Drs. Katherine Idziorek and Michelle E. Zuñiga Awarded 2024 Marvin Collins Planning Award for Community Engagement

The American Planning Association North Carolina has awarded Katherine Idziorek and Michelle E. Zuñiga the prestigious Marvin Collins Planning Award for Community Engagement. This recognition celebrates their outstanding planning efforts showcased in the recently published article, Achieving 10-Minute Neighborhoods in Underinvested Communities: Understanding Transportation Opportunities and Challenges through Resident Stories, featured in the Transportation Research Record.

Their research, which focuses on improving transit access and neighborhood connectivity for underinvested communities in Charlotte, reflects a collaborative approach. Special thanks are extended to the Urban Institute, the Gambrell Foundation, the Charlotte Action Research Project, graduate student researchers, the City of Charlotte, and community partners including the Latin American Coalition, Charlotte East, Mayfield Memorial CDC, St. Andrews, Charlotte Regional Transportation Coalition, and Sustain Charlotte. The involvement of these partners, especially in reaching historically marginalized groups such as the unhoused and newly arrived immigrants reliant on public transit, was instrumental in the success of this project.

Idziorek and Zuñiga hope their findings will bolster efforts to improve public transit and accessibility in Charlotte, particularly for residents who depend on public transportation for access to essential services and amenities.

For more information about the project, please visit: 10-Minute Neighborhoods.