UAP Professor Ralph Buehler was a guest speaker today on Focus, an Illinois public radio program that "features a mix of newsmakers, authors and regular guests to talk about the ideas and issues that affect your life." (http://will.illinois.edu/focus)
This morning's program focused on "cycling, infrastructure and why some in the [Champaign, Illinois] area are working to empower a strong cycling and pedestrian community." Read more about Focus and listen to today's program at http://will.illinois.edu/focus/program/city-cycling.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
2013 Ridenour Faculty Fellowship Conference News: “Governing Possibilities and the Possibilities of Governance”
Scholars from the Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) and across the university community are convening today and tomorrow, Friday, April 26, in Blacksburg, Va., for the 2013 Ridenour Faculty Fellowship Conference. This year’s theme is, “Governing Possibilities and the Possibilities of Governance,” and it builds on the successful 2012 Ridenour conference, which focused on Distressed Cities.
For 2013, the interdisciplinary conference coordinating team created a program that explores all levels of governance during this two-day conference. Sessions are structured as discussions and conversations featuring SPIA faculty, graduate students and distinguished guest speakers in various semi-structured formats that allow both information and reflection.
In particular, as the 2013 long-ish title suggests, SPIA invite scholars to think about the social construction of both the form of governance and of what is governed by referring to Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of the “space of possibles” (as a noun). Among the questions that are being explored during the two-day program include:
What is the space of possibles and what is at stake in the field of governance?
We can ask about the social possibilities of governance: what kind of governance are the current socio-economic power relations bringing forth?
And we can ask about the act of governing social possibilities: how are the powers that be organizing what is socially imaginable and thus possible?
Sessions examine questions such as:
How do we understand current debates about governance (or indeed government) in crisis?
How do our definitions of public and private space reflect current forms of governance?
How does the idea of participation and shared governance fit in?
How does governance legitimation change in the face of environmental crisis?
What are the tensions between attempts of democratization in developing countries and a context of neo-liberal international governance?
Finally, what are different theoretical perspectives of the concept of governance and what are its disciplinary and transformative potential?
SPIA scholars strive to integrate scholarship and practice to continuously inform, question, and advance knowledge in the public sphere. The Ridenour Faculty Fellowship Conference provides a forum to advance this core mission.
For 2013, the interdisciplinary conference coordinating team created a program that explores all levels of governance during this two-day conference. Sessions are structured as discussions and conversations featuring SPIA faculty, graduate students and distinguished guest speakers in various semi-structured formats that allow both information and reflection.
In particular, as the 2013 long-ish title suggests, SPIA invite scholars to think about the social construction of both the form of governance and of what is governed by referring to Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of the “space of possibles” (as a noun). Among the questions that are being explored during the two-day program include:
What is the space of possibles and what is at stake in the field of governance?
We can ask about the social possibilities of governance: what kind of governance are the current socio-economic power relations bringing forth?
And we can ask about the act of governing social possibilities: how are the powers that be organizing what is socially imaginable and thus possible?
Sessions examine questions such as:
How do we understand current debates about governance (or indeed government) in crisis?
How do our definitions of public and private space reflect current forms of governance?
How does the idea of participation and shared governance fit in?
How does governance legitimation change in the face of environmental crisis?
What are the tensions between attempts of democratization in developing countries and a context of neo-liberal international governance?
Finally, what are different theoretical perspectives of the concept of governance and what are its disciplinary and transformative potential?
SPIA scholars strive to integrate scholarship and practice to continuously inform, question, and advance knowledge in the public sphere. The Ridenour Faculty Fellowship Conference provides a forum to advance this core mission.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
UAP Students Host Ryerson University Students for Planning Research Discussion
 | |
| VT UAP and Ryerson students discuss research efforts |
UAP Master's and PhD students in Alexandria
welcomed students from Toronto's Ryerson University on Friday April 19th for presentations
and conversations about planning research. Virginia Tech PhD students Allison Heck,
Arica Young, and Andrea Hamre presented on their ongoing research efforts. Hamre
coordinated the gathering of approximately 25 students and community members.
Participating
Virginia Tech students included Jamie Genevie, Terrah Glenn, Andrea Hamre, Allison
Heck, Priscila Izar, Arica Young, and Nick Kushner. A wide range of topics were
discussed, from cultural preservation and sustainable communities to commuter benefits
and comparisons of Canadian and American planning approaches.
Monday, April 22, 2013
May 15 Pre-Conference Roundtable: What Next? The Future of Brownfields Research in Policy and Practice
For individuals heading to the 2013 EPA National Brownfields Conference, a pre-conference roundtable has been organized by Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, St. Louis University and Ryerson University. This roundtable will explore the latest developments in Brownfields research as well as discuss opportunities for future collaborations among researchers, practitioners and policymakers.
