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UPP Background and Awards UPP was founded in 1995 to provide urban design and neighborhood planning services to low-income, central neighborhoods in mid-sized cities, communities that have not traditionally had access to design and physical planning assistance. Co-founded by Associate Professors Patricia McGirr, and Henry Lu (of U.Mass), and Ann Forsyth (now at Harvard and continuning as a collaborator) UPP's twenty projects have integrated teaching, research, and service. Using workshops, surveys, interviews, exhibitions, and small-group meetings the UPP works with neighborhood residents, officials, and business people to help articulate goals and create visions for neighborhoods or for particular sites. The Urban Places Project has particular expertise in open space planning and park design, vacant lot reuse, planning and design workshops, and neighborhood planning. UPP emphasizes both long-term visions and short-term redevelopment options. In many cases UPP also provides assistance in implementing initial phases of these plans through activities such as planting trees and cleaning up vacant lots. Over 150 students have been involved with UPP as interns and in classes. UPP has received the following awards: 2000 Public Education Award, American Planning Association. Shared with El Arco Iris, for The YouthPower Guide and the work of YouthPower. 1999 President's Public Service Award, University of Massachusetts system. 1999 University Distinguished Academic Outreach Award, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 1999 College of Food and Natural Resources Outstanding Outreach Award. 1998 Honor Award, Communications, Boston Society of Landscape Architects. For the YouthPower Guide. 1998 Social Advocacy Award, Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association. For the YouthPower Guide (with El Arco Iris). 1998 Planning Project Award, Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association. For the Pittsfield Gateway Project. 1997 Social Advocacy Award, Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association. For work 1995-1997. Student work conducted through UPP won: 1998 Honor Award, Student Section, Boston Society of Landscape Architects. For Chicopee Visions study.

Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning
University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA 01003, USA

Last Modified February 1999
upp@larp.umass.edu
http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~upp