October 13, 2022
The first "Office Hours" event was held on October 13, 2022 with a transportation related focus. Moderator Albert Elias from FOP was joined by two experienced transportation professionals, urban designers and planners; Evren Sonmez from Living Streets Alliance and Collin Cheston from the City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility.
The evening started off with Evren and Collin sharing about their respective career paths in transportation and how planning became an important part of their skill sets. They discussed their careers in the private sector as transportation consultants, working for a not for profit organizations as well as the local government sector. Both Evren and Collin discussed specific transportation projects they worked on and how public input helped shape the final outcomes of those projects. Discussions with the students included the use of innovative public involvement techniques intended to reach stakeholders who have been excluded in the typical public meetings. Students asked questions about how to balance professional recommendations and the actions of decision makers and elected officials. We also discussed when and how to effectively advocate for creative technical solutions and building community trust.