Thursday, March 24, 2011

Team MURP in the Collegiate Times

Looks like the Virginia Tech Relay for Life executive board won’t be the only group hosting events to raise money this year. The Masters Urban and Regional Planning Relay team is pairing up with Boogieburg Soundsystem and 622 North to offer students a night to “Boogie for a Cure” on Saturday.

The 622 North Restaurant and bar will be providing its facility for the event.

All cover charge fees will be directly donated to MURP’s Relay funds. Students 21 and up will pay $3, while students between 18 and 21 will pay $5 and must arrive by 11 p.m.

While helping a great cause, students can dance the night away on North Main Street from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday. ~ Read the full article here.

Cultivating an Ecological Conscience

An evening with Farmer Philosopher, Dr. Fred Kirschenmann, a world-renowned leader in sustainable agriculture who combines his experience as an organic farmer with an education in philosophy to offer a unique view of agriculture. He will discuss the importance of maintaining soil health, developing small-and medium-sized farms, and incorporating biodynamic techniques into farms.

Thursday, March 24th, 7-8p

Location: Fralin Auditorium


Monday, March 21, 2011

GUAPA Featured on Local Professional Networking Blog

Networking site Handshake 2.0 featured GUAPA social networking segment.

"Graduate Urban Affairs and Planning Association (GUAPA) members at Virginia Tech welcome Erik C. B. Olsen, Transportation Planner of Blacksburg Transit, to discuss networking with graduate students in Virgina Tech's Urban Affairs and Planning Department including Scott Lail, Chris Chop, Dustin Akers and Tommi Godwin."

NADO Webinar

NADO’s next webinar has just been approved for 1.5 AICP CM credits. The webinar “Social Media and Electronic Participation in Regional Planning and Economic Development” will occur on Wednesday, March 30, from 2 – 3:30 Eastern. The webinar is free but requires registration, which is available online at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/887145003. The webinar will include an overview of social media uses and demographics, as well as case studies of two regional planning and development organizations effectively using social media in their outreach. Speakers will include Mia Zmud, NuStats; Jeremy Holmes, Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission; Amy Lowe, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission; and Jeff Moore, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, as moderator. This webinar is a reprise of a session held jointly during the 2010 National Rural Transportation Conference and AMPO Annual Conference—since it was one of the most popular sessions for those who attended the conferences, the webinar should offer great information, and it includes different program staff of regional planning and development organizations as panel members.

UAP Students Contribute Article to Local 16 Blocks Magazine

It’s 1922. Ragtime music’s playing while prohibition is gaining ground. The 19th Amendment passed giving women the right to vote, and the world’s witnessing sweeping political, social and economic changes after the Great War. Here in Blacksburg, changes are happening and new buildings are being constructed on Virginia Tech’s campus and in downtown. The town is growing and a local theater was completed that year. This theater – the Lyric – is not the one we know and cherish today.

~ Read the full article here.

Friday, March 18, 2011

UAP Diversity Speakers' Series

March 26th Event

USDA NRCS National Agricultural Landscapes Forum, April 7th and 8th, Washington, D.C.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, American Farmland Trust, and Farm Foundation NFP invite you to participate in the National Agricultural Landscapes Forum on April 7th and 8th, 2011 in Washington, D.C.


Join agricultural, conservation, environmental, land use and rural development thought-leaders from across the country in a vigorous discussion about how to improve agricultural conservation policies and outcomes in the context of tight budgets, competing interests, rapid technological change and innovation. A Blue Ribbon Panel of authorities in agriculture and conservation—farmers, former state secretaries of agriculture, government officials, and other conservation leaders—will be helping to guide the discussion and provide thought-provoking insights.


Please also forward this invitation to your colleagues who are working on agricultural, conservation, environmental, land use and rural development issues.


