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Tag: Carolina Planning

Carolina Planning Journal Recognized by the 2021 Haskell Award


The Carolina Planning Journal was one of five publications recognized by the Center for Architecture’s 2021 Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals. CPJ received an Honorable Mention for this year’s issue, Volume 46, The White Problem in Planning. An excerpt from 2020-21 Editor-in-Chief Will Curran-Groome’s Editor’s Note speaks to the variety of articles and book reviews featured in the issue:

This past year has been in large part defined by three interrelated phenomena: a resurgence in Black Lives Matter protests and activism catalyzed by the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by the police; the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic; and the ouster of Donald Trump and the Republican Party from control of our federal executive and legislative branches of government. Each of these events has highlighted how the social, political, economic, legal, and physical institutions of our country have been designed and employed to benefit whites at the expense of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. In response, we asked authors to address issues raised by Goetz, Williams, and Damiano (2020) in their article titled Whiteness and Urban Planning, in particular how urban planning has worked to normalize and perpetuate whiteness–its invisibility, the exclusion by which it is defined, and the extractive nature of white affluence. The articles in this issue touch on many of the domains where planning intersects with whiteness, and they contribute valuable perspectives and analyses as we seek to build more racially just and reparative planning systems. 

The Haskell Award was founded to encourage student journalism on architecture, planning, and related subjects, and to foster regard for criticism among future professionals. The award is named for architectural journalist and editor Douglass Haskell, an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects and editor at Architectural Forum from 1949 to 1964, during which he was very influential in stopping the demolition of Grand Central Station.

CPJ was recognized alongside the Rice University School of Architecture, Northeastern University School of Architecture, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and City College of New York Spitzer School of Architecture for perpetuating intelligent writing about design.

Print copies are still available of this year’s journal. To order your own, complete this brief subscription form and send us a payment via Venmo, Zelle, or cash or check; additional payment details are provided on the subscription form.

Subscription rates are as follow:

  • DCRP Student: $10
  • DCRP Alumnus, Staff, or Faculty: $15
  • General Subscriber: $20

Questions? Don’t hesitate to email us.


By Emma Vinella-Brusher, Angles Managing Editor

Featured image courtesy of Jo Kwon

Beyond DCRP: Alumni Updates

This weekend (March 1st & 2nd)  is the annual Carolina Planning open house for the prospective class of 2018. As we welcome the new cohort to our community, it’s a perfect time to check in with our recent graduates and see what they’re up to. Enjoy this update from the DCRP class of 2015!

Walker Freer ‘15
Associate, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates
Boston, MA

walkerIn compact urban areas and redeveloping suburbs, the need for frequent, reliable, and affordable public transit is increasingly critical. Working with Nelson\Nygaard, I help implement short-range planning projects for public transit agencies, municipalities, and colleges and universities to modify service patterns to better serve existing transit demand. These planning efforts involve analyzing route ridership, demographics, and operational constraints to identify feasible solutions that satisfy transit demand while remaining efficient and cost-effective. Truly successful transportation projects must be approached comprehensively, and in addition to public transit Nelson\Nygaard actively addresses multiple elements of mobility. We work to promote and accommodate alternative means of transportation in nearly all projects. This includes augmenting bicycle and pedestrian access, reviewing paratransit options, and recommending the implementation of transportation demand and parking management programs.

Aaron Hursey ‘15
Urban Planner, City of Seattle
Seattle, WA

aaronI work as an urban planner for the City of Seattle, splitting my time between the Seattle Design Commission (SDC) and the city’s Office of Planning and Community Development. My role includes providing support for the Commission, which advises city departments on the design of publically funded projects, capital improvement projects, and projects located within the city right-of-way. The SDC has reviewed major projects including the Seattle Arena, parks facilities, police precincts, and a pedestrian master plan.  

I am also working with team and community members to create neighborhood streetscape design concept plans in Northeast Seattle as well as assisting with the update of neighborhood design guidelines. This past fall, I worked with team members by organizing and attending community meetings in order to generate feedback on the Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan.   

Maggie Parker ‘15
Loan Officer, The Real Estate Council Community Fund
Dallas, TX

maggieThe Real Estate Council (TREC) Community Fund provides access to capital and technical assistance for commercial real estate projects in low-income areas of Dallas and Collin Counties. We are an emerging Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and have a unique structure as we are housed within a trade and member-based organization for commercial real estate professionals, The Real Estate Council. In June 2015, after graduation, I became the first full-time employee of the TREC Community Fund with the goal of growing the fund to serve more communities and catalytic projects. In coordination with TREC staff, I manage all aspects of the Community Fund: loan origination, underwriting, closing, and servicing of loans to nonprofit and for-profit organizations seeking to develop commercial real estate projects. Additionally, I provide technical assistance along with managing TREC members’ pro bono development services which contribute to the success of TREC Community Fund borrowers.

Some of our recent projects include financing the acquisition and rehab of a juice bar, market, and café in a food desert and blighted neighborhood; providing a line of credit for non-profit developers to construct single-family homes; and funding the acquisition of land for a clinic in a medically-underserved area as a transit-oriented development project. Through this position, I get to be a part of the implementation of ideas that make Dallas what the community envisions.

Kari Grace ‘15
Planner I, Town of Morrisville
Morrisville, North Carolina

kariI work in current planning for the Town of Morrisville’s Planning Department. Morrisville, NC is a rapidly growing and evolving town located in the center of the Triangle region. My work focuses on development review, including reviewing plans, supporting text amendment processes, processing annexation requests, and responding to planning and zoning inquiries from the public and developers. I’m also working on initiatives and projects in historic preservation, active living, and community appearance.

This update was compiled by: Jonathan Ahn, Shati Khan, Allen Lum, and Estefany Noria of the DCRP Alumni and Career Development Committee