— Why did you join this network?
Initially, a LA school professor and teaching colleague connected the site founder and I up; I believe in building community and dialogue in whatever means possible, in general and in our profession, and I think social networks have a very specific role and opportunity. Also, as befitting our work, the site is extremely well-designed and managed.
— What intangible benefits do you get from membership?
Connection through affinity and interest without limitations of work silos or geographic concentration: my work is both very specific (nexus of transit, placemaking, and community design) and brings in every part of our discipline; at the same time I am interested in many parts of our profession and many practitioners who have other foci are interested in TOD.
— What do you hope this network will bring to your career?
It is much more about the role I hope this site and social networking in general can play in our profession: educating the general interested public about our work, building relationships and knowledge across different parts of our profession, and educating practitioners about opportunities in the field and ways we can create change in communities and society. And, as someone who is relatively new to the field, but also teaches and has extensive work experience, I think I really get that it can be a place where students and junior practitioners, as well as those interested in choosing to join our profession, can learn about options and opportunities, and those who are more experienced can learn about interests and new knowledge that people are bringing to the field.