More details about the forum:

» Forum overview
» Agenda

» Blue Ribbon Panel
» Register for the Forum

CM Opportunities

Tuesdays at APA-DC
March 22 @ 5:30pm
Reston Master Plan Special Study
Speaker: Patty Nicoson
President of Dulles Corridor Rail Association
Co-Chair, Reston Master Plan Special Study

Reston, Virginia, a planned community more than 40 years old, has been written about by a generation of planners. The approaching arrival of Metro to Reston is a critical project for the region and will generate new opportunities as well as new challenges for the growing area.
The Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force, which began meeting in January 2010, is charged with making recommendations for amendments to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan that will help guide future development in Reston and adjoining areas located along the Dulles Airport Access and Toll Road (the Dulles Corridor).
Join Patty Nicoson as she discusses the public participation process of this important study and the scope of the project.

CM | 1.0

RSVP for March 22 Tuesdays at APA: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BZ4RSK744/

Learn more about this event and upcoming events on the APA website

Tuesdays at APA–DC
Join APA in Washington, D.C., each month for this after-work lecture and discussion series. Practicing planners, researchers, and professionals from allied fields discuss innovative ideas and concepts or present their latest projects.
The events are free and open to APA members and nonmembers.


Restoring Streams, Revitalizing Communities Along the Richmond Highway Corridor
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Sherwood Library
2501 Sherwood Hall Lane
Alexandria, Virginia 22306
RSVP: http://csg.citizen-networks.org/site/Calendar?id=100721&view=Detail&scid=1022
Refreshments 6:30pm, Program 7:00-8:30pm, RSVPs required
1.5 CM Credit Approval Pending with APA


Revitalizing Richmond Highway with mixed-use walkable development, while linking revitalization, stream restoration, and better stormwater management – priceless! These interconnected issues will be featured at our community forum, co-sponsored by the Coalition for Smarter Growth, Northern Virginia Section of APA-VA, Friends of Dyke Marsh, Lee District Association of Civic Organizations, and Audubon Naturalist Society.
With maps and photos of neighborhood streams, this event will illustrate the serious challenges faced by the streams passing through communities along the Richmond Highway Corridor, while updating the community on recently completed stream restoration plans. Stewart Schwartz (CSG) and Stella Koch (ANS) will team up to show how redevelopment on the acres of parking lots in the corridor can be linked to good stormwater management. This event will also cover cost-effective ways to reduce runoff from your own home and yard.
Community members will have the opportunity to “ask the experts” and discuss the next steps necessary to restore the community’s streams.

Calling All Young Planners

Deadline THIS MONDAY, March 21

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is seeking the best and brightest young planners in the Washington D.C. region for its first annual Young Planner Showcase. Applications are due this Monday, March 21, so don’t miss out! This forum will offer young planners in the D.C. region the opportunity to present the most innovative ideas from their jurisdictions. The event will highlight the best and the brightest of our region’s young planners and foster a lively conversation among participants and the audience.

Any planner who meets the criteria listed on the Coalition for Smarter Growth website is welcome to apply. The Coalition for Smarter Growth will choose up to six presenters for the forum. Planners that live in and are doing plans in any towns or cities in the following jurisdictions are invited to apply: District of Columbia, Alexandria, and Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William, Fairfax, Prince George’s, and Montgomery Counties.

The deadline for applications is March 21, 2011. Planners must be 35 years of age or younger to apply and be employed by, or a contractor for, an agency or organization located within the jurisdictions listed above. To help us better prepare, please email laura@smartergrowth.net if you are planning on applying. Don’t worry – it’s not binding!

In addition, we are in the processing of applying for APA continuing education credits for this event.

More information, including requirements for application submissions, is available on the Coalition for Smarter Growth website: www.smartergrowth.net.

School of Architecture + Design - LumenHAUS


LumenHAUS on exhibit at the Farnsworth House

Opening Reception – Saturday, May 21, 2011

Download the flyer!

With Times Square, Madrid, Spain, Millennium Park, and the National Building Museum as previous venues, LumenHAUS will once again open its doors for public exhibition. Citing its roots to the Farnsworth House as precedent, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has invited LumenHAUS to the Farnsworth estate to celebrate its ties to Mies van der Rohe’s modern icon.

This historic event for the School of Architecture + Design and the Hokie Nation is being initiated with a reception at the Farnsworth House, just outside of Chicago, on Saturday, May 21, 2011. Alumni and friends are invited to a gathering featuring music, hors d'oeuvres, and drinks on the Farnsworth House terraces. Please come to meet colleagues and learn more about the history of a seminal icon and the Virginia Tech dwelling.

