USP Assignment #1 by Julia Cube

My Topic: The Importance of Properly Planning Schools

jcube — 2025-01-23 18:06:09 UTC

By Julia Cube

A Better Way to Plan School Facilities by Shelterforce

jcube — 2025-01-23 18:23:23 UTC

In this dialogue, the topic of how important schools are in a community is discussed. Every city has a school and the way it is planned directly impacts how the city runs- this is how parents participate in their city politics, what kind of families and people move into the neighborhood, or what becomes the central hub when tragedy occurs. Schools are an important focus in urban planning as it directly correlates to what kind of city it will be.

LA Schools Wrecked by Fires Plead on GoFundMe for Help to Reopen by Bloomberg

jcube — 2025-01-23 18:38:34 UTC

After the 2025 fires in Los Angeles, a handful of schools burnt down and communities are gathering to figure out the next steps. Not only are schools institutions for learning, but they're also daycare while parents work, places where students have access to indoor shelter, food, and clean bathrooms every day. The lack of these schools means parents have to send their students elsewhere while they rebuild, which could mean the destruction of that city without that central hub to gather.

How Greener Schoolyards Benefit Kids – and the Economy by Grist

jcube — 2025-01-23 18:55:55 UTC

Schools that have more greenery will do better not only for the environment but for the advancement of the surrounding community. For example, greener schoolyards have a direct correlation with an increase in student test scores and higher chances of donors helping give money to underfunded schools. Providing these cleaner spaces give benefits that are worth the money that must be invested into it.

Comparing the 3 articles

jcube — 2025-01-23 19:05:14 UTC

The 3 articles brought great different perspectives on the importance of schools in cities and how planning it directly impacts the neighborhood atmosphere. The first one gives an introduction to the topic and emphasizes the usefulness of schools outside of learning. The second shows what happens when a school is taken away and infers as to the downfalls of a community as the question of "what happens next" is raised. The third gives insight on a way to make schools better and how it would directly benefit the surrounding neighborhood. These articles showcase the significance schools bring to cities and why it is so important to properly plan for them.

Citations

jcube — 2025-01-23 19:10:38 UTC

Axel-Lute, M. (2024, December 10). A better way to plan school facilities. Shelterforce. https://shelterforce.org/2024/12/10/a-better-way-to-plan-school-facilities/
Hudson, E., & Adler, M. (2025, January 21). LA schools, wrecked by fires, plead on GoFundMe for help to reopen. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-21/la-schools-wrecked-by-fires-plead-on-gofundme-for-help-to-reopen
Thompson, C. E. (2024, August 16). How greener schoolyards benefit kids and the whole community. Next City. https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/how-greener-schoolyards-benefit-kids-and-the-whole-community