Summer is a hard time to keep everyone's attention and focus. Instead of offering a summer school class that met for a few hours a week over 8 or 10 weeks, the Toulan School tried something new last summer: a field trip based class that met for 8 days over two weeks. These day-long sessions allowed the class to be entirely field-trip formatted and the students spent their time in Portland neighborhoods learning in the field. After a highly successful debut, we are excited to run it again! If you are interested in taking this class, please join us this summer from August 24th to September 3rd.
The summer approach to UNST 220, Understanding Communities was designed like a study abroad field experience but within Portland. UNST 220 is a general education course at PSU that is taught by the Urban Studies and Planning department but we have also made it the introductory course for the Community Urban Studies and Planning (CUSP) major that launched last year. Led by Senior Instructor Norene Hough, the course explores neighborhoods including the South Waterfront, Albina, Eastside Industrial District, Jade District, Orenco Station, Downtown Hillsboro, Laurelhurst Park, and Pearl/ Old Town. Students learn about the history and layers of community that were built in these places while also exploring the current demographic trends that are driving decisions in these communities today. For many students this is the first time they have thought about why neighborhoods look the way they do; how decisions in the past impact what we see today, and how policies have changed urban spaces.
Changes happen slowly and often we do not appreciate the way those changes impact a space. Taking time to walk around and evaluate past projects, examine current proposals and see how the neighborhood level responds to these policies varies by community is a valuable approach that engages students. The class will still meet for the same number of hours and have the same assignments, but instead of classroom discussions, lectures, or guest speakers - they go on 5 hour walking tours in a different part of the city each day. Students earn their 4 credits while experiencing public transportation, learning ethnographic research skills, documenting pedestrian barriers to access, comparing public parks, creating their own maps, and applying the census data in context. At the end of the course, each student takes these new skills and creates a neighborhood assessment on a neighborhood of their own choosing.
Mila Cabrera, a student who took the course last summer, shared how impactful this hands-on learning style was, saying:
UNST 220 was a refreshing change of pace from traditional classroom lectures. For Community Urban Studies and Planning majors (and majors alike), the best way to understand core topics such as healthy people/healthy places, leading social change, and understanding communities is through direct immersion. Seeing firsthand what our city is doing right and where it can improve makes the material easier to digest, while also having us learn valuable observational and analytical skills. While I was initially worried about the long course hours, the class moved quickly and efficiently. It allowed me to earn credits through a fun, interactive experience while still leaving plenty of time to enjoy the rest of my summer.
A class based on walking tours to Portland communities allows students to explore their own perceptions and biases about areas of the city. Last summer, most students were local to the Portland Metro area but as Sophomores they had less experience taking the bus and exploring than anticipated. We take for granted all the different urban experiences that are part of Portland, but for many of these students this was the first time they had ever been to many parts of the city. While building confidence in their abilities to navigate new spaces and teaching the skills of how to read the urban fabric, this intensive course also built a true sense of community. Having students spend all day together and working collectively, they each brought their own strengths to the projects; got to know each other more than the traditional format allows and built a stronger community. The students proposed a reunion class in 10 years to look at how the current projects turn out. The instructor is hoping to use this format in future terms to help students see community decision making in action.