“Urban Planning is Not Boring” is a podcast created by USC alumni Samantha Ellman and Natalie Ikhrata which highlights just how fascinating the field of planning can be.
While it may not be obvious to those outside the field, urban planning is actually very interesting, especially when one begins to understand how it impacts our daily lives and the places where we live, work, and play. To show how relevant and important planning is, University of Southern California (USC) graduate students, Samantha Ellman and Natalie Ikhrata, created the podcast “Urban Planning is Not Boring” about a year ago.
The podcast connects urban planning to timely news events and social issues and has now reached 37 episodes, with Ellman and Ikhrata discussing topics ranging from affordable housing to natural hazards. The show has featured a wide variety of guests, including both practitioners and academics, giving listeners free, valuable insights into urban planning and its many sub-fields such as urban design, disaster planning, transportation planning, and affordable housing development.
Ellman and Ikhrata, who both graduated from USC in May with master’s degrees in urban planning, were inspired to start the podcast when they recognized that resources to explore urban planning outside the classroom were lacking. Not only were there very few planning-focused podcasts, those that were available were not very engaging, especially for students and young professionals.
To learn more about the podcast and its creators, please read the source article by Edhita Singhal.
FULL STORY: Two USC alumni create urban planning podcast
25 Years of Impact: Planetizen’s Top Courses Shaping Planners Today
As the planning industry continues to evolve, Planetizen remains committed to helping planners through those changes.
Applying to Graduate School in Planning: A Second Update
In 2008 and 2018, I wrote some much-read blogs about how to get into planning school. As deadlines near, I revisit that advice. I look first at the big picture of the case you need to make for the admissions committee and then the logistics.
Commentary: A World Planning Congress That Was Out of This World
This year’s gathering was full of promise, hope — and tension.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie