Planning, Public Policy and Management

Several of the University of Oregon’s campus buildings have questionable environments with regard to thermal comfort and indoor air quality, and students of A&AA may be able to remedy this.

The recent Undergraduate Research Symposium, which featured research from A&AA students, tackled a number of serious matters for sustainable design including heat retention (and loss) at the John E. Jaqua Center, ventilation effectiveness at Deady Hall, and the best way to soundproof the campus residence halls.

Associate Professor Mark L. Gillem, PhD, FAIA, AICP, recently received a national-level design award for the Installation Development Plan at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida from the American Planning Association's Federal Planning Division. Through his firm, The Urban Collaborative, he helped the installation and the prime contractor (Atkins) prepare a plan that accommodates growth while leveraging principles of sustainable urbanism to preserve sensitive habitats and landscapes.

An expert in Oregon’s hiking and history, the founder of a nonpartisan research and educational think tank, and a health plan administrator are the winners of three 2014 awards for public service presented by the UO Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management and the PPPM Advisory Council. The awards ceremony will take place June 12 at the Ford Alumni Center Ballroom on the University of Oregon campus.

Four students in the Planning, Public Policy and Management Department’s Scholars on Board Program will present their experiences from serving on a nonprofit board during a symposium Tuesday, June 3, from 8-9:30 a.m., in Heritage Hall, located in the Bowerman Family Center at University of Oregon.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), a University of Oregon volunteer student group run through the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, have planned Festival Latino, a Latino community event.

Festival Latino will be a fundraiser for the Eugene-based nonprofit Huerto de la Familia, or “The Family Garden.” Each year, AFP plans a fundraiser for a specific local nonprofit; Huerto de la Familia works with the Latino community on organic gardening, nutrition, and microbusiness development projects.

The City of Eugene and the University of Oregon welcome the 2014 Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) conference to Eugene this evening, Wednesday, May 21. A&AA Dean Frances Bronet will give opening remarks at 6 p.m. at the Ford Alumni Center. Nearly 600 attendees have registered from as far away as the Netherlands and Japan to learn about building and strengthening neighborhood organizations.

Associate Professor Nico Larco has coauthored Site Design for Multifamily Housing: Creating Livable, Connected Neighborhoods, published in April by Island Press.

Aimed at architects, planners, and developers, the book provides design and code guidance for walkability and connectivity in multifamily site design. Larco’s coauthors are UO graduates Kristin Kelsey, ‘MArch ’12, MIArch, ‘12, and Amanda Stocker West, MPA ‘09.

Bill Eggert wasn’t even halfway through his two-term capstone course in public administration when he realized the literal payoff of the curriculum’s intense schedule: Midway through spring term, he was offered a job with the California State Auditor’s office.

The six-foot model of Medford with moveable wood blocks depicting buildings might evoke memories of kindergarten. But Gerardo Sandoval and James Rojas use the model as a tool for conducting public outreach because it allows residents to interact with their city in a personal way, which helps planners gain insight to changes people want in their neighborhoods.

LiveMove, the University of Oregon transportation and livability student group composed of many Planning, Public Policy, and Management students, will receive a statewide award for “Student Achievement in Planning” from the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association for its proposed redevelopment of 13th Avenue in Eugene.