Eli Sperling
11/13/09
Intern Mentor
PRELIMINARY RESEARCH PLAN
Part I
- What specific area(s) within the field will be investigated research and/or studied?
I will start off by researching what general plans are and how they are made. I study cities and how general plans have succeeded or failed in making cities more walkable and sustainable utilizing the policies related to The New Urbanism. By the end of my research I plan to contribute materials in support of the initial efforts by the County towards updating the Countywide General Plan.
- How will knowledge or ability in the field be acquired, developed, and demonstrated through the year?
Using sources from the American Planning Association (APA) and books like the Death and Life of Great American Cities, I plan to research the literature and compile my research into a paper discussing the New Urbanism and its influence on general plans in the United States.
Howard County Public School System (Contacted in October)
10910 Route 108
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Dept. of Housing and Community Development (Contacted in October)
6751 Columbia Gateway Dr., 3rd Floor
Columbia, MD 21046
Maryland Department of Planning (Contacted in October)
301 W. Preston Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Maryland Transit Administration (Contacted in October)
6 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21202-1614
These are the agencies I personally contacted. I will use some of the information they provide to help me address the issue of sustainability and walkability as part of the initial planning efforts by the County towards updating the Countywide General Plan.
- What will be the product(s) and/or outcome(s) of the year of study?
My research efforts and the resulting paper will contribute to the creation of initial issues papers being prepared by the Department of Planning and Zoning during the initial planning efforts by the County towards updating the Countywide General Plan.
- What proven need will be addressed? What real problem will be solved? What question will be researched?
I hope to specialize in the issues of walkability and sustainability in the General Plan.
- Who is the intended audience of the project? Who, other than the student, will learn or benefit as a result of the work? To whom will outcomes be communicated? For whom is the product or result intended?
The intended audience will be the general public, because I will be assisting with the initial planning efforts towards updating the General Plan under the direct supervision of the Department of Planning and Zoning.
- Will the audience be local, state, or national?
The primary audience is local, but General Plans are reviewed by the Maryland Department of Planning and may be referenced for research by other planners across the nation through APA.
- How will the product and outcomes be communicated to or performed for the select audience? What will be the outlet vehicle?
My product will be in print. It will be a part of the initial planning efforts towards updating the Countywide General Plan. I might present my findings to the Columbia Flier in conjunction with the formal, public outreach by the County and under the direct supervision of the Department of Planning and Zoning.
- What resources will be required for the project (human, print, organizations, media)?
Using the help of my mentor as well as outside resources including books, articles, and internet sources, I will have a usable body of information to help complete a part of the initial planning efforts towards updating the Countywide General Plan.
- What are the special considerations of the project? (cost, materials, equipment, transportation, special permission, painting/distribution)
The Department of Planning and Zoning is providing a work station and access to materials in the Department’s library and other professional resources as may be needed for this project.
Part II
By the end of November I will have:
Borrowed a copy of Jane Jacobs book the Life and Death of Great American Cities
Read a few chapters
Started my research on general plans
By the end of December I will have:
Continued to research on general plans
Researched The New Urbanism movement
Researched cities around the nation, their general plans and the relationship and their general plans with The New Urbanism, and independent studies of how sustainable they are
By the end of January I will have:
Compiled a list of sources to use for my research paper.
Created a synthesis paper on General Plans and The New Urbanism movement.
Started working on my part of initial planning efforts towards updating the General Plan.
By the end of February I will have:
Finished my first draft of the initial planning efforts towards updating the General Plan.
Started revising my part of the general plan in response to comments by the Department.
By the end of March I will have:
Completed my revisions and finalize my contribution to the initial efforts for the General Plan.
By the end of April I will have:
Gained a better understanding of planning in general and the role of General Plans