REFLECTIVE ESSAYSThis brief writing assignment is designed to .docx

REFLECTIVE ESSAYS
This brief writing assignment is designed to help you consider
and reflect upon important issues related to planning as
discussed in the three articles. The exercise of writing a
reflective essay is designed to help you consider and reflect
upon important issues related to planning and/or your own
personal development while further developing your written
communication skills. The primary goals for this assignment is
to encourage you to
• take the time to think seriously and critically about planning
• explore the significance of personal experiences, events,
successes or failures by relating them to broader themes or
abstract ideas that illustrate important beliefs and
generalizations about life as connected with the articles
• critically evaluate how your personal beliefs, habits, and
actions influence your perspective on planning
• express your ideas clearly and persuasively
Webster’s dictionary defines a reflection as thought, idea, or
opinion formed as a result of meditation or consideration of
some subject matter, idea, or purpose. The goal of reflective
writing is to provide a sort of distancing, as if viewing the idea
or event for the first time, in order to analyze, evaluate,
compare, plan or problem-solve. The best reflective essay will
be honest and will reveal your ability to evaluate yourself and
others fairly and candidly. Because this essay is intended to
express your point of view to a reader, the tone should be
somewhat formal without being excessively academic. The
personal, chatty tone of a private journal is inappropriate for an
audience of your professional peers, but you need not be as

formal as you would in a research or technical report.
Guidelines
The reflective essay is not intended to be long or complicated
assignment. While we hope that you will spend a lot of time
pondering the topic, you should be able to complete the writing
in 1-2 hours. The assignment requires no research or
documentation aside from the article you are reflecting on. The
writing should focus primarily on YOU (i.e. your thoughts
about or reactions to) rather than on YOUR ENVIRONMENT
(actions of or motives ascribed to others). The essays should be
clear and concise, logically developed, and in adherence with
general conventions of written language (spelling, grammar,
development of thought, and proofreading),
The essay must adhere to the writing guidelines that can be
found in the “course documents” section of Blackboard.
Basics
-Include your name, date, and class title (or professor) at the
top of the paper
-Black Ink
-Printed on blank computer paper
-Include page numbers
-Staple (no plastic covers)
-Times New Roman font size 12 is generally standard (your
choice of font).
-Double space
-Spell check

-Paragraphs should be indented
-Do not mess with the standard word processing margins
already on the computer
Common grammar errors
-Formal papers do not use contractions (he’s, it’s, can’t,
weren’t, etc.). Spell it out
-Make sure subject and verb agree.
-Keep tenses consistent. Do not flip flop between present and
past tense at all. If you begin in the present tense stay in the
present tense the entire paper.
-Paragraph lengths should be about 3-7 sentences. A paragraph
should never be more than ½ a page.
-A new paragraph should be started every time you begin a new
idea or introduce a new theme. If you are in doubt it is better to
start a new paragraph.
-Sentence fragments are incomplete sentences. One of the
easiest ways to connect them is to replace the period with a
comma or just delete the period to connect the sentences. For
example, “I need to find a new roommate. Because the one I
have is not nice” should be rewritten as “I need to find a new
roommate because the one I have is not nice.
-Be sure to check on run-on sentences.
Style Issues
-Avoid repetition of words or thoughts. If you have said
something clearly, the reader will understand your point the

first time. Also, do not use the same adjectives or verbs over
and over. It is not only boring but makes the writer sound like
they have no vocabulary.
-Use words with teeth. In other words, try to find the most
descriptive adjectives and colorful verbs that you can. Did the
man go to the store or did he sprint to the store? Was the author
good or was the author eloquent?
-Overgeneralizations are really just unsupported statements.
“Tijuana is all a filthy slum” is not necessarily true unless you
back it up by proving that there are absolutely no nice places
there. A better statement would be “The majority of Tijuana
appears to be mostly filthy slum.”
-If you quote or summarize someone else’s work, cite. This
includes any information found on the internet. It does not
matter much which citation format you use (MLA, APA,
Chicago, ASA, etc.), just as long as you cite.
# 1 biggest complaint from TAs….
-FORMALITY. Do not write your paper like you are talking to a
friend. Use of slang, jargon, and other informal language is
inappropriate when writing academic papers. Write clearly,
descriptively, and avoid using clichés. Try not to write in first
person or introduce yourself into the paper (best done by
avoiding using “I”)
How do you not write in first person? You can definitely be
subjective, however, do it without including yourself
directly...For example if you were writing something like. "I
believe that the article clearly identifies some examples of
successful infill development..."....Instead of using "I believe"
just state "The article clearly identifies some examples of
successful infill development". You take yourself out since it is

