Done for my planning capstone course in summer of 2011, this 15 page paper was my first formal analysis paper. Using Introduction, Methodology, Findings, Analysis and Conclusion sections for the first time I learned just as much about proper paper writing and research methodology as I did the probable causes and effects of concentrated poverty in Columbus, Ohio neighborhoods.
Skills and knowledge learned/improved upon: Paper writing, data analysis, neighborhood poverty, social behavior and the built environment.
Type Archives
Pop-Up Play Handbook
Instinctively I have always considered flash mobs, the urban playground movement and urban gaming (what I call “Pop-Up Play”) part of Tactical Urbanism. I was very surprised while researching the subject for a class that very few others in the planning community share this view, despite the research and interviews done which explicitly state that civic engagement and community agency is often a driving factor for the organizers and participants of these events.
This “handbook” discusses Pop Up Play in the context of Tactical Urbanism and calls for urbanists to take it seriously as a way for people to reclaim the urban public realm. The handbook also discusses the history and legal concerns of the movement, as well as many examples of play events from cities around the world, and a how-to guide for starting an event. Currently on 66 pages, it is still a work in progress.
Skills and knowledge learned/improved upon: research, writing, InDesign, civic engagement, tactical urbanism, public space, social media.
Independent Research: Indian Urban Form Across Class Strata
In 2012 I was awarded the Architectural Research Travel Award (ARTA) from the Knowlton School of Architecture at The Ohio State University. I spent several weeks that summer in Mumbai and New Delhi, studying urban form across history, regions, and class strata.
During the fall semester of 2012 I was asked to do a short presentation of my findings to the school, and these are the resulting slides. When the video of the presentation and the talk which accompanied this powerpoint has been made available by the school I will post the link here.
Skills and knowledge learned/improved upon: Project proposal writing, research, independent research, public speaking and presenting, international planning, planning history, urban morphology, Indian housing, slums, class disparity in city form, Kevin Lynch’s five elements of city legibility.
APA Tactical Urbanism Salon
In November 2012 my Facilities Master Plan studio put on a Tactical Urbanism salon which was open to professional planners for 5 hours of Certification Maintenance Credit as well as students and the public at large. For this event our studio collected and pared down popular guerrilla urbanism tactics into several practical options for workshops or the space in general. I was responsible for engaging the participants and public in playful games during the event. The research I started for this project turned into the “Pop-Up Play” project which has its own project page.
Skills and knowledge learned/improved upon: Tactical urbanism, public engagement, public art, urban gaming, event planning, collaboration, networking.
For
American Planning Association: Ohio Chapter, The Ohio State University School of Architecture
Type
workshop
Community Revitalization Plan
• Lead class in project planning, research, on-site community engagement, plan development, and final report writing and design during more than 70 hours of class time.
• Managed class administrative tasks and correspondence with our client, community stakeholders, and the various class members
• Presented project updates monthly at both the local civic association and area commission meetings
Ghana Sustainable Change
- BuckICT Computer Lab
- Interviewed local officials
- Created a learn how to use computers curriculum + Posters
- Class also did a mapping project and ROGE rural offgrid energy and haven housing assessment
- The Ghana project is still ongoing
- http://u.osu.edu/ghanasc/files/2015/09/2015_GSC_StrategicPlan_final_FORWEBSITE-2hgcsz5.pdf
- https://engineering.osu.edu/news/2012/10/students-give-back-community-ghana-sustainable-change-program
- http://www.planning-next.com/2011/05/31/principal-greene-wins-osu-faculty-award-for-the-ghana-sustainable-change-program-2/
- http://knowlton.osu.edu/ghana
- https://osu.box.com/s/g098me745cthscpe8vn5
- http://u.osu.edu/ghanasc/projects/
College of Engineering Facilities Master Plan
This studio was created in order to assist The Ohio State University’s College of Engineering in designing a new master plan that would harmonize its north campus with the university’s new One Ohio State Framework Plan.
Each student implemented hundreds of occupancy assessments, origin destination surveys, visual preference surveys, facilities assessments, bicycle surveys, and pedestrian route captures. From the data we identified issues and came up with solutions, culminating in the creation of an approximately 100 page final report, which we presented to the Dean of the College of Engineering at the end of the semester.
In addition to data collection, as Urban Design Tech I was responsible for designing all of the report maps. I also created and gave the studio’s first place Pecha Kucha presentation during the department’s inter-studio competition.