Julia Marchetti and Franny McLarty, Division Scholars in Quick Conversation
From Franny to Julia:
Outgoing scholar Julia Marchetti.
What did you study for undergrad?
I studied Art History and Environmental Studies at Colgate University. Over time, I came to realize that my interests in both were normally focused on the urban, built environment. While aesthetics are fascinating, my interest in art has always been rooted in the geo-political underpinnings. Within Art History, I took several museum studies and architectural history courses and the Environmental Studies Department introduced me to Climate Action Planning.
What are you focusing on right now in school?
I am wrapping up my last semester of a three-year, dual-degree master's program at Penn. I would say that my interests are a bit all over the place, but broadly I am concerned with the intersection of collective memory, place, and environmental and economic justice. I am interested in how preservation can be used as a tool for healing—be it through anti-displacement efforts or climate justice work. I think that preservation can be highly powerful when combined with community-led design and economic development efforts. Recently, I have been thinking about alternative ownership models and how these tools can build capital in low-income black and brown communities. Currently, I am writing my thesis on Historic Preservation and the Green New Deal, and participating in a Civil Rights preservation studio.
What was your role as a scholar with the UDPD?
For the Division, I split my time between creating content for our social media feeds and writing articles spotlighting different equity-focused preservation and urban design projects across the country. Both of these tasks allowed me to research the types of out-of-the-box work that drew me to the field in the first place. It was a learning experience more than anything. City planning is an incredibly vast field. The day in the life of planners can be very different depending on the type of government entity, nonprofit, or private firm that you work for. Learning about the different types of projects that exist within this little slice of planning has helped me to refine my own aspirations as an emerging professional. I think preservation is really at a moment of reckoning, along with the rest of the country. The visibility of these projects is crucial—people need to know that the design fields do not need to be elitist and exclusive.
What is your role now with the UDPD?
As a volunteer, I am helping with student-member outreach and support as the Student Liaison. I would really like to help build out a student and young-professional-oriented publication to showcase different equity-focused projects.
What are your passions / what are you especially interested in?
I have always struggled with having too many interests! In addition to being passionate about equitable and community-led design, preservation work, and all things urbanist, I love to make music with my partner and play and discuss music on my radio show. Before the pandemic, I loved going to shows and doing stand-up too. Recently, I have gotten into woodworking and would like to refine those skills more!
From Julia to Franny:
Incoming scholar Franny McLarty.
How did you find your way to planning? How about the Division?
As a kid, I always wanted to be an architect because as I would pass buildings in the car I would say, “Oh I like that building” or, “I do not not like that house!” I was not really aware of the urban planning field until I started my university search in late high school, where I started to notice my gravitation towards urban studies programs. By the time I decided to attend Western Washington University, I was set to go through their urban planning program. My initial draw to planning as a field was its more holistic picture of how people live in relationship to their built environment. And this idea essentially keeps drawing me back to planning in different ways: the field is all about relationships and how they can be cultivated. As for the Division, I had been a student member of APA for a couple of years and it was actually just by a happy accident that I stumbled on the UDPD Scholarship page and decided to apply because of my growing interest in preservation work and its connections to storytelling and hands-on craftsmanship.
What are you currently working on for the Division?
I am currently working with Mercy Shenge on Action 4D of the Division's Equity Goals and Actions plan. The project is to engage in student outreach to promote urban planning/design/preservation as careers. We’ve reached out to various high schools and middle schools about connecting with career fair events they are hosting and giving presentations. I have also been ideating different art projects and activities to distribute to interested elementary school teachers that would introduce urbanist concepts to kids and allow them to be creative and make art. These youth outreach projects are about helping young people see more ways to think about their communities and environment around them, and also a way to showcase some of the most creative and out-of-the-box minds in the country—kids! In addition to that main project, I’m working on a zine to compliment previous scholar, Michelle Castro-Pilar's, zine about addressing racism in our built environment. I’ll be highlighting equity considerations within historic preservation and/or design.
What are you studying in school? Are there any topics you are especially passionate about?
I am majoring in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development with a specialization in food systems, and like you, my interests are also all over the place! I have always been especially passionate about food and its life cycle: how it connects the land and people and how it holds place-stories, is a building block of cultures, and people gather around it. Because of the intimate ties between food and land, I’m also especially concerned with issues of land access for the BIPOC community, the commodification of land, and industrial agriculture. Recently, I’ve also been interested in exploring informal “Transformation Authority” guerilla planning efforts, desire paths, and Land Back initiatives.
Do you have any interests or hobbies outside of planning?
Oh yeah! When I’m not working on school or Division projects, I’ll be out swimming! Since the pandemic closed down many indoor pools, I’ve taken to open-water swimming with my roommate as a way to get outside safely. I also love to skateboard, knit, and cook/eat/chat with my friends.
In conversation late January, 2021.