Program leadership
Program Director: Dr. Sowmya Balachandran.
Instructor: Elinor Hanjian.
UPCD High School Program · Summer 2026
Seeing Your Community Through a Planner's Eyes
The Summer 2026 program is structured as an academic foundation followed by professional internships with the City of Boston Streets Cabinet and community partners.
Program structure
Classroom modules: June 29 to July 9, Monday through Thursday.
Internship phase: July 13 to August 5, Monday through Thursday.
Learning model: mini-lectures, interactive activities, field observation, group discussion, and a Planner's Eye portfolio.
Classroom modules
Students learn to observe, interpret, and propose improvements to their communities.
What is urban planning?
Students map daily life and examine how planning shapes everyday places.
Community assets
Students identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities.
Transportation
Students conduct walkability and mobility observations.
Housing
Students explore housing types, affordability, and neighborhood change.
Climate resilience
Students examine trees, flooding, heat, parks, and environmental justice.
Community engagement
Students learn why planners listen and how input shapes decisions.
Maps and evidence
Students combine photos, observations, surveys, interviews, and maps.
Planning proposals
Students turn observations into mini planning recommendations.
Planner's Eye portfolio
Each student builds a digital portfolio with original photographs, weekly reflections, community observations, maps or sketches, interview summaries, internship highlights, and planning recommendations.