OCS Conference Funding Submission

Event Photo:

Me in the HUB (Expo area) of the NPC

Auditorium where the opening and closing events occurred

Name: Elliot Wareham

Degree Program: MASTER OF URBAN PLANNING

Specialization: MUP-City and Community Planning

Conference Host Organization/Institution: American Planning Association (APA)

Conference/Competition Name: APA National Planning Conference

Conference Term: Spring Conference Start Date: 2024-04-13 Conference End Date: 2024-04-16

What were your takeaways from this conference/case competition?
Aside from being able to network with others from across the country, many of my main takeaways had to do with public engagement, which is a critical area of planning. In class, we talk about meaningful public engagement, and this is something that I deal with in my career outside of school as well -- the conference helped me think about engagement in new ways, and provided me with strategies that I'll be able to take with me to work, and maybe even in Capstone next year.

How will your participation in this conference/case competition support your professional development?
I made connections with people across the country. In addition, being able to attend this conference helped me realize that I'm interested in participating more with APA in the future. This upcoming school year, I'm on the Urban Planning Student Association (UPSA) board as the APA Student Representative for Wagner. My role involves attending local APA meetings with other student representatives, where I'll be able to network and learn more from planners across the NYC area.

What are some next steps or action items this conference/case competition inspired?
Like I mentioned earlier, I'm going to be UPSA's APA student representative. In addition, I think this conference made me realize how vast the field of planning is, and how many people I can connect with and learn from. I'll try to attend more networking events in the future.

What are some tips or best practices that you would like to share with other Wagner students who attend a conference/case competition?
Take time to talk to other people -- both other students and practitioners! While you may not be interested in working at someone's organization, networking is also about learning from others in your field, sharing experiences, and exchanging ideas. Also, beforehand see if there are any extra sessions/events in the evening. These may be ticketed, but they're a great way to meet new people and chat in an informal setting. Lastly - take time to explore the city where your conference is (especially urban planners!)

Wagner Areas of Impact: Cities, Government, Health, Housing, Inequality, Race, and Poverty, Transportation