Mark Dellostritto

Hometown: Cheshire, CT
Education Background: B.A. in Global Affairs and Psychology, University of Notre Dame

How did you get interested in your field?
When I initially began my undergraduate studies in global affairs, I thought that I wanted to work in a field like international development or foreign policy; something at the most international, highest level possible, because I thought that highest meant best. However, as I progressed in my degree, I made two important realizations that peaked my interest in planning. The first was that many of the global issues we were discussing in my courses actually came down to the conditions found in cities and other lower levels of geography, and that they could sometimes be addressed more efficiently at that level as well by people like planners. Secondly, I realized that planning would be a much better fit than something like foreign policy for the implementation-focused, on the ground work I aspire to do. Finally, separate from these thoughts, my brother began to take a more casual interest in planning around this same time and was sending me lots of YouTube video essays about niche planning topics, which truly solidified my interest in the field. Shoutout to City Beautiful and Not Just Bikes.

What was your background prior to coming to Penn?
I went straight into the MCP program after my undergraduate studies, which included one year at Vanderbilt University followed by three at the University of Notre Dame, where I graduated with majors in Psychology and Global Affairs. My global affairs studies have been quite helpful for my current studies in planning because as I alluded to in the answer above, they gave me a solid foundational knowledge of not only major world issues such as climate change that are relevant for planners, but also political theories and processes that are vital to making things happen in real planning work.

Why did you choose Penn?
I chose Penn because I knew that not only would I have the opportunity to learn from professors who are doing amazing work in the planning field, like Vincent Reina with his recent stint at the White House, but that Philadelphia would provide an amazing context in which to study planning. Additionally, as someone who is more passionate about implementation work within planning rather than the research side, I really liked that the program is based around two major studio courses (rather than one, like a lot of the other schools I was interested in), along with the required concentration practicum.

What has been your favorite class so far?
My favorite class that I’ve taken so far at Penn was Introduction to City Planning, History and Theory. As time goes on, I find myself to be more and more of a history buff, so this class was definitely up my alley for that general reason. However, besides all of the fascinating facts that I learned in this class, which I have to constantly resist retelling to all of my friends and family, I also think that it was incredibly important in setting me up for the rest of my planning education at Penn. It provided me with a vital base of knowledge about what work planners have done in the past, how that has contributed to the creation of the cities and societies we have today, and how I myself can fit into that history and approach my own future work.

What are you learning right now that will help you in the future?
I’m currently in Weitzman’s Law of Planning and Urban Development course, which I’m really enjoying despite never studying law in any capacity before this. Learning about the legal basis for things like zoning and eminent domain, and how the process of approving something like a zoning variance actually happens, seems like it will be extremely helpful in the future when dealing with these exact concepts in the workforce.

What do you like best about Philadelphia?
Besides being a great place to study planning, I think I enjoy the walkability of Philadelphia the most. It’s so easy to access a whole world of restaurants, parks, museums, and whatever else you may want in a short time on foot. Additionally, between all of the old buildings, historical markers, monuments, and the like, you can learn so much about the history of the city (and, to some degree, the whole United States) by just going for a walk, which gives Philly a true sense of place.

What kinds of activities and/or organizations are you involved in?
Outside of the classroom, I am currently interning at the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania as a Housing Policy Associate, supporting their work on the topics of zoning reform, preservation of affordable housing units, and rural housing. I am also one of the co-chairs of the Penn (Weitzman) Food Club, as well as one of the two Weitzman representatives for Rebuilding Together Philadelphia’s Wharton-Weitzman Block Build, when students from both schools volunteer over the course of two days to help renovate a block of homes in Philadelphia, free of charge for the residents. Additionally, I am a member of the Penn Grad Boxing Club, as well as the Penn Wind Ensemble.

What are your career ambitions?
As of now, I plan on pursuing government planning work in the future, specifically work that will allow me to work on projects that touch on housing, environmental planning, transportation, and everything else that falls within planning, as I love that intersectionality that the field presents. I’ve always been big on building relationships, so I really like the idea of working at a local level and gaining an intimate understanding of that place and the people within it.