OCS Conference Funding Submission

Event Photo:

Photo of a group of us in front of the It Takes A Planner sign at the conference.

A view of one of the speakers talking about the value of parks in cities.

Photo of fellow MUP student Nico in a packed room.

Name: Gibson Chu

Degree Program: MASTER OF URBAN PLANNING

Specialization: MUP-City and Community Planning

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

Conference/Competition Name: National Planning Conference

Conference Term: Spring Conference Start Date: 2025-03-29 Conference End Date: 2025-03-31

What were your takeaways from this conference/case competition?
The NPC APA 2025 conference deepened my understanding of everything related to planning, ranging from how sustainable transportation intersects with climate resilience and land use reform to how to become a better planner as I begin to navigate my career. I attended sessions on equitable transit funding, AI in planning, and flood-adaptive infrastructure, all of which connected to my research on micromobility, transit-oriented development, and public space access. I left with new policy models, implementation strategies, and insights from planners working across sectors.

How will your participation in this conference/case competition support your professional development?
APA NPC 2025 helped strengthen my policy knowledge and network in urban mobility, housing infrastructure, and climate resilience. I connected with professionals and researchers tackling the same issues I study—like shared mobility, flooding risk, and curbside design—providing fresh ideas for my AI flooding tool and ongoing POPS research, as well as got to chat with many folks about my ongoing work as a secure bike infrastructure builder. These conversations will inform my capstone, writing in the Wagner Planner, and my work at Oonee and NYBC.

What are some next steps or action items this conference/case competition inspired?
I plan to integrate new frameworks for equitable transit and flood resilience into both my FloodChat AI tool and ongoing policy work at NYBC. I'm also following up with contacts I met to explore research collaborations and city partnerships, particularly around public space access and funding strategies for active transportation infrastructure including secure bike storage, as well as to chat with them in NYC to learn more about their work and how to get an internship. I aim to present all of these learnings to Wagner peers via UPSA and the Wagner Planner.

What are some tips or best practices that you would like to share with other Wagner students who attend a conference/case competition?
Go in with a focus—mine was housing, transportation infrastructure, and flood resilience—but stay open to unexpected interests. Take notes on speakers, not just content, and follow up with them while it’s fresh over the email. Attend the talks, but most importantly, attend the happy hours and social gatherings; some of the best insights came from meeting someone at the drinks events. Feel free to always follow up as they are all a friendly bunch and can give you true insider knowledge around how this business works and what company might be the best fit for you.

Wagner Areas of Impact: Cities, Education, Government, Housing, Leadership, Transportation