A Letter from the Editor – Charley Cohen

To readers new and old,

How to summarize a year of success, growth, expectations and the experience of leading the Wagner Planner is nearly impossible to put into words on a page, but I will try my best. After succeeding Mayelly Moreno last Spring, I had two goals I wanted to accomplish. The first was to continue the success in establishing the Planner’s presence back within NYU and NYU Wagner and the urban planning community. The second was to expand the mission of the Planner by bringing on more talented writers, new mediums of content, and long-form articles. We did all of that: doubling the writing staff, launched the new Wagner Planner Podcast, and several writers wrote three-part pieces on topics related to cities, housing, and social movements. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together this year and what will grow from our success.

Truly, my favorite aspect of this role was getting to work with the staff writers and seeing their ideas grow into their articles and mediums, and also getting to learn about new topics from their pieces. As someone with a focus on transportation, my knowledge on topics regarding housing, sanitation, and other topics was much more limited. Getting to read and understand the many topics covered this year helped me not only be a better editor, but a better planner. This is one of the beauties of the Urban Planning program at NYU Wagner: our colleagues can be as good of teachers as our professors, opening our eyes to areas within planning that were not on the radar before. So, to all the staff: Aisha Balogun, Stephen Zubrycky, Patrick Spauster, Mackenna Caughron, Luke Walsh, Benjamin Listman, Winnie Shen, and Samantha Sánchez – thank you for all you have contributed and what you will contribute to the field.

I am incredibly excited for the upcoming year for the Wagner Planner with incoming Editor Patrick Spauster at the helm. Patrick, beyond his brilliant writing, is an expert in design, communication and content creation. He will be guiding the further expansion of the Planner to further mediums and new projects. I am excited to read along next year and continue to learn and grow as a Planner with you all.

This truly has been an experience and role of a lifetime, and I thank everyone who has read our pieces and engaged with us for their contributions and time. I will be writing in my spare time for sure, so please check me out on Twitter and LinkedIn and stay connected.

Stay Well,

Charley Cohen

One thought on “A Letter from the Editor – Charley Cohen

  1. Congratulations Charley and to the entire team that has written, edited and produced The Wagner Planner. Your leadership has been instrumental in stimulating active Wagner student involvement in The Wagner Planner and in attracting a new, energetic editorial team for the coming year.
    All the best and I do hope the Wagner alums contribute in the coming years to The Wagner Planner. Warmly. Mitchell Moss

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