August 23, 2024
The DVRPC Planning Fellowship is an opportunity for people of color to explore the field of city and regional planning, without prior training or experience, by spending a year working with various departments across the Commission. Applications are due by October 15, 2024.
The DVRPC Planning Fellowship is an opportunity for people of color to explore the field of city and regional planning, without prior training or experience, by spending a year working with various departments across the Commission. The selected fellow will participate in the daily activities of a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), complete specialized projects, and experience firsthand how transportation investments are made in the Greater Philadelphia region.
The Fellowship is a paid, year-long, full-time, professional development program that begins January 2025 through December 2025. The selected Fellow will develop a broad range of skills and receive mentorship and guidance from DVRPC staff and leadership to aid in their career development. Past Fellows have gone on to successfully further their education and careers in planning or related fields–including two current DVRPC staff members.
Jonathan Alexander, our current Planning Fellow, graduated from Rutgers University with a B.S. in Urban Planning and Design. We asked them about their experiences with the Fellowship and advice for future applicants.
What made you decide to apply to the Planning Fellowship?
Ever since I first became interested in pursuing urban planning in high school, youth have had few opportunities to be involved in the planning field–especially black youth who have complicated relationships with how planning has shaped the environments they live in. I visited zoning board meetings, found any free relevant experience, and read as many Planetizen articles as I could each week. For the college application process, I was resolute in making sure that I attended a great school in planning. But, I later realized that most schools did not offer an undergraduate degree in planning. I was set on Rutgers University because of the rigor of the Bloustein School and after the completion of my degree, I embarked on a quest to get more hands-on experience with the foundational training I acquired. At the end of my last semester, I learned about how Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) operate at a regional scale in my Transportation Planning class and that influenced my decision to apply to be an Environmental Planning Intern. In my internship, I enjoyed how open DVRPC’s work environment is to questions about career development and the field of planning in general. What made me decide to apply to the Planning Fellowship was to explore the other divisions in the organization and to broaden my perspective on how regional planning is carried out. The Planning Fellowship also gave me an opportunity to experience a salary position early in my career.
What has been a favorite project that you have worked on so far?
The Public Participation Task Force (PPTF) is a favorite as I have enjoyed working with Shoshana Akins and Wideleine Desir in public engagement and outreach with the residents in our region, especially those outside of Philadelphia. The PPTF is also a great platform to see how DVRPC communicates the technical functions of an MPO to residents.
What are some of the things you have learned through the Fellowship?
I’ve learned that making an agenda for each meeting is helpful for me to be prepared and organized. It’s also helpful to those attending the meeting to know what will be discussed and to be prepared for. Also, I’ve learned about the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Long-Range Plan (LRP) which is an intricate process that serves as a classroom for how regional planning is carried out within cycles and phases. Learning how we work together with the counties and all of our stakeholders in real time is something that isn’t taught in planning school. This came from my conversation with Jesse Buerk and Richard Murphy about how the TIP process has evolved over the years.
Why should someone apply to the Fellowship?
People should apply to the fellowship because DVRPC is a great environment for ecstatic and curious junior planners thinking about the next steps in their careers. You will be surrounded by quality and experienced experts in the field who are eager to talk about their journey and answer your questions.The experiences and connections you make here will be valuable wherever you go after DVRPC.
Do you have any advice for the next Planning Fellow?
Reflect on your experiences periodically to think about how your workload feels, what you like or enjoy about your assignments, and what kind of manager you’d like to work under. Build in time for one-on-one meetings with colleagues to ask questions about anything you want to improve on or know more about. Be open and curious about as much as you can.
Applications for the Fellowship are now being accepted and are due October 15. Review the full program description for more details on the Fellowship and how to apply.