Tag: or masters community and regional planning

Meet CPW GTF: Nicholas Meltzer, P.E.

Posted on by Julia Havens

Name: Nicholas Sean MeltzerNicholas Nick Meltzer Community Service Center GTF University of Oregon
Alias: Nick

Where were you born and where do you call home?
I was born and raised in the great state of Maine, but spent eight years in Vermont before coming to Oregon. For better or worse, Vermont has stolen my heart, so it’s where I like to call home.

If you could plan the perfect holiday, what would it be?
Some friends and I joked, after seeing the quote in a blog, that “our vacation is your worst nightmare.” We like vacations that get us outside in remote wilderness places, far away from the creature comforts of society. We want to be doing the active sports we love—often until, or well past, dark. Then we want to sleep on the ground outside, wake up and do it all over again. There’s something about these kinds of trips that are revitalizing and give you a new found appreciation, and passion for things. You always come back refreshed and ready for whatever life throws at you.

In which graduate program are you enrolled?
I’m in my second year of a Masters in Community and Regional Planning. Officially, my area of concentration is Community Development, but unofficially I like working on projects that involve local food systems, sustainable transportation, and rural communities.

What Community Service Center program(s) are you working with?
Primarily, I’m working with CPW. I’ve done work with OPDR in the past, and my exit project is involved with the EDAUC.
◊ Community Planning Workshop (CPW)
◊ Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience (OPDR)
◊ Economic Development Administration University Center (EDAUC)

Favorite food?
Is it too cliché to say pizza? Pepperoni. Or homemade mushroom and sausage.

What are some of the projects you have worked on with the Community Service Center (CSC)?
This past term, I worked with the OPDR developing a climate vulnerability assessment for the cities of Eugene and Springfield. It involved completing a sector-by-sector assessment (electricity, transportation, drinking water, wastewater, public health, etc.), to determine how “adaptive” those sectors are to natural disasters and climate change impacts. This gave the cities a tool to prioritize opportunities for improved resiliency. My exit project involves determining the economic impact of mountain biking in Oakridge, Oregon. I’m working on that project with Bob Parker, the principal of the University of Oregon’s Economic Development Center.

What project are you currently working on with CPW? 
Currently, I’m managing a sustainable transportation project in Ashland, Oregon for the Community Planning Workshop (CPW). Ashland is a city of approximately 20,000 people, but get 400,000 visitors a year due to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. As one can imagine, this leads to a number of downtown parking and circulation issues. We’re analyzing the best policy options for managing parking & circulation demand, as well as evaluating bike and pedestrian improvements outlined in their Transportation System Plan.

What are some of the outcomes are you hoping to gain when your project ends?
We had our kick-off meeting last week, and both the mayor and steering committee set high expectations, which is exciting for me, and I hope my team. Ashland wants to be a leading community in sustainability, so they’re open to innovative ideas that maintain the vitality of their downtown. So, outcomes? A good process, policy options both the steering committee and city council are supportive of, ideas that push the envelope, and a tight-knit team by the end.

How does your involvement with the Community Service Center relate to or inform your education?
It’s been part of the foundation of my learning. I’m a big advocate of experiential education, and CSC gives graduate students the unique opportunity to reach in and get your hands dirty. What we learn in the classroom we get to apply though projects with the CSC. Where else can you earn a Masters and say you’ve already been a consultant on 2-3 planning projects for paying clients?

What advice would you give to your younger self just beginning the CSC program?
Lean in to the discomfort. Just make sure you don’t fall over.

Meet CPW GTF: Leigh Anne Michael

Posted on by Julia Havens

Name: Leigh Anne Michael Leigh Anne Michael Community Planning Workshop Community Service Center

Where were you born and where do you call home?
I was born in Pennsylvania but grew up in Tennessee. I spent the majority of my life in Tennessee before moving to Oregon for Graduate School. However, I now consider Oregon my home. I’ve created a life here with my fiancé and our two dogs. There is something about this area that makes me happy.

What’s your favorite pig-out food?
Normally I would have said mashed potatoes, but since moving to Oregon turns out everything is my pig-out food. The food here is just way too good!

In which University of Oregon graduate program are you enrolled? 
I am in the Master of Community and Regional Planning program focusing on Economic Development.

What Community Service Center program(s) are you working with?
Community Planning Workshop (CPW)

What are you doing for the Community Service Center (CSC)?
I am a project coordinator for Community Planning Workshop (CPW). CPW is a two term (20 week long) experiential learning class for first year community and regional planning students. Each year the students work on a real-life project in an Oregon community. Starting in January and going through June 2014, I will manage a team of graduate students working on a real-life project.

What project are you working on?
I don’t know if I can spill the beans on the project yet, but let’s just say it’s a really cool economic development project in the Eugene area focusing on local food.

What are some of the outcomes are you hoping to gain when your project ends?
There are three layers of outcomes I am hoping to gain when the project ends. First, I am hoping the project will be something useful for the community and help move local economic development initiatives forward. Second, I hope the project will inform and inspire my project team and give them not only planning skills, but also project management skills moving forward in their careers. Finally, I hope this project and experience improves my project management skills and provides me with additional skills and knowledge regarding economic development.

How does your involvement with the Community Service Center relate to or inform your education?
I don’t know if I can even explain how much my involvement with the Community Service Center (CSC) relates and informs my education. First, the Community Service Center has been the biggest influence on my learning while at the University. I am a hands-on learner and the experiential learning provided by the CSC and CPW works perfectly with how I prefer to learn. Second, I am beginning my fifth economic development project with the CSC. With every project, I learn a new skill or a new piece of information that I carry on to my next project/experience. Everything I am learning from the CSC and CPW will be directly transferable to whatever job or experience comes my way after graduation.

What advice would you give to your younger self just beginning the CSC program?
Challenge yourself more. The Community Service Center provides a unique experience that you won’t gain anywhere else. Use this opportunity provided by the CSC to push yourself a little bit harder and challenge yourself a little bit more. I promise it is worth it.

If you could plan the perfect holiday, what would it be?
A perfect holiday is sitting at home with my family. My parents live in Tennessee, my brother lives in California, and my fiancé and I live in Oregon. The holidays are my favorite because we are all back together again hanging out and having a great time.