Buses will transport visitors from and to Chicago. A $175 fee includes lunch in Chicago, transportation to and from Farnsworth from Chicago, a grand reception at Farnsworth, and access to both houses. AIA learning units are presently being considered.

The Farnsworth House is worth the visit – the two projects together constitute bookends of innovative architecture emanating from the spirit of their times. Plan ahead and check for hotels and flights for a great weekend in Chicago with colleagues and friends.

Space is limited. RSVP to Jan Wilson at wilsonje@vt.edu.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Executive Director Position Announcement

The Kansas Land Trust is now seeking an Executive Director. Candidates may view the posting on the LTA website at http://www.landtrustalliance.org/about/jobs . A more in depth description of the position is available on the KLT website at http://www.klt.org.

Jobs at ICLEI and exhibit about LEED-ND at AIA

Here are some newly posted positions at ICLEI, including two working on the STAR Community Index. http://www.icleiusa.org/about-iclei/jobs

Also, USGBC has co-curated an exhibit about sustainable neighborhoods and
LEED-ND - Neighborhoods Go Green! It will be on display at the AIA headquarters on NY Avenue from March 15-April 21 and there will be an opening reception on March 15 (here).

Job Opening - Research Associate, American Planning Association - Washington DC

APA's Research Department seeks a planner with strong communications skills, a solid foundation in urban and regional planning, and a customer service orientation. The research associate will work on the Planning Advisory Service team. The PAS team provides hundreds of PAS subscribing planning agencies and consultants with a wide range of advisory services and publications. It performs research resulting in the enrichment of APA's collection of best planning practices. Research associates are also asked to research and write articles for publication, join teams working on sponsored research projects, and participate in the creation and enhancement of online content. The position offers an excellent opportunity to be exposed to the full range of planning issues in the U.S. in an exciting, collegial atmosphere.

Candidates must have a master's degree in planning (or a closely related
field), plus one to three years' experience in planning. AICP designation is preferred, or without AICP, commitment to attain certification within 18 months of hire. Candidates must possess excellent critical thinking, analytical, writing, and interpersonal skills.

More information about PAS and the activities of APA's research unit may
be found at

http://www.planning.org/
http://www.planning.org/pas/index.htm
http://www.planning.org/research/index.htm
http://www.planning.org/nationalcenters/index.htm

For a more detailed job description and important information about how
to apply for the position, send an e-mail message with the EXACT words Research Associate Job Description in the subject line to the following address: research@planning.org.

April 8 AICP Exam Orientation Session Hosted By the APA

April 8 AICP Exam Orientation Session Hosted By the APA Virginia Chapter

Friday, April 8, 2011, 1 to 4 p.m.


Arlington Business Center, 1100 North Glebe Road, Arlington, Virginia


Seating Limited!


The APA Virginia Chapter will hold a free AICP exam orientation
session from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, April 8th at the Arlington County Economic Development Center. Planners throughout Virginia and the DC metro area interested in the AICP exam are invited to attend, regardless of how far along they are in the exam process.

This will not be a full-blown exam prep session, but more of an
informal opportunity for those planning to take the exam to improve their understanding of the AICP exam process and content. I will facilitate the session and give an overview of some important aspects of getting ready to take the exam. Whether you are registered to take the exam this May or just thinking about taking the exam sometime in the future, this session will provide you with valuable information.

Session Agenda


The Basics


1. AICP Exam Eligibility Requirements

2. Application Process


How to Study and Not Spend Much Money


1. Experience of Recent AICP Exam Takers

2. Exam Study Resources

a. Subject Matter

b. Reading Lists and Study Guides

c. AICP Exam Study Courses/Sessions

d. On-Line Study Resources - Free or low-cost


What to Study


1. Test Specifications For The AICP Exam

2. Exam Subject Matter

a. History, Theory and Law

b. Plan Making and Implementation

c. Functional Areas of Practice

d. Spatial Areas of Practice

e. Public Participation and Social Justice

f. AICP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct


Sample Questions


Study Tips


Networking and Study Groups


Questions and Answers


Registration Information:


The APA Virginia Chapter invites everyone interested in the AICP
exam to attend this orientation session (You don't have to be an APA Virginia Chapter member). While registration is free, on-site underground parking is $11. The Arlington Business Center is within walking distance of the Ballston Metro Station. For directions to the Arlington Business Center, go to http://www.stayarlington.com/index.cfm/6884 . Can't attend the whole session? No problem. Come and go as you please.