your writing the reader realizes that it is your opinion and point
of view.
If you are addressing what you learned in the paper you could
write something such as. "The article "xxx" demonstrates that
successful urban development and revitalization incorporates
infill and community participation. As the article demonstrates
in the city of xxx many successful community collaboration
efforts go a long way to creating a strong sense of
community...."
The short answer would be to write from a perspective that what
you are writing is fact and then try to prove to the reader with
examples, support and evidence things to support this.
PUP 301
2 October 2012
“The Travel Habits” and Me
In today’s increasingly connected world, I have personally
seen the need for constant contact. Over the past two years, as I
have traveled nearly daily on the light rail, I have seen that this
is often most apparent in the riders of mass transit. As the
younger generation increasingly turns to the use of public
transportation, or at least decreases its dependence on driving,
connectedness becomes the number-one priority. As shown in
Joseph P. Schwieterman’s article “The Travel Habits”, the so-
called Millennial generation is combining its transit usage with
a strong increase in the use of mobile technology, which can be
used most freely while on public transportation. As is reflected

in my own life and in those I observe on mass transit,
connectedness and efficiency often becomes the first priority,
even at the expense of some time and effort.
I have a car of my own, and the means to pay for gas and
insurance. However, I have chosen over the last two years to
depend almost exclusively on public transportation, walking,
and bicycling to make my way around Phoenix and Tempe.
While many would argue that I would be more independent and
able to move around if I used my car exclusively, I have found
just the opposite to be true. I have lived on two sides of a well-
connected transit corridor, in southern Tempe and downtown
Phoenix, where the light rail is easily accessible and is often
more predictable and dependable than the drive between these
two centers. Then once I exit the light rail, I emerge into mostly
bikeable and walkable areas, where I can just get out and go
without worrying about parking spaces or any sort of vehicle
access. Additionally, by riding rather than driving, I am able to
focus less on the actual travel itself, and more on the world
around me while analyzing either what the day will hold or what
already occurred. I feel far more independent because I can go
immediately to my destination without worrying as much about
route changes, traffic, accidents, or the unpredictability of other
drivers. When on the light rail, I am able to plan ahead, reflect
on the past, or take care of reading, writing, research, any of a
myriad tasks that I may not have had time to address during the
course of the day—a practice that could produce a deadly
distraction while on the road.
This activity is much simpler thanks to the emergence of
“the expanding segment of the urban population that harnesses
technological innovation to live a transit-oriented and digitally
connected life” (Schwieterman, 30). People just like me are able
to accomplish more than ever before, if only given the
opportunity to multitask in a safe, semi-private environment.
According to Schwieterman, these young people are “almost
never seen without their iPads, netbooks, and smartphones”,
allowing them to be constantly connected to the outside world,

even while traveling from place to place. Even though I
personally don’t have most of the listed personal tech devices, I
am still able to effectively use the time I spend on the light rail
making calls, writing in my planner, listening to music, texting,
studying, or reading. In today’s world, there is nearly no time
where one can’t be productive, and utilizing transit only
enhances those abilities, and it has done so for me.
My personal change is indicative of a larger shift in usage
of public transportation from almost exclusively needs-based, to
increasingly wants-based. In chapter seven of Levy’s
Contemporary Urban Planning, he notes that “Public
transportation in the United States now…is largely used by the
less prosperous—those who do not own automobiles.” However,
according to Schwieterman and an increasing number of studies,
this is no longer exclusively the case as more and more young
people embrace public transportation. As I ride between
Phoenix and Tempe, I see countless students and young adults
living the same way that I do, choosing to ride the light rail
rather than being shackled to their cars. Though many park their
cars at either terminus of the rail route, they still see the
advantage of extra work time and savings on gas expenses,
which Schwieterman mentions as likely contributing to
“changing attitudes toward driving”.
While previously use of public transportation meant dead
time spent in the presence of others, it has become another
temporary personal space, populated by whatever I choose.
Throughout his piece, Schwieterman brings up the changing
nature of public space as afforded by the massive expansion in
personal technology. Although this generation is traveling more
via public means, there is a “shift in the way many Americans
experience the public realm” (Schwieterman, 31). Though I
initially tried to experience the light rail in a public manner, as
time went on I couldn’t resist the opportunity to complete work
that often would otherwise be neglected while proceeding to my
destination. For as much as I immerse myself in other pursuits
while riding the train, I see the vast majority of those around

