Well, here we are. The end of the academic year. For a time when it seems that time is a flat circle, where Tuesdays could be Fridays but it’s really Wednesday, we have reached the definitive end of the spring semester. For all the abnormality this year has thrown upon us, Financial Management Excel templates are still being created for the final, Policy Memos are being written, and Capstones are being presented. For me personally, it has been a pleasure and honor to write and discuss topics within the urban planning space with you all, and I look forward to continuing writing next year!
I am a big believer in reflection. One of the best ways to learn and to inscribe one’s own history and story is to look back and remember both the successes and failures, the good and the bad, the pre- and post-Euclidian courts. So, to wrap up the 2020-21 NYU Wagner School Year, I asked some of my fellow planning students for some of what they have learned this year and what is to come. I have taken their thoughts and made a list of lessons and thoughts we have had on this wild year. Hopefully, we will all be back in the classrooms in the Puck Building again next year, and we can raise our hands for real, rather than click “Raise Hand.” So, without further ado, here are the 10 Most Important Things I Have Learned as a NYU Wagner First Year Master of Urban Planning Student in a Global Pandemic.
- Zoom – I know I (along with everyone who has worked from home) has learned about the video-conferencing tool this year. Having most of our classes online has been a true experience. First, it’s incredible that technology has allowed us to stay so connected and keep classes moving. Waking up a couple of minutes before an early morning lecture brings back the memories of undergrad. And, as the picture shows, doing class in sweatpants has become the new norm.
- COVID Tests & Screeners – For those of us who took some of our classes in-person this year, hats off to us. From “remember to fill out our daily screeners every day,” to getting our COVID tests every other week, and distancing in the classrooms while screaming through masks to talk to one another, we have become masters of the process while we made the most of our time together. Kudos to everyone staying safe and distant!
- Open Data – Being a student of planning in a school of public service, our main source of data and information to work with is the great City we live in. Shoutouts to all the data advocates who have made New York an Open Data city and for those who have continued to push for more information and presenting their information in easy-to-read charts and diagrams.
- Supply & Demand – One never really escapes the basics of economics. From our Microeconomics class to Urban Economics, it seems so many of the issues that planners need to solve have to address these constraints. From serious issues like the lack of supply of affordable housing in New York, to lesser issues like the demand for a second cold brew coffee to complete papers. Supply and demand, it is always there.
- Stakeholders – Students of public service know their most important client is the people. In all our classes, we have learned how to identify stakeholders, how to contact them, how to work with groups with adverse ideas, and how to find common ground to move forward. From exercises where we have led fictional towns through a rezoning project, to working with real neighborhoods, seems like we are prepared for actual situations.
- Land Use – Every week, there are hot new land use matters. From the rezoning in SoHo to Gowanus, to the development of a parking lot in Lower Manhattan, there are always issues. Is your neighborhood in a historic district? Did we find a reasonable nexus for the use of exactions? Sometimes, I feel like a law student, but then realize I am not drowning in case law.
- Levels – No, I am not talking about the 2011 Avicii song. I am talking about the many local levels of NYC government, from Community Boards to the Mayor’s Office. It does feel that this lesson and the two before this are very similar, and they are. But being a planner is about understanding how policy can affect people, land, and governments alike. Our job sometimes feels like being a translator, feels like being a negotiator, it has a little bit of everything!
- Google Docs – It is wild to think how far technology has come. Maybe I am aging myself (I say this as a 28-year-old who doesn’t get NFTs or TikTok). I brought up Zoom earlier, but having the ability to share documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, and more with the ease of a couple of clicks! Being a good planner requires excellent communication with your team. The suite has made this so easy, and even though we are all working remotely, we are still all connected.
- Public Transit – I know, how did it take so long for me to bring up what everyone is here for…. Transit Talk! I didn’t even know there were so many other transit fanatics out there, let alone a whole academia and professional career into it! From just riding the trains, to collecting MTA maps, to hopefully one day working with cities and organizations making the best transit, planning students get the skills for their toolbelt to make their dreams a reality. And having the chance to write about it for the Wagner Planner has been a real joy.
- Classmates – I tell everyone that my favorite part of Wagner has been meeting and working with my classmates. They have become my colleagues, my troops in the trenches, my teachers, my mentors, and my friends. I have learned so much about housing, international planning, transit, and planning practices through my cohort. But what I love most is that everyone is so passionate about their studies. Because at the end of the day, we decided to become planners and public servants because we are passionate about making our city, our country, our planet, a better place.
I am excited for the challenges to come! I hope you all have a great summer and cannot wait to talk to you in a couple of months. Continue to stay safe this summer!
Cover Image: Zoom on Top, Comfort on the Bottom (Source: Charley Cohen)