Though there is no pre-registration form, please contact
Glenn Larson at aicp@apavirginia.org if you plan to attend. Seating is limited, so please register early. A limited number of the 2009-2010 APA Chapter President's Council AICP exam study guides will be available for sale at $20 per CD.

For those of you who are interested in the exam but can't attend,
copies of the orientation presentation and the supporting information will be posted at the APA Virginia Chapter website (http://apavirginia.org/member-resources/aicp/ ) a few days before April 8th.

Questions? Contact Glenn Larson at
aicp@apavirginia.org or 804/748-1970. Hope to see you there.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Two Upcoming Talks at Virginia Tech SPIA Politics and Planning Speaker Series

Planning and Permitting of Renewable Energy Systems: Experiences and Lessons from Millard County, Utah

Bruce Parker, aicp

Thursday, April 14th – 7:00-9:30pm

Virginia Tech Alexandria Center – 1021 Prince Street, 3rd Floor

Open to the Public!

This presentation will identify the experiences of Millard County, Utah in the planning and permitting of a major renewable energy power generation facility (300-plus kV wind farm) and including the issues of power transmission corridor planning. Identified will be the vital role planners can play in environmental permitting and in facilitating the required coordination and collaboration with various Federal and State agencies. The effects of a major renewable energy initiative on the economic and social well-being on local communities and adjacent properties will be presented.

Bruce Parker is the principal of Planning and Development Services, LLC (PDS), a Salt Lake City based planning consultancy and is a doctoral candidate in the College of Architecture and Planning, University of Utah. Bruce possesses over 25 years of experience in community planning, plan implementation techniques, development review and planning administration. Bruce has participated as a planner and senior project manager for a variety of policy and planning initiatives, land use ordinances, and plan implementation techniques for communities of various sizes. Bruce possesses broad-based experience in urban, suburban, rural and resort planning.

Sponsored by the Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs Politics and Planning Speaker Series.


Remembering Alexandria Civil Rights Pioneer Samuel W. Tucker:

A Conversation with Stephen J. Ackerman and Alexandria Black History Museum Director Louis Hicks

Wednesday, April 6th – 5:30-7:00pm

Virginia Tech Alexandria Center – 1021 Prince Street, 3rd Floor

Open to the Public!

Co-sponsored by the Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs Politics and Planning Speaker Series and the Urban Affairs and Planning Diversity Speakers' Series.

For more details, please take a look at our new website at:

http://www.spia.vt.edu/about/events/vtpnpseries/vtpnpseries.html

2011 Federal Reserve Research Conference || New Research in Community Development

Register Now!

Join 300+ fellow researchers, community development
professionals, and policy experts to discuss new research at the 2011 Federal Reserve Community Affairs Research
Conference

April 28-29, 201, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington,
Virginia.

Economic recovery - particularly for lower-income communities - will
require multi-faceted solutions at both the individual and neighborhood level. Learn from researchers as they share new insights into consumers' financial decisions, neighborhood stabilization strategies, sustainability and urban food markets, the connections between community development and health, and the effectiveness of financial counseling. The full agenda is now available.

Speakers include: Jeffrey Sachs, author of The End of
Poverty; Raphael Bostic, Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, US Department of Housing and Urban Development; Jared Bernstein, Chief Economist and Economic Policy Adviser to Vice President Joseph Biden; Vicki Been, Director, Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at NYU; John Caskey, author of Fringe Banking: Check-Cashing Outlets, Pawnshops, and the Poor; Elsie Meeks, State Director of the USDA Rural Development in South Dakota; and John Williams, recently appointed President of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Event details:
Date: April 28-29, 2011

Location: Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA

Cost: $385 for financial institutions and for-profit organizations; $285
for non-profits, university, and government agencies; $100 for students (must show proof of enrollment)

Register here.


