I applied to graduate school because I have a romantic relationship with industrially desolate places. They're just the environment to rust the edges of your own humanity and enable you to gather up the muster to do things that are really difficult. Like attempt to learn from them in an effort to preserve and revitalize despite their failings.
I took the above photo of the gold medal flour mill on the bank of the Mississippi river from the Guthrie theater's citizen overlook in Minneapolis, Minn. I'm sad to report, that despite everything I loved about this place, in particular the incredible architecture that proliferates throughout the city, the intersection of working-class culture and industry, the city's successful endeavor to preserve its history through the adaptive re-use of industrial space, and their successful reinvigoration of a challenging environment, Minneapolis' gross failure in keeping its city vibrant and alive makes it practically impossible for me to join the University of Minnesota's urban planning program with good conscience.
With so many of their graduates working with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, I have a hard time understanding how they can argue that street-level commercial space is unnecessary, that infrastructure investment for wider sidewalks is inappropriate, or that suburban separation of businesses districts is acceptable. I mean, if the goal is a world class city isn't the first step getting people to actually want to spend time in the city?! It was enraging. People don't walk in Minneapolis. They drive. Every where. And more disappointing is that not one neighborhood managed to capture my imagination. With the exception of the recently revitalized wearhouse district, there was absolutely nothing visually interesting about the urban environment and that was more depressing than the allegedly depressing and desolate industrial surroundings.
After a brief return to Seattle, I spent two days in Portland. Immediately after stepping into the central business district I witnessed people using public transit and walking. God forbid!!
Portland is not as visually interesting as even Seattle, and has much to be desired in the way of architecture, but they have green space, public space, public transit, navigable neighborhoods and a planning department that is obviously focused on putting the public in space. For these reasons Portland is the kind of city I want to live in, and the place where I want to learn.
Portland State's planning program offers specializations in sustainability, community and economic development, and transportation. I will spend 50% of my time practically applying the theories of urban planning in the field. I will work directly with the community in bettering the urban environment.
Sure, leaving Seattle is a hard decision, but I'm already well suited for things of this nature, I've got that rusty grit of industry under my nails, and I've made changes like this before. Sometimes parting is for the best, it allows a girl to test her mettle. I mean, Seattle is the type of city that spoils a person. I spend so much time here that when I'm away for a little while I truly come to realize how wonderful it is here. Sure, it has it's faults (transportation among the most significant), but it is also cleaner, brighter, easier to navigate, visually interesting, and more beautiful than most places. Living in Portland and learning in a city that succeeds where Seattle fails will only enhance the fervor with which I will return.
At that point I'll re-assess my love affair and romanticism with industrial cities, and maybe Seattle will have finished it's light rail.
