CETOC Education & Outreach

For two weeks in June & July 2024, members of the Center for Transit Oriented Communities (CETOC) team and the Department of Planning and Urban Studies (PLUS) at the University of New Orleans (UNO) collaborated with the UNO chapter of Upward Bound to present a curriculum focusing on transportation and urban planning. with an emphasis on equity, sustainability and climate resilience to students from local high schools. Upward Bound, part of the Federal TRIO Programs, provides precollege educational, training, and guidance to high school students who come from low-income families as well as from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. The 2024 Summer collaboration represented the first collaboration between CETOC and Upward Bound at UNO. We hope the success of the collaboration can serve as a model to expand collaboration to other CETOC consortium campuses with Upward Bound or similar programs as well as a broader example of potential educational and outreach programs across the Federal University Transportation Center (UTC) program.

Hosts:
Bob Danton, MS: CETOC Project Manager, University of New Orleans Transportation Institute (UNOTI)
Faisal Mallum, PhD: Research Associate, UNOTI
Juana Ibáñez, MA: Instructor, Department of Planning and Urban Studies, University of New Orleans

Distinguished guests who spoke to the students included (listed chronologically in terms of their appearance(s) at the program:
Bethany Stitch, PhD: Director, UNOTI
Carol Short, MEd: Associate Director, UNOTI
Laura Harris, MURP: Education and Policy Manager, Bike Easy
Tara Tolford, AICP, MURP: Research Associate, UNOTI
Ryan Leitner, MFA: A Queer Park for Nola
Nina Balan, PhD: Director of Strategic Initiatives, The Beach UNO
Guang Tian, PhD: Director, CETOC & Associate Director, UNOTI
Nathan Lipson, AICP, LEED GA, MSRED: Senior Environmental/Transportation Planner, WSP

On-site visits (chronological):
(Friends of the) Lafitte Greenway
City Park New Orleans
The New Orleans Regional Planning Commission
The Port of New Orleans
Audubon Park New Orleans
The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad

Topics covered included:

Introduction to Urban Planning
City Design
Introduction to GIS, Various GIS Labs
Introduction to Transportation Planning
Suburban Sprawl
Urban Planning Equity Considerations
Zoning
Bike Planning
Green Infrastructure & Adaptation Urbanism
Current Events in New Orleans Planning
Survey Methodology & Public Input Processes
Recreation & Trails Planning
GIS Data Sources & Types
Artistic Processes in Planning & Public Memorials
Coastal Cities and Climate Change
Climate Impacts of Transportation
Planning a New Downtown Transit Center for New Orleans
Complete Streets
Global Systems & Supply Chains
And much more…