News from Summer 2001

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Publications

Three articles have just been published by Planning program faculty and alumni.

Nathan Voght (BS 95; MS 98), who is now working at Carlisle-Wortman Associates in Ann Arbor, had an article published in the current issue of Planning and Zoning News. In a lengthy article titled, "An Overview of Issues and Responsibilities for Provision of Affordable Housing," he looks at affordable housing in Michigan.

Rocky Ward had an article on zoning published in the same issue. It is titled, "A Search for the Meaning of 'Demonstrated Need' and 'Surrounding Area' in Exclusionary Zoning Language."

Also, Norm Tyler had an article on downtown revitalization in the May 2001 issue of the Michigan Society of Planning's publication, Planner. Titled "Business Mix Critical to Success of Small-City Downtowns," it summarizes his research on downtown revitalization.

If you or someone you know has had an article published, e-mail Norm and let us share the news.

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The CEITA Center
Faculty member Yichun Xie was hired by EMU in 1994 as a Planning program faculty member. He is now director of the department's Center for Environmental Information Technology and Applications (CEITA), a center he developed.

CEITA has been quite active recently with a number of projects of interest. They include...

  • FIELDS: Fully Integrated Environmental Location Decision Support--using GIS and GPS to give site information.
  • A variety of GIS pilot projects, including River Rouge, Detroit River, Great Lakes, Monroe Harbor and Wayne County.
  • Work Site Alliance: a community-based GIS education program
  • USEPA EMPACT: water quality monitoring for improving data for local health agencies.

The CEITA Center is well staffed, well funded, and has a wonderful record of accomplishments. For more information, look at the CEITA web site, http://ceita.acad.emich.edu/.

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A Titanic project!
A sister program in the Department of Geography and Geology is the Historic Preservation Program, one of the largest such programs in the country. The H.P. Program has recently announced a project of significant proportions and depth. Lauren Sickles-Taves, one of the program's faculty, is director of a project to conserve the artifacts from the RMS Titanic (THE Titanic). As items are brought up from the cold depths, they are shipped to an EMU conservator's laboratory, where they are carefully treated and stored.

It is a big project, and a big responsibility. It has given our department national recognition. We just thought you'd like to know.