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SPA SPA Events Events
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Smart Smart City City
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Camping Camping Facts Facts
SPA SPA Events Events Op-Eds Op-Eds Smart Smart City City
Camping Camping Facts Facts
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Events and Organizations Fair We started our first event of the year at Thomas’ (our president) house, it was a fun potluck in his backyard. It was an opportunity to come together and catch up with each other on our summer internships and trips. Wasting no time, the next day, we tabled at the student organization fair and got to talk to a variety of students about what our organization does in addition to the importance of planning as a profession.
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Intramural Soccer
Our Social Chair, Emily, organized an intramural soccer team and we managed to get pretty far. In true A school fashion we showed up in varying shades of grey and black ready to face our opponents. That first game would set the tone for our team as our opponents forfeited and we won the game. We won our next game the exact same way and continued on in search of a worthy and existent adversary. Our third game would be our
first with actual people and as a shocking turn of events, we lost. We would go on to play two more teams and lose each and every time. While for many the point of playing is to win, we formed a team composed of students who are new to planning as well as graduate and undergraduate students. We supported each other in our wins and our loses, making intramurals so much more fun.
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SPA EVENTS
Parking Day
Parking day is a nationally held event for urbanists everywhere and anywhere. It is a time to hang out, educate, and also dabble in a bit of tactical urbanism. This year we went bigger than ever and partnered with the Office of Transportation as well as the Office of Sustainability to take over the parking spaces in front of the Bank of America. We had donuts, coffee, plants, and dogs. Thomas even assembled a bench out of wood and cement blocks(which
are ridiculously heavy). We brought our pillows and blankets to adorn the bench and Nataly brought her gnome to keep the plants company. There was life size connect four and a board to engage people walking by to think about parking as well as space. We also had professors stop by and enjoy the nice day with us. It was fun to rethink parking spaces and speak with people about how parking works in the United States.
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Careers in Planning
The Careers in Planning Panel was a great opportunity to learn firsthand what planners do. On our panel we had Fred Silverman a former Airport and Transportation Planner, Shaun Smith the Principle Planner for the City of Alexandria and Alumni, and Heather Mackey the Principle Environmental Planner for the Department of Environmental Quality. The panelists had varied backgrounds and years of experience in their fields
and spoke about what they have learned along the way as well as their advice for what we should know in order to be successful in the field.
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Rake-A-Thon
Habitat for Humanity hosts a yearly event where leaves are raked from the front and backyards of homes in exchange for money. This money goes towards building homes and draws in volunteers of all ages from in and around Charlottesville. The Student Planners Association has now made a tradition out of participating and this year was no different. We got to meet new planning students while working to help Habitat reach its goal and fulfill its mission.
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Outdoor Connections
This event was a great opportunity to learn about planning in another county as well as getting to see more of the landscape of Virginia. The first leg of this event was meeting planners from Winchester and learning about how they plan for their town and how that might be different from Charlottesville or other regions in Virginia. Next was a nice relaxing hike through the Shenandoah Valley followed by camping. It was a fun experience for both seasoned as well as novice campers.
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SPA EVENTS
100 Mile Thanksgiving
100 Mile is a staple of the Student Planners Association, it brings together students, faculty, and staff as well as their loved ones. It is a potluck with the same rules every year, whatever it is that you bring has to have main ingredients that come from within one hundred miles. We created a board so that people can put where their food comes from, creating a visual map of where our food is coming from. It is
always exciting to see what people will bring or what they create in their own kitchens. Every year we have planning students perform and this year Mennen played some songs for us on his guitar and sang. This event is something that many people look forward to, especially the planning department and it is great to see the support we receive. It is always a time to relax see some familiar faces and meet new ones.
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Trick or Treat on the Lawn Every year there is trick or treating on the lawn, which draws in hundreds of small humans dressed as their favorite characters. This year the range participated and tried to host our respective student organizations in our rooms along the west side. So naturally planners came in costume, with dogs, and ready to pass out candy.
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Lighting of the Lawn
Every year the University of Virginia has lighting on the lawn as well as trick or treating on the lawn. Lighting on the Lawn is a major event drawing a large portion of the student body to eat, drink, and be merry on the lawn. Our dean opened up her Pavilion as a space for the Architecture school to come and feel welcome. Who knew so many planners could fit in one space? Talk about density!
