About
Engagement
URP Engagement
The Department is proud to offer a number of opportunities for students to engage in planning-related groups and events. The Department also offers a number of international and study abroad opportunities. Upon completion of their studies, URP graduates are well-prepared to make significant contributions to society across multiple scales and contexts, ranging from local to global, and spanning both domestic and international arenas.
Mentorship Program
The UF Department of Urban and Regional Planning’s mentorship program is designed to foster a meaningful and purpose-driven mentorship experience. The program pairs graduate planning students with practicing professional planners as they prepare to graduate and exit their academic programs. It is a year-long commitment centered around relationship-building, networking, and professional development. Our mentorship program is part of a larger professional development program that includes workshops, internships, the AICP certification program, and experiences, such as attending at APA Florida and APA national conferences. Click here to read about the UF MURP mentorship experience from students and mentors.
If you have specific questions about the program, please contact Liz Abernethy, AICP, URP Planner in Residence at eabernethy@ufl.edu.
Student Planning Association
The Student Planning Association (SPA) is a student-run, faculty-supported organization within UF’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URP). SPA’s goal is to cultivate relationships and professional development for students by connecting them to university faculty and professionals, creating networks for burgeoning urban planners. All students in the URP program, and any student interested in planning, are eligible members and are welcome to become involved throughout their studies.
Many SPA members take advantage of joining the San Felasco Section of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, which is the local section of the American Planning Association. Through the San Felasco Section, students are able to meet with and learn from professional planners in the local area by attending lectures, meetings, and socials.
SPA is devoted to engaging students in a variety of ways, including hosting guest speakers from the planning profession, AICP prep workshops, field trips to explore walkable towns and effective public transit, group bicycle rides along Gainesville’s Hawthorne Trail, volunteering at Grace Marketplace, and more.Connect with SPA:
Lucas Beasley
SPA PresidentLucas is a second-year student in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program. Growing up in Jacksonville, FL, he graduated from Ridgeview Highschool in 2021. He holds a passion for regulatory planning , specializing in zoning and form-based codes. As president he values establishing an active campus community and exposing students to as many facets of planning and student leadership as possible.
Gabi Sullivan
SPA Vice PresidentGabi is a second-year planning student from Ocala, Florida. She is currently pursuing two master’s degrees, one in agricultural education and communication, and one in urban and regional planning. She is excited to help SPA foster a sense of community for both in-person and online students. Gabi’s planning interests include long-range planning, community engagement, and integrated water and land use in Florida.
Emmanuel Mensah
SPA TreasurerEmmanuel is a second-year student in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program. Originally from Kumasi, Ghana, he earned his undergraduate degree in Real Estate from Kumasi Technical University in 2023. His Planning and research interests include environmental planning, sustainable urban transportation, climate change resilience, GIS, and urban green space development. Emmanuel is excited to support the growth of the URP community and contribute to organizing events that promote student engagement and professional development.
Victoria Fountain
SPA SecretaryVictoria Fountain is from Atlanta, Georgia and is a Master of Urban and Regional Planning candidate at the University of Florida. She serves as Secretary of the Student Planning Association and is interested in housing affordability and equitable community development.
Elshamma Saint-Lot
SPA Communications
Berenice Belizaire
SPA Online LiaisonBerenice, born and raised in Orlando, Florida, is entering her final year in the online master’s program. She is excited to work with the SPA E-Board to facilitate a connection between online students and the department through development and networking opportunities. Her planning interests focus on urban design, mixed-use developments, and walkable communities. Berenice is available to help however she can, so please feel free to reach out!
Student Engagement
Students in the URP Program are involved in a multitude of different clubs and activities on campus. Further, the departments hosts events such as tailgates, symposiums, and anniversary celebrations that bring students, faculty, and alumni together. Please look at our DCP Events page for more information on current events going on.
Some of the clubs in which our students are involved include:
– The Student Planning Association (SPA)
– Students for New Urbanism
Our students also participate in study abroad programs such as:
– The Preservation Institute: Caribbean
– The Preservation Institute: Nantucket Summer Program
– Urban Planning and Design in Brazil
– Urban Planning and Design in China
– UF in Hispaniola
For more information on student involvement and study abroad programs, please contact URP administration.
URP Alumni
Where do Gators go after graduation?
URP graduates from the University of Florida are leaders in government, community organizations, development and real estate firms, and private consulting practices. Because our Department enjoys an excellent national and international reputation, employment opportunities are not limited to Florida; our graduates are employed throughout the U.S. and the world.
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of our program and the ever-evolving role of the professional planner, our graduates can expect to perform a variety of activities in a plethora of locations throughout their careers.
The following offers but a small example of places where our graduates work:
– California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
– City of Gainesville
– City of Alachua
– ESRI
– Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
– GeoAdaptive
– GIS Associates, Inc.
-Kimley-Horn
– LandDesign
– Morris Architects
– National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
– North Central Florida Regional Planning Council
– Urban Design Solutions, Inc.
– Urban Land Institute
– US Fish & Wildlife Service
– WilsonMiller Stantec, Inc.
– WGI
How do they get there?
Our program is challenging, and faculty consistently instruct our students in the most cutting-edge research, technology, design and planning practices. Due to the rigor of our training, our program’s excellent reputation, and a citizenry and legislature that recognize the need for planning, our graduates consequently enter a strong job market and find that their services are in considerable demand.
Our graduates also benefit from a strong network of distinguished alumni who provide contacts for new graduates as they seek employment. This network is further aided by the Department’s Professional Advisory Council, which consists of accomplished professionals from public planning agencies, non-profit organizations, and private consulting firms.