The Right Tools for the Job: Georgia Pennington ’19 BS SBE, ’20 MS Urban Planning

10 Questions with BS in Sustainable Built Environments and Master of Science in Urban Planning Graduate Georgia Pennington

"My education at CAPLA has given me the knowledge and tools that help me communicate effectively to the public and do better at my job."

 
Georgia Pennington, who is originally from Kansas City, Missouri, came to the University of Arizona to study sustainability. While in the BS in Sustainable Built Environments, she found herself most drawn to the urban planning courses, so chose Sustainable Communities as her emphasis area and then enrolled in the MS Urban Planning accelerated master’s program option, graduating with her BS SBE in 2019 just a year later. She now serves as a planner with the City of Tucson.

Outside of work, she spends a lot of time with my daughter, and they have recently started geocaching, which she notes is a lot of fun and a good way to explore the city. She also enjoys reading, baking and spending time with her family.

Why did you decide to pursue the accelerated MS Urban Planning program?

The Sustainable Built Environments program gave me a taste of planning through a few courses, and they were by far my favorites. I feel really lucky that the SBE program has a lot of urban planning education within it that allowed me to explore planning.
 

Image

What was your concentration in the program?

While at CAPLA, I chose transportation as my concentration. I loved how most people didn’t think of transportation as anything other than getting from Point A to B, but I learned how transportation networks and methods can shape communities and lives. Transportation can really make a difference in quality of life.

What did you like best about the MS Urban Planning program and College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture?

My favorite part was getting close to my cohort. We were a small group, about 10, so that allowed me to be able to get to know them and my professors well. When COVID-19 hit, we worked well together online because we had a solid foundation as a group already. I am really thankful for that.

I also really love the professors. I left all my classes feeling like the investment I made into my education wasn’t wasted, and their encouragement and support helped me be successful throughout the program.

What was your biggest challenge at CAPLA, and how did you overcome that challenge?

I honestly believe my biggest challenge was choosing my courses. It seemed as if I would benefit from all of them and they all sounded so interesting. This is where my faculty advisor and other professors come in—they help guide you with what courses would be most beneficial for your career goals.
 

Image

Tell us about your job search while you were still in school.

I started working less than a year ago as a planner, and I believe applying and interviewing for jobs is difficult. It can be discouraging, but you have to keep trying and the right job will come along. Two things helped with this—being confident in my education and skills, and using my contacts at CAPLA to land interviews that led to job offers.

What other internships or other job experience have you had?

I completed my undergraduate internship with Tucson Clean and Beautiful and my graduate internship was with the Planning, Design and Construction Department at the University of Arizona.

Tell us about your current work with the City of Tucson.

I am still new to my position as planner, so I am currently learning a lot at once. Some of my daily tasks include writing zoning compliance letters, reviewing special applications, doing site reviews and assisting customers who have questions about planning and zoning. I think my favorite thing so far is the site reviews—it is fun to see what people are planning for their properties and to be a small part of that process. I also really enjoy answering questions from the public. It can be such a wide variety of topics, so it is never boring. It has definitely been the activity that has helped me absorb the most information in such a short period of time.

How did the SBE and MS Urban Planning programs prepare you for your current role?

Both of the SBE and MS Urban Planning programs at CAPLA have helped me prepare for this role in different ways. SBE has altered my approach to most things in my life—I always have my sustainability lenses on. If I am doing site reviews or reviewing different zones, I always wonder: How this can contribute to or work against sustainable practice? While this isn't required in my current role, I believe it ultimately makes me a better planner to have those practices in the back of my mind.

The MS Urban Planning program was absolutely the greatest prep I could have gotten. Learning the background and history of the practice of urban planning was so helpful in understanding the what and the why. For example, why are there so many sections in the code? Why do we need permits? What goal do certain land-use practices contribute to? 

Additionally, the tools I learned how to use, like GIS and Adobe Creative Suite, have been beyond valuable in both my current role and on my resume. My education at CAPLA has given me the knowledge and tools that help me communicate effectively to the public and do better at my job.
 

Image

What advice do you have for prospective MS Urban Planning students?

My advice would be to take the opportunities offered to you. All the emails from CAPLA about internships and community events… do them! Get involved. It can open so many doors.

What does the CAPLA experience mean for you?

The CAPLA experience for me was the gateway to the rest of my life. It changed my perspective, it enriched my life, and it brought me so many opportunities.