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Tactical Urbanism in the Digital Realm Over the past half-century, public rightsof-way have not really been very public. Instead, they have largely functioned as subsidized infrastructure for private automobiles. For example, public transit plays a relatively small role in most American’s lives, parents discourage children from playing in streets for fear of vehicles, and curb space is primarily reserved for automobile storage. It hasn’t always been this way. Early in the 20th century, streetcars occupied streets in many cities, kids could run around streets without fear of major injury, and most commercial and social activities would occur on foot. Despite the popular narrative, private automobiles took over not simply because of the choice and convenience they afforded, but also due to concerted, coordinated efforts between the automobile lobby and local, state, and federal governments. If planners played a major role in giving the car unfettered predominance on our streets, we can also help rebalance future streets. Analysis from our project, “Tactical Urbanism in the Digital Realm,” suggests that four forces are converging on urban streets, creating opportunities for publics to intervene in and shape their rights-of-way. The first trend is tactical urbanism – a movement wherein individuals intervene quickly in the built environment using low-cost, lightweight approaches to achieve improvements. Interventions range from public art on crosswalks to calm traffic to the creation of better wayfinding signage for pedestrians to the drawing of sharrow markings to make
drivers more aware of the presence of cyclists. These interventions create space in public rights of way for uses besides private automobiles. The second trend is the emergence of digital ride hailing and asset sharing businesses. Companies like Uber, Bird, and LimeBike, among many others, are introducing digitally connected, shareable mobility assets into public rights of way, transforming the mobility infrastructure in many cities, including Charlottesville, VA. Many people now have a range of options besides owning a private automobile or using public transit to get around a city, most of which are accessible on-demand (as long you have an Internet connection and can afford it). The third trend is the digitalization of public rights of way. Not only have Waze and Google Maps digitized streets to allow for navigation in cars, on bikes, or walking, but applications like Coord (created as an offshoot of Sidewalk Labs) and SharedStreets (created by the National Association of City Transportation Officials in collaboration with the Open Transport Partnership) are attempting to digitally map assets and other location-based information (i.e., parking rules, bus stops, etc.) in cities across the country. At the same time, cities like Los Angeles, CA are developing data formats and protocols to better collect information about the locations and use patterns of the ride hailing and asset sharing mobility options listed above. The result of these applications is a comprehensive, continually refreshed 19
digital representation of public rights of way. The fourth trend is what can be broadly defined as the technologies related to the emerging concept and reality of Connected, Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs). Enabling technologies within this trend include: autonomous vehicle technologies, which allow for vehicles to sense their surroundings and navigate without colliding with other vehicles or objects; and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technologies, which allow infrastructure in cities to communicate information to vehicles, such as speed limits, road closures, or access restrictions. With these technologies, private users will no longer necessarily be in control of the performance and route of their vehicle; rather, the vehicle will communicate with other vehicles, local infrastructure, and the broader mobility network infrastructure to determine performance and routes. Each of these trends puts new pressures on public rights-of-way. Tactical urbanism affords individuals with agency in designing the built environment, digital ride hailing and asset sharing presents communities with choice, applications like Coord and SharedStreets provide cities and constituents with a digital view of assets and use patterns in public rights of way, and CAV technologies present opportunities for new methods of traffic management and operational flexibility. Cities and localities are not accustomed to managing streets with these pressures, and communities will continue to demand more agency and
choice. Furthermore, CAVs create a new set of logistical and data-related challenges that must be resolved. With these pressures in mind, then, how will future public rights of way be managed and operated? In our view, there are three broad scenarios that might unfold. The first, most pessimistic scenario, is one in which the private companies who have developed the CAV technologies operate and manage the mobility infrastructure. In such a case, a private company would ultimately dictate decisions in public rights of way. Though not fully manifest, an example of a current situation that is moving in this direction is the Sidewalk Labs project in Toronto. While such an outcome could conceivably bring about more convenience for consumers, it would certainly result in reduced public control. A second scenario is one in which cities operate and manage the mobility infrastructure just as they manage public streets today – inflexibly and by prioritizing entrenched private or business interests. In this scenario, any changes to street operation or management must be run through a centralized, complex bureaucracy. Though public in its nature, those with the most political influence or clout will determine the outcomes for mobility infrastructure. A third scenario is one that effectively and responsibly devolves facets of the operation and management of streets to community or neighborhood 20
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level entities. In such a case, with the appropriate governance structures, a community could make decisions about things like speed limits, vehicle access controls, or even road closures flexibly in their local mobility network. Such a scenario would infuse the agencyaffording facets of tactical urbanism into the digitally based operation and management of connected streets and vehicles. One can imagine situations in which a community wishes to reduce vehicle speed and access in the afternoon to allow kids to play in streets, a community affords lane prioritization to public transit vehicles or bicycles, or a community closes a street in order to throw a party or stage a protest. It is this third scenario that provides the public with the best opportunity to tactically intervene in its streets and reclaim its rights of way.
