The Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service is pleased to announce that MPPM student Ian Gorecki has been awarded the Avangrid–Flanagan Memorial Scholarship for the academic year. The scholarship, which provides $1,000, is made possible through the generosity of Avangrid and honors the legacy of David Flanagan, former President of the University of Southern Maine. The award recognizes exceptional academic performance and a demonstrated commitment to sustainability.
Dr. Yuseung Kim is Ian’s Capstone advisor in the MPPM program. Ian’s capstone project reflects both rigor and public relevance. His research assesses the viability and best practices for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in the Portland urban area. As Ian describes, “TODs focus on building mixed use, walkable community developments that are close to frequent public transit services. Well-planned TODs can help to boost transit ridership and reduce private vehicle use. TODs, and improved integration of transit and land use more generally, are seeing increased interest in Maine as communities work to simultaneously provide affordable housing, limit sprawl, and meet climate change goals.”
While TOD research has traditionally focused on large metropolitan regions, Ian’s project addresses a gap: defining what successful transit-oriented development looks like at Portland’s scale and identifying policy tools that can effectively support implementation in smaller urban contexts. His work comes at a pivotal time as Maine communities seek integrated solutions to housing, transportation, land use, and climate resilience.
Beyond his academic work, Ian serves in the Bureau of Planning at the Maine Department of Transportation. Following graduation, he hopes to continue his work at MaineDOT, contributing to the development of a more sustainable and reliable transportation system for all Mainers.
We congratulate Ian on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to the impact of his contributions in the years ahead!