UCI Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) student, Renata Langis, received the 2021 Orange County-American Planning Association Award of Merit, for her Professional Report (PR) on Bicycle Facilities and Safety Hazards Associated with Active Transportation: A Corridor-Level Analysis of Collisions in Long Beach, CA. Renata’s PR client was the Transportation and Mobility Bureau for the City of Long Beach and her faculty advisor was Dr. Jae Hong Kim. This research study consisted of a brief summary of existing conditions of active transportation infrastructure and travel modes in Long Beach and a summary of active transportation literature. Renata conducted an analysis of active transportation safety, including statistics and trends on the national level, municipal level, and corridor-level. Data was also gathered on collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists on six corridors with protected bicycle lanes throughout the city of Long Beach. The corridors are located in diverse areas throughout the city with a range of different land uses and population densities. Bicycle and pedestrian involved collision data were gathered from corridors with protected bicycle lanes and comparable corridors without these facilities for the purposes of understanding the measurable effect of these facilities on bicycle ridership and collision frequency. In conclusion, Renata provided recommended strategies to reduce the rate of pedestrian and bicycle collisions and fatalities. Check out the MURP PR website to learn more about Renata and other students’ research.

Katie Wang Freiberg, dual major in Criminology, Law and Society and Urban Studies, received these three prestigious awards in 2021: Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, School of Social Ecology Dean’s Scholar Award, and School of Social Ecology Award for Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research.                                 

Katie’s campuswide honor’s research project was on the topic of: How can cities promote accessible green spaces? A comparative case study between Melbourne and San Francisco. Given the many advantages of nature and green space, comparing green space accessibility in Melbourne and San Francisco is an important learning opportunity for planners and environmentalists. In conducting qualitative case study research, Katie reviewed 37 policy documents on green space accessibility for Melbourne and San Francisco. Her findings and recommendations included best practices and areas for improvement concerning green space accessibility for underserved groups. Dr. Karna Wong served as her faculty advisor for this research project.

Dr. Karna Wong recorded a message for the Class of 2021 graduation. Congratulations to all of the graduating seniors!

https://ebaldc.org/inclusivity-and-solidarity-at-ebaldc/

In partnership with the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate and Ong & Associates, the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge released a new report today, covering critical new research as part of a series of COVID-19 Research Initiative policy briefs documenting the systemic racial inequalities of the pandemic.

This brief analyzes data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s weekly Household Pulse Survey, collected between April and July 2020, to examine the magnitude, pattern, and causes of this housing crisis. The authors find that about 5 million or 8% of American homeowners were unable to pay their mortgage on time. In comparison, during the Great Recession, there were approximately 3.8 million foreclosures and early stage delinquent mortgages (for 30 to 59 days) peaked at 3%. The current rising number of homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage is an ominous indication that this may lead to more foreclosures, housing instability, and homelessness.

Click here to access the full report

Dr. Karna Wong recorded a message for the Class of 2020’s virtual graduation. Congratulations to all of the graduating seniors!

Ines Galmiche receives the 2020 Orange County-American Planning Association Academic Award of Excellence and John Shin-Young Yu receives the 2020 Orange County-American Planning Association Academic Award of Merit

Ines Galmiche’s UCI Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) Professional Report (PR) project:
Tustin Rail Station District Active Transportation Plan
Client: Orange County Transportation Authority and Faculty Advisor: Dr. Doug Houston

John Shin-Young Yu’s UCI MURP PR project:
Water Conservation and Recycled Wastewater Nexus
Client: Irvine Ranch Water District and Faculty Advisor: Dr. David Feldman

See their reports on website about the UCI MURP Professional Reports: https://sites.google.com/view/ucimurp-pr/home

Click on the video to watch these UCI MURP students be recognized for their awards: Ines Galmiche (0:11 – 0:17) and John Shin-Young Yu (0:52 – 0:59)