Cal Luning

Hometown: Chicago, IL
Education Background: B.A. in Urban Studies, Vassar College

How did you get interested in your field?
I had such a great time growing up in a big city. I had a huge amount of freedom just through the many ways to get around without a car. I loved to hop on my bike or the train and be able to explore all of the amazing neighborhoods and experience so much culture, from concerts at huge venues to free plays at the park. When I got to college and realized I could study what made cities so great (or not so great as I learned), I was hooked. When I realized that I could be someone making cities work better for people as my career, I knew that planning was the path for me.

What was your background prior to coming to Penn?
After college, I worked as a Land Use and Transportation Planning Fellow in the Resilience Corps, an AmeriCorps program out of Portland, Maine. I worked on a range of projects through my host organization, the Greater Portland Council of Governments, from rural comprehensive plans to a regional transportation plan to a housing affordability study. I also took a break from planning before returning to school and worked as a barista and woodworker!

Why did you choose Penn?
I was drawn to Penn’s skills-based, hands-on curriculum. In college, I studied urban history and theory, and after graduation, I jumped into the planning field without much training in actual planning. Returning to graduate school, I was determined to learn real, applicable skills and practice planning work as much as I could before re-entering the field. Penn’s MCP involves two studio classes in which small groups of students work on a semester-long planning project modeled on how these types of projects are done in the real world. The studios in addition to other classes that involve site visits, guest speakers, and field work absolutely have given me the practical skills I had hoped to gain in graduate school.   

What has been your favorite class so far?
I have really enjoyed so many of my classes, so it is hard to choose just one! My first semester I took the class Climate Change: Planning for Mitigation and Adaptation (CPLN 6340) which completely reoriented the focus of my practice toward all aspects of resilience. This semester I am taking a new class called the City at Night (CPLN 6890) where we are learning about, talking to experts, and conducting field research into the relatively new field of nighttime cities. It is a very unique class (there is only one other university in the world that has a class like it!) and it is super exciting to be getting in on the ground floor of such an important aspect of the function of cities.

What are you learning right now that will help you in the future?
I am currently in a Landscape Architecture seminar, Constructing the American Public Realm (LARP 7801), where I am studying how public space is produced, maintained, and occupied. The course explores the economic and political forces that determine the shape of public space and critiques ways that public space can be wielded as a tool of exclusion. Gaining an understanding of how to create and sustain high quality spaces will help me to support good development and design throughout my career.

What do you like best about Philadelphia?
I love all of the outdoor spaces! There are so many beautiful parks—my favorites including but of course not limited to the Schuylkill River Trail, FDR Park, Clark Park, and the Wissahickon Valley Park. Even just walking and biking around my neighborhood in West Philly, I am amazed by the number of trees and community gardens! 

What kinds of activities and/or organizations are you involved in?
I am part of Inclusion in Design, a Weitzman-wide club focused on supporting and advocating for marginalized and underrepresented students in the design field. I also love to attend lectures with all of the interesting guest speakers Weitzman hosts. Some of my favorite talks have been far outside of the planning sphere in subjects like art and architecture! Outside of Weitzman, I am a Green Stormwater Infrastructure Planning Intern with the Philadelphia Water Department.

What are your career ambitions?
I am excited to use my planning degree to support equitable, resilient, and beautiful urban spaces. I am very open to the type of planning or design organization I work with, and I am hoping to apply the wide range of skills and knowledge I’ve amassed at Weitzman to engage in a diverse range of projects!