Grad Student Awarded Double Honors by APA

Graduate student Shaunna Burbidge was recently selected for two 2007 American Planning Association Awards by the APA’s Utah Chapter. The first is the George Smeathe Student Planner Award, given to an outstanding student in a planning-related field (only awarded when warranted—this is the first time it has been given since 2004). The second is an award for Excellence in Plan Development, given for a technical report Shaunna authored which was titled “Public Health and Transportation: Planning for active modes along
Utah
’s Wasatch Front.” This document was later abridged and included as the first “public health” component of any Regional Transportation Program in the US. Both Awards will be given on September 28 at the annual Utah APA conference.

Shaunna wrote to say: “I am currently in
Salt Lake City
completing my dissertation project studying the impact of active infrastructure development (neighborhood trails) on travel behavior and overall physical activity. I will be finishing my project and defending my dissertation in May 2008. While in
Salt Lake City
, I have had many opportunities to work with local transportation organizations on incorporating public health (i.e., more bicycle and pedestrian planning) into their plans. It was this interaction that led to my ‘plan development award.’ I was asked by the local Metropolitan Planning Organization (The Wasatch Front Regional Council) to write a technical report outlining ways that the MPO could incorporate public health planning into their long range transportation plan. It was this public health report and the subsequent ‘public health component’ of the long range plan that was recognized by the American Planning Association.” Congratulations and kudos to Shaunna!