Moving forward

This semester, blogging provided a form of escape from all the coursework we needed to produce for other modules. As I mentioned in my previous reflective blog Looking Back, I saw this opportunity as a way to broaden my reading on a variety of subjects in which I had long been interested but had never taken the time to research properly. For instance, one of the blogs I was most excited to read and write about was Urban food deserts. While these ‘deserts’ are perhaps more prevalent in the United States, this topic has always piqued my interest – who would believe that urban design could have such a large influence on the obesity pandemic?

While I tried to blog once in a fortnight, I found it difficult to maintain this goal towards the end of April and the beginning of May as I felt overwhelmed with upcoming deadlines for our design projects. In retrospect, I believe I should have kept a clear record of the tasks I hoped to complete during that time period so that I could have a visual reminder of what needed to be done. Concerning the writing itself, I discussed in my previous reflective blog that I struggled with using an active voice, and while I stated that I would attempt to learn and improve, I have observed that I am still struggling to find ways to incorporate active voice in my writing. This is most likely due to my lack of confidence in writing in this format, as I am accustomed to writing in a more academic setting, but I believe that with time and practice, I will improve.

Finally, this blogging experience has been beneficial in developing my design thesis proposal for the upcoming semester. I have always been interested in the adaptive reuse of historical buildings, so being able to write a blog about it allowed me to ‘test the waters’ and determine whether I would be interested in working on this topic long-term. Blogging has thus not only aided my writing abilities; it has also broadened my knowledge of urban design-related topics and provided me with guidance for my other modules during my time completing the MAUD at Newcastle University.

While I was not a big supporter of blogging prior to this experience, I have come to appreciate it as a great way to start discussions in a less academic and more casual setting. The experience I had commenting on my peers’ blogs, facilitating conversations and debates, was, I believe, what helped me change my mind about blogging. While I am sad that this is the end of this blogging experience, I have become open to the idea of one day starting my own blog that will bring forth new discussions about various issues related to urban design.