Registration deadline is April 8, 2011.

CNU DC Scholarship Opportunity for CNU 19 Madison



The Congress for the New Urbanism DC Chapter (CNU DC) is pleased to
announce it will award two scholarships to attend the annual CNU Congress. The Congress will take place June 1-4, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin.

CNU DC provides the scholarships to local students and recent
graduates. Each scholarship will award the sum of $545.00 (which is equal to the cost of Congress registration for nonmember recent graduates).

Eligibility


Those eligible for scholarship application will be graduate-level
students of architecture, planning, transportation, health, public policy/government, real estate and finance, law, or business/ economics; or recent graduates (within the last five years) from those same fields who are now working in DC, Maryland, or Virginia.

Essay


Interested candidates will submit an 1-2 page essay (500-1,000
words) on a topic determined by the CNU DC board of directors and the scholarship committee. For 2011, the topic is the following: New urbanism can provide a wide variety of benefits; some examples include more walking, less pollution, and community revitalization. When several factors like these work in combination, they create synergies. In other words, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. From your own research and experience, what new urbanism synergies are most important for our region (DC, Maryland, Virginia) and why? Propose one change that would help bring about those synergies.

Eligible candidates must submit their essay to CNU DC no later than
9:00 p.m., Friday, April 15, 2011. Submittals, questions, and comments should be sent via email to the CNU DC secretary, Laurence Aurbach. Winning candidates will be notified by Friday, April 22, 2011.

Additional details


Prior to the Madison Congress, scholarship recipients must provide
their contact information (email address, phone number, and local mailing or business address). Student candidates must provide documentation of current enrollment. Recent graduates must provide documentation of enrollment within the past five years.

The recipient will be required to attend the CNU DC chapter meeting
during the Congress, and briefly meet with the CNU DC board of directors.

CNU DC will pay the cost of Congress registration directly to the
Congress for the New Urbanism on behalf of each scholarship recipient. If the cost of registration is less than the scholarship, the remaining amount will be paid to the recipient following the Congress. Previous scholarship winners are ineligible to receive a second scholarship.


Congress for the New Urbanism DC Chapter

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Blue Ridge Parkway Summer Position

The Blue Ridge Parkway is once again hiring a Biological Technician for the summer to help with GIS/boundary surveys.

More information can be found here.

2011 Summer Planning Internships

The San Francisco Planning Department is offering three paid internships this summer from June 1st through August 19th, 2011.

More information about this internship found here.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Call for Proposals Extended to Wed Mar 16: VT UAP Social Media Conf


Call for Proposals
Virginia Tech Social Media for Planning Conference

Due Date Extended to Wednesday, March 16

Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Urban Affairs and Planning Program
www.uap.vt.edu

Held simultaneously in two locations, Falls Church and Blacksburg, Virginia

Friday, April 22, 2011
8am-5pm

This program will be submitted for AICP CM credits


Social media tools, communications, databases and other technologies are increasingly being used by planners today in their day-to-day work. Join us for this one-day conversation that will showcase best practices for how planners are using technology in support of visualization, stakeholder engagement and project management/implementation.

We’re seeking speakers to participate in the day’s program:
  • Have a case study or innovation in using social media that you’d like to share with fellow planners across the Commonwealth?
  • Or do you have some particular challenges with implementing social media that you’d like to talk about, as part of a conversation about overcoming obstacles to using social media?
Submit your Expression of Interest by Wednesday, March 16. We’ll let you know within the following week if your proposal has been accepted.

Click here to submit your Expression of Interest


About UAP


The Urban Affairs and Planning
(UAP) program at Virginia Tech offers two locations for graduate study, Blacksburg, Virginia and Alexandria, Virginia facility. The two UAP sites are jointly accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board and both offer a Master of Urban and Regional Planning and a doctorate in Planning, Governance & Globalization (through the School of Public and International Affairs).

In addition, students have the option of earning a dual master’s degree in UAP and several other disciplines, including natural resources, public administration, and landscape architecture.

