Stadtbummel in New York City

*Stadtbummel is the German word for a stroll in the city

The Boston University Urban Planning Association sponsored and organized a professional trip to New York City to gain insight on urban development and potential career paths after graduation. After months of planning, ten students joined UPA for the trip on April 4th-5th, which was led by UPA board members Joyce Sanchez and Ben Cares.

April 4th — NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. Trip participants met with Julia Wagner, Project Planner, Sarah Neilson, Chief of Policy and Long-Range Planning, and Lia Soorenian, Project Planner, who all discussed their current projects, recent initiatives, and their published reports concerning open space in the City. Afterwards, the UPA visited the Museum of the City of New York: New York at Its Core, Future City Lab.

April 5th — UPA visited Ollie: All inclusive co-living, Alta Apartments. Ryan Murphy, Corporate Partnerships Manager, guided UPA through Ollie’s newest developments, Alta, and discussed the benefits and challenges of providing all-inclusive living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. The next stop was the NYC Department of Planning in the Bronx. The UPA sat down with Michael Kavalar, Senior City Planner, and Oscar Oliver-Didier, Senior Urban Designer, to discuss upcoming planning projects and initiatives happening in the Bronx and the potential impacts the projects could have on quality of life and affordability in the area. 

Joyce Sanchez, MUA ‘19