About UrbanSpark
UrbanSpark is a student-founded urban planning initiative based in Fullerton, California. Through research, thoughtful design, and community engagement, we explore ways to make everyday streets safer and more accessible for the people who use them.
The Origin
UrbanSpark began with a simple observation: the streets surrounding schools aren't always designed with students' safety in mind. Traffic congestion, busy intersections, and conflicts between different road users raised questions about how these spaces could function better. This interest in the relationship between infrastructure and everyday life inspired UrbanSpark's first project, a school-zone safety redesign near Parks Junior High School in Fullerton.
The Purpose
Our purpose is to identify transportation challenges and explore practical solutions through urban planning and design. By examining existing street conditions and developing site-specific proposals, UrbanSpark aims to improve pedestrian safety, accessibility, and traffic circulation while considering the needs of local communities.
The Future
Beginning with our project near Parks Junior High School, we hope to expand UrbanSpark's research to other neighborhoods and school communities. Our long-term vision is to build a growing collection of urban design proposals and contribute to future improvements in local infrastructure.
Founder's Story
Alice Chae - founder, urbanspark
I've always been interested in how the spaces around us influence our daily routines. As I became more interested in engineering and urban planning, I started paying closer attention to the roads and intersections I passed every day. I wondered why certain streets felt difficult to navigate and how their designs could be improved.
I founded UrbanSpark to explore those questions beyond the classroom. Starting with the streets surrounding Parks Junior High School, I wanted to apply my interest in infrastructure and design to a real problem in my commmunity.
Through UrbanSpark, I hope to turn observations into research, research into design proposals, and those proposals into conversations about meaningful improvements.
How We Work
Research
Design
We study local traffic conditions, road layouts, and pedestrian experiences to understand the challenges affecting everyday transportation.
We translate observations and research into street redesign proposals that consider safety, accessibility, and the needs of different road users.
Community Engagement
We invite perspectives from students, families, and local residents while seeking opportunities to share our proposals with city officials and transportation professionals.