Visit UAP's website to learn more about our degree programs.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Slugging — The People’s Transit

In Washington, D.C., commuters have taken thousands of cars off highways via a homegrown rideshare system known as “slugging.” Can the government create more slugs — without stepping on any?

Workers who have come down from the surrounding high-rise offices begin to line up on a sidewalk in downtown Arlington, Va., across the Potomac from the nation’s capital, about 3:30 in the afternoon. They stand in a perfect queue, iPods and newspapers in hand, and they look, by all indications, like they’re waiting for the bus. ~ Full Article found here.

A RARE Opportunity for Professional Growth through Service Learning

Resource Assistance for Rural Environments

Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) is a unique AmeriCorps Program serving Oregon's rural communities through economic and community development and natural resource planning. Housed in the University of Oregon's Community Service Center, we aim to link the energy, expertise of the UO with the planning and public policy needs of Oregon communities.

RARE’s Mission

Important Dates

Application Due: April 29 Invited to Participate: June 3 Community Interview Week: July 11 - 15 Orientation: September 7 - 9 Start in Community: September 12

Member Benefits

Monthly Stipend of $1,500 for eleven months Health Insurance Education Award of $5,500 Nine graduate credits

RARE's mission is to assist Oregon's resource-dependent rural communities while providing supported, applied experience to graduate level students from across the US. RARE members live in rural communities for eleven months and serve cities, counties, non-governmental organizations or state agencies to improve economic and environmental conditions in rural Oregon. Over the past sixteen years, the RARE program has placed more than 365 participants in communities across the state.

Current Projects

As each community has individual needs, each participant focuses on community specific projects typically in the following areas: downtown development, public health, transportation planning, community education, economic development, food systems improvement, and watershed management. A few current projects include:

The member placed with Lake County Development is creating a county wide

renewable energy marketing plan, conducting a carbon footprint audit, and

writing several grants.

The member placed with Port Orford Ocean Resource Team developing a

community water festival, coordinating a local marine reserve designation, and

creating a plastics campaign to reduce plastic waste in Port Orford.

The member placed with Klamath and Lake Community Action Services is

completing a community food assessment, strengthening relationships between

food systems stakeholders, and supporting the growth of community gardens

and farmers' markets.

Life After RARE

Following RARE, most members begin careers in the public sector or enroll in graduate school. In recent years our alumni have enrolled in the following universities: University of Oregon, University of California at Los Angeles, Iowa State University, University of Wisconsin, Cornell University, University of Virginia, and University of Kentucky. The alumni are pursing master degrees in a variety of disciplines including urban planning, rural studies, sustainable business practices, and sustainable agriculture. Former RARE members work for organizations such as: Gorge Grown Food Network, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Rural Development Initiatives, Portland Development Commission, City of Portland, Peace Corps, and various cities and counties.

Application Deadline is April 29, 2011

For more information about the RARE program please review the flier here. If you have any questions please email us at rare@uoregon.edu or call 541.346.0259.

Call for Papers - L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, VCU

Thanks for taking the time to read this reminder of the L.Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Fifth Annual Student Research Conference on Friday, April 15, 2011 on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. Attached is the call for papers, which we may have already sent. The deadline for submitting abstracts is currently March 25, 2011.

We have some exciting news about this year's conference that might be of interest to your students who may want to engage their research on a more global level. This year we will have student panelists from VCU's 8 partner universities, including students from China, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Spain, and Turkey. We are expecting at least 15 students to join the conference and with the inclusion of more than twelve schools from across the region last year, our conference looks to be a truly global affair.


Please encourage your undergraduate students to consider sending an abstract for what promises to be a very exciting research opportunity. We can accommodate approximately 24 panels so space may be limited, but we hope to include all worthy submissions that meet the broad test of "Government, Public, and International Policy and Affairs."


Send abstracts to
wilder.conference@gmail.com. Details are found in the informational letter and flyer or please feel free to email me at cjsaladino@vcu.edu.

