Last Friday, a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) workshop project was awarded the Student Achievement Award by the Oregon American Planning Association (OAPA).
The winning project, “Office to Residential Conversions: A Housing Crisis Response, Lloyd District Portland Or.,” was conducted by MURP students Mackenzie Aamodt, Carson Fehner, Samantha Gallagher, Kara Hamilton, Daisy Schonder, and Etosha Terryll under the name Revive Planning Group. They contracted with the Lloyd EcoDistrict, a nonprofit who wanted to explore the possibility of turning empty office spaces in the Lloyd neighborhood into housing. The EcoDistrict wondered if this would be a feasible way to achieve the neighborhood’s housing, livability, and climate goals.
Through conducting policy and literature reviews as well as interviewing architects, engineers, planners, and real estate developers, Revive Planning ultimately concluded that office to residential conversion would not be the most efficient, affordable way to produce housing in Lloyd. Instead, Revive Planning suggested that partnering with landowners to utilize parking lots, retiring the Lloyd District Design Guidelines, implementing a land value tax, and further studying seismic standards for office buildings would make for a better strategy.
“Our project highlights the importance of thinking beyond one intended use for a building to ensure it can adapt and change with communities,” said Samantha Gallagher in the award acceptance speech. “In short, let's expand building design and seismic standards for allowed uses and let's build some housing on those vacant parking lots.”
This project was nominated for the award by Kristin Leiber, the executive director of the Lloyd EcoDistrict, as well as Megan Horst, the MURP program director at the time. Both Leiber and Horst highlighted the team’s professional, thorough handling of a high-visibility project.
“Their comprehensive final report was based on discussions with a wide range of stakeholders…Their dedication to thorough research and practical solutions was evident throughout the project,” Leiber said.
Horst and Leiber also praised the team’s prioritization of equity, the accessible final deliverables, and the adaptive flexibility exhibited by the team as they ran into challenges throughout the project.
“I witnessed the team form clear roles and tasks, have tight meeting agendas, and deliver on deadlines on time and often even in advance,” Horst said. “The team members worked well together and shared the work equitably.”
The MURP workshop is a nine-credit course that serves as the capstone experience for students in the MURP program. Four to six students work in a group that analyzes a planning project for a client in the community, including scope of work, existing conditions analysis, public and stakeholder engagement, and assessment of alternatives. For a project to be accepted, prospective clients must write a proposal to the workshop instructors.
The OAPA provides resources and opportunities for professional planners and strives to create more inclusive, just, and equitable communities for all of Oregon. Its awards committee chose to recognize Revive Planning’s project because of its originality and professional delivery. The committee was impressed with the thorough project analysis, equity considerations, and in-depth feasibility analysis.
Photo: Revive Planning Group members (left to right) Mackenzie Aamodt, Etosha Terryll, Carson Fehner, and Samantha Gallagher with award presenter Miranda Bateschell (far right)