JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS
2024 CCAPA/YUDW Summer Fellow in Affordable Housing & Planning
Yale Urban Design Workshop, School of Architecture
Note: Position to begin June 1, 2024 or earlier if possible
Posted April 3, 2024
The Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association (CCAPA) and the Yale Urban Design Workshop(YUDW), Yale School of Architecture, seek applications for a full time Summer Fellow in Housing and Planning, to begin June 1, 2024 through August 23, 2024. This position may be extended for an additional 3-4 week period in a remote capacity at the discretion of CCAPA, through the month of September. The summer fellow will be housed at the Yale Urban Design Workshop’s office on Chapel Street in New Haven, but will assist CCAPA with preparation work in support of an Affordable Housing Forum to be held in September in New Haven. The Fellow will assist in housing research, event support and coordination, production of graphic and support materials, under the supervision of the faculty directors of from the School of Architecture and with regular remote or in person coordination with a member of the CCAPA Executive Board. This position may also work in consultation with the YUDW’s Fellow in Urban Design and Housing, Elise Barker Limon.
The fellow will receive practical and technical training and professional mentorship on the practice of planning and zoning in Connecticut, researching best practices for successful accessory dwelling units, middle-housing and mixed-use development examples at different municipal scales that might be transferable to other like communities in Connecticut, and methods for modifying zoning regulations to permit these proposed developments. Some knowledge of infrastructure systems such as waste-water and stormwater management and environmental regulations pertaining to inland wetlands, flood zones, and coastal management is helpful.
The ideal candidate for this position will be a graduate student in a design or planning-related field and will have a passion for furthering housing choice and diversity.
The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:
· Undergraduate degree or coursework in an appropriate field, including planning, community development, urban studies, architecture, or urban design, from an outstanding program
· Graduate or professional-level coursework in a related field, including law, architecture, planning, or management.
· Experience and interest in public education and advocacy
· Experience and interest in affordable housing and municipal planning
· Experience and interest in organizing academic or professional events
· Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
· Strong written and communication skills in English
· Strong project management skills with attention to detail
· Experience working with a range of software tools.
· Collaborative and team-oriented personality, while also independent and self-motivating
· Urban planning and / or design experience preferred
This is a 12-week, full-time position, and physical presence in New Haven is required. Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required to attend community meetings, presentations, and events with flex-time available to accommodate for these demands. The Student Fellow will be physically located at the offices of the Yale Urban Design Workshop and will be part of the larger Yale community.
Letters of interest, along with resume or CV, writing sample, and portfolio (as appropriate) should be sent to elise.barkerlimon@yale.edu and andrei.harwell@yale.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position has been filled.
Background on planning for more diverse housing
In Connecticut, a lack of affordable and diverse housing challenges the quality-of-life for many in the communities where we live and work. It’s no longer necessary to cite the many sources that suggest the causes of these issues – whether lack of supply, competition amongst independent housing-aged households (Boomers, Millennials, and now Gen Z populations), in-migration due to the pandemic, and CT’s lack of housing diversity to adequately match life-cycle needs. We see evidence of these issues in our everyday lives whether it’s the high cost of house prices and rent and increasing homelessness not only in our cities, but also in our suburbs and smaller towns.
The National APA has been partnering with the National League of Cities (NLC) on a Housing Supply Accelerator initiative that will be rolled out at the National Conference in Minneapolis in April. https://www.planning.org/resources/citysummit/ This partnership acknowledges the collaboration at the local level that elected officials and planners need to ensure that our communities continue to be successful, and frankly that all of our neighbors continue to be housed. Zoning Regulations are living documents that need to adapt as our populations’ needs change. In Connecticut, we are at a crucial crossroads where change is past due.
Planners are at our best when we can collaborate, learn from each other and support each other. The CCAPA Housing Forum initiative is intended to be a significant step in fostering an environment to move zoning reform forward. This forum facilitated “by planners and for planners” is scheduled at the Hotel Marcel on September 11, 2024. We envision break-out rooms with colleagues from like-sized communities to brainstorm solutions and share best practices with subject matter experts available as needed. However, much preparation is necessary to ensure this event’s success which is where the skills and passion of a fellow to support this effort is needed.
