News

Dr. Merlin publishes in Transport Policy

Dr. Louis Merlin published in Transport Policy an article titled “Accessibility analysis for transportation projects and plans.”

We spend billions of dollars on new roadways, but are they making our transportation system work more efficiently? In this paper, Dr. Louis Merlin examines transportation success from two perspectives, firstly, in relation to how fast vehicles are able to travel, and secondly, in relation to how many destinations can be reached. From the perspective of speed, these roadway investments are working; but from the perspective of how many useful destinations can be reached, this study of San Antonio finds that typical radial highway investments may not offer any net benefits. Read the article

Dr. Merlin publishes in Research in Transportation Economics

In the new Research in Transportation Economics article, Dr. Louis A. Merlin examines whether people who move to the intown infill development of Atlantic Station next to Midtown Atlanta travel differently than if they lived elsewhere in the region. He finds that households living in and near Atlantic Station drive significantly less per day than households elsewhere in the region – 18 fewer miles per day – and use walking, biking, and transit more – for 25.9% of their trips.

The upshot is that well-placed infill development actually can help reduce regional levels of congestion, which may be counter-intuitive to some. Read the article

SURP Director Publishes Article in the Journal of Urban Economics

Journal of Urban Economics

Journal of Urban EconomicsSteve Bourassa, Director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning, co-authored an article titled “U.S. Metropolitan House Price Dynamics” in the May 2018 issue of the Journal of Urban Economics. The paper uses advanced statistical techniques to explain changes in house prices in metropolitan areas in the United States. He and his co-authors find that aggregate personal income for metropolitan areas is an important determinant of house price dynamics, but the effect of aggregate income is closely related to constraints on the supply of housing. Supply constraints can be topographical or regulatory. His co-authors are Martin Hoesli (University of Geneva, Switzerland) and Elias Oikarinen and Janne Engblom (both at the University of Turku, Finland).

Read the article

I-Cube Tabletop Exercise

Interdependent Infrastructure Incident

May 17, 2018 – 8:30 am – 11:45 am
Palm Beach County Convention Center
West Palm Beach, FL

Submitted for 3 AICP CM credits

Participants in infrastructure restoration prioritization research took part in a fun, interactive, computer-based exercise at the Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference.

The “Interdependent Infrastructure Incident” (I3) exercise featured a tabletop (discussion-based) exercise within the framework of a simulated disaster scenario. The purpose of the exercise was to collect data on the behavior and decision process of subject matter experts in disaster recovery.

Learn more here

I-Cube is part of the PRAISys project funded by the NSF CRISP 2 Program

Congratulations, Class of 2018!

On Thursday, May 3, 2018, nearly 300 bachelor students and 140 masters students accepted their diplomas from the College for Design and Social Inquiry at Florida Atlantic University. To all of our students, it has been our pleasure to have you in our classrooms and to watch you grow and learn in your programs.

Whether you are continuing your education or ready to apply your knowledge in the workforce, we look forward to watching your next chapter unfold. Remember that we are here for you and rooting for your success each step along the way.

As Chairman of the FAU Board of Trustees Anthony Barbar said during his undergraduate commencement speech, “It’s now our turn to learn from you.” Be well and best wishes!

  • 21 Bachelor of Architecture
  • 127 Bachelor of Arts
  • 16 Bachelor of General Studies
  • 14 Bachelor of Public Management
  • 23 Bachelor of Public Safety Administration
  • 70 Bachelor of Social Work
  • 16 Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning
  • 8 Bachelor of Urban Design
  • 9 Master of Nonprofit Management
  • 6 Master of Public Administration
  • 12 Master of Science
  • 106 Master of Social Work

Want to explore the degree programs in the College for Design and Social Inquiry at FAU? Call our Academic Advising Team today: (561) 297-2316

Spring 2018 Undergraduate Commencement

Spring 2018 Graduate Commencement

Dr. Mitsova published in The Journal of Environmental Planning Management

The Journal of Environmental Planning Management published Dr. Diana Mitsova’s research on Spatial decision support for nature-based shoreline stabilization options in subtropical estuarine environments. 

