ASCE OC President's Column: Branch & YMF's Redefining Cities - People-Oriented Development & Infrastructure

I am not your typical civil engineer. I generally do not work on infrastructure or transportation projects. But over the last few years, I have personally taken up an interest in sustainable community-oriented development and urban planning. My interest in this began when I was born and raised in Orange County and visited Europe. Here in the OC, we have to drive everywhere, to work, to the store, to the gym, to meet friends. We spend hours in our cars, alone, every week driving to places that are maybe a few decades old. Yet when we go to Europe, we can walk, bike, or take all forms of transportation in areas that are hundreds of years old.

These are places that are enjoyable, lively, and inviting to be in. For the residents of those places, they can go down the street to get groceries or hang out with friends at a café. To get to work, they can walk to the corner and take a tram or metro. Yes, there are cars, albeit significantly smaller than the ever-growing American cars, but they are limited to certain areas. Infrastructure for community spaces and public transit takes precedence over infrastructure for vehicles. Here in the United States, some of our beautiful downtowns and neighborhoods were demolished to build highways and more parking lots. However, things do not have to be like this; some cities like Seattle have removed their highway that ripped through downtown, and the area has become a better place for its residents.

I want more of these spaces for us here at home. If you would like to learn more about this topic, I suggest two things to start with. First, watch the YouTube Channel Not Just Bikes collaboration with the organization StrongTowns playlist. Second, attend the Joint ASCE OC Branch and YMF event Redefining Cities: People-Oriented Development & Infrastructure on Wednesday, September 17, at 6:00 pm.

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About the Author:

Nestor Godinez is a Senior Engineer at SLR International Corporation. He is currently the ASCE OC Branch President. Nestor can be contacted via email at ngodinez@slrconsulting.com.