Urban & Environmental Planning

Daphne Spain — Department Chair

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

Students in the Planning program develop the understanding, sensitivity, and skills necessary to pursue professional careers in a variety of public, private, and nonprofit roles. The Department values environments where countrysides are productive and appropriately protected, where cities have vital centers and efficient means of movement, and where neighborhoods offer opportunities for all to live affordably and safely. The curriculum introduces students to the theories of planning, methods of analysis, effective means of communication, planning processes, and creative strategies for implementation. Choosing a Career In Urban Planning - the 28-page 2008 version of this brochure, is now posted here and can be viewed and printed.

One of the distinctive features of the program is a strong concern for community sustainability. While the topic is addressed in specific courses with that title, the concept of sustainability provides an underlying framework throughout the curriculum. Our goals are similar to those of the American Planning Association's Guide to Planning for Sustainability. The title of our department is Urban and Environmental Planning. We believe it is necessary to consider both the urban and environmental aspects of a setting to address its issues, problems, and opportunities. We are as much concerned with the economy and issues of equity as we are with the environment, and find it more useful to emphasize linkages than distinctions. We hope to inspire our students to have the same enthusiasm we feel for addressing the planning needs of sustainable communities.

The Department is built on a distinguished faculty and excellent students. Many of the faculty are engaged in current professional and civic work in addition to pioneering research and publications. A number of part-time faculty who are active full-time professionals also contribute to the course offerings. The Institute for Environmental Negotiation works closely with the Department and frequently involves faculty and students in research projects.

DEGREES

The Department offers two degrees. In addition to a four-year Bachelor’s and a two-year Master’s of Urban and Environmental Planning, the Department offers a Minor for students throughout the University and a certificate in Historic Preservation. There are also a number of dual degree opportunities within the Master’s program.

The Institute for Environmental Negotiation (IEN)

Negotiation, mediation, and other interactive and collaborative problem solving approaches are increasingly important in planning, policy making and in the resolution of development controversies. The Institute for Environmental Negotiation of the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning is a major resource for the acquisition of these conflict resolution skills.

The Institute sponsors visiting mediation practitioners, offers courses in negotiation skills and public involvement, and provides training opportunities through internships. The Mediator, newsletter of the institute, is also available online.

NEWS AND EVENTS

December 10, 2009

Class Works to Improve Services for Public Housing Residents

[by Jane Ford, UVa News Services] Students in a University of Virginia class spent the fall semester exploring ways to improve Charlottesville's public housing community, and their final report, "Changing the Game for Public Housing Residents," proposes the creation of a neighborhood resource center as an agent for change. U.Va. School of Architecture research associate professor Suzanne Morse Moomaw began the semester by asking the students in her Neighborhood Planning Workshop, "What will it take to make public housing developments thriving neighborhoods? And beyond housing, what is going to make a difference moving families from public housing to self-efficiency?" After preliminary research, the class of both fourth-year undergraduate and graduate students identified the need to map resources and services available to public housing residents. Their proposal to the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority was accepted by its redevelopment committee and "the students very quickly became consultants on this project," Moomaw said. As they proceeded with their research, the students found that public housing residents not only needed accessible services , but they needed a central place where services could be delivered and neighborhood bonds built. The students identified the concept of a neighborhood resource center as a way to contribute to the vitality of a public housing neighborhood. The students' proposal is a holistic model that incorporates a central location in or near public housing where community members can go for information, to gain access to a computer and fax machine to aid in job searches, and to consult with staff to help navigate the numerous economic, educational and health service offerings available to them. The center also would provide meeting space for activities such as GED classes and possibly pre-school and day care, Moomaw said. "It's a question not only of the best ways to deliver services but also how to combat the social and civic isolation of public housing residents," Moomaw said. "Charlottesville is one of the few cities of its size that does not have this kind of comprehensive resource. The research shows clearly that these kinds of entities work and have proven results if they reflect the culture and voice of the community." Graduate student Stuart Andreason said a resource center "helps empower people." It embodies ideas of economic improvement, education opportunities and access to health issue resources. "It's about family self-sufficiency. And it's an investment in providing a stepping stone for people," he said. The bottom line for the class is that "it takes more than housing to make changes in people's lives," Moomaw said. [for complete article, follow link in headline]

November 20, 2009

100-Mile Thanksgiving Featured on NPR's "With Good Reason"

"With Good Reason invites you to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but nearly everything on the table is grown, made, or brewed, within 100 miles of Charlottesville, Virginia. The dinner host, Tim Beatley (University of Virginia), introduced the 100-mile Thanksgiving idea to his students after reading 'The 100-mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating'...."

November 19, 2009

UVa Community Garden Featured on t.v.'s "Meet the Farmer"

Meet the Farmer TV, a locally produced show that profiles food related projects, has recently completed an episode on the UVa Community Garden. You can view the episode at the link in the headline or watch it on Charlottesville local tv station 10 at 7pm each night this week (week of November 16, 2009). The film features three Urban and Environmental Planning program members: Ben Chrisinger, a fourth year student; Dana Smith, a second year graduate student; and Professor Tim Beatley.

November 14, 2009

Green Lands Students Welcome Public Feedback

[From the News Leader] STAUNTON — The architecture students who strode through downtown Staunton and city parks in September returned on Thursday with sandwich boards singing the praises of the city's beauty and eco-friendliness, and offered some room for improvement. They invited the rest of town to join them. For the past two months, students from the U.Va. Green Lands class have been working to assess Staunton's existing green infrastructure, enhancing the city's Geographic Information Systems map, and compiling recommendations for the city. Halfway through compiling their plans to fix the place up, they hosted an open house at Bessie Weller Elementary to share their findings with the steering board of city officials, infrastructure experts and the dozens of city residents. [for complete article, follow link in headline]

October 23, 2009

Sustainable and Green Cities Are Focus of Film by Planning Professor Timothy Beatley

{by Jane Ford, UVa News Services] For University of Virginia planning professor Timothy Beatley, cities are not just about buildings, roads and transportation. They are about building and sustaining community. An expert on sustainable and green cities, Beatley is the author of numerous books, including "Green Urbanism: Learning from European Cities," "Native to Nowhere: Sustaining Home and Community in a Global Age" and "The Ecology of Place: Planning for Environment, Economy, and Community," coauthored with Kristy Manning. Beatley recently turned to film to express his work. He collaborated with Boulder, Colo.-based filmmaker Chuck Davis to write and direct "The Nature of Cities," a one-hour exploration of nature found – and designed – within cities. "The Nature of Cities" will have a Richmond premiere on Oct. 29 at 4:30 p.m. at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden's Massie Auditorium. The screening is free and open to the public, and is being shown as part of the symposium "Timeless Design in a Sustainable World: The Charles F. Gillette Forum." "'The Nature of Cities' is about the work of green urbanism," said Davis, who met Beatley in Sun Valley, Idaho, at a sustainability conference where they both presented their work. Davis had just completed a film about people working to face the challenges of climate change and was looking for a new project. After talking with Beatley, Davis was convinced he wanted to make a film exploring nature in urban spaces through projects that show how the built environment and nature can work together to sustain and rejuvenate life.