This work is part of a larger research project within the UVA School of Architecture titled ‘Tactical Urbanism in the Digital Realm’ led by Professor Andrew Mondschein. Marnissa Claflin and Laura Nagle both contributed research for this article. If you have any questions or comments about the project, please email Professor Mondschein at mondschein@virginia. edu. Written by Michael Salgueiro
There are many ethical, logistical, and policy elements that must be debated and decided as these new trends and technologies emerge in cities globally. That said, it is clear that the time is ripe to ask – for whom, and for what, are the public rights of way? If the answers are for the public, and for whatever use the public deems best, then one must begin to consider new models for the operation and management of future streets in the digital age.
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2001 Rivermont
Leadership, diversity, acceptance, love for all. Oohs and aahs echo as buzz words like these are spoken with gusto at (insert any UVA event here). UVA is a great school; we hear that nearly everywhere we go. But who is this school great for? Arguably for all students, as many University community members would say. UVA brings students jobs, friendships, purpose, and an irreplaceable knowledge of this world. For some students, UVA brings along more hidden unfavorable traits that currently have and continue to course through its veins. The great benefits and prestige of this school are often translated into elitism, egotism, and power. What happens when the ideal buzzwords that UVA strives to be fight against the subliminal attitudes (notso) hidden beneath UVA’s surface? I come from a traditional southern city called Lynchburg about an hour south of Charlottesville. If you haven’t heard of it, maybe Liberty University sounds more familiar: it’s located in the heart of the city. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to intern with the municipal city planning department. A large responsibility of public city planners is writing zoning ordinances and presenting proposed changes to these ordinances. This sounds irrefutably dry, but is drenched in politicization. Rivermont Avenue is a famed street in Lynchburg known for the contrast between its beautiful historic mansions and crumbling shacks; elites on one end and impoverished residents on the other; the wealthy white community that often
blockades itself from the black. 2001 Rivermont is a 17,697 square foot Tudor Revival home that geographically falls in the center of this subtly segregated street. To the left and right of 2001 Rivermont lie estates owned by doctors and investors - Lynchburg’s 1 percent, if you will. Less than a mile down the block sits an infamous apartment complex called the Greenbrier -- a run down brick apartment complex from the 1960s known for generally being heterogeneous to upscale Rivermont. 2001 Rivermont was originally designed as a single family home in 1909. With many additions including a gym and out building, the building later functioned as a school and unfortunately fell into disrepair for many years following its closure. While 2001 Rivermont lay vacant, its ornate architecture and history fell into disrepair until it was purchased by Willoughby Properties, a development firm based in Charlottesville. With the purchase by Willoughby Properties, 2001 Rivermont had the potential to be revived. The plan was to completely restore the building with
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adherence to Historic Preservation codes and convert the massive space into 21 upscale apartments. Seems perfect, right? A beautiful building is given new life and a historic street retains its integrity while becoming more accessible. However, the opinion of the surrounding neighbors was quite the opposite. Council Chambers was bursting at the seams the night of the rezoning hearing -- an unheard of characteristic in a city the size of Lynchburg. For four hours, members of City Council heard numerous reasons as to why, and why not, the mansion should be rezoned. While those who argued for the rezoning shed a sliver of light on the city, the nay-sayers acted as a bleak reminder of the close minded, racially charged attitudes that still linger in the minds of many Rivermont Avenue and Lynchburg residents. Arguing for the re-zoning allows for Rivermont avenue to be more accessible to different incomes while still preserving the character and charm of the street. The majority of the the opponents were white, upper-class neighbors of the lot who claimed the apartments brought noise and chaos, and feared it would end up being even remotely similar to the apartment complex down the street. It soon became obvious that their true fear was of people of a lower income bracket or of a different racial or ethnic group becoming their neighbor. The only people of color who spoke against the rezoning were two sisters who lived in a tiny house behind the lot, with the legitimate claim that they would probably be forced to deal with
