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.

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

November 17, 2008

Planning Students Help Plan Green City

Follow-up Article in The News & Advance

It’s not just about trees. Yes, a large tree canopy such as those that exist in parts of Lynchburg can clean the air, take up storm water and keep temperatures cool in the heat of the summer. But that’s only a portion of the city’s green infrastructure. Those environmental assets —such as trees, waterways and trails — are at the heart of a unique partnership between Lynchburg and a University of Virginia urban and environmental planning class. The students, taught by UVa adjunct professor Karen Firehock, are taking stock of that green infrastructure so the city can maximize planning efforts. Infrastructure generally refers to the gray — pavement, roads, pipes, power lines, “all of the built environment that cities need to function,” Firehock said. “But cities also need green infrastructure. They need tree canopies, clean drinking water, good soil. We need to plan for making sure we are maximizing that green infrastructure just as we do with gray infrastructure.” The project was started this summer and will be complete by the end of the year. Wednesday, the group will hold a public meeting so city residents can weigh in with their opinions, which Firehock says is a critical part of the project. [for complete article, follow link in the headline to The News & Advance and also the link below it to read a follow-up article in same newspaper]

October 23, 2008

UVa Class Documents Local Foreclosures

Cavalier Daily article

[From C-ville Weekly] Calls for assistance rose 174 percent last year BY CHIARA CANZI Last week, a group of UVA seniors studying foreclosure trends presented preliminary findings to the Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA) staff. What the students found—using data from June 2006 to August 2008 from foreclosure.com; The Daily Progress classified foreclosure listings; and calls to PHA asking for assistance—revealed that the Charlottesville and Albemarle real estate markets have not been immune to the larger mortgage crisis. The number of foreclosures both in the city and in the county have increased over the past two years, but, according to the collected data, the number peaked in March 2008 with 36. The students are part of the Neighborhood Planning Workshop course in the School of Architecture taught by Nisha Botchwey. The purpose of the study was to provide valuable information on foreclosure trends, geographic areas, and housing characteristics to PHA so that it could intervene with preventive housing counseling in the affected areas.... [to read full article, follow in headline]

October 22, 2008

Prof. Daphne Spain Receives Prestigious Planning Award

This past summer, Daphne Spain, the James M. Page Professor and Chair of the Dept. of Urban + Environmental Planning, received the 2008 Margarita McCoy Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. The award is given annually to recognize an individual's outstanding contribution toward the advancement of women in planning at institutions of higher education through service, teaching, and/or research. In a forthcoming piece to be published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research, Spain writes, "I was the first woman to be hired as an assistant professor in the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture, and the first to achieve tenure....Winning this award has given me the opportunity to reflect on what women like Margarita and I, and other award winners, have done for each other and for younger women in planning. And more important, it has led me to speculate on what younger women might do for subsequent generations."

October 14, 2008

Graduate Student Published in Planning Magazine

Jeff Herlitz (MP degree expected in 2010) was recently published in the American Planning Association trade magazine Planning. The August/September 2008 issue focused on water in America. Jeff penned "Our Imperiled Oceans and Coasts", which detailed the problems associated with coastal water quality and some current domestic and international ideas on how best to address them. Ranging from coastal development patterns in Georgia to the effect of climate change on Venice, the article assessed current domestic policy and its implication for the health of our world's ocean ecosystem. On a similar note, Jeff published a related article in the September 2008 issue of Urban Land. It was a short overview of the effect of ocean rise on coastal infrastructure and was titled "Infrastructure and Climate Change." Jeff expects to have two more articles published by year’s end. One focuses on industrial symbiosis and another examines the Brookings Institution policy report "MetroPolicy."

October 14, 2008

Planning Students Awarded Public Service Fellowships

Graduate students in Urban & Environmental Planning, Fania Gordon, Renee Pean, Lisa Hardy, and Meg Johnstone have each been selected to receive UVA School of Architecture Public Service Fellowships for the 2008-09 academic year. The UVA School of Architecture Public Service Fellowship Program provides fellowships for students interested in working in local design and environment-related nonprofit organizations. The intent of this program is to provide a formal structure for students to gain experience in creative work in the community that is in line with their interests. For the 2008-2009 academic year Fania Gordon will be working with the Charlottesville Tomorrow organization, Renee Pean will be working with Habitat for Humanity, Lisa Hardy with the Institute for Environmental Negotiation, and Meg Johnstone with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission.

