Vikram Seethepalli- Week 7

 
-Victoria Olivier is the director of land use and sustainability at DFC
 

• How did you get involved in urban planning and your field in general?

For her undergraduate degree, Victoria attended the architecture school at the University of Virginia and studied urban planning. Because she loves traveling to different urban areas, she immediately knew this was the right path for her. Her interest in what makes cities unique and her appreciation for historic preservation made it an easy choice. She received her master’s degree at the University of New Orleans for urban regional planning.
 

• How did you end up at DFC?

Victoria spent eight years in New Orleans, which included working towards her degree and volunteering post- hurricane Katrina. Victoria has had experiences in cities like Detroit that were evolving and rising up from struggle. She thought Detroit had a similar energy and that it was filled with innovative people who were committed to the process of change. Victoria discovered the Detroit revitalization fellow program and was accepted there. DFC was only at the beginning of its creation at that time.
 

• What do you think separates Detroit from other cities?

Victoria primarily believes that Detroit has a unique opportunity to look forward because of its available land, and because of lessons learned in the past. Detroit has been dealing with so many issues that put it on a different trajectory than other cities. Aspects such as transportation have been lagging but now have major opportunities for progress. Victoria believes there are myriad opportunities for change in Detroit.
 

• What is one of the toughest challenges you’ve faced in your career?

One of the biggest challenges in Victoria’s career has been experiencing the tension between the status quo and trying to galvanize people around change. As someone not from Detroit or New Orleans, Victoria quickly realized that there is a learning curve and that you need to work quickly so you can work with other people who have been in a city forever. You need to prove yourself and be humble in order for people to become more accepting in your field.
 

• Can you explain what social entrepreneurship means to you?

Victoria believes social entrepreneurship is about uniting people to find a creative way to solve an important issue. She sees examples of social entrepreneurship in a similar company called Brick and Beam (cofounded). One project Victoria worked on at Brick and Beam centered around changing the narrative of Detroit. The narrative focused on the demolition in Detroit rather than the Detroiters who were helping renovate houses. People were not united together to form a stronger movement of transforming houses, and the resources available were disconnected. The question became, how can we help people interested in the same goal of building up a community?
 

• What are some of your hobbies and interests?

Victoria loves finding antiques at thrift stores and flea markets.  She loves traveling to new cities, towns and countries, and loves breweries as well.
 

• If money weren’t an issue, what job would you like to have?

Victoria would love to be a travel blogger and move around to find random jobs in new countries.
 

• Can you describe parenting in three words?

Ever-changing, sleep deprived, unexpectedly amazing.
 

• What is your best travel experience?

Victoria loved studying abroad in South Africa, Argentina and Budapest. If she could live anywhere in the world, she would choose Australia. If she could visit any place in the world, she would visit Antarctica because this is the only continent she has not been to.
 

• If you had to get tattoos on your knuckles what would they say?

Keep it together.