excess cars parking in their yard. While the racial disparity highlights the issues of systematic inequalities potentially perpetuated by planners, one opponent specifically stood out to me. After about an hour of hearing people speak against the rezoning, a 20-something, welldressed woman with a blond ponytail comes to the podium. Before she makes any claims, she pompously flips her ponytail and brags about how she is a graduate of the University of Virginia and continues to expand upon how young people (read as poor or of color) shouldn’t be living in the said area. At the end of the night, and after a tearful plea from an African-American council member, the City agreed to rezone the lot to allow for the mansion to be reconfigured into twenty-one apartments. My question is this: What happens when we as urban Planners from the University of Virginia face our fellow graduates who have chosen to use the same background and education to work against what we perceive to be progress? How do we cipher through the elitism that fosters this attitude, yet also gives us the jobs and success we desire? As urban planners, we have the power not only to design aesthetically pleasing cities, but to shape the mindsets of those within them. My hope and plea is that we use the esteemed education we receive from UVA to implement forces of good and progress, and work against those who spin their UVA education into something as superficial as an elitist validation to any argument that perpetuates this stereotype. Written by Anna Drumheller
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I Have an Urban Planning Degree but I Don’t Want to be a Planner So, you’re about to graduate… now what?? For most students, the next step after college is pretty straightforward – Find a job. But what does the job of an “urban planner” actually look like? Right now, you might be picturing someone who works at the local, state, or federal government level or even at a private consulting firm. They might specialize in a particular field—housing, environment, historic preservation, economic and community development, or urban design, to name a few—and likely work sitting down at a desk or in meetings from 9-5, with the occasional site/client visit here and there. While this sort of job-style is certainly common and even necessary for planners (among other professionals) to be successful, it may not be the right fit for all. We all come from a diverse set of educational backgrounds (probably more so for graduate students) and all have different strengths, weaknesses, interests, and requirements when it comes to finding a job. I’m sure many of us would love to get our hands on something that marries our array of skill sets and passions. I know I would. Rest assured, there are a lot of options out there for those of us who can’t (or won’t) be squished into the role of a typical government or consulting planner. The role that urban planning plays in society is currently being reassessed and with that comes new roles for the individual planner. What do some of these alternate roles look like? According to a blog post on Brazen, planning jobs have
actually seen a change in the past ten years and there are many companies and organizations out there that we wouldn’t think to apply to as planners. These institutions could include public school systems, police departments, commerce departments, law firms, technology companies, non-profits, research entities, equity advocates, public health, food systems, climate change and hazards, environmental psychology, and community resilience, policy, and many more! Awesome. Now, we know that we have some leniency when it comes to finding planning jobs, but how do you know exactly what sort of job is best for you and your skill sets? Will you still be considered an “urban planner” or adopt a new title? Will you be stationed at a desk and not see the light of day for eight hours straight? And why will you be at said desk for so long? You may have a different set of questions and these sorts of questions may not matter to some as much as others. If you’re anything like me, they matter—A LOT. With a diverse educational background, they might matter even more. Maybe I’m overthinking this, but my future career is going to take up at least 50% of my waking hours and I refuse to turn that much of my life over to a job that is unfit for my productivity as a human being. I want to make a contribution to society and I know that enjoying what I do is going to allow me to be my best. My educational/career path has been anything but linear (a rollercoaster 24
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really) and it’s been a struggle to find job titles that don’t silo me into one role. I’ve dabbled in a lot of different subjects and I would love nothing more than to bring all of my knowledge and interests together. I’ve done my research and know what I want to get out of a future career, which is why I’m not personally interested in becoming a traditional urban planner. To illustrate how much of a struggle this journey can be, I’d like to share a bit of my what my career/ educational path has been like (Feel free to skip over this part, though… I’m really not that interesting). Right out of high school, I had the intention of pursuing a degree in photography with the possibility of switching to interior design. After taking some interior design courses my first year in college, I decided to switch my major to architecture and in my senior year I was well aware that I did not want to become an architect. So, I took some extra electives in textiles and fibers with the intent of declaring a double-major, but ended up dropping it because I knew that path wasn’t going to work either. While I enjoyed my textiles classes, I realized that architecture was much closer to what I was passionate about, although I couldn’t quite put my finger on exactly what that was at the time. After graduating with my degree in architecture, I immediately went off to Cambridge, MA to attend Harvard’s Career Discovery Program to test out landscape architecture. Although my love-hate relationship with design continued throughout the 6-week long program, I thought that working with
