Sarah came home one day and announced that her Urban Design class at school was going on a field trip. They were participating in a charrette with the Beaverton City Planners. This class, new to the curriculum this year, was offered as an alternative to a traditional Government class, and certainly seems well-suited to an arts school. Their focus this semester has been to come up with a design plan for a parcel of unused land near downtown Beaverton - and within walking distance of ACMA - that has stymied city planners for years. The class was divided into groups and each group developed a design for the property based on principles of urban design and land use studied in class. The field trip - the charrette - gave them an opportunity to meet with the city planners themselves and receive hands-on suggestions, advice, and feedback from the pros. What an opportunity! These seasoned professionals walked around and offered ideas for improving different aspects of the students' plans, and discussed what would work and what might need more thought. The press was there to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event, and the accompanying article gives more detail - along with pictures. We feel so fortunate that our daughters attend a school that's not afraid to be innovative!
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