Congratulations to dual UP/ARCH student James Piacentini for winning the GSAPP student election. He will representing GSAPP on the Columbia University Senate for the next two years.

Place and Displacement is an inaugural competition hosted by Ideation Worldwide (under IDeA) which aims to create a discourse on refugee livelihoods, which embodies the dignity and resilience of refugees working to protect their autonomy, creativity and capability in difficult conditions. Place and Displacement challenges young minds around the world to formulate an interdisciplinary architecture and public administration proposal for driving innovation in marketplace in refugee settlements. Competition results for this year will be released at the summit meeting at NYU on April 22, 2017.

IDeA would like to invite students from Columbia with an interest in social innovation design or refugee issues to discuss, network and dine with some of the most influential names in the field, including chief directors of UN Habitat; International Organization for Migration (IOM); diplomats from France, Austria, and Ireland; and other eminent architects and academics from Harvard, NYU, and Columbia.

IDeA is seeking Columbia graduate students who would be interested in running this competition next year. For more information about how to get involved, please contact Stephanie Chan.

During the last LiPS lecture of the year, Catherine Nash, a professor of geography from Brock University, gave an interesting talk on an emerging field of scholarship entitled “Queer Urban Landscapes: Politics, Social Life, and Urban Transformations.” Professor Nash noted that she studies the recursive relationship between people and places, and how places shape us just as much as we modify them. With this, she explained her work on Church and Wellesley, the gay village of Toronto.

Nash examines the development of the neighborhood over time, noting that the current neighborhood is only a tame version of what it once was. Many cities now market their gay villages to tourists as signs of tolerance, and though the LGBTQ community has made strides in terms of acceptance, it has come at the expense of much of the community itself. There has been a creation of a globalized notion of a “good gay citizen”, one who fits into what society has deemed as “acceptable”. For many transgendered people and people of color, these neighborhoods no longer serve as a refuge. This raises the question about who the space is being preserved for? Are these neighborhoods really for the LGBTQ community, or for a small segment that fits into what society has deemed as acceptably gay?

Submitted by: Faraz Butte, First Year UP Student

Where are you from and what is your favorite thing about that place?
I am from a small dairy-town of only 1,000 people in central Wisconsin. My family is my favorite thing about home, as well as the fact that there is a small comfort in knowing that it will be exactly the same each time I visit.

What/where did you study for your undergraduate degree?
I have an unusual academic history. I went to the University of Wisconsin for a year before joining the Army in 2005. I then finished my undergraduate degree online as well as a Masters while I was living in Germany. I subsequently finished a second Master’s in Urban Studies at Cleveland State University and now I am here. I actually think I may have an addiction (or maybe an aversion to settling into a career).

Why did you choose Columbia?
We moved to NYC for my husband’s job in finance and my time at Cleveland State only scratched the surface of what I was interested in. I knew Columbia had an international planning concentration and a dual program with SIPA so it has really allowed me to dive into planning from an international perspective.

What is your concentration and why?
My concentration is International Planning. I spent 15 months in Baghdad in 2007-2008 and saw firsthand how urban areas can be affected by war. I want to take those experiences and come full circle by trying to understand ways to resolve issues in post-conflict cities.

What has been your favorite class so far in this program and why?
Rio studio has been an incredible experience for me. We have had such an amazing group and our proposal in the Pedregulho Social Housing complex is tangible. I have also loved my concentration courses such as Development of Urban Informality with Alejandro and Intro to International Development with Marcela.

What is your favorite part about living in NYC and what is your least favorite?
I love the accessibility. I literally can run to the grocery store for ice cream during a commercial break and be back in time to not miss anything. My least favorite is lack of access to private outdoor space. I have a four year old daughter and after growing up in the country, it blows my mind to think that she will never be able to just run outside without being supervised.

Why is something you miss most about home?
Driving on the country roads with my window down and my only concern being where I would spend Friday night… or maybe that just means I miss being 20.

What is one of your pet peeves?
A lot of things irk me but I try to not get too riled up about little stuff.

What is something that most people don’t know about you?
I am a sucker for a standing ovation. No matter what the occasion, tears just roll down my face the second one happens. That may actually be my personal pet peeve… I mean, how embarrassing!

How will you spend your summer?
I am still in the Army Reserves so the day after studio presentations I will be flying to Germany to spend a few weeks back in uniform working with my unit studying extremist organizations in Africa. But even more exciting than that, my husband and I have adopted nine-month old twin girls from India and as soon as their orphanage has their passports we will be dropping everything to go pick them up.

Where are you from and what is your favorite thing about that place?
I grew up in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley—an annexed geographically distinct area analogous to Queens. I appreciate the quality of the light, epic sunsets, and the ease of accessing hiking trails in the mountains.

What/where did you study for your undergraduate degree?
I studied Urban Planning at California State University—Northridge.

Why did you choose Columbia?
I wanted to move to New York City and I appreciated the intimate size of the UP program. GSAPP also seems to carefully balance being at the cutting edge with being grounded and pragmatic.

What is your concentration and why?
Built Environment and International Development. I thought Built Environment would be most practical in the long run, while having a personal interest in international forms of urbanization.

What has been your favorite class so far in this program and why?
I have found Jonathan Martin’s two land use and zoning courses to be immensely useful and engaging.

What is your favorite part about living in NYC and what is your least favorite?
I love being able to walk or use mass transit so easily. My least favorite part is more a complaint about how technology has altered our interface with the city. The Internet has made it so that you know where everything is and even if something is, rather than what I imagine must have been incredible in flâneur-era New York: the experience of stumbling upon something mind-blowing.

Why is something you miss most about home?
I miss how much opportunity for personal expression exists and the youth subcultures that thrive there. When you aren’t sure what culture you belong to, coming together through those subcultures is profound. I miss fresh affordable food. As a planner I shouldn’t say this, but I miss driving sometimes. Late at night, music all the way up, the way your car becomes an extension of your body and you fly through mountain canyons and see the distant downtown skyline like the City of Oz.

What is one of your pet peeves?
My own struggle to convey intent during a conversation is my pet peeve. I feel annoyed with myself after many social situations. And then I feel annoyed with being annoyed. I’m annoyed right now.

What is something that most people don’t know about you?
I’m a sci-fi geek.

What will you do after graduation?
I have long had a trip planned to visit a few Southeast Asian countries and Nepal.

What initially made you interested in urban planning and how has that evolved?
I’ve always been drawn to the idea of the city and its morphology. I guess the types of books I looked at as a kid made me interested in futurology and urbanization. I went to an architecture and planning Magnet high school and decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in planning. My evolving interest in planning mirrors the evolution of urban theory. I’m curious to see how an imaginative or metaphysical urban theory will be operationalized (e.g. goats as landscape gardeners in Brooklyn Bridge Park).

Urban Land Institute Mentorship Opportunity
The ULI/Randall Lewis Health Mentorship Program allows students to learn about ULI, develop relationships with ULI members, and deepen their understanding of opportunities to advance health via the built environment. Up to five students will be selected. This opportunity is open to current graduate students who are enrolled in good standing in an accredited graduate program in real estate, architecture, urban planning, or related field in the Fall of 2017 (full or part time) and want to design, plan, and develop communities and projects in ways that promote and improve human health. More Info

Westchester Municipal Planning Federation Scholarship is offering a $2000 scholarship. Strong preference will be given to those students who have lived, worked or studied in Westchester County, New York, or have some other relevant connection to the County. Deadline May 1st. Apply here

The Deborah J. Norden Fund and The Architectural League invites students of architecture, architectural history, and urban studies to propose research projects for up to $5,000 in travel grants. Deadline April 23rd, 2017. Apply here

Weatherhead East Asia Institute is offering a number of funding opportunities. Apply here

New York City’s Center for Architecture is offering scholarship and grant opportunities for students seeking a degree in architecture, design, engineering and planning programs. Deadlines approaching Apply here

How to preserve manufacturing in the city Monday, April 24 - Manhattan Borough President, Gale Brewer will be bringing together manufacturers, business owners, workers, urban planners and community members to discuss the needs of manufacturers in multiple sectors—what they’re making, what kinds of spaces they need, and how zoning can help or hurt them. Register Here

Call for Papers - Cultural and Historic Preservation Conference
The purpose of this conference is to explore the relationship between gentrification, preservation, and the community – broadly construed. Potential topics include position papers, conceptualizing gentrification, historical analysis, and case studies. Papers in any field of academic or applied preservation (e.g. architectural history, archaeology, preservation planning/policy) are welcome. Keynote speaker for this conference will be our very own Dr. Lance Freeman, Columbia GSAPP. Deadline: May 1st. More info

Become LEED Certified May 6th 2-6pm NYU Tanden School of Engineering More Info

APA National Planning Conference Local Reception
Registration is open for the APA National Planning Conference Local Reception on Sunday, May 7th, 2017 at 6:30–8:30pm at The New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Register by March 31st to obtain the early registration rate. More info here

Seminar: The Memorials, The Public Realm, and Downtown as a 24-Hour City. May 9th 8:30-10am at the 9/11 Memorial. This Symposium is another in the series we call T+15, an assessment of the amazing redevelopment of the World Trade Center site, and the transformation of Downtown Manhattan. RSVP

Seminar on Infrastructure Challenges in Rebuilding the World Trade Center and Downtown Manhattan
May 11th, 8:30 to 10 a.m., there will be another seminar in the series called T + 15, an assessment of the amazing redevelopment of the World Trade Center site, and the transformation of Downtown Manhattan. More info here

APA Student Elections
Calling all APA Student Members! Run for a position with APA’s national student leadership team. Help shape the future of planning and student programming and represent student voices at the national level. Applications accepted through May 15th. More info here

Planning and Design with Water Summer School in Delft, The Netherlands
Now accepting applications for the next edition of the summer school which will be held from July 17th to July 28th. Deadline for application April 15th. More info here

Summer Course in Shanghai on urbanization - NYU Wagner will hold an intensive two-week course in Summer 2017. Deadline: Rolling More Info