Register at http://www.mi.vt.edu/archives/1363
Register at http://www.mi.vt.edu/archives/1363
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
SPIA Family Day at the EU Embassies' Open House
Saturday,
May 11
10am-4pm
Join us at the European Union (EU) Embassies’ Open House, the single biggest celebration of the EU in the world. This annual event demonstrates the EU’s motto of “unity through diversity” by showcasing the range and richness of European society (http://www.euopenhouse.org). Students, alums, faculty staff, family members and friends are welcome. This event is rain or shine.
You can also buy a SPIA t-shirt to wear that day to show your Hokie Pride and spread the word about our three programs in Alexandria. See the registration link above to reserve yours!
RSVP at http://spiaeuopenhouse.eventbrite.com/#
Location: Washington, D.C.
10am-4pm
Join us at the European Union (EU) Embassies’ Open House, the single biggest celebration of the EU in the world. This annual event demonstrates the EU’s motto of “unity through diversity” by showcasing the range and richness of European society (http://www.euopenhouse.org). Students, alums, faculty staff, family members and friends are welcome. This event is rain or shine.
You can also buy a SPIA t-shirt to wear that day to show your Hokie Pride and spread the word about our three programs in Alexandria. See the registration link above to reserve yours!
RSVP at http://spiaeuopenhouse.eventbrite.com/#
Location: Washington, D.C.
Call for Hokie Volunteers for May 3 Alexandria Community Service Day
Friday, May
3
10am-4pm
Organized by Volunteer Alexandria, Alexandria’s Community Service Day is a City-wide event on Friday, May 3 during which hundreds of people volunteer to support numerous different nonprofit and City agencies, as well as our schools. As a VT SPIA Team Volunteer, you’ll join other Hokie students, faculty, staff, alums, friends and family members on our team. You must be 21 or older to participate.
A $25 registration fee to cover tools, T-shirt and food is recommended. (You can also give more if you’d like to support other Volunteer Alexandria programs throughout the entire year.) We’ll be one of more than three dozens volunteer teams that day that’ll spread out across the City to help non-profit agencies with a variety of tasks. You’ll help these short-handed sites prepare for Spring with fresh paint, new flowers and shrubs as well as layers of mulch.
Following the work day, volunteers come together at Alexandria’s Market Square (301 King Street) for a celebration party with refreshments and prizes. The Service Day is part of Spring for Alexandria – a three-day event with the focus of giving and involves hundreds of volunteers.
Sign up for the VT SPIA Team at this link
Location: At a nonprofit location in Alexandria
10am-4pm
Organized by Volunteer Alexandria, Alexandria’s Community Service Day is a City-wide event on Friday, May 3 during which hundreds of people volunteer to support numerous different nonprofit and City agencies, as well as our schools. As a VT SPIA Team Volunteer, you’ll join other Hokie students, faculty, staff, alums, friends and family members on our team. You must be 21 or older to participate.
A $25 registration fee to cover tools, T-shirt and food is recommended. (You can also give more if you’d like to support other Volunteer Alexandria programs throughout the entire year.) We’ll be one of more than three dozens volunteer teams that day that’ll spread out across the City to help non-profit agencies with a variety of tasks. You’ll help these short-handed sites prepare for Spring with fresh paint, new flowers and shrubs as well as layers of mulch.
Following the work day, volunteers come together at Alexandria’s Market Square (301 King Street) for a celebration party with refreshments and prizes. The Service Day is part of Spring for Alexandria – a three-day event with the focus of giving and involves hundreds of volunteers.
Sign up for the VT SPIA Team at this link
Location: At a nonprofit location in Alexandria
April 19 UAP Special Event: An Evening With Graduate Planning Students from Toronto’s Ryerson University
Sponsored by the
Virginia Tech Urban Affairs & Planning Program
An Evening With
Graduate Planning Students from
Toronto’s Ryerson University
Graduate Planning Students from
Toronto’s Ryerson University
Friday, April 19th
5:00pm-6:00pm – Refreshments & Social Hour
6:00pm-7:00pm – Presentations, Q&A
Monday, April 15, 2013
Hanff to present at Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference, Bethesda, MD, on April 15th
Colleges and universities are incubators of innovation, tackling the biggest challenges of society through creative means. The 2013 Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference
provides the setting to learn, share and explore how campuses are using
their passion for innovation to develop technologies, infrastructure,
programs and curricula that address the world’s most pressing
sustainability challenges.
