Our Events

Check out upcoming and past POP-organized events below, listed in chronological order. (See Meetings for meeting times and notes.)

Quick links:

  1. Coming up
  2. Past events

Coming up

January 14/15: MLK Weekend Community Service

January 21: Day of Intentional Community Building

The Racial Equity in Policy & Planning (REPP) fellows and People of Planning (POP) are teaming up to host two days of events open to all in UEP.

Over MLK Day weekend (January 14 or 15), we’ll join a grassroots organization for a few hours of community service. Our date and time are still pending because we’re making sure our presence will actually support local needs. This day is open to all.

On January 21, we’ll have a day of co-learning/community-building activities, likely from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm. This day is designed for BIPOC students at UEP.

RSVP Form

Past

AY 2022-2023

November 17: Planners of Color Friendsgiving networking event

November 10: Students of Color Mixer with GSD and DUSP

October 12: POP Introductory Meeting

AY 2021-2022

April 22: Walking Tour of Boston Black Heritage Trail

POP went on a walking tour of the Black Heritage Trail in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood for the group’s final event of this academic year. It was a beautiful day to experience the city and learn about local history.

March 5: Round Robbin AMA (Ask Me Anything)

In this AMA, the “Me” is everyone in attendance. Each individual has experiences and information that might be useful to others–whether first years, second years, etc. The Jamboard featuring anonymous questions and answers generated for the event can be found here. This is a living document, so feel free to continue adding your questions and answers.

For the 2021-2022 Academic Year, POP plans to host a series of intimate discussion groups to allow UEP students to explore how their backgrounds and identities intersect with and influence their policy and planning practice. Any events that are open to the public will be posted here.

AY 2020-2021

April 13: Q&A with State Representative Maria D. Robinson

Thank you all for attending! Check out the recording here.

People of Planning (PoP) invite you for a Q&A with State Representative Maria D. Robinson on Tuesday, April 13th from noon to 1:00pm.

Looking to better understand the intersection of planning and politics? We’ve invited State Representative and UEP Lecturer Maria Robinson to speak with us! This one-hour virtual event will be full of questions and answers. Topics will include her background in planning, becoming an elected official, Tufts, and much more!

Rep. Robinson has an exciting background in clean and advanced energy policy at the local, state, and federal levels. She is the only elected official appointed to the U.S. EPA Clean Air Act Advisory Committee, which oversees the technical implementation of the federal Clean Air Act. She was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 2018 and won her re-election this past fall.

Sign up here to receive the Zoom link and register in advance to get a PoP mug (supplies limited) and a Dunkin gift card!

Already have a question you want to ask? Email it to bailey.hu@tufts.edu or nicole.stephens@tufts.edu.

April 2: Working with Community Workshop

Wondering what community engagement really looks like, especially in a virtual setting? Thinking about how you can integrate it in your planning practice? In this hands-on workshop UEP alum, Kiersten Mailler, will share tried and tested best practices for community engagement through case studies and an interactive workshop, with time built in for conversation.

Connect the Dots is a stakeholder engagement firm that brings together community and public sector partners to develop innovative and actionable solutions for our towns and cities. We work alongside local collaborators & partners to craft insight-driven engagement processes that foster participation, build consensus, and re-imagine the future of our communities. Their mission is to build better cities, towns, and neighborhoods through inclusive, insight-driven stakeholder engagement. We help community, private and public sector partners to develop creative solutions that move projects and cities forward.

Kiersten is a 2014 Tufts alumna who focused on gentrification mitigation: a topic that has shaped her work and perspectives throughout her planning career. She has worked in both the public and private sector as a planner, realtor, construction project manager, and an engagement specialist, with throughlines of equity and inclusion. The importance and value of civic engagement are things that must still be fought for, and at Connect the Dots, Kiersten and Marisa (CEO and Founder) have been building a platform from which to spread the understanding of its positive impact.

To get the password for the Zoom event, email POP@Tufts.edu.

Mondays through December 7, 2020: POP Study Sessions

People of Planning will be holding open, in-person study hours for up to 6 people at a time each Monday afternoon this semester at the White House. Folks are also welcome to join online (no limits on capacity).

During this difficult time, we hope to create a space that brings people together in a safe way. We’ll also do actual studying and/or work. There’ll be free coffee and tea available (see above) next door at the Brown House.

If you plan to attend in-person on a certain day, please do check the sign-up sheet first so we don’t exceed capacity. For info on how to join remotely, click the Google Calendar icon above. If you have questions, you can also email Bailey.Hu@Tufts.edu.

December 10: Holding Ground Documentary Screening

*Date & time has changed! Please see below for details:

Time: 7-8:30pm. We’ll screen Holding Ground: The Rebirth of Dudley Street (approx. 1 hour) – which covers the rise of local nonprofit Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative – over Zoom. Afterwards we’ll have a brief discussion featuring Tufts UEP students, alumni, faculty who have worked with the organization on different projects. For more about the movie, check out the official website here.

November 9, 2020: Q&A with Boston Councilor-at-large Annissa Essaibi-George

Mon, Nov. 9 update: Recording of Zoom call now available here

Looking to get involved with local politics? We’ve invited Boston City Councilor At-Large Annissa Essaibi-George to talk about her advocacy and work in areas such as addressing homelessness and public health. We’ll also chat about her journey into policy, take on current events and, well, anything else you can think of.

This one-hour virtual event will begin with a brief question-and-answer session followed by an open Q&A. To receive the Zoom link, please register here. Learn more about our events at sites.tufts.edu/peopleofplanning. We hope to see you Nov. 9!

November 2, 2020: Coffee Chat + Giveaway

We invite POP co-founders Cyatherine Alias and Miranda Briseño back to talk about what led them to found the group as well as life after UEP (pandemic edition). As a thank-you for coming to our first coffee chat, attendees will receive a free mug! See below for more details.

October 28: Thesis Talk with Lily Linke

Wed, Oct. 28 update: Recording of Zoom call now available here!

People of Planning and SPA have invited UEPer Lily Linke to talk about her thesis work next Wednesday. Lily took a unique approach by publishing her interviews with experts and advocates on race and walkability as a podcast. Fittingly, it’s called Footnotes and you can check out it out at www.footnotespod.com.

Tune into the Zoom between 12-1pm on Wed (Oct. 28) for a brief introduction to Footnotes followed by an open-ended discussion about research, interviewing, creative forms of communication, or anything else.