Virginia Tech MURP Students on Field Trip to Metro/WMATA Headquarters


On Thursday, 3 March 2011, a group of 15 MURP students participated in a field trip to the headquarters of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)—possibly better known as Metro. The group visited the Emergency Operations Center and listened to presentations by WMATA experts on rail and bus operations planning, planning and joint development, emergency preparedness, and fire life safety. The trip was part of a Sustainable Transportation course and was lead by Professors Ralph Buehler and Kris Wernstedt.

Washington Semester Program

We are once again able to offer the Washington Semester Program and will begin with the Summer of 2011.

Information sessions will be held after break in AA 114:
Wed, Mar 16 - 12-1:00p
Tue, Mar 22 - 12:30-1:30p

Applications are due by April 4 - submit to Krystal in AA110 or by email to krystal@vt.edu or spia@vt.edu.

You can also find us on Facebook: Virginia Tech - Washington Semester Program.

More information can be found here.

OED GRA positions available for fall 2011

The Office of Economic Development is in need of graduate research assistants for the fall term, and have found many promising candidates from the UAP department in the past. More information on our office, the GRA positions, and the application process are found in the here.

New Smart Growth America Resources

Smart Growth America recently relaunched our website, http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org, and it offers an abundance of resources for urban planning students. Our State and Regional Policy Guide provides extensive state policy recommendations, in areas such as Housing and Transportation. Our Recent Research section provides numerous reports that are available for free download. For example, Recent Lessons from the Stimulus: Transportation Funding and Job Creation, released this month, discusses how states spent their flexible transportation funds from the 2009 stimulus, and specifically looks at which states were more successful (or less successful) in creating jobs out of those funds. It also provides recommendations for how to maximize jobs, reduce costs and prepare for long-term economic growth using transportation dollars.

Also on the site is our blog with the latest news about smart growth across the country. If you or your students want to connect with fellow sustainable planning advocates, you can become a fan of SGA on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, too.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

USIT Program - Summer 2011

UT Austin is seeking undergraduate juniors and seniors planning majors who may have an interest in gaining firsthand experience conducting research on transportation problems through the Undergraduate Summer Internship in Transportation (USIT). This program is offered through the Advanced Institute for Transportation Infrastructure Engineering and Management. The Advanced Institute has been established at The University of Texas at Austin through funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Its objectives include enhancing the quality, number, and diversity of professionals entering the Transportation sector.

The USIT program during the past nineteen summers has been very successful, with 155 interns participating from 75 different Universities. They are looking forward to another exciting summer full of opportunities for our interns.

A brochure describing the program can be found here. More information can also be found on the website.

China Summer Program

Major Activities:

  • Joint design studio with faculty and students from the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at Huazhong University of Science and Technology;
  • Joint planning case study with faculty and students from Wuhan University of Technology;
  • Site visit at Shanghai: the Maglev system, Shanghai Urban Planning Museum, the Bund, Pudong new development area, planning for the 2010 International Expo, Metro and light rail system;
  • Field trip to Suzhou, the garden city in China, which offers special interests to planners and landscape architect;
  • Experience the high speed rail from Wuhan to Changsha;
  • Site visit at Beijing: Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Great Wall, TianAnMen Square, Olympic site, and historic preservation in central city;
  • Participate in the International Association for China Planning Conference at Renmin University.

Here are some pictures taken in last year's program in China. http://dcp.ufl.edu/galleries/china2010

The deadline for the application is March 7th. There are also scholarship available, ranging from $500-1000. If some students are interested in applying, please ask them to apply by Friday March 4th.

More information on the study abroad trip can be found here.

Friday, March 4, 2011

City of Suffolk Job Opportunity

The City of Suffolk seeks qualified applicants for the position of Principal Planner in the Department of Planning and Community Development. Primary responsibilities of the position include assisting in the preparation of long-range planning studies and updating of the City's comprehensive plan. For position details, visit APA-Virginia's website at http://apavirginia.org/jobs/principal-planner-comprehensive-planning or the City's Department of Human Resources website at http://www.suffolk.va.us/citygovt/ca/hr.html.

VT CAUS Study-Travel Abroad

header

College of Architecture and Urban Studies
www.caus.vt.edu


Please join us for...