MURP alumna and SPIA Research and Operations Manager Jessica Hanff will be presenting with Jason Hercules of the US Green Building Council on “Using LEED for Neighborhood Development to Create a Sustainable Campus.” Read more about the presentation at this link: http://www.mi.vt.edu/archives/1339.
MURP alumna and SPIA Research and Operations Manager Jessica Hanff will be presenting with Jason Hercules of the US Green Building Council on “Using LEED for Neighborhood Development to Create a Sustainable Campus.” Read more about the presentation at this link: http://www.mi.vt.edu/archives/1339.
Leveraging Statistics to Improve Data Quality
UAP Assistant Professor Ralph Hall and Assistant Research Professor of Statistics Eric Vance have released a new video that highlights their efforts to leverage technology and statistics to advance quality data collection efforts in Africa. The initiative is part of an impact evaluation project that Hall and Vance are conducting on behalf of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
The 16-minute video was created at the request of UAP Professor Tom Sanchez and will be part of the new TechniCity MOOC (massive open online course) that Sanchez will be co-teaching in summer 2013 with Jennifer Evans-Cowley/Ohio State University.
The video contains many imagines and several clips from the fieldwork conducted during 2011, Hall noted, and it features several VT graduate students, who each played an important role in the research.
The 16-minute video was created at the request of UAP Professor Tom Sanchez and will be part of the new TechniCity MOOC (massive open online course) that Sanchez will be co-teaching in summer 2013 with Jennifer Evans-Cowley/Ohio State University.
The video contains many imagines and several clips from the fieldwork conducted during 2011, Hall noted, and it features several VT graduate students, who each played an important role in the research.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
NCR Hokies Blood Drive, Friday April 19
|
Friday, April 5, 2013
Tues April 30: 11th Street Bridge Park Presentation
Courtesy of Building Bridges Across the
River at THEARC:
The District
government and local nonprofit partner, Building Bridges Across the
River at THEARC, are transforming the old 11th Street river bridge into
the city's first elevated park: a new venue for healthy recreation,
environmental education and the arts.
Join the movement to transform, connect and engage communities on both sides of the Anacostia River."
"Join
residents of Wards 6, 7 and 8 at a presentation by graduate students at
Virginia Tech's Urban Planning Studio, who have spent the entire
semester studying the proposed 11th Street Bridge Park, to deliver their
final report.
Presentations will include:
1) Recommendations to ensure that the Bridge Park is stitched deeply into surrounding neighborhoods;
2) Assessment of nearby playgrounds, cultural amenities, and gardens;
3) Case studies of similar transformed infrastructure projects across the US; and
4) Recommendations for continued community engagement.
Led by Elizabeth Morton, Ph.D., the studio represents one of many ways that Virginia
Tech’s’s Urban Affairs and Planning (UAP) program immerses graduate
students in real world challenges. UAP is one of three programs that
make up the School of Public and International Affairs; its National
Capital Region campus is located in Old Town Alexandria.
Join the movement to transform, connect and engage communities on both sides of the Anacostia River."
Van Houweling Defends Dissertation on Gender, Water, and Development
Courtesy of Ralph Hall:
"On March 29, Emily Van Houweling successfully defended her dissertation entitled "Gender, Water, and Development: The multiple impacts and perspectives of a rural water project in Nampula, Mozambique." Congratulations, Emily!
Read more at http://ralphphall.wordpress.com/author/rphall/
"On March 29, Emily Van Houweling successfully defended her dissertation entitled "Gender, Water, and Development: The multiple impacts and perspectives of a rural water project in Nampula, Mozambique." Congratulations, Emily!
Read more at http://ralphphall.wordpress.com/author/rphall/
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Cities and Technology
UAP Professor Tom Sanchez and Jennifer Evans-Cowley from Ohio State University will be teaching a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Cities and Technology beginning on Saturday May 4, and will run for four weeks. The course currently has over 13,000 students registered from around the world. You can sign up for the course at: TechniCity.
The course focuses on how technology is being used in cities. The increasing availability of networks, sensors and mobile technologies allows for new approaches to address the challenges that our cities face. The way we understand cities is undergoing sweeping transformation, right along with the analytical tools we use to design our cities and the communication tools we use to engage people. We developed this course to help in fostering a community of people who care about the future of our cities and have an interest in how technology can play a role in their future.
