Another Student Presentation--Brookland and the CUA Urban Design Studio

This term, Professor Iris Miller's urban design studio course (a capstone course for undergraduate architecture students), has been focused on Brookland, in particular the Brookland subway stop, implications of bringing back the streetcars and transportation more generally, mixed use development at the Metro, streetscape improvements, and other aspects of master planning for the area.

From the Cultural Tourism DC website.

I have participated in some of the sessions and have been really impressed with the quality of students and their ideas (which must be related in part to the quality of their instructors). Some of the students visited Portland, Oregon and even Japan as part of this class. Professor Miller says that the trip to Portland, and a presentation the students received about master planning for Stanford University's expansion into an area of historic building stock, seems to have made a big impression on the students, their ideas, and proposed solutions.

Modern streetcars in Portland. Photo from KTransit. This line is not like a light rail line running on a physically separated track. The modern trolley cars on this line share the right of way with other vehicles much as the streetcars of yore. Click through for more photos.

Tomorrow, the class will be presenting their findings to the community and Professor Miller says it's okay for "non-Brooklanders" to come and see what the students have come up with.

"Please join CUA Arch 402, Urban Design Studio for discussion/review and presentation of Brookland study: "Streetscape, Transportation, and Metro Site Plan"

Monday, 4 April, 3:30 pm, Miller Hall (main floor) CUA School of Architecture and Planning.

Please RSVP: irislarrymiller@comcast.net, or #202.413.9697

Streetcars on the Monroe Street bridge. From the collection of Joe Testagrose.