Planetizen's 2008-2009 Student Bloggers

A couple months ago, we posted an announcement seeking student bloggers for the 2008-2009 school year. We received a pile of great applications, but two new students stood out. Each week, they will bring you reports from their master's programs at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachussetts Institute of Technology. Tamika Camille Gauvin                      Jeffrey Barg

2 minute read

August 27, 2008, 11:35 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


A couple months ago, we posted an announcement seeking student bloggers for the 2008-2009 school year. We received a pile of great applications, but two new students stood out. Each week, they will bring you reports from their master's programs at
the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachussetts Institute of
Technology.

Tamika Camille Gauvin                      Jeffrey Barg

Both students are making a career change, following their interests into the field. Tamika Camille Gauvin got her BA in Economics, and worked at a non-profit providing business skills training and technical assistance to underserved women in Baltimore. Tamika grew up in a public housing project in New York, and watched her neighborhood gentrify. Consequently, she has a personal interest in the policies of urban renewal and affordable housing. Camille is just starting at M.I.T.

As newspapers fold and shrink around the country, Jeffrey Barg saw the writing on the wall for his journalism career. Over his seven years at the Philadelphia Weekly, Jeff found his interests turning towards issues of urban spaces. Now, he'll be applying those interests to his program at UOP.

Over the next year, we'll get to watch Tamika and Jeffrey as they learn. Each week, we'll follow one of them as they get indoctrinated into the world of GIS, land use law, and urban design. It should be fascinating to see inside these two well-respected planning programs, and to watch these two individuals as they navigate their education. Stay tuned.

 


Tim Halbur

Tim Halbur is communications director for the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), the leading organization promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions. He was managing editor of Planetizen from 2008 to 2011.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

July 2 - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

July 2 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square