Should I get a degree in city planning? Q & A Livestream!
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- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- This is an opportunity to ask questions about what it's like to get a degree in city planning. It's led by me, Dave Amos, the producer of City Beautiful. In addition to my role as producer, I'm an Assistant Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. I also have three planning degrees and an architecture degrees, so degree advising comes naturally to me. Let's talk about it!
I wanted to do a panning masters, but the university adviser told me I didn’t have the background for it. Instead, I started a Public Administration graduate program. I was hired at a small municipality shortly thereafter and worked on engineering and planning-adjacent projects. Fast forward 5 years and I’m now at a major city, working in public works as an analyst and I love it!
I have no technical background, but several years working with engineers, planners, and construction contractors gave me the knowledge I needed to make me a more “attractive generalist.”
Hi Dave! I'm studying Built Environment as a bachelor's in the Netherlands and I'm going to specialize in urban planning. Would you ever consider giving a guest lecture at a non-US university? I think a lot of us would be interested to see our profession from a US planner perspective.
Inderdaad!
Hi Dave, sorry to have missed the livestream.
If you wouldn't mind, would you please be able to answer a couple of questions please?
1. How tied together is urban and transport planning? I used to think they went hand-in-hand but I was told that they are not together at all and that totally different degrees exist for the two.
2. If I wanted to study a Masters of Urban Planning, how important is the Bachelor degree you study prior? I really want to study either electrical engineering or physics for my bachelor degree, but I know that they aren't tied to urban planning at all.
Thank you so much for your time.
Hi! Transportation is typically seen as a subfield of urban planning, so getting an urban planning degree, maybe with a specialization in transportation, is usually good enough to break into that field. If you are interested in transportation engineering or civil engineering, that will require a different degree.
Don't worry about what bachelors degree you have. Masters programs in planning assume that they have to start teaching at the beginning and generally take people with any bachelors degree.
@@CityBeautiful Thanks Dave! Can't believe my luck! I'm very grateful for your reply.
Thanks for doing this! I’m very interested about urban planning and was on the fence over whether to pursue a masters in urban planning. This Q&A convinced me that it’s probably the right move.
Please consider doing a video on where environmental health and city planning overlap!
I'll think about it! I just lectured on that topic in my intro class and I think it's about time I make a video about it.
I Forget where you said it but thank you for mentioning how each program is different and the importance of finding a program that fits you. I just finished this process and while I was applying and choosing, this was by far the best advice i received from people. I am currently a first year student in the University of Oregon PPPM program (Go Ducks!) and I made that decision largely because it felt like where I belong, so I appreciate you sharing this advice to others applying this year who also looking at planning
Thank you so much for doing this! I'm about to start putting together applications and had some underlying anxiety about where I should prioritize, what the market conditions are (could I even find a job), and you really helped me out with this video.
Great to hear!
I wish i had realized this was a thing when I went into collage. I was directionless, clueless, and had no concept of what should come 'after' since everything before had told me 'collage.' But past 'collage' Nothing.
I wish I had actually latched onto urban planning and design. Given my vision imparements, having more voices that could advocate for less car dependance in society is a net good.
The past couple weeks I’ve been going back and forth on whether to follow through with pursuing an urban planning masters, so the timing of this feels like an act of god. Think I’m gonna do it!
I loved watching through this! It was super informative and helpful as I'm looking to get a Masters in Planning and was curious as to what schools were good.
I’m a community college student in Fresno California and plan on transferring next fall to either UC Irvine or Cal Poly SLO for Urban planning. This video was incredibly helpful and informational, thank you!
We need good planners like you to fix urban planning in India.
Lol it's better to renovate the older mess before branching out
Really great and informative livestream Q&A, thanks for all the planning insight Dave! Gets me excited to through myself into the field after finishing my planning undergrad!
Thanks. I am showing this to my son who is a high school senior interested in Urban Planning. Lots of good practical info as he considers possible education and career paths. Cornell is actually among the schools where he is applying coincidentally enough. Cal Poly isn’t on his list but maybe he should check it out- tho not sure financial aid potential /out-of-state tuition there would make it real feasible.
Bro I just saw after it ended bro 😭
Bro uses the word bro at the beginning AND at the end of sentences. That's a top notch educated bro right there.
@@savegas2008damn man its not that deep
Bro I’m sorry you missed it brother
Sorry!
@@CityBeautifuli share the sorrow!
Thank you so much for keeping this QA up!
I like your not learning too much about GIS software, i like gis and there is amazing stuff you can do with it but i really dont want to be just sitting there making maps all the time. Been in my first planning job for the last 2 months after getting lucky and sneaking over from another county dept, have been doing a good job so far keeping myself busy in other ways ha
GIS is not just making maps. You can answer geospatial questions as well.
How funny. I found your channel kind of on a whim because I watch a decent amount of City Skylines content. I'm not a city planning major/minor, but I am a Cal Poly SLO alumni. Small world. Go Mustangs!
Oh my god, doorjambs were exactly why I bailed on being an Architecture major, too.
hahaha
1:04:19
So excited for the plans for a video Textbook!!!!
Dave inspiring as usual! Such a shame I missed the livestream.
Please do monthly live streams where we can ask questions!!!!!!