plants and other natural materials would ultimately be a game changer for me. Plus, I was inspired by all of the professors who were incredibly passionate about the role of design in global affairs and social activism (hint, hint, Stephanie). Next stop, University of Virginia and their graduate landscape architecture program. Over the course of a year, that love-hate relationship with design turned into an overwhelming amount of hate and misery. I got to a point where my physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing became so bad that I had to push myself away from the A-School in order to regain any semblance of being a human. In the state that I was in at the time, nothing sparked joy in me, but a couple of psychology lectures had caught my attention and I decided to check them out, because f*ck it. Turns out that day changed the rest of my life. That day, I decided to leave UVA and say goodbye to design for once and for all. I moved back in with my parents and explored what I could do with psychology through courses and odd jobs here and there. What I realized during my exploration year was that I was most interested in the intersection between the built environment and psychology. What role does the environment play in people’s’ physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing and how can this knowledge be used to influence the designs and policies of communities for the better? This led me back to UVA and urban planning, where I felt like I would be able build a strong foundation for a career I would thrive in. This time I am happy, healthy, and loving what I’m learning. Turns out I was in the 25
right place all along, just in the wrong discipline. Alright, novel over. My point to all of this is just a long-winded way of showing that we are all on our own timelines and paths, and what works for some won’t work for others. As you can see, finding the right path takes a lot of self-investment and courage. I definitely received criticism from people, especially from those closest to me. While they cared immensely for me, only I understood what was in my best interests, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t listened to myself. Since being back at UVA, I have been able to make connections, establish a mentor, and explore several areas of interest. Even just externing at an architecture firm this past winter break led me to some big revelations about jobs. While the project I got to work on was really great and rewarding, this experience only solidified my disdain for design. In no way do I regret getting my undergraduate degree in design— it’s made me who I am today—but I now know that I want to be the one who dictates what design should achieve, not be the one doing the designing. I also learned that I love research because it allows me to constantly learn new things. Also, sitting down for eight hours every day makes me very anxious and restless and I need to have a balance of working solo and working with others. As of now, I’m trying out the research route, but that’s definitely subject to change, and that’s okay. For those of you out there who are
still unsure of what you’re going to do with your planning degree, don’t fret! I’m a firm believer that careers aren’t meant to be a direct, linear path that’s mapped out from the moment you declare a major. They require a lot of trial and error (which can of course be quite taxing), but all experiences, good and bad, will ultimately get you closer to a career that you will hopefully enjoy. With research, a lot of persistence, and some soul searching, you’re going to get where you want to go, even if you don’t know where that place is yet. Some potentially interesting links to check out: “Become an Urban Planner Now” https:// www.planetizen.com/node/87102/ become-urban-planner-now “Does Urban Planning Require Passion?” https://www.planetizen.com/ node/88227/does-urban-planningrequire-passion “Is Urban Planning Having an Identity Crisis?” https://www.citylab.com/ equity/2015/07/is-urban-planninghaving-an-identity-crisis/398804/ “Urban Planning Jobs: How to Get Them and What to Expect” https://www. brazen.com/blog/archive/job-search/ urban-planning-jobs-how-to-get-themand-what-to-expect/ Written by Stephanie Lopez
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SMART CITY
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An Interview with Andrew Mondschein on How Planners can Survive the SMART City SPINE: What is the SMART city? Andrew: The Smart City is really just an acceleration of urban technology, where so much data is being created by infrastructure and human behavior. We are constantly generating information on cities and urban systems, which allows for a new approach to managing cities. Cities and private actors are using these new data streams to optimize city systems and functionality, from traffic control to stormwater management to housing investments. SPINE: When do you think we began to develop the SMART city? Andrew: GPS, GIS, social media, the iPhone, and the Internet of Things are milestones that have gradually taken us into the SMART city. Five to ten years ago people outside of planning were already aware of a “sea change” in urban technologies, and within the past two to three years planners have finally been talking more about it as well. SPINE: What role will/should planners in general have in the SMART city? Andrew: Urban planning retains core values of sustainability, efficiency, and equity. Planners have always helped communities decide what they want, but the democratic processes we use are in some ways being “optimized out” of the SMART city. Well-intentioned public and private actors