Georgetown Urban & Regional Planning Program

On Friday, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Georgetown University Urban and Regional Planning (URP) program with an afternoon of thought leadership and reflections. This convening brought together the individuals, organizations, and networks who represent the extended community of practice embodied by the GeorgetownURP program.? The agenda was conducted in a conversational format that fostered a provocative dialogue between students, alumni, faculty and special guests. The afternoon ended with a call-to-action from Hon. Thomas Murphy, the three-term mayor of Pittsburgh about the role of urban planning in city leadership. We would like to thank our students, alumni, faculty, and special guests for their personal reflections and their vision for the practice of urban planning. Read about the significance of the 10-year milestone here: https://lnkd.in/e25VY7Wb !?

For this week's Capstone Spotlight, we would love to highlight Jonathan Bush! Jonathan's capstone project focused on freeway removal in the DC area to help provide alternative land use, reconnect citizens and natural landscapes separated by the highway, create mobility options, and serve as a health equity tool. "I have been fascinated with cities and the built environment since childhood. Growing up in North Carolina, I witnessed first hand how highways acted as a separator rather than a connector. After traveling through DC almost daily for work and social gatherings, I realized that the highway lacked a meaningful connection between the neighborhoods it separated. They were not designed to be responsible for the current capacity of users who rely upon the road to access the neighborhoods that radiate from the fragmented spine of DC 295 and providing capacity to the residents in Prince George's County and the adjacent jurisdictions North."

Congratulations to Eduardo Plasencia for presenting his capstone project at the American Planning Association's Regional Conference! https://lnkd.in/gcHGg6DP

For this week's Student Spotlight, we would love to highlight Ilana Bleich! Ilana is being recognized for attending the 2024 Olympics in Paris and learning about its impact on the urban environment. "I'm fascinated by mega-event planning (such as the Olympics, the World Cup, World Fairs, etc.) and their impact on the urban environment. Throughout my academic career, I've focused my research on the Olympic Games and their relationship to the host city. This summer, I visited the Olympics in France to see it first-hand! I stayed in Marseille and saw two soccer matches and a day of sailing events. Not only was it a very fun experience, it was interesting to witness the role of public transportation, sustainability, stadiums, and more for an event of its size. It only piqued my curiosity for even further research possibilities!"

For our first Faculty Spotlight, we would love to highlight Andrew Trueblood! Andrew is being recognized for being published at the DC Policy Center for his article about economic development and workforce housing. You can read the full article at https://lnkd.in/eaxqsk7G.

URP’s very own Uwe Brandes shares insight as to which cities have fared well in the remote work era and how city economies can bounce back from empty offices and sluggish downtowns! Check out the article here: https://lnkd.in/g9KsyMR8

URP’s very own Erich Lange's capstone project was recently featured on Georgetown's website where he shared insight into how pairing transit-oriented development with the creation of Community Land Trusts can aid in improving and preserving neighborhoods! Check out the article here: https://lnkd.in/eHcvGzTW

For our first Student Spotlight of the Fall semester, we would love to highlight Cher Griffith-Taylor! Cher is being recognized for completing her Independent Study on the contractual considerations that local governments employ as they procure EV charging stations and support services to serve their jurisdictions. "This research feeds into my career specialization on electric vehicle planning, itself an extension of my commitment to advance the transition to a clean energy future. For my Capstone project, I continue to investigate how local governments and electric utility companies can work together to achieve transportation electrification - delivering on the promise of grid modernization to undeserved communities."

Next Tuesday we will be hosting an introductory webinar for new prospective applicants.?Please feel free to forward this email to anyone you think might be interested in joining the program.?Here is the invitation: The URP program invites you to learn more about the Master's in Urban & Regional Planning at Georgetown University! Acquire the professional urban planning knowledge and leadership skills needed to shape the sustainable and inclusive communities of tomorrow. Join us on September 17 at 12 pm for a live webinar to learn more about the program, including the format, requirements, and application process. RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/e3dRWb5S

For our first Alumni Spotlight of the Fall semester, we would love to highlight Thomas Renkes! Thomas is being recognized for being elected a Town Meeting Representative in Brookline, Massachusetts as well as joining the town's Pedestrian Advisory Committee ????? "I am working to implement positive changes to our streetscape. I am developing a pedestrian bill of rights and beginning work on legislation to increase the number of signalized crosswalks near public parks to keep our most vulnerable street users safe. I am also our neighborhood school's representative to Brookline's Safe Routes to School task force for which our Town won a statewide award for the 2023-24 school year. "