	Home > Academics > 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. 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 November 17, 2008 Planning Students Help Plan Green City Follow-up Article in The News & Advance It’s not just about trees. Yes, a large tree canopy such as those that exist in parts of Lynchburg can clean the air, take up storm water and keep temperatures cool in the heat of the summer. But that’s only a portion of the city’s green infrastructure. Those environmental assets —such as trees, waterways and trails — are at the heart of a unique partnership between Lynchburg and a University of Virginia urban and environmental planning class. The students, taught by UVa adjunct professor Karen Firehock, are taking stock of that green infrastructure so the city can maximize planning efforts. Infrastructure generally refers to the gray — pavement, roads, pipes, power lines, “all of the built environment that cities need to function,” Firehock said. “But cities also need green infrastructure. They need tree canopies, clean drinking water, good soil. We need to plan for making sure we are maximizing that green infrastructure just as we do with gray infrastructure.” The project was started this summer and will be complete by the end of the year. Wednesday, the group will hold a public meeting so city residents can weigh in with their opinions, which Firehock says is a critical part of the project. [for complete article, follow link in the headline to The News & Advance and also the link below it to read a follow-up article in same newspaper] October 23, 2008 UVa Class Documents Local Foreclosures Cavalier Daily article [From C-ville Weekly] Calls for assistance rose 174 percent last year BY CHIARA CANZI Last week, a group of UVA seniors studying foreclosure trends presented preliminary findings to the Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA) staff. What the students found—using data from June 2006 to August 2008 from foreclosure.com; The Daily Progress classified foreclosure listings; and calls to PHA asking for assistance—revealed that the Charlottesville and Albemarle real estate markets have not been immune to the larger mortgage crisis. The number of foreclosures both in the city and in the county have increased over the past two years, but, according to the collected data, the number peaked in March 2008 with 36. The students are part of the Neighborhood Planning Workshop course in the School of Architecture taught by Nisha Botchwey. The purpose of the study was to provide valuable information on foreclosure trends, geographic areas, and housing characteristics to PHA so that it could intervene with preventive housing counseling in the affected areas.... [to read full article, follow in headline] October 22, 2008 Prof. Daphne Spain Receives Prestigious Planning Award This past summer, Daphne Spain, the James M. Page Professor and Chair of the Dept. of Urban + Environmental Planning, received the 2008 Margarita McCoy Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. The award is given annually to recognize an individual's outstanding contribution toward the advancement of women in planning at institutions of higher education through service, teaching, and/or research. In a forthcoming piece to be published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research, Spain writes, "I was the first woman to be hired as an assistant professor in the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture, and the first to achieve tenure....Winning this award has given me the opportunity to reflect on what women like Margarita and I, and other award winners, have done for each other and for younger women in planning. And more important, it has led me to speculate on what younger women might do for subsequent generations." October 14, 2008 Graduate Student Published in Planning Magazine Jeff Herlitz (MP degree expected in 2010) was recently published in the American Planning Association trade magazine Planning. The August/September 2008 issue focused on water in America. Jeff penned "Our Imperiled Oceans and Coasts", which detailed the problems associated with coastal water quality and some current domestic and international ideas on how best to address them. Ranging from coastal development patterns in Georgia to the effect of climate change on Venice, the article assessed current domestic policy and its implication for the health of our world's ocean ecosystem. On a similar note, Jeff published a related article in the September 2008 issue of Urban Land. It was a short overview of the effect of ocean rise on coastal infrastructure and was titled "Infrastructure and Climate Change." Jeff expects to have two more articles published by year’s end. One focuses on industrial symbiosis and another examines the Brookings Institution policy report "MetroPolicy." October 14, 2008 Planning Students Awarded Public Service Fellowships Graduate students in Urban & Environmental Planning, Fania Gordon, Renee Pean, Lisa Hardy, and Meg Johnstone have each been selected to receive UVA School of Architecture Public Service Fellowships for the 2008-09 academic year. The UVA School of Architecture Public Service Fellowship Program provides fellowships for students interested in working in local design and environment-related nonprofit organizations. The intent of this program is to provide a formal structure for students to gain experience in creative work in the community that is in line with their interests. For the 2008-2009 academic year Fania Gordon will be working with the Charlottesville Tomorrow organization, Renee Pean will be working with Habitat for Humanity, Lisa Hardy with the Institute for Environmental Negotiation, and Meg Johnstone with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission.	Architectural History Architecture Landscape Architecture Urban & Environmental Planning Bachelor of Urban & Environmental Planning Master of Urban & Environmental Planning Planning Faculty Courses Student Work Masters Thesis Guidelines Institute for Environmental Negotiation Historic Preservation Certificate Program Admissions Dual Degrees Undergraduate Minors Study Abroad Continuing & Professional Education Planning to Stay; William Morrish. View More: This Image · Faculty Portfolio Gallery
		Back to top