Campus Celeb: Brian Almdale

What year are you in college? Major?

I’m a senior at UIC and my major is Urban Planning. 

What is your definition of Urban Planning? What interests you the most about urban planning and how did you get into it?

Urban Planning is being able to diagnose urban problems and learning how to figure out solutions on how to solve them. Also being able to know how to collect and analyze data to solve various problems in urban settings such as social, economic, transportation, housing, and environmental. Urban Planning is also helping the city grow in a smart and sustainable way. It’s important to understand these various problems so that you can continue to improve the quality of life for everyone within these urban settings.

Transportation. I am most interested in alternative ways in transportation other than automobiles. Particularly public, pedestrian, and bicycle transportation. I find that automobiles lower the quality of life for everyone in cities and we need to find a sustainable and healthier way to move about cities. Bicycle transportation is my primary focus. I find it to be healthy for the user, as well as the public. It doesn’t pollute and it’s another form of transportation that almost anyone can do. It’s fun for families, it’s fun for individuals, it can be for those who are trying to get from point A to B, and lastly, it can be for recreational users. Not only is it a mode for transportation, but it’s also a hobby for them. It creates a close knit community for those who take biking seriously.

I went to school at the University of Madison-Milwaukee as an architecture major. I took one class in Urban Planning and that got me interested in how land is used and how problems are addressed in cities. I looked into other universities that offered Urban Planning as a major and found UIC. It has a great program for Urban Planning and Public Affairs. After that, I took a class called Intro to Bike Planning, which sparked my interest in active transportation.

What are your plans after college?

I will try to get an internship or a job at Active Transportation Alliance, Bicycle Ambassadors, CMAP, or other organizations that deal with transportation. If that doesn’t work out, I will hopefully be accepted in the UIC Graduate Program for Urban Planning and Policy.

If you could make one change to help the city, what would it be?

I would have more complete streets. Streets would cater to automobiles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The land would be used in a more efficient manner. There would be greater social equity and this would hopefully allow Chicago to be a greener city. Also I’d like to create some green boulevard for more sustainable transportation options.

Is there anyone involved with urban planning that you look up to/get ideas from?

A guy I talk to every once in a while is a MUPP student here at UIC named Brandon W. He’s also an aspiring bike planner who is a current intern at the Active Transportation lines. Him and I were partners together in a project where we had to make our own comprehensive bike plan for a suburb of Chicago. He’s currently given me advice for which schools to apply to for grad school, literature regarding bike planning, and skills that will be needed in grad school and the professional sector.

Do you have any advice for people who want to pursue a career in urban planning?

Be up-to-date with current affairs, urban design principles, urban policy, government and governance, politics, and have an understanding of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and Adobe Creative Suite.

What are some hobbies you partake in outside of being a full-time student?

I’m a barista and a coffee nerd. I like to bike, I love art, design, and updating myself on urban affairs.

I’m currently the community bike liaison here at the Office of Sustainability here at UIC. I love doing work to promote biking in the city. I take it very seriously and I try to work on this outside of my expected hours. If you want to know information, I post Chicago Bike Maps all over UIC or you could go to: www.uic.edu/sustainability/ .