Tallant Burley

How would you describe your experience as an NYU Wagner student?

It was a great experience that allowed me to build relationships and build awareness about the complexity of the issues related to the built environment and urban policy, especially affordable housing and land use development. And, the courses I took at NYU provided a unique variety of perspectives on these topics that built my understanding and framework for the issues, especially through the opportunity to hear from professors working in the field and other students. I've been able to bring this variety and experience with me into my professional career.

How did being in New York City impact your professional journey?

NYC offers considerable opportunity as a young professional, especially for an urban planner interested in housing and climate adaptation. Coming to NYC for graduate school gave me the opportunity to explore different areas of interest, because it's really the epicenter of where innovation in the urban space is playing out and provided such a unique hands-on opportunity to experience the issues I was learning in the classroom first-hand, on-the-ground. And, living in NYC really let me explore job opportunities in the field that combined my professional strengths with my career interests--you have so many opportunities in the City, whether you're looking at the public sector, the non-profit sector, or the private sector; and the City provides a chance to experience all of them and build relationships with people across these industries to find the right fit for you.

Can you tell us a bit about your job responsibilities?

I work as a resiliency and disaster recovery planner. At it's core, I work with communities in the NYC to facilitate open, transparent communication about flood risk and climate adaptation strategies; and develop policies and messaging to facilitate that transparency and ensure that communities have the tools and resources to make informed decisions given climate change and the City's coastal vulnerabilities.