NPC23 Conference Highlights from University of Maryland Community Planning Students

Students Pictured Left to Right: Sam Gordon, Maura Dwyer, Salma Haoudi, Angela Brooks, Alanna Anderson, Pamela Owusu Nkwantabisah, Dominique Gebru, Hoang Edullantes

During this years’ NPC23 annual conference, eight students from the University of Maryland’s Masters Program in Urban Studies and Community Planning attended the in-person conference on the weekend of April 1 - 2nd. 

Below are a few highlights and photos to document our time. Overall, it was a great opportunity to connect with planning professionals across the country, learn more about potential job pathways in planning, and understand where our academic studies and personal interests intersect with the real-world planning issues. 

Several students appreciated the tours of the area on the first and second day. As a place-based profession, it’s only appropriate that the National Planning Conference (NPC) featured sessions in and about the host city of Philadelphia! 

Highlights:

Second year Community Planning student Dominique Gebru noted, “Before starting my MCP, I spent more than five years working in communications for the federal government. My favorite sessions at NPC helped me see the ample opportunities there are to tie in my past career with my next one in the planning space, as well as how necessary storytelling is in the planning process.” 

Second year Community Planning student Pamela Owusu Nkwantabisah shared that one of her highlights was a session on leadership specifically about mentoring women leaders and women in minority groups within the planning field, “considering that Black, female, professional planners make up only 3% of the field. The speakers and participants alike shared how to identify individuals with potential and ways” to support their growth. 

First year Community Planning student Maura Dwyer appreciated the emphasis on professional development with a student’s perspective in mind. She was able to take advantage of the free headshot service, attend multiple workplace culture info sessions that compared working in the public and private sector of planning, and spoke with Program Coordinators of internship positions she’ll be applying for next year. “My background is primarily in non-profit arts administration and cultural planning, so it was helpful to hear details about what it might be like to work for a private consulting firm or public agency from those currently in the field.”

During lunch and evenings, we found nearby Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants in Philadelphia’s bustling Chinatown community and visited the renowned Reading Terminal for the best sandwiches and coffee in Philadelphia more than once! 

We ended the weekend with Urban Studies and Planning alumni and current students during a celebratory reunion on Sunday evening at the Caribou Café in Philadelphia. It was a great reminder that conference presenters and alumni are our future colleagues, and we will continue to learn about new tools and strategies together to sharpen our skillset and impact.