Study-Travel Abroad

The Majesty of Peru

July 18 - 31, 2011

100th anniversary of Hiram Bingham’s
rediscovery of Machu Picchu


Participants will earn up to 60 continuing education credits in accordance with AIA/CEA criteria. Payments must be paid by check to "ISDI" by March 18. For more information and a detailed schedule, download the flyer. Contact Professor Humberto Rodgriquez-Camilloni at hcami@vt.edu with any questions.

Coalition for Smarter Growth Job & Internship Positions

Fundraising and Administrative Assistant

We're looking for a part time Fundraising and Administrative Assistant to join our dynamic and talented team. Our ideal candidate is a person of any age and background who gets great satisfaction from managing office operations and helping us achieve our fundraising goals. Support of our mission is essential.

This position is 20 hours/week, great for students or those with other obligations, and is not salaried. Please note that while this position offers opportunities for growth and learning, this is a strictly part time position. As a small organization, this position fills a critical need in our office.

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Graduate Level Policy Internships

We seek outstanding policy interns to join our team for the 2011 summer and fall semesters. This position is an ideal way to use your talents to make a meaningful, substantial contribution while learning about the nonprofit sector and “real world” smart growth advocacy and implementation.

Our interns will work closely with CSG’s Policy Director and Executive Director to create materials, research and write reports, and provide analysis for critical growth policies in the Washington D.C. region. Specifically, the position will include activities related to one or more of the following topics:

  1. Affordable housing
  2. Transportation policy reform, both specific policies and statewide DOT reform
  3. Aging infrastructure in the D.C. region
  4. Corridor planning (including housing, transportation, and land use)
  5. Public land for public good policy analysis – what DC area jurisdictions are doing, how they do it, what can be done

If you have issue-specific experience, please let us know as we may be able to match you with a related project.

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Applications will be accepted until positions are filled. For specific details on how to apply, follow the "Learn More" links.
action@smartergrowth.net

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Sara Farley Talk Today on Connecting VT Resources to Global Challenges

OPEN TALK

How to Go Global: Connecting Virginia Tech Resources to Global Challenges. A conversation with the Global Knowledge Initiative

Thursday, March 3, 10:30am
GLC Room B

Sara E. Farley
Chief Operating Officer, Global Knowledge Initiative
www.globalknowledgeinitiative.org
Sara E. Farley is the Chief Operating Officer of the Global Knowledge Initiative, a not for profit organization launched from the US National Academy of Sciences that brokers partnerships between individuals and institutions to solve global challenges in science, technology and innovation (www.globalknowledgeinitiative.org).  Sara has been commissioned by national governments (Brazil, Canada, Slovenia, and the UK), and international development and science-related affinity organizations, such as the Rockefeller Foundation, to lead thinking, develop networks, and devise policies to strengthen developing countries' science and technology capacity.  

Sara began her career as a science, technology, and innovation strategist at the World Bank.  After co-authoring the World Bank's new Science and Technology Strategy for Development with Chief Scientist, Robert Watson in 2001, she helped the institution design and launch its first Africa-based science and technology project (the 30$ million Uganda Millennium Science Initiative). More recently, the World Bank relied on Sara in operations across Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. She has been an advisor and senior consultant to the African Development Bank, where she helped to craft the institution’s new Higher Education, Science, Technology and TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) Strategy. 

In 2007 and 2008, Sara worked with UNIDO to establish its first-ever policy position on innovation.  Additionally, Sara has worked as a consultant for SRI International, UNCTAD, the Rockefeller Foundation, and other organizations to develop science, technology, and innovation strategy and policy and guide aid delivery and operations.

Prior to joining the World Bank, Sara graduated with honors in Science, Technology, and Society from Stanford University’s School of Engineering where she also earned a Masters degree in International Policy Studies. She spent time at the University of Queensland studying and working in chemical engineering. Following her time at Stanford and a stint working for a wireless start-up in Silicon Valley, she was a Rotary International Ambassadorial Fellow at the Universidad de Buenos Aires where she conducted post-graduate study in Technology Policy and Management. Sara also founded Uganda Arts Outreach, Inc. and serves on the Board of Lesole’s Dance Project and the Global Alliance for Linkages in Science (GALS).