Related projects include the study, ‘Suitability Analysis for Living Shorelines Development in Southeast Florida’s Estuarine Systems,‘ funded by The Nature Conservancy, and a story map created by The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with the Shoreline Resilience Working Group of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.

Elsevier’s TRD Journal annouces new section on Disasters and Resilience

Elsevier announces the formation of a new section of the international journal Transportation Research D focusing on Disasters and Resilience. This section will be edited by Karl Kim (University of Hawaii), John Renne (Florida Atlantic University) and Brian Wolshon (Louisiana State University).

This section of Transportation Research D will build on the special capabilities and interests of transportation researchers, coming from multiple disciplines, worldwide, to address the critical ways in which transportation science and the supporting theories, methods, and tools can be applied to increase societal resilience against all hazards, both natural and man-made. In addition to the wide range of natural hazards including both geo-physical and hydro-meteorological, the section will also cover industrial accidents, cascading events (where one hazard such as an earthquake can trigger a release of toxins and harmful substances into the environment), and intentional acts of sabotage or terrorism. In each of these disasters and emergencies, transportation plays a significant role. Core concepts such as travel demand modeling, rare event forecasting, activity-based analyses, system performance monitoring, optimization across time and space, mode choice, network analysis, geospatial modeling, and many other methods are appropriate topics for this section.

Interested authors are encouraged to contact section editors or submit manuscripts through EVISE: https://www.evise.com/profile/#/TRD/login

SURP Student Spotlight: Conor Campobasso

How can urban planning students succeed as professionals? FAU Master of Urban and Regional Planning student Conor Campobasso serves as the Manager for Complete Streets and other Localized Initiatives Program (CSLIP) at the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (Broward MPO). Conor talks about two of the projects he’s worked on and his tips for succeeding in the field of urban planning.

Florida APA announces Minority Scholarship

The Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association Minority Scholarship is meant to celebrate planning and foster increased interest in planning by providing financial support for planning students who are members of underserved ethnic groups and who attend a PAB-accredited planning institution or urban planning program actively seeking PAB accreditation in the state of Florida. Two scholarships are offered: one for $2000 and one for $1500. Learn more and apply here: 2017 Minority Scholarship Application Package

Director of SURP/PA & Coauthors Win “Best Paper” (again)

American Real Estate Society
Steven Bourassa, Director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning and the School of Public Administration, and his coauthors Martin Hoesli of the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and Elias Oikarinen and Janne Engblom of the University of Turku (Finland) have won the prize for the best paper in real estate market analysis presented at the American Real Estate Society (ARES) Annual Meeting held in San Diego in April 2017. The paper is titled “Revisiting the House Price-Income Relationship” and aims to resolve some longstanding issues about how personal income growth affects housing markets in metropolitan areas. The paper applies state-of-the-art statistical techniques to analysis of data for the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. For a second consecutive year, Bourassa and Hoesli have won a “Best Paper” prize at the ARES conference.

RSVP for SURP’s Fall Kick-off and Orientation

Join us Friday, Aug 25 at the Biergarten

Join us Friday, August 25 for the Fall Kick-Off and Orientation to be held Friday, August 25th from 7 to 9 pm at the Biergarten, 309 Via de Palmas #90, Boca Raton, FL 33432. All new and continuing SURP students, faculty, mentors, and supporters are invited to attend. This will be a great opportunity for students, faculty, and professional planners to interact.

New students will receive an orientation, can meet with continuing students, and also learn about professional planning and student planning organizations (Planning Society @ FAU).

In addition, the event will provide an opportunity for participants in the Mentorship Program to meet. Food and drinks will be provided. We hope to see you there!

Please RSVP so we can cater for the right number of attendees

Questions? Please contact us.

FAU Planning Abroad – London 2018

FAU Planning Abroad London 2018

During Spring Break 2018, Peter Henn will lead FAU Planning Abroad to London to study modern urban planning and design and transportation in a historical city. To secure a spot, students must sign up by December 2017. Limited scholarships to qualified students may be available. Get ready for some fun!

Learn more HERE about FAU Planning Abroad

Apply HERE to Study Abroad by November 30

For more information contact Peter J. Henn, J.D., AICP, Florida Atlantic University’s School of Urban & Regional Planning, at PHenn@FAU.edu or telephone 561-558-3884.

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