News

VT Faculty Prepares Monograph for the United Nations on Urban Planning in the Transitional Countries

Sonia Hirt, Assistant Professor in UAP, was invited by the Policy Headquarters of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) in Nairobi, Kenya, to write a report on the state of urban planning in the 28 post-communist countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The report is part of the the preparation of the UN-HABITAT's biannual volume entitled the Global Report on Human Settlements. The forthcoming 2009 volume focuses on urban planning. For the purposes of the 2009 volume, the UN-HABITAT had divided the globe in eight regions and invited eight scholars from around the world to report on the state of urban planning in each of these regions. Sonia Hirt's report, which is co-authored with Dr. Kiril Stanilov from the School of Planning at the University of Cinncinnati, was formally accepted by the UN-HABITAT in June 2008 and will be published in 2009.

VT Graduate Planning Program in the Top 15 among U.S. and Canadian Planning Programs

The Planetizen 2009 Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs ranks Virginia Tech's UAP program as 14th. This latest edition features new listings of the top master's degree programs in urban planning, as well as updated profiles for 100 planning programs in the U.S. and Canada. Virginia Tech's UAP program performed well overall (see table below) and was also rated among the best programs in Technology, Land Use Planning, Environmental Planning, and Growth Management. Jesse Richardson, the UAP Program Director, commented that while he was delighted with the ranking, the program would continue to strive to be in the top 10.

The guide may be purchased from planetizen.com.

Virginia Tech's Department of Urban Affairs and Planning welcomes Johann Jessen

Join UAP in welcoming Prof. Dr. Johann Jessen from the Institute of Urban Planning and Design of the University of Stuttgart. From May through July Dr. Jessen will be researching and lecturing with the UAP program in Alexandria. His activities here are part of a continuing effort between the University of Stuttgart and Virginia Tech since 1998 to share experiences of teaching and learning - benefiting the students and the research communities of both institutions.

• Click here to read more abour Dr. Jessen when he responds to a student's inquiries.
• Click here to review a brief biography of Dr. Jessen.

Human Capital and Women's Business Ownership

Is a report published by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Co-Authored by UAP Faculty, Dr. Heike Mayer. According to the SBA, the report, "... shows that self-employed women differ on most human capital variables compared to wage and salary-earning women." To read the full report, click here.

The Urban Land Institute/ McNamara Internship Program at Virginia Tech's Alexandria Center

The Urban Land Institute/McNamara Internship is a one-year program open to second-year graduate students in several disciplines including urban planning at Virginia Tech’s Alexandria campus. The student selected for the internship will have the opportunity to work for the Urban Land Institute in Washington, DC. The internship is funded through the generous support from Virginia Tech alumnus Donald J. McNamara. For additional information, click here.

A Suburban World? The Metropolitan Institute Sponsors Conference to Examine the Future of the New Metropolis

In a conference hosted in Reston, Virginia on April 6 - 8, the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech continued the global conversation on the challenges facing the new metropolis - sprawl, congestion, and affordable housing. For more information on the conference, click here.

Innovation in Idaho - New Poster Displays Evolution of High-Tech Firms in Boise

Idaho TechConnect, the Idaho Department of Commerce, and Virginia Tech Urban Affairs and Planning professor Dr. Heike Mayer have recently completed a poster that details the high-tech lineage of firms in Boise as well high-tech innovation currently throughout Idaho. For the poster and the research that supported this development, see: Knowledge Region: Boise, Idaho and www.idahotechconnect.com

Tech Evolution: VT Professor Writing Book on Cities' High Tech Lineage

Heike Mayer, Assistant Professor in Urban Affairs and Planning, is compiling information on the evolution of "second tier" high technology regions such as Phoenix, AZ; Boise, ID; Kansas City, MO; and Portland, OR. Her work was recently noted by the Business Journal of Phoenix; click here to view this article. For more information on Dr. Mayer’s work, click here.

British Environmental Policy and Planning Study Abroad Program

February 29 – March 10, 2008

This study abroad program offered an opportunity to compare planning and development, historic preservation, and environmental conservation in the United States and Britain. Four intensive class sessions on British history, the policy/regulatory framework, cultural influences on planning, and map reading preceded a 10-day trip to the Lakes District in northern England. A group of 24 undergraduate and graduate students from both Blacksburg and Alexandria then hiked 70 miles through glacial moraine along the Cumbria Way, where they were able to view, first-hand, the results of Britain’s rural conservation programs and public access laws. The trip ended in urban – and densely developed – Manchester, as a contrast to the remote areas on the trek.

For more information about the program, and to view images of their recent trek, click here.

Award Winning Study Identifies Redevelopment Opportunities for Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth Redevelopment Opportunities assesses the opportunities for residential redevelopment in Portsmouth, Virginia. As one of the older cities in Virginia, Portsmouth was largely “built-out” in the Sixties and Seventies, constraining the potential for larger scale redevelopment and new construction. Recent redevelopment efforts have been very successful, suggesting the potential for Portsmouth to gain a larger share of diverse segments of the housing market. To help the City address this potential, a UAP graduate studio class examined the constraints, challenges and opportunities in expanding the City’s competitive position for currently underrepresented market segments. The studio prepared a comprehensive analysis of residential redevelopment potential in Portsmouth that includes very advanced analysis of both the economic sectors in Portsmouth and of housing location choice within the metropolitan area. The report demonstrates an innovative approach for identifying geographic clusters for targeting future redevelopment. This portion of the analysis utilized local property records, field checking, and multi-criteria screening to create the redevelopment clusters.

This studio project, led by Dr. Ted Koebel, won the 2008 Student Project Award of the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association (VAPA).

To view this report, click here (note, the report is in Adobe pdf format, and is 6.7 megabytes).

New Professional Development Courses Offered by Planning Academy

The Planning Academy at Virginia Tech is pleased to announce its latest dynamic professional development courses for spring 2008!  For the complete line-up and registration information, please visit: http://www.planningacademy.ncr.vt.edu/.

Alexandria's Eco-Progression: The Eco-City Update

On January 22, 2008, the Alexandria City Council formally launched the Eco-City Project by accepting a special report prepared by UAP’s Eco-City Studio, A Green-ventory of the City’s Environmental Policies, Plans, and Programs. Professor Joe Schilling spoke on behalf of Virginia Tech and Director of Environmental Quality William Skrabak represented the city.  Mayor Euille and the City Council passed Resolution 2265 in favor of the Eco-City Project that will create the city’s first Eco-City Charter. For the spring semester UAP graduate students and professors will lend a hand designing and facilitating an Eco-City Café on March 8th, 2008 and the city-wide Eco-City Summit set for May 10th.

The Web cast of the Council Meeting is located on the City’s Web site and is available at http://www.alexandriava.gov.  For more information about the Eco-City Alexandria Project, click here.

Redevelopment in Alexandria? VT Students Evaluate Three Sites

In December 2007, Shelley Mastran's Land Use Planning class students presented the results of their study of three potential redevelopment sites in north Alexandria to the North Old Town Independent Citizens Civic Association at The Lyceum.  The students focused on various zoning scenarios under which three parcels might be redeveloped--the ABC/Giant site (click here for a pdf of the ABC/Giant site plan as developed by Jason Peters), the WMATA bus barn site (click here for a pdf of the WMATA bus barn site plan as developed by Jason Peters), and the Mirant Power Plant.  Their presentation was enthusiastically received.

Introducing: Virginia Tech's Urban Planning Study Abroad Program

In conjunction with the Universities of Miami and Technologico de Monterrey, Virginia Tech has initiated an urban planning study aboard program beginning this summer in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. For additional information, click here.