me checking E-mail, playing games, reading news, and listening
to music, all the while surrounded by dozens of strangers. It is
truly fascinating to see so many people, all together in a single
enclosed space, yet each within their own private world.
Lastly, Schwieterman brings up the decreasing significance
of cars and even driving among teenagers and young adults as
driving the use of public transportation among many. Phoenix, I
feel, is a bit behind on this trend, with is massively divided
residential zones and sprawling development. But though most
people I knew as a teenager had the ability to drive, their
personal connection to it was far less apparent than that
described by my parents during their generation. Not everyone
simply gets a car to drive that is their own, as was seemingly
true among the middle-class of the past. Therefore, as
Schwieterman says, “Millenials don’t view cars as status
symbols.” Rather, they serve as something more of practical
worth, possibly influencing the greater acceptance of public
transportation as a means of travel.
With the Phoenix metropolitan area’s massively
underdeveloped transit network and lack of Wi-Fi access on the
light rail, I find it unlikely that many are choosing transit
primarily on the basis of their ability to use technology as
hypothesized by Schwieterman. However, it does provide a nice
value-added to the experience of using said alternative
transportation. I have chosen public transportation because it
allows me to use my time much more effectively and live more
freely, just as Schwieterman illustrates in his article.
Basics
-Include your name, date, and class title (or professor) at the
top of the paper

-Black Ink
-Printed on blank computer paper
-Include page numbers
-Staple (no plastic covers)
-Times New Roman font size 12 is generally standard (your
choice of font).
-Double space
-Spell check
-Paragraphs should be indented
-Do not mess with the standard word processing margins
already on the computer
Common grammar errors
-Formal papers do not use contractions (he’s, it’s, can’t,
weren’t, etc.). Spell it out
-Make sure subject and verb agree.
-Keep tenses consistent. Do not flip flop between present and
past tense at all. If you begin in the present tense stay in the
present tense the entire paper.
-Paragraph lengths should be about 3-7 sentences. A paragraph
should never be more than ½ a page.
-A new paragraph should be started every time you begin a new
idea or introduce a new theme. If you are in doubt it is better to
start a new paragraph.
-Sentence fragments are incomplete sentences. One of the

easiest ways to connect them is to replace the period with a
comma or just delete the period to connect the sentences. For
example, “I need to find a new roommate. Because the one I
have is not nice” should be rewritten as “I need to find a new
roommate because the one I have is not nice.
-Be sure to check on run-on sentences.
Style Issues
-Avoid repetition of words or thoughts. If you have said
something clearly, the reader will understand your point the
first time. Also, do not use the same adjectives or verbs over
and over. It is not only boring but makes the writer sound like
they have no vocabulary.
-Use words with teeth. In other words, try to find the most
descriptive adjectives and colorful verbs that you can. Did the
man go to the store or did he sprint to the store? Was the author
good or was the author eloquent?
-Overgeneralizations are really just unsupported statements.
“Tijuana is all a filthy slum” is not necessarily true unless you
back it up by proving that there are absolutely no nice places
there. A better statement would be “The majority of Tijuana
appears to be mostly filthy slum.”
-If you quote or summarize someone else’s work, cite. This
includes any information found on the internet. It does not
matter much which citation format you use (MLA, APA,
Chicago, ASA, etc.), just as long as you cite.
# 1 biggest complaint from TAs….
-FORMALITY. Do not write your paper like you are talking to a
friend. Use of slang, jargon, and other informal language is

inappropriate when writing academic papers. Write clearly,
descriptively, and avoid using clichés. Try not to write in first
person or introduce yourself into the paper (best done by
avoiding using “I”)
How do you not write in first person? You can definitely be
subjective, however, do it without including yourself
directly...For example if you were writing something like. "I
believe that the article clearly identifies some examples of
successful infill development..."....Instead of using "I believe"
just state "The article clearly identifies some examples of
successful infill development". You take yourself out since it is
your writing the reader realizes that it is your opinion and point
of view.
If you are addressing what you learned in the paper you could
write something such as. "The article "xxx" demonstrates that
successful urban development and revitalization incorporates
infill and community participation. As the article demonstrates
in the city of xxx many successful community collaboration
efforts go a long way to creating a strong sense of
community...."
The short answer would be to write from a perspective that what
you are writing is fact and then try to prove to the reader with
examples, support and evidence things to support this.

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