using data and analytics to make choices but are missing the important community-based ethos that planners use to engage with residents. Even planners we don’t develop or manage the technologies of the SMART city, we should have an understanding and critical perspective on the technology. We have the opportunity to be voices that say, “wait a minute.” SPINE: Will the SMART city make the role of the planner less dynamic? How can planners overcome this static positioning? Andrew: Planners can reassert that planning values and methods transcend and apply to any new technology. We can get involved in what a smart city should look like. In particular, there are opportunities to rethink and engage with questions of how to make sure that technology allows for dissent. We have always had “new” technology, it does not mean decision making is no longer needed especially in ways that allow for protest, opposition and future-oriented thinking. One of the ironies of Smart Cities is that despite its futuristic connotation, it often prioritizes the status quo. Michael Batty talks about the fact that there is a difference between planning and management. Management happens in the moment and is different from planning which is long range. We have the opportunity to try and answer the question of what it will mean to say “no” in a SMART city. We can turn technology 29
to our advantage so that it reflects our values of justice, equity, and sustainability. SPINE: Do you think where we are headed is a natural evolution? Do you have any reservations about the smart city? Andrew: Introducing new technologies to a community with no explanation or engagement runs the risk of inviting community distrust. If a community member thinks technology is just there to “spy” on you, it feeds into longstanding perceptions of inequality and power imbalances in cities. Deploying technology that hasn’t been well explained leads to making people feel they don’t have control. Instead, we should consider how to give community members a sense of control of the world around them. Planners have tools to combat inequity and imbalanced power dynamics, such as bottom-up decisionmaking and tactical urbanism. As urban systems become “digital,” we will need to think about what digital rights to the city might be. In other words, what does democracy look like with an app? How do you make sure people have a right to decide? We will have to rethink traditional places of engagement. What will protest look like in the digital realm? When BlackLivesMatter started it expressed opposition by stopping traffic, how would this work in a city where cars are programmed to just reroute? Is this something that would have to become coded in? How will we define who gets to choose and what citizenship is? Planners can use technology to build in more choice, not less. For instance, as cars become more automated, planners can work with communities to have more control over which cars are going through their neighborhood. SPINE: How do you feel about these emerging transportation entities that exist outside of local government? Do you think that they signal a change in transportation? Andrew: Handing mobility through optimized algorithms is very efficient, but not transparent. There is a right way to manage these technologies. Planners and policymakers can apply our values to this new development. We can begin to think about the things we want and reserve the right to say yes or no, we need to gain control in that regard. New York is pushing for a living wage for Uber and Lyft drivers, these are aspects of smart mobility that should be regulated. I am also curious to see what smart cities mean in terms of land use. Airbnb has already created bias in the housing industry. There is a group of people who can afford to offer there space anytime they want, and there is a camp of people who can afford to use those spaces, and people outside of these camps are excluded from engaging with this online housing market, which has already been shown to increase housing costs in neighborhoods globally. SPINE: What hopes do you have for transportation? Do you have a transportation fantasy? (flying cars etc) 30
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Andrew: I would like to live in a dense, pedestrian-oriented village. Houses piled on top of each other. I enjoy the way that people have already done it for thousands of years.
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You might come across some cute critters on your trip, but don’t become friends with them. Racoons seem cute now, but they will steal your food and taunt you from afar.
Always, Always! Bring twice as much chocolate as you think you need for smores. If not, you’ll end up with some sad amount of plain marshmallows left. When the weather is still chilly, you can always place a hot stone from the campfire into the bottom of your sleeping bag to keep your feet warm. Other hot items work as well, like all the leftover marshmallows you can heat over the campfire if you do not follow the step above!
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If you forgot a fire starter, simply use some Doritos to light a fire. But don’t use them all or you won’t have a delicious snack for later!
Ticks are NOT fun, to repel them, mix some drops of tea tree oil with water and spray it on with your typical sunscreen and bug spray. Not only will you smell great, but you can protect yourself from Lyme disease!
While we do not condone drinking, if you happen to have an empty beer can, you can easily make it into a miniature stove with a pocket knife.
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