Illustration by Lillian Durand
The Texas Public Health Association Mavericks will host an Urban Planning Simulation from noon to 3 p.m. Friday in the Nueces Room in The Commons.
Led by Cameron Walker, chair of the TPHA Urban Planning Section and member of the Texas chapter of the American Planning Association, students will observe Mitchell Street and UTA Boulevard and think of ways to make them “complete streets.”
A complete street is “an approach to planning, designing and building streets that enables safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities,” said Destiny Aladeyelu, president of the Texas Public Health Association Mavericks student chapter, in a Teams message.
Earlier this year, Aladeyelu attended the Texas Public Health Association’s annual education conference in Brownsville, Texas. While there, she participated in an urban planning event. Aladeyelu said she found it helpful as a public health professional and said that it helps people be mindful of the things that impact others.
“They have complete autonomy to build the street however they want to, but they have to keep in mind, obviously, the population that they aim to serve,” she said.
Students will be given a budget, a map and a list of supplies they could use to design the street, Aladeyelu said. Walker will also give a brief overview of what complete streets are and guide students through the process of creating one.
“I hope students will show up to expand their knowledge and expertise,” Aladeyelu said. “Transportation is a huge deal. We all need to get around from point A to point B, and especially walkability in Arlington is a concern.”
@atclements03