Follow us on Twitter @EvansCowley and @tomwsanchez. We'll use Twitter to communicate thoughts about technology, cities, MOOCs, and other topics, in addition to using the course mechanisms (using hashtag #technicity) We also have a LinkedIn group if you would like to network with others interested in technology and cities.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Tues Apr 9: UAP's Ralph Buehler to Link Planning, Increased Cycling at MNCPPC Speaker Series
Update: Ralph Buehler's Montgomery County presentation has been posted online; watch the video at http://vimeo.com/63861859
Courtesy of Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission:
"SILVER SPRING – Take a look around and it’s easy to see that cycling is booming. The roads of Washington, D.C. are crisscrossed with bike lanes, and the District-based Capital Bikeshare program bills itself as the largest in the nation.
To delve into how good planning equates to safe, accessible, enjoyable cycling, Virginia Tech professor Ralph Buehler will present at the Montgomery County Planning Department’s speaker series on Tuesday, April 9. His talk, Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from Europe and North America, will link transportation and land-use policies with bike use.
Co-editor of the recently published book City Cycling (MIT Press), Buehler will report on cycling trends and policies in North American, European, and Australian cities and tie those to how planners and local government officials can promote cycling in their communities.
In his book and classes, Buehler contends that cycling should not be limited to those who are highly trained, extremely fit, and daring enough to battle traffic on busy roads. His presentation will describe ways to make cycling feasible, convenient, and safe for commutes to work and school, shopping, and other daily transportation needs.
Specifically, Buehler’s presentation will offer information on:
Continuing education credits (1.5 hours) have been approved for planning professionals.
Who:
Ralph Buehler, Assistant Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning, Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech
What:
Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from Europe and North America
When:
7 p.m. Tuesday, April 9
Where:
Park and Planning Headquarters auditorium
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring"
Courtesy of Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission:
"SILVER SPRING – Take a look around and it’s easy to see that cycling is booming. The roads of Washington, D.C. are crisscrossed with bike lanes, and the District-based Capital Bikeshare program bills itself as the largest in the nation.
To delve into how good planning equates to safe, accessible, enjoyable cycling, Virginia Tech professor Ralph Buehler will present at the Montgomery County Planning Department’s speaker series on Tuesday, April 9. His talk, Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from Europe and North America, will link transportation and land-use policies with bike use.
Co-editor of the recently published book City Cycling (MIT Press), Buehler will report on cycling trends and policies in North American, European, and Australian cities and tie those to how planners and local government officials can promote cycling in their communities.
In his book and classes, Buehler contends that cycling should not be limited to those who are highly trained, extremely fit, and daring enough to battle traffic on busy roads. His presentation will describe ways to make cycling feasible, convenient, and safe for commutes to work and school, shopping, and other daily transportation needs.
Specifically, Buehler’s presentation will offer information on:
- cycling safety
- bikeways and bike parking
- integrating cycling with public transportation
- promoting cycling for everyone
Continuing education credits (1.5 hours) have been approved for planning professionals.
Who:
Ralph Buehler, Assistant Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning, Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech
What:
Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from Europe and North America
When:
7 p.m. Tuesday, April 9
Where:
Park and Planning Headquarters auditorium
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring"
Monday, April 1, 2013
SPIA in the NCR Discusses Sustainability with Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
 |
| The IITK-VT research partnership, meeting at SPIA in late March in Alexandria, Va. |
March meeting topics included discussing new courses to be created/transferred and also areas
of research collaboration, presenting the draft knowledge platform for approval,
and reviewing potential topics for a project workshop. This is the second in-person meeting
of the project group, having
last met during October 2012 in Kanpur.
The initiative is funded by a grant from the Obama-Singh 21st
Century Knowledge Initiative as part of efforts to create an International
Program for Sustainable Infrastructure Development. The three-year
IITK-VT partnership includes a series of meetings, workshops, research
collaborations, and graduate student exchanges that are connected via a
knowledge platform designed to support the virtual and digital exchange of
information and data.
Virginia Tech representatives participating in the
Alexandria and Arlington meetings included UAP Assistant Professor Ralph Hall,
Ph.D.; UAP Assistant Professor Shalini Misra; Myers Lawson School of
Construction Associate Professor Mike Garvin, Ph.D.; MI+SPIA Interim Research
Director Joe Schilling, Ph.D.; MI+SPIA Operations Manager Jessica Hanff; and
SPIA Director Anne Khademian, Ph.D. Representatives
from IITK attending the meeting included Professors Sudhir Misra, Onkar
Dikshit, and Mukesh Sharma.
More information about the project team can be viewed on the
project website at http://www.iitk-vt.net.
Following the Northern
Virginia meetings, IITK representatives met with Virginia Tech faculty members
in Blacksburg
to continue the project dialogue. The
next in-person meeting will occur again in Virginia in Fall 2013 and the schedule will
include time for small group discussions among faculty members about specific
research proposals that are in progress.
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