Dear students,
We began this year honoring the power of storytelling. Planners use statistics, history, and visual images to interpret challenges, persuade stakeholders, and embolden partners. But above all, our profession is one of quiet advocacy. As I pass the torch of the Wagner Planner to Mayelly Moreno — and celebrate this year’s capstone projects — I want to say a few words in reflection on that theme.
In Management and Leadership with professor Vanessa Leon, I learned that new planners often perceive themselves as idealistic problem-solvers. In reality, city planners working in bureaucratic settings help decision-makers understand what to do about a problem. That said, while we don’t usually pull the lever, none of us came to this field expecting to be powerless. More than that, we came with the conviction that “public service is the highest good.”
How then do planners find, develop, and wield their power in a world where others make the decisions? For that matter, how can we help but feel eclipsed by the long shadows of a global health crisis and centuries-old police brutality? I believe that the extent to which planners are able to influence their corner of the world depends on diplomacy, humility, and quiet advocacy. At the very foundation of those characteristics is the ability to cut to the heart of an issue and reveal its interrelatedness with other issues. This is not just a component of our job. It is our job.
This year at the Wagner Planner, we began to cultivate a community of planners dedicated to honing that ability. I want to say thank you to our staff writers Lisa Nyamadzwo, Lauren Roland, Katherine Rivard, Joshua Crespo, for inaugurating this new approach. And special thank you to the tireless efforts of Mayelly Moreno, to whom I’m happy to hand the reins, and Ignacio Aravena, for his leadership and support as president of UPSA.
Thank you for your support, and congratulations to the class of 2020.
Brendan Latimer
Wagner Planner, Editor-in-Chief