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Hi there! Hel-lo!

C

Chris

Member
Messages
19
Points
1
Hi everyone!

I had a few peeks on the board these days while searching for an opportunity in urban planning in the U.S., so I'll take the opportunity to introduce myself:

I'm studying geography in Germany and I attended the unis of Marburg, Frankfurt and Bonn, where I'm still sitting right now (and it's one of the dullest places you can possibly think of). I took urban geography and GIS / remote sensing as prime subjects, that is, as far as you can compare the german system of education with the american one.

So far I had an internship in Mauretania (West Africa), establishing a GIS - aided project to fight overgrazing. That was quite an experience, because it clearly showed where GIS and planning is NOT appropriate. ;)

Right now I'm doing another intern in a sort of nuclear research plant, trying to manage IDL. We are slowly getting friends...

We are oblieged to have a total of six months of internship, and I covered only four, so I'm looking for another one in north america: restrictions in planning are quite heavy for several reasons all across Europe, so I hope to get a glimpse over the edge :)

Right, I'll throw myself in and see what you guys are up to.
Cheers! :B
 
Chet

Chet

Cyburbian Emeritus
Messages
10,624
Points
34
Sounds like you have some very interesting experiences. I look forward to hearing your persective on things.

Welcome to Cyburbia.
 
NHPlanner

NHPlanner

A shadow of my former self
Staff member
Moderator
Messages
9,927
Points
40
Welcome aboard Chris. Nice to have another non-american perspective on the boards. :B
 
S

SGB

Cyburbian
Messages
3,388
Points
26
Welcome, and thanks for adding yet more international flavor to the boards!
 
D

Downtown

Messages
3,690
Points
27
Chris - Welcome. I'm often sitting in one of the dullest places in the world also, and Cyburbia often brings a nice distraction from the monotony. Glad to have you.

Kelly
 
Greenescapist

Greenescapist

Cyburbian
Messages
1,169
Points
24
Chris,

If you're interested in doing an internship in Boston I can help you with Web sites, etc to try to locate something.
 
O

OhioPlanner

Cyburbian
Messages
304
Points
11
Hello Chris. I'll be travelling to Germany for a month this summer to study planning in Dresden, Berlin, and Prague. This will be my second trip.

I teach a joint class between the Technical University of Dresden and Ohio State University. I'll look forward to your perspective on German planning.
 
H

H

Cyburbian
Messages
2,850
Points
24
Welcome.

It is very interesting to me that you want an opportunity of urban planning in the US. It was my visit to Germany & Austria that was the reason I got interested in urban planning in the first place. After I saw Munich, Ger. and the way the train operated, traveled by train throughout city centers and to other cities across the preserved county side with out billboards and ended up in Innsbruck, Austria to ski, lived in an urban environment without cars and had a blast walking, taking public transit, and walking to go out to shop & eat and home from the pub I said, “WOW”, there is a better way to do things than the highways and strip malls of the US. Germany inspired me to plan in the US, so I find it very interesting that you want to come to the US for planning, of course you are welcome, but why? We should be learning from you, what do you expect to learn here? Just curious and BEST of luck, of course.

I guess the grass IS always greener on the other side.
 
C

Chris

Member
Messages
19
Points
1
:) (-:

@All:
Thanks for the warm welcoming!

@Huston:
Well, the characteristics of a market-driven urban growth are most purely to be seen in the U.S., because restrictions are quite low. In contrast, regulations in Germany are quite detailed for several reasons: one is to preserve 'social peace', another one is trying to offer the opportunity for cheap and ready recreation for everyone, among many more.
Critques on this system often state that economic force will sooner or later overcome any regulation that doesn't go conform with the market and therefore we could just right now quit all those laws and save money as well. The academic discussion on this is quite intense.

I think one can only profit from the way other people do things. If we are talking about the benefits and disadvantages of de-regulation, or if we are talking about the use and uselessness of regulation, we should always know what's going on on the other side.

:)
 
biscuit

biscuit

Cyburbian
Messages
3,904
Points
25
Welcome,
Like Huston, it was traveling through Germany, Austria and Switzerland the summer after high school that really got me interested in European vs. American urbanism. (Its amazing what you find yourself interested in after three solid weeks of drinking). Hope you can add some more international flavor to our discussions here. Good luck finding an internship here. Any idea of what part of the country you want to work in?
 
H

H

Cyburbian
Messages
2,850
Points
24
In response to Chris:

You make an interesting point and I can see your view. And you are correct when saying, “one can only profit from the way other people do things”. I could not agree more. Have you been to the US before? Have you seen the market driven color lit strip mall walls of our highways? Have you seen our billboard littered countryside? Have you seen are park-less sprawling suburban cities with the streets congested with SUVs?

Also, make sure you see our poorer regions of our country when you are here. Visit places like big city ghettos, and the rural Mississippi Delta and their makeshift houses and exposed sewers. Or Turkey Creek, Tenn. where people living up against the edge of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park dump all their trash out their back door and down the hill, creating garbage “waterfall-like” streams as you travel through hills. Also I might add that places like the Great Smokey Mountain National Park are the most polluted air quality areas around, because everyone is too lazy to hike or bike and drives their SUV through the park, creating long lines of traffic jams and smog. It is sad. But the truth is even if they wanted to hike the park; they would have to drive to the park since there is no efficient mode of public transport.

Keep this in mind when you are here.

Don’t misinterpret me, I love the USA, where I am free, this is why I get so upset and have dedicated my life to looking after her, as well as the rest of the world, by making sure people are aware of our planning and development issues.

Everything has two sides, for every good there is an evil.

I look forward seeing your comments and observations posted on this site once you are here.

All the best,
 
C

Chris

Member
Messages
19
Points
1
@biscuit:
I know this drinking part somehow... ;)
I thought of a Metropolitan Area, something dense and highly dynamic. I need a complex environment to observe what's going on there, because our cities are so much smaller and slower than MAs in the U.S.

@Huston:
Yes, I've been several times, always somewhere between Washington and Boston in some clean white-fenced environments. ;)
I highly agree on that everything has two sides (although I wouldn't call them good and evil). That's exactly why I want a closer look at hyperghettos, CBDs, urban fringes and all that before I decide whether 'this' system or 'that' is to be preverred. Everything that happens in european cities happens as well in american cities - just sooner, faster and on a larger scale. I'll just try to see as much as I can of the States. This forum is already a perfect starter!

Best of wishes,
C
 
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