I want to use this first post as an introduction to my blog and to lay out what I want to do with this space from now on. I am currently working on a double major in Political Science and Geography (Urban Planning concentration), and I plan to attend graduate school starting next year for a master's degree in urban planning. Currently I am taking four courses: Urban Politics, American Domestic Policy, American Foreign Policy, and a professional writing course for which this blog is an assignment. I hope to take this blog beyond the requirements of my assignment though and continue updating it throughout the year and into my graduate school experience.
At least once a week I'll post something I deem interesting from one of my classes, or more likely an interesting current issue in urban planning. I have a keen interest in the policy aspect of planning and the interactions of various stakeholders in the process, hence my second major in Political Science. I am also very interested in comparative settlement patterns and urban life in other parts of the world, specifically Latin America as I have had the opportunity to study Spanish for two and a half years and spend a brief time in Nicaragua this past summer. I may comment on some issues related to these things here, but I won't limit myself to just those topics.
Again, I just wanted to introduce myself and lay out my intentions in this first post but in the future I promise my posts will be more interesting, especially to those in the planning field but also to citizen planners and those who may know nothing about planning at all. The wonderful thing about planning issues is that they affect us all on a day to day basis. Over 80% of Americans live in an urban area and even those who don't are affected by decisions made by planners, politicians, and policymakers in our nations cities. Check back often for commentary on many issues including smart growth and sustainability, public health, planning history, and urban renewal (for those who aren't planners, I promise these issues are more exciting than they sound).
Periodically I will change this photo to show pictures from different cities around the world. This is the GM building in downtown Detroit. I attended a sporting event there in December and saw first hand the negative effects the city has incurred from not diversifying their economy. Pittsburgh would be a good role model for Detroit, moving their economy successfully into the realm of banking as steel has become less important to them in today's global economy.
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