March 7, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ray Ladd
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
805-756-7432
rladd@calpoly.edu
Cal Poly City and Regional Planning Graduates
Receive Prestigious National, State Awards
SAN LUIS OBISPO - A community plan for San Miguel designed by Cal Poly graduates has earned an important student project award from the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Judges in the national competition selected The San Miguel 2025: Draft Community Plan as the “best example for applying the planning process.”
It is the third time the Cal Poly students’ work has been honored. Last October, the comprehensive plan for San Miguel and a project examining “existing conditions and future prospects” for the community received an Award of Excellence from the California Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA). Earlier in the year they also received an award from the APA of California’s Central Coast.
The graduates designed the project when they were Cal Poly fourth-year city and regional planning students with assistance from faculty advisor, Professor Zeljka Pavlovich Howard. The project was the final product of a six-month study conducted by the undergraduate Community Planning Lab. The study was designed to emulate the process of preparing a community plan and expose students to state-of-the-art technology, methods and techniques used in “real-world” planning situations.
The Community Plan created a vision for San Miguel in cooperation with the residents and the San Miguel Advisory Committee who are using it to guide future development in the community, as well as for revitalization of the downtown.
The Award Program jurors commented that the students’ work provides “an interesting reflection on urban design; a guide for growth and design; a model for other jurisdictions to use; it recognizes the ‘Jewel’ of California missions; and is very comprehensive.”
Faculty and students in Cal Poly’s City and Regional Planning Department have a long-standing tradition in assisting local communities in their planning and urban design efforts. Student projects in these areas have received numerous awards and commendations.
-###-
Editors: A digital photo file of the students working in the community can be e-mailed upon request. Contact Ray Ladd in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at (805) 756-7432.