Monthly streams would be great! I'll see if I can make it happen.
Love the stream Dave, thank you!
Hello I have two questions. The first, is there any intersection or work going on with urban planning and public health together, particularly im interested in built environment (walkability, public transportation) and its effect on physical health? Secondly, I’m a current public health masters student and im wondering if an MPH would be enough to break into the urban planning field (if I decide to do that down the line) or should I go back and get a masters in urban/city planning as well?
Thanks for this informative video, and all you do! I want to share this with prospective planning students. (I direct the Masters of Urban and Regional Planning Program at Portland State University).
watched the whole thing, super helpful
Yea
A long time ago I got a degree in environmental policy and planning. I'm getting back into it as I want to help my planners create a more walkable city and county - mostly for environmental reasons but also livability. I would love it if there was a video channel more granular about real process of making wins in towns - transforming them. I would love to know what the North Bay areas biggest opportunities are. How can I know that and support my planners? I am on a city board and a citizen rep on a transportation authority but I find that we just keep getting studies but are not doing infill and creating bike paths or linking cities in a good way - we are about to widen more highways , which from all these UA-camrs I'm certain that will not help creat these new cities. What can we do? What are first steps? What works and what doesn't. What are the Challengers ( not just Nimby but permitting to grant or process to policy) Asking to do support my planners!
Really want to see your Ph.D thesis. Sound interesting
I'm currently in the field of computer science, but I am keen into getting into city planning. However, since I'm a foreigner and not a US citizen, it will be harder for me to get to the US to get a job there. I'm also worried whether it is even possible.
wow this was so helpful, looking to potentially get my master's in urban planning (seems like cal poly slo is a top contender)!
thanks for making urban planning knowledge accessible for the masses, much appreciated!
Think you already said this but I’m just gonna throw it out there, what would be good degrees that may allow you to transition to urban planning? Waiting to see where I get accepted and what financial aid I get, but Indiana University seems like the most plausible pick for me. They don’t do degrees in city planning or urban studies, just an area certificate.
I have three nieces at IU! Go Hoosiers. :) Geography, political science, civil/transportation engineering and sociology are common related majors to city planning.
What’s a good minor to pair with an Urban Planning degree to perhaps stand out or get an advantage in your career?
Is it more common to finish a masters program before doing PhD in city planning, or can I just apply straight to PhD? I’m about to graduate from my environmental science bachelors next year btw.
Most programs I've heard of expect a Master's degree before applying to get a Ph.D.
@@CityBeautiful Thank you so much for the info sir!
Local government calls town planning “development services” and performs accordingly.
So I’m a sophomore in college and I declared my major as Financial Economics. I really want to become an urban planner, is this degree going to help me get into the field?
Do you think doing a PHD in Planning is a good idea, I'm not sure if I want to do one or not, I have recently completed a masters in urban planning.
it’s best for if you want to go into working in research or academia. to be a practicing planner you only need a masters degree.
Agree with the previous commenter. Only do it if you REALLY want to be a professor or researcher. It's a tight job market for professors and a five year commitment for a PhD. Tough road.
27:23
I'm majoring in environmental engineering right now for my undergrad but want to move into the urban planning field. I really want to do sustainable urban design. Do recommend urban planning or urban design or something else? Thanks
Both degrees could work. Seek out an urban planning program that has a good urban design track, or find a specific urban design program.
@@CityBeautiful Thank you! I've been going back and forth with this for months so I really appreciate the input
I’m currently a community college student in Sacramento and planning on transferring to Sac State with a BA in Geography/Metropolitan Area Planning. Is that a good plan in terms of public job opportunities, or should I more strongly consider going to a university outside of the region? Thank you!
I don't know, I thought you already had one.
Cool
Yes but you should get it in Europe
Would an undergraduate degree in urban planning and a graduate in geography be a good choice?
Depends on what you are trying to do. If you are trying to be a city planner, an undergraduate degree in planning can lead to a job, no geography degree needed.
I'm interested to know how difficult it was to become a professor
I needed a Master's degree, then spend five years getting a doctorate. The planning job market is extremely competitive, with 75-100 applicants per job. I only had about 10 jobs I was qualified for the year I went up on the job market, so I consider myself very lucky to have landed a job at all.
Just want to add the 75-100 applicants per job is normal across the fields. Many jobs have even more than that, and world events can make that even worse (like when state universities ended their hiring freeze after the COVID lockdown). The vast majority of people with PhDs end up as adjunct instructors at multiple schools working insane hours for garbage pay without benefits. That's not to mention how stressful it is to get the PhD in the first place. A lot of the people I met in grad school were either emotionally broken or giant assholes.
@@CityBeautiful that sounds on par with other professors I've spoken to. I've got masters degrees (neither in City Planning, but I wouldn't be going that route), I've just been considering if going for a doctorate and getting into academia would be worth it. Based on what I've heard, it doesn't seem like it would.
@@a_pet_rock that's what I've heard/observed.
Im kinda surprised no one asked something AI related, like what tools might be useful or if any career paths might be at risk.
Someone asked if AI is coming for planning jobs. Quick answer: AI can absolutely draft plan language, but it can't yet develop community consensus and navigate local politics, two of the most critical things planners do.
19:07