So far, my trip to South Africa is going great. I won’t have the opportunity to write much here until after I return in July, but I thought I would share a few highlight photos. Our studio class is examining housing and economic issues in a small town about two hours from Cape Town called […]
Molo Cape Town!
Tomorrow I’ll be boarding a flight to Cape Town, South Africa, where I’ll be spending the next month studying abroad. Our group will be completing a studio report on a small, 200-year old town outside of the city. While Cape Town is renowned as a fascinating and beautiful place, I think I’d like any place […]
Planner, Scholar Inprisoned in Iran
This from a friend: FREE KIAN TAJBAKHSH On May 11th 2007, Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh, 45, an urban planning expert and senior research fellow at the New School in New York, was arrested at his home in Tehran by the Iranian security services. He has since been detained in the notorious Evin prison and has not […]
Cleaning Up Diesel Engine Pollution
Like many urban residents, I am frequently blasted with diesel fumes from buses and trucks as I navigate city streets. Over the past four years living in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Washington, D.C., I have cleaned black film off the windows of my apartments. This pollution no doubt caused mostly from diesel exhaust. (In fact, […]
Ten Reasons WashingtonPost.com is Poorly Designed
For too long, I’ve begrudgingly accepted online inconvenience, relying on Google and bookmarks to find what I was looking for. I’ve rationalized about the size and complexity of the job, assuming it would get better soon. I was wrong. I feel compelled to say it: Washingtonpost.com is a poorly designed website. Here’s ten reasons, in […]
Ballston Examined
I completed this essay for the final assignment for my urban design class. The assignment was to conduct an analysis of this block adjacent the Ballston Metro Station in Arlington County, Virginia. My study area is part of the “Ballston-Rosslyn Corridor,” a nationally-known example of smart growth. Along the corridor, the county has added roughly […]
Defending the Capital
During the Civil War, the U.S. government built 68 forts around Washington to protect the capital from Confederate invasion. Although little-known today, remains from these forts can be found throughout the city. Here’s a short history of the “fort circle,” from the National Park Service: When the Civil War began, only one fortification existed for […]