Venugopal, Grace Cho, Jin Li, Deepa Bharadwaj
Project Manager:
Bradley Kotrba, Srinidhi Venugopal
Additional Agents:
A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Funding Sources:
Student Project
Key Project Components:
Student competition, affordable housing development, real estate development, urban planning project
Each year the US Department of Housing and Urban Development hosts a competition for innovation in affordable housing redevelopment competition. Weave was one of two student teams from the University of Michigan to compete in the 2017 competition. The competition was located at a site in Cleveland, Ohio; redeveloping a small 1940s public housing project. The purpose of this competition was to create a more sustainable and disability accessible application for the existing development without demolishing any existing structure or changing the existing floor plans. The proposal consisted of a new circulation pattern, parking layout, parasitic additions to the existing structures, handicapped access, a new community center, and a sustainable green infrastructure system to handle stormwater runoff and provide new amenities to the community.
19
20
The Hamilton - Detroit, MI (2017) Broder & Sachse 4 miles 2 miles
MIDTOWN DETROIT
1 mile
Project(s):
The Hamilton Development
Location(s):
Detroit, Michigan
Year(s) of Production:
2017
Project Designer(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Mari Hashimoto, Drew Kaczmarek
Project Manager:
Bradley Kotrba, Drew Kaczmarek
Additional Agents:
A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Funding Sources:
Student Project
Key Project Components:
Financial proposal for development
1/2 mile
SITE BRUSH PARK
ARENA DISTRICT
DOWNTOWN DETROIT
This project was an urban planning and real estate development exercise for the Taubman course Real Estate Finance (UP566) in which students develop a financial proposal for a team of real-world bankers and mortgage lenders who will review and critique the feasibility of the financial package and the project proposal. The Hamilton was historically a short stay hotel constructed in 1921, in which rooms were let as apartments for short term periods (by the week or month). After 1930s the hotel was turned into an apartment building and has remained as such since. The floor plans are relatively small for family apartments, typically under 500 square feet per unit. However, with Detroit’s fast growth in the professional millennial market as well as the building’s prime location in the fastest growing neighborhood (midtown) in Detroit, it presents opportunities for our client Broder & Sachse. Therefore, the team identified, researched comparable properties, demographic and economic situations, both historically and projected; to create a small size affordable apartment complex of studio and one-bedroom apartments to accommodate the influx of young urban professionals and empty nesters that choose to have a small weekend residence near downtown to enjoy the cultural amenities of the city without having to commute long distances between the city and rural suburban locations.
21
22
Fitzgerald Neighborhood Redevelopment Exercise - Detroit, MI (2018) Project(s):
Fitzgerald Neighborhood Exercise
Location(s):
Detroit, Michigan
Year(s) of Production:
2017
Project Designer(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Pingping Liu, Kip Darden
Project Manager(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Pingping Liu
Additional Agents:
A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Funding Sources:
Student Project
Key Project Components:
Urban neighborhood redevelopment exercise
This was an urban planning project in the Fitzgerald neighborhood of central Detroit. This was a course project for Representative Communication (UP516) was is intended to promote visual communication of ideas to urban planning and design professionals. The Fitzgerald neighborhood was historically a working-class neighborhood of small two-story brick cottages, located round an elementary and middle school, both constructed in the 1930s. The neighborhood is home both to Marygrove College and the University of Detroit Mercy. The Fitzgerald neighborhood has evolved into a segregated, filtered, and economically challenged area of the city. Both the neighborhood elementary and middle schools have closed and are currently abandoned, and the Universities have suffered declining enrollment and perceived safety and location concerns. However, Fitzgerald has the foundation for a thriving college community, with eclectic residential character. This project was developed to invigorate and reinvest in the neighborhood, by creating connections and a simple neighborhood plan to mobilize the community. Our team developed a strategy to reuse the schools to create student housing for the declining resident student population at the universities. Bring simple amenities into the neighborhood that residents fundamentally lack , such as a grocery market, and place priority on redevelopment of the corridors that historically have provided amenities and created a link between the neighborhood, universities and surrounding neighborhoods. This all creates a more fluid and functional environment for residents and students.
23
24
Plaza Redesign Exercise - Ann Arbor, MI (2018) Project(s):
Plaza Redesign Exercise
Location(s):
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Year(s) of Production:
2017
Project Designer(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Pingping Liu, Karina Pazos, Ale Waltz
Project Manager(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Pingping Liu
Additional Agents:
A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Funding Sources:
Student Project
Key Project Components:
Urban strip mall plaza redesign exercise, create a new site plan and preliminary renderings, incorporate sustainable design practices
Project incorporating urban planning, architectural design, green infrastructure practices, and urban design practices. The project was a component of Spatial Planning and Design Methods (URP508) to help student groups take a typical mid-20th century strip mall development at a prominent urban intersection and recreate it into a mixed-use development that prioritizes sustainable and green infrastructure practices. Elements that must be considered were current site inventory, market potential, existing planning and zoning, creative license incorporating strong sustainable and green practices.
25
26
Study in New Urbanism: Cherry Hill Village - Canton, MI (2018) Project(s):
A Study in New Urbanism – Cherry Hill Village
Location(s):
Canton, Michigan
Year(s) of Production:
2017
Project Designer(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Dewi Kartika Tan
Project Manager(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Dewi Kartika Tan
Additional Agents:
A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Funding Sources:
Student Project
Key Project Components:
Identify a major urbanism that have inspired and effected modern urban planning and urban design.
Several major urbanistic movements have shaped the modern landscape for urban planning and urban design. One of the most influential in the last few decades is that of New Urbanism. Developed by the Congress for the New Urbanism in the early 1990s. This urbanism defines the major aspects of urban living in the past and revisiting these into newly redeveloped urban neighborhoods or shaping them into the modern suburban environment. Stressing ideals such as mixed use, upper story residential, sidewalk amenities, walkability and bikeability, as well as access to multimodal transportation options. My study was in a greenfield development in suburban Detroit (Canton, MI) which embraced these ideals through traditional neighborhood design such as smaller lot sizes, stringent setback regulations, parking access in the rear alleyway, on-street parking, and short distances between neighborhood amenities such as shopping and parks all within walking distance.
27
28
Plan Parcial de Reforma Interior del Paseo de la Direccion - Madrid, Spain (2018) Project(s):
Plan Parcial de Reforma Interior del Paseo de la Direccion
Location(s):
Madrid, Spain
Year(s) of Production:
2018
Project Designer(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Benny Cruz, Lei Nie, Jingya Guan, Junxi Wu, Kunheng Han, Xiaodi Xu
Project Manager(s):
Bradley Kotrba
Additional Agents:
A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid, City of Madrid Tetuan District Council
Project Type:
Urban Design and Urban Planning Proposal
Key Project Components:
Urban Planning, Urban Design, Architecture, Community Outreach, International student collaboration, Community, Economic and Demographic data collection, Mapping, Real Estate Development Assessments
In Spring 2018, two groups of students from Taubman College or Architecture and Urban Design and the Superior Technical School of Architecture of Madrid joined together to create a series of planning, design and development proposals for the City of Madrid: Tetuan District Council to plan and develop space that has been abandoned by the development firm Dragados, in lieu of legal troubles and community outrage at the standard that the firm proposed for redevelopment of the land acquired in the the Valeacederas neighborhood of Tetuan District of Madrid. My team, Creative Design, proposed a strategic plan for location of public cultural amenities that the district lacked; as well as proposing the best land uses for each development parcel regarding public need. All these land use proposals and public amenities are seamlessly connected by multimodal transportation routes and corridors accentuating the location and importance of the neighborhood and the large public park, (Parque Augustin Sahagun) to Valeacederas and central Madrid.
29
30
31
32
Slow the Flow: Channeling Community Capacity for Stormwater Solutions (2018) Pittsfield Township, Michigan
Community Survey Results (above) Level of Service and Cost Comparison (below)
Project(s):
Slow the Flow: Channeling Community Capacity for Stormwater Solutions
Location(s):
Pittsfield Township, Michigan
Year(s) of Production:
2018
Project Designer(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Pingping Liu, Whitney Sherrill, Jin Li, Xuan Wang
Project Manager(s):
Bradley Kotrba, Whitney Sherrill
Additional Agents:
A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Pittsfield Charter Township, Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner
Project Type:
Strategies for community outreach and survey for green infrastructure solutions
Key Project Components:
Community outreach, creative survey strategies, data collection and processing, planning analysis and strategies for green infrastructure solutions for stormwater runoff.
This project was a graduate thesis/professional project by which our team copartnered with Pittsfield Charter Township and the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office to survey public support for the creation and development of green infrastructure solutions for stormwater collection. The WCWRC office wanted to survey Pittsfield Township’s residents to collect information about the public’s support for potentially installing a stormwater tax rate in the future to pay for green infrastructure solutions to handle the stormwater runoff capacity issues in Washtenaw County. Pittsfield Township is a typical growing suburban community that was initially developed as an agricultural community over 150 years ago, and presently the pressures of suburbanization and commercial/industrial development has placed heavy stress on the township’s ability to handle stormwater runoff capacity. Alarmingly, if the community continues to grow at its present rate and to maximum development capacity, as outlined in its current Master Plan, the community will not be able to contain and efficiently discharge stormwater runoff, therefore flood damage is inevitable. The township and the county approached the university to develop a two-fold project, develop a way to adequately survey the community, and then survey, assess and present the results to the county and the township so each government unit can move forward with planning to implement its role towards green infrastructure strategies. 33
34
AGORA: Journal of Urban Planning and Design (2018) Douglas Haskell Award for Outstanding Student Journals - Center for Architecture
Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals Founded to encourage student journalism on architecture, planning, and related subjects, and to foster regard for intelligent criticism among future professionals. The award is not intended as a prize for individuals, but to support the ongoing publication of student-edited journals whose subject matter could include architectural design, history, and theory.
Publication(s):
AGORA: Journal of Urban Planning and Design; AGORA Journal of Urban Planning and Design Blog
http://agorajournal.squarespace.com/ current/
https://agorajournal.squarespace.com/ blog/2018/1/22/current-difficulties-with-smalltown-economic-development-throughout-theus-4lcsf
Award:
2018 Douglas Haskell Award for Outstanding Student Publications from the Center for Architecture (New York, NY)
Role(s):
Layout Editor; author
Year(s) of Production:
Volume 12 (2018)
Project Type:
Journal publication of the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Key Project Components:
Journal layout editor, article layout editor and blog author
Volume 12 of Agora speaks to the complexities inherent in planning for communities where everyone can thrive. In choosing the theme “Semblance,” we acknowledge that things are not always as they appear, and actions do not always have their desired effect. Thus, planners have become increasingly aware that they must challenge the assumptions that underlie the initiatives, policies, and systems shaping our society. For example, Christopher Rodriguez asks us to consider whether the market truly illuminates the preferences of our community members, or whether it largely reveals the desires of a powerful few in “Social Cohesion and Economic Justice.” In “Practitioner Perspectives, Equity, and Trade-offs: A Critical Look at Urban Resiliency,” Prathmesh Gupta examines whether our definition of resilience inadvertently allows inequities to persist. While our efforts as agents of community change grow out of the best of intentions, we may struggle to achieve even a semblance of equity or longterm resilience in our communities. This year’s 11 selections ask the tough questions that help planners hold themselves accountable for the outcomes of their work. Agora staff is proud to have been awarded the 2018 Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals by the Center for Architecture for its 12th edition of Agora, Semblance. 35
36
37
38