July 25, 2008

Cathy Brown, a 2006 alumna of the Urban Studies and Planning program, has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to conduct research in Lithuania.

Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, is undergoing rapid development in the wake of post-Soviet privatization and entry into the European Union. In 2002, the municipal council adopted the Vilnius Strategic Plan, which focuses on supporting the city's many new developments and strengthening its international prestige. The city faces challenges with rising inflation, housing shortages and aging Soviet infrastructure.

Brown will work with city planners, private developers and urban design professors at the Vilnius Gediminas Technical University to learn more about planning and development in the city. Her research will examine the patterns of new development and compare them to American planning and development trends. Brown seeks to publish project findings in professional magazines such as UrbanLand, Planning, and the New Urban News.