I hope everyone feels like this when they start their first blog. I’m not sure why, but I’m nervous about offending someone. Not only am I new to the blogging community, but I’m also new to the urban planning community. Will I offend someone with my choice of headers, categories or font size? Or will I offend someone by all of the above, ON TOP of my views on urban density? From what I’m told, that’s what blogs are for. For expressing oneself with complete disregard for the people who happen to be reading. I’ll give it my best shot.
I’m a Masters student in Urban Planning, studying in Aix-en-Provence, France. I’m from Calgary, Alberta and I’ve been living in France since August of 2006. I’ve never really been into planning before this year, but when the opportunity came up to get into this program, I couldn’t pass it up. So far, I’m LOVING it ! I did my Bachelors in Law and Society at the University of Calgary, which was an eye opening experience to say the least. But this is really the first time that I’ve been passionate about something I’m studying. For the first time I find myself voluntarily doing research for school. I surf for articles on planning, scan the paper for articles I could use for projects and just bought “The Death and Life of American Cities” by Jane Jacobs. If that doesn’t make me a planner, I don’t know what does.
I’m sure many people start a blog to express themselves, and allow an outlet for things they want to get off their chest. I’m doing this for many of the same reasons, but also because I want to meet like-minded people. I want to meet other planning students, professionals and anyone who has an opinion about what I say. Basically, I know I can learn a lot more from you then you can learn from me.
