2021 Summer City Planning Institute

In partnership with the Center for Community Planning , the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association is urging friends and colleagues to join us in financially supporting the 2021 Summer City Planning Institute ("CPI").

Launched in 2017, the summer program exposes urban public high school students to the importance of gaining a better understanding of their communities in the search for programs, policies and actions that can bring about the types of change they want. In 2021 the Institute will include students from Newark, who will be working with the city’s Planning Department and La Casa de Don Pedro to update neighborhood plans. The students will develop cultural asset maps for Newark neighborhoods. The maps will be used in La Casa’s update of its neighborhood plan, and in the city’s update of its Master Plan. The City Planning Institute has been expanded this year to include students from the NJ Highlands who will be contributing to the update of the Highlands Economic Sustainability Plan, and students in Trenton who will be participating in the design of a new municipal park in their neighborhood.

The Institute is designed to introduce students to the city planning process, the process of critically evaluating their communities, and working with government officials to make positive changes in the areas that they live. The program incorporates training from certified planners, guest speakers, field trips, and real-world application of state-of-the-art technology. Students host a final community showcase where they present their findings and plans for their neighborhoods to government officials and local stakeholders.

There is no cost to the students.

Providing a Safe Learning Environment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This summer the City Planning Institute will engage in a hybrid program that incorporates direct instruction and presentations, guest speakers, daily activities, and independent/group research projects. Meetings will be held in an online classroom where enrolled students will receive live instruction via videoconferencing, meet with peers in small groups, receive tailored guidance from professional planners, and exchange ideas. Students will learn about community development and city planning from professionals in the field. The instruction will be tailored to the individual projects in each of the three communities, and their final projects will be presented to their community stakeholders at the commencement of the program.