moving planning into the classroom
TRANSCRIPT
Moving Planning Into the ClassroomTiffany R. Robinson
Chair, APA-NJ Ethnic & Cultural Diversity Committee
APA Planning Webinar Series
Diverse, or Not Diverse? That
Is the Question…for the
Planning Profession
December 7th, 2012
My Volunteer Teaching Experience
1. Citizens School Volunteer Teacher, Spring 2011
2. Volunteer Teacher for the APA-NJ Community Planning Assistance Program (CPAP), Spring 2012
Citizen Schools
• Nationally recognized Afterschool
Program in low-income middle schools
• Educating children, strengthening
communities
• 31 campuses, 8 States, 4500 students,
4,000 2nd Shift volunteers
Citizen Schools
Citizen Schools
Neighborhood Navigators
What We Learned,
What We Did, and
What We Found
What We Learned
• Who Planners are and what they do
• Walkable Communities
• Benefits of Walking and Biking
• How to conduct a walkability assessment
• Collecting mapping & census information
• Ways to present our case – written, verbally, and
in pictures
• The process and decision-makers in their
community
The Goals of the NJ Safe Route to School Program
What We Learned
What We Learned
Ivy Hill already has a Safe Routes to School Plan
What We Learned
Which street has a speeding problem?
The way a street is designed influences how people
drive
1 2 3
Crosswalks are provided to tell pedestrians where to
cross and to tell drivers where to expect pedestrians
What We Learned
How Local Government Works
What We Learned
What We Did
We tested our Traffic Safety knowledge
What We Did
We tested our Traffic Safety knowledge
What We Did
We talked about our vision for the community
and voted on the things we want to see
What We Did
We learned about transportation and the various
transportation modes
What We Did
Looked at Census Data for the area
What We Did
A Walkability Assessment of Our School
Neighborhood
Start and finish
here
What We Did
Talked about how to redesign the school playground
What We Did
Talked about the best location for bike parking around
the school
What We Did
Talked to our principal about bike parking
What We Found
Community conditions make it hard to walk
What We Found
Our crosswalks aren’t as visible as other schools in
the area
Ivy Hill school zone crosswalk at Ivy Street and
Richelieu TerraceLincoln School school zone crosswalk at Richelieu
Terrace and Cameron Road
What We Found
We need more green and less litter!
What We Found
We feel uncomfortable walking where we see gang
graffiti
What We Found
Watch were you walk…
WOW!
WOW!
NEIGHBORHOOD NAVIGATOR’S PLEDGE
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT
I,__________________________________________________,
have successfully completed the Neighborhood Navigators Apprenticeship.
I have a better understanding of communities and how Planning can help shape a community’s vision for the future.
I will use my knowledge to encourage others to create a healthy and active school neighborhood where it is safe and convenient to walk, bike
or play.
I will take pride in the role that I play in making a difference in my school community and the greater community of Newark.
WOW!
The After-Math
Did you really have an influence?
What I Learned
• Students can be very candid in their
thoughts and impressions
“You actually know what you’re talking about”
• They like powerpoints and doing hands-on
exercise
• When you think they’re not paying attention,
they are…TO EVERYTHING
Me?
Goth?
Really??!!
You’re so
Goth.
The Impact on the Students
The New Playground
The New Playground
Transformed from this to…
The New Playground
This…
Thank You For Listening!
Contact Me
Tiffany R. Robinson
Chair, APA-NJ Ethnic & Cultural Diversity
Committee
http://njplanning.org/membership/committees/
ethnic-cultural-diversity/
@APA_NJ_ECDC
/pages/Planning for Ethnic &
Cultural Diversity Committee