Volume 31.2 The Changing Face of Planning (2006)

2006 marks the 60th anniversary of the Department of City and Regional Planning (DCRP) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Reaching this milestone has inspired us to explore and reflect on the last 60 years of planning practice and education in North Carolina.

Editors: Laura Sandt, Rawley Vaughan, Allan Freyer, and Michael Schwartz

A digital version of this issue is available here.

TOP 10 PLANNING EVENTS IN NORTH CAROLINA: 1946 – 2006

Godschalk, David R.; Hankins, Wes; Nance, Michelle

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of City and Regional Planning, this article outlines the top ten planning events, plans, and programs that have occurred in North Carolina in the past 60 years.

A PLANNING CAREER IN THE TRIANGLE: INTERVIEW WITH ROGER WALDON, FAICP

Carolina Planning Editors

Roger Waldon is a Principal Consultant with Clarion Associates in Chapel Hill, NC. He was also the planning director for the Town of Chapel Hill for 20 years and a graduate of the Department of City and Regional Planning at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Carolina Planning conducted an interview on April 26, 2006 to talk with Waldon about his career and how planning in North Carolina has changed since he started practicing.

TURNING POINTS IN PLANNING EDUCATION: THE UNC EXPERIENCE

Godschalk, David R.

Planning education in the US faced major turning points during the last half of the twentieth century. It went from design to social science-based curricula, developed functional specializations beyond comprehensive planning, introduced computer technology, and responded to globalization. This article reflects on the impacts of these turning points on the Department of City and Regional Planning (DCRP) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

THE MISSIONARIES OF CHAPEL HILL: THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SPREADS ITS INFLUENCE FAR AND WIDE

Verner, Pat

The text below is excerpted from the original article printed in Planning magazine in 1987, highlighting the commitment to outreach and community engagement held by UNC’s Department of City and Regional Planning. As a result of this commitment and the missionary nature of its first 40 years of existence, DCRP was largely responsible for embedding modern planning practice in the State of North Carolina. In addition, the article quotes professors about the goals and vision of the department, providing a snapshot of the views held at that time. The article has been reprinted with the permission of Planning magazine.

ALMOST 20 YEARS LATER: A RESPONSE FROM CURRENT DCRP FACULTY

Carolina Planning Editors

Carolina Planning caught up with DCRP Chair Emil Malizia to get his thoughts on how planning at the University of North Carolina has changed since Pat Verner wrote his article in 1987.

2005 DCRP BEST MASTER’S PROJECT: CHALLENGES AND FEASIBILITY OF RURAL ARTS-BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF CHATHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

Fleming, Rachel C.

In recent years, economic development practitioners and planners have begun to recognize the role of the arts in regional economies and their use in downtown revitalization and other aspects of economic sustainability, particularly for rural areas and small towns. However, challenges in facilitating arts-based economic development strategies are not well documented or understood. This report examines Chatham County, North Carolina, and its residents’ attempts to create and envision arts-based economic development strategies. Challenges were identified, including unclear roles for arts support organizations, disagreements about government subsidies, difficulties in weighing the costs and benefits of an arts-based strategy versus other methods of economic or community development, obstacles (perceived and real) for local government and organizations in working with artists, and historic divisions based on race, class, and politics. Strategies to mediate these challenges are suggested.

FACES OF DCRP: ALUMNI LOOK BACK ON THEIR EDUCATION AND THEIR CAREERS

Carolina Planning Editors

Professional planning has changed dramatically over the last 60 years. The following pages include profiles of planning professionals who graduated from the Department of City and Regional Planning and have pursued planning-related careers in the public and private sectors. These profiles represent men and women of diverse backgrounds engaged in varying professional activities.

SELF-HELP: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH CAROLINA’S DOWNTOWNS

White, Malcolm

Self-Help Credit Union, headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, provides an innovative set of new tools for planners interested in downtown revitalization, community development, and asset building among low-income individuals. This article details the role played by Self-Help in a number of community development activities in Durham, Asheville, Memphis and other cities throughout the southeast. In these cities, Self-Help has provided the critical first investment in projects deemed too risky by the private sector—often with high success rates. Also discussed in this article is a brief overview of the financing tools and strategies used by Self-Help